Babies learn through play

A baby is alert and listening from birth. From six weeks, they are able to smile, turn their head towards light and respond to a familiar voice. Everything they see, hear, touch, smell and taste is helping them to grow and develop their cognitive abilities. A good way to encourage a baby’s development is to stimulate these senses. Babies and children often learn through imitation and positive assurance, so play can be a useful tool.

– Sing a song

Let’s face it everyone likes to have a little sing song every now and again. Music can help to sooth, stimulate and educate. Singing to your baby can help with their intellectual development as most children’s songs include repetition, a key tool for your child’s memory. In many cases, certain songs will calm your baby down when they are upset, as they will associate the song with the person that loves and feeds them.

– Play games and have fun!

From about three months, your baby will begin to enjoy games and enjoy being played with. Playing simple games with children from an early age can help you to bond with your child and it can have enormous benefits for their development. In particular it can help with their cognitive and communication skills as well as their personal, social and emotional development. Children learn so much through play. This is often when they are at their happiest, most engaged, focused an stimulated. I know it sounds simplistic but playing and having fun with your child really is essential – and it’s never too early to start!

Babycentre.com has a really useful list of  simple games that you could play with your baby. Click here to take a look.

– Have a little natter

It is important to talk to your baby as much as possible. It sounds obvious but it’s not always easy as sometimes you can feel as though you are talking to yourself. Try to make a habit of talking to your baby while you are feeding them or changing them. Although you may feel a little self-conscious, telling your baby what you are doing or naming things you see can help them to develop their vocabulary.

Remember to speak clearly and concisely. There are many ways to encourage your baby’s development without continuously talking or embarrassing yourself, however. These activities could include naming pictures in picture books or pointing to parts of your body and naming them.

As babies often learn through this form of imitation, it is important to always set a good example for your child. When trying to teach them to do something, using a spoon for example, it is important to show them how to do it yourself. Being positive and calm is also important, as babies can easily become scared by loud noises or angry voices. Think about how you phrase sentences and try to focus on the positive. For example, rather than issuing a directive – stop doing this that or the other  you could instead try to say ‘we need to do….’ Or ‘can you help me do…’