Newborn babies are able to communicate and respond to your voice, face, touch, taste and smell. Mothers are also primed to respond to their babies, to form a lasting attachment and be sensitive to their babies' needs.
What you can do
Play shouldn't be timetabled - be spontaneous and choose moments when your baby is content, alert and not hungry.
Don't persist in anything that irritates or upsets your baby, and also be alert to clues that they're tired or overstimulated. Babies know when they've reached 'overload' and start to cry, fuss or sleep. You'll soon learn to predict this 'switching off'.
Fun and games
At this age, you are your baby's best 'toy'. In fact, your actions are essential to their play and learning.
Talk to your baby gently and calmly. Tell them what you're doing - "I'm going to change your nappy now" - and praise them lovingly - "What a good baby you are".
Of course, your baby doesn't yet understand the full meaning of your words, but they can respond to the tone. Talking about everyday things is also, in time, how babies learn to understand words' meaning, and then to speak.
Sing songs and move gently to the rhythm. It doesn't matter what you sing - if you don't know any nursery rhymes, TV jingles, pop songs or operatic arias will do.
Respond to your baby and don't let them cry for cuddles or food. Research shows babies who are responded to quickly cry less when they're older because they've learnt their needs will be met.
Engage your baby's eyes and watch them watching you. Smile and pull faces, poke out your tongue, blow a raspberry and see them start to imitate.
Let your baby kick free every so often, on a mat on the floor, so they can move their legs and arms.
Toys to buy
Soft toys are fun and attractive but at this age your baby won't be able to cuddle or hold them, so save your money
Very young babies enjoy plain, simple colours and bold shapes. They also respond and seem to recognise faces and face-like pictures, and enjoy gentle, repetitive movements and higher pitched sounds.
From about two or three months, babies can hold small items and touch and explore textures
Toy suggestions:
- Cot mobile that turns and plays a tune
- Playmat with different textures and colours
- Easy-to-hold rattle or cloth toy
- Baby-safe mirror - prop up or hang in the pram or cot or on the changing table
- Baby gym with interesting things to look at, and later, reach for
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