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Developmentally Appropriate Activities for Infants

Activities for babies are all about fun. What you may think of as playtime is really helping your baby development her audio tracking skills, visual tracking skills, eye-hand coordination and gross motor skills. Instead of worrying about what age to introduce which activity, instead focus on your baby's developmental milestones, and tailor your playtime to baby's new abilities.

  1. Auditory Tracking Skills

    • When your baby is able to turn her head toward the sound of your voice, she's developed auditory tracking skills. Encourage this by calling out to her. Set her in a baby seat in the middle of the room, and walk around calling out her name or making funny sounds. Your baby will become an expert at locating the source of a sound. She also will learn about space, discerning sounds that are far and near.

    Visual Tracking Skills

    • Your baby begins memorizing your face the moment she's born. As her eyes begin to focus, she watches you move from place to place. Help your baby develop her visual tracking skills with a flashlight. Place a scarf or some colored tissue paper over the beam, and move the light around the room, from floor to walls to ceiling. Your baby will be starstruck as she watches the light flit to and fro. Have fun experimenting with concepts of fast and slow, high and low and back and forth.

    Eye-Hand Coordination

    • As your baby learns to control her muscles and especially her arms and hands, she will be able to grasp objects and move them. Foster this development with games of stacking and pouring. Spread a towel or blanket on the floor for pouring games. Supply your baby with cups and bowls. Fill them with cereal or water. Show her how to pour from cup to bowl. You can also stack small boxes and blocks for your baby, and let her experience the fun of knocking them down. Baby's deliberate actions will develop her ability to control her hands.

    Gross Motor Skills

    • You will know your baby is beginning to master her gross motor skills when she begins to crawl and tries to climb. Help her develop these abilities by staging small obstacles for her to mount or navigate. Pile up large pillows and watch your baby attempt to climb Mt. Softie. Or set up some pillows and other soft walls and help baby make her way through an obstacle course. Navigating the twists and turns will boost your baby's gross motor skills, balance and coordination.

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