Things to Do With a Newborn – Making Those Precious Moments Memorable

Having a baby means devoting most of your time to their care and needs. While it can seem like you’re running endlessly on a hamster wheel, you can beat some of the stress and make it a whole lot more fun if you know how to make the most of this opportunity. Continue reading for some considerable time on how to have a great time with your baby.

Activities to Do With a Newborn Baby

Here is a list of fun things to do with a newborn:

1. Take Them Out

An outing with your baby is the most refreshing activity you can do. It need not be too far; a park close by or somewhere with plenty of nature and greenery will do.

How to Do:

• Secure your baby in his favourite carrier such that he has a good view of what’s around.
• Go for a few rounds around the park and walk slowly.
• Let him feel the sunshine and the breeze in the evenings.
• Preferably stick to a quiet place and quietly hum a tune to soothe him.

2. Engage Them in Your Routine

If you’re wondering what to do with a newborn when awake other than usual play and activities, make them a part of your routine.

How to Do:

• Carry the child around the house and show him things and name them. Although this seems awkward since he wouldn’t understand most of it, it builds a good foundation for language and communication.
• Take him out with you for grocery shopping but also have your support person with you.
• You can move his crib closer to where you’re working.

3. The Emoting Game

This is an enormously fun activity which builds your baby’s perception and strengthens your bond. It also helps in early language identification and recognition of gestures and emotions.

How to Do:

• When your baby is all awake and active, hold him close and talk to him with a lot of animated gestures.
• With each expression, change the tone of your voice to something that matches the emotion behind the expression.
• Do this not only during playtime but also when he is in a great mood and receptive to laughter.

4. Stimulate Their Senses

Babies have a keen sense of touch, and a big part of their development involves learning where the sensations are coming from. A simulation game will not only help them learn that but is plenty of fun!

How to Do:

• Pick clothes of different textures and run it over his arms, legs and belly to get a feel for smoothness and roughness.
• Tickle him with a feather or a gentle brush.
• If he is feeding, allow him to touch and play with the bottle.
• If he is in the bath, let him splash around and play with the foam and water.

5. Playtime With Siblings

An enjoyable experience for the whole family is to allow the older child to play with a newborn as it is a new experience for both of them and also a good time to bond.

How to Do:

• Get your older child to sit and play with his brother during his activity time.
• Bath them together, let them play in the water for a while.
• Read stories to both at the same and match their snack timings.
• Allow the older child to hold and play with the baby gently, under your supervision.

6. Play them Soothing Music

All babies show an affinity towards music, especially the slow melodic types which can relax them. It is even known to boost their memories and cognitive skills.

How to Do:

• First, establish the kind and genre of music your baby enjoys when he is in a good mood.
• You will see that different types of music will have a different effect on him; some make him sleep, some annoy him and some charge him up
• Humming along with the music can accentuate the benefits of the music.

7. Hide and Seek

Hide and seek is a game that all infants will enjoy. Seeing your face appear and disappear is a kind of thrilling experience for the baby that they cannot grasp; it is like magic.

How to Do:

• When he is in a playful mood, lay him down and cover your face with your hands or a cloth.
• Call his name or whistle to catch his attention and make him wonder where it is coming from.
• Drop the cloth and surprise him with a shriek, revealing your face.

8. Take Plenty of Pictures and Videos

Every moment with your munchkin is a special moment; therefore, you will need all the reel you can get to capture the best of them.

How to Do:

• Get all of these clothes ready and stage a photoshoot in different seasons.
• Try out new hairstyles and custom wear to make it more fun and shoot some funny ones.
• Capture him in his most natural state as well, while he plays in the bathtub, sleeps like an angel and makes a mess at the dinner table
• Have your camera ready at all times; you’ll never know when the moment is perfect

9. Some Hand Co-Ordination Games

Learning to grasp things and manage them in their hands is an essential skill your baby will learn as he builds his motor skills.

How to Do:

• Offer him different coloured toys so he can see it all. You can also hang some over his crib.
• Let him hold toys of different textures, starting from fabric to silicone to get a feel for them.
• Hold a toy over him so he can reach and grab it to build his hand-eye coordination.

10. Introduce Them to Other Things

This is an activity you can do when you are at home and try out especially elsewhere where there are a lot of new things.

How to Do:

• Take him around the house and introduce him to all the new things he doesn’t commonly see.
• Let him stare at them or feel them for however long he likes.
• When you are out, show him different lights, moving objects and anything else his curiosity draws him to.

11. Dance

Dancing and moving through the air is a fantastic feeling that babies love. It’s even better when coupled with music or singing.

How to Do:

• Hold your infant in your arms and try out different slow dancing moves with a lot of swinging motions.
• Preferably play his favourite music and dance around, singing along.
• You can also get him comfortably seated in his carrier.

12. Read a Story

Although your little one cannot understand it, reading stories to them is an effective way to build their communication skills.

How to Do:

• Have a dedicated storytelling time to build a habit, especially around sleep,
• You can also narrate events from your day or the day of your spouse as a story,

Other Fun Things You Can Do to Entertain Your Neonate at Home

Here are some of the activities to do with 3-week-old and older infants.

1. Sound and Language

• Read a story out loud or recite the alphabet in different accents.
• Walk around and name every object you see.

2. Visual Activities

• Move colourful objects in front of his eyes.
• Hang all your scarves over his crib.
• Take him outside to show leaves and flowers.

3. Some Tactile Fun

• Give him a massage with warm oil.
• Blow belly raspberries.

4. Hand Exercises

• Clap his hands to the beat of his favourite song.
• Flex and extend his hands.
• Touch his hands to his belly and head.

5. Foot Exercises

• Make kicking and cycling actions with his feet.
• Make scissor motions with his legs.

6. Core Body Movement

• Give him tummy time on a blanket.
• Get him to grab things while on the tummy.

7. Baby Yoga

• Several yoga stretches can be done with your infant by your side.
• Make faces at him while you do the downward-facing dog or cat pose.

8. Flying

• Place him belly down on your lap or hold him upwards by the midsection.
• Gently lift him and move him forward and backwards, and to the sides.
• Make aeroplane sounds for more fun.

What All Should You Avoid Doing With Your Newborn Child?

While there is an endless number of things to do with a newborn, here is what not to do with a newborn:

1. Rushing the Burping

First-time moms don’t realise that babies don’t burp after a meal right away, even when they are patted on the back. Allow them the time and try bicycle kicks and massages.

2. Saying No to Help

If your mom or sister wishes to help in the first few months, say yes. You will need all the few minutes of sleep you can get during the day.

3. Having Sex

While the physical exhaustion might keep you from it, sex can wait for a few more months. Also, it’s best not to have sex for six weeks after birth.

4. Having People Visit Frequently

It’s stressful for both the baby and you to have people pouring in and asking questions.

5. Letting them Cry it Out

It’s best not to use this method until they are over six weeks old as they are not emotionally ready enough to sleep through the night.

6. Attending Crowded Events

The stress is too much in such situations for the baby, so avoid crowds in closed spaces.

7. Letting Them Oversleep Between Feeds

They must feed every two hours or close when they are putting on weight, especially in the first month.

8. Bathing Them Fully

Do not immerse your baby in water until the umbilical stump falls. Give sponge baths only.

There are hundreds of different things you can do with your infant to make the early stages of your motherhood more fun and less stressful. Done right, these tips add plenty of energy and love to your day.

Also Read:

Basics of Newborn Baby Sleep
Common Newborn Baby Care Myths
Newborn Baby Shopping – List of Items You Need to Buy