Ideas for Babies

It was a long cold, winter day in Wisconsin the first time I pulled out a huge roll of paper and laid it across the floor. My diapered twins were soon covered in paint, but they were happy and the afternoon passed more quickly than any before.

Days with babies can easily become a monotonous pattern of feedings and changes and nap times. Simple activities can engage your baby in a way that stimulates development and makes your days more enjoyable.

These are our favorite twin tested, mama approved activities for kids under 15 months.

Best Play Ideas for Babies that Promote Development

Field Trips with Babies

I think getting out of the house with babies is just as important as it is when your kids are bigger. The experience is different, but the opportunities to see and learn about the world are still there. Possibly most importantly, the earlier you start the easier it is to develop the habit. Car rides, hiking, waiting, flying – these are all skills that develop with practice. Here are some helpful tips to getting out of the house with babies.

Gross Motor Play & Learning Ideas

I found that when my twins were on the verge of a large motor milestone like crawling or walking that was all they wanted to do. For days, sometimes weeks, leading up to the big moment they were developing this skill with a focus we often don’t attribute to kids so young. Here are the ways I built our play and learning around this interest in gross motor.

Sensory Play Ideas

Much of infancy is spent developing our 5 senses. When you watch your baby you’ll see them touching and tasting and listening and smelling everything around them. They use this first year especially to integrate all of this important sensory information into their own bodies and learn about the world around them. Help them explore their senses when they’re interested with one of these activities.

easy diy zoo peekaboo

People & Animals

The last thing that seems to really interest little babies is the people and animals in their world. Here are some fun ways to learn and play with babies around this theme.

 

Find Play Ideas for TODDLERS here!