Infant Sensory Activities

Infant children find their senses to be fascinating. They haven't had the years of sensory immersion that adults have, so each new sensory input is exciting and fun. It is important to stimulate your baby's senses on a daily basis. This is incredibly easy to do and can also be fun and rewarding for both you and your little one.

Mimic Their Speech

• Children usually learn a few words or syllables before their first birthday. They will often gab on and on throughout the day simply because they enjoy the sound of their own voice. Stimulate your child's speech by mimicking their noises and speech patterns. Listen to what your child says throughout the day. Repeat his noises, syllables and words back to him. He will recognize the noises and will likely repeat them. While he is paying attention to you and mimicking your behavior, begin integrating new sounds, words and syllables into your speech. Avoid long or difficult phrases. Simple one-syllable sounds or words should be enough to keep him interested. Slowly but surely, he will begin using new words and sounds. Repeat these back to him on a daily basis and point to objects that these words or sounds represent.

Rocking

• Infants are stimulated very easily. Their attention span can rarely last long enough to comprehend anything more complex than a fleeting moment. As a result, they often enjoy repetitive events or actions. Rocking with your baby is a simple way to engage and soothe her senses. Sit across from her and rock back and forth. This can be done standing or sitting. She will watch you move and will also start mimicking your rocking. This simple act of behavior mirroring will help your baby feel unconsciously connected to you. This activity can be used to calm an upset or anxious baby. Adding music to your rocking will add another sense to this activity.

Sensory Course

• Infants are born with all five senses: sight, taste, touch, smell and hearing. A sensory course is an excellent way to stimulate all of your child's senses. Set up your sensory course in a part of the house that won't be disturbed, like a bedroom or playroom. Hang a sheet a few inches from the ground to crawl under. This will stimulate the child's sense of touch as the sheet will be rubbing their back, and their hands and feet will be feeling the carpet or wood of the floor. Spray perfume on the sheet to stimulate scent. Play music while they run through your course. Try to make it age-appropriate, but vary it. A sound effects tape works wonders, especially if it's animal sounds.