What Do Newborns Play With? Get Ready To Be Surprised
Right from the day when they are born, the bodies and minds of babies grow and constantly develop in a number of amazing ways. This is why most of us parents are always enthusiastic and want to maximize every bit of this development period.
In the midst of all this enthusiasm, parents always seek for all sorts of stuff and toys that the baby can play with to help in their development. The truth is, newborns, do not require a lot to play or entertain themselves with.
Another problem arises: What do newborns play with? Every parent always wonders about this at some point once the baby has been born, I did too. At this age, newborns benefit from just simple play objects as they cannot handle much due to their age.
Newborn Play Things
One good thing about newborns is that playing with them does not require any rocket science. It is not meant to be complicated either. It only involves the things you naturally do when around them. The only difference is that for some parents, the play comes naturally more than others.
When it comes to playing tools, it’s what parents do instinctively that counts a great deal. The experience level, therefore, doesn’t matter. All in all, here are some of the “things” that newborns play with. Scan through quickly before the newborn wakes up!
1. You the Parent
Did I just call you a playing thing for your newborn? It is actually true. You are your newborn’s greatest play toy, and as much as I hate to admit it, it gives them a lot of pleasure by driving us nuts.
At such an early age, the best game newborns play is interacting with those around her. Have you ever noticed the baby taking a keen interest in you as you feed her, change her diapers or walk around the house as you do your chores?
Well, it is her way of learning about you, knowing your voice, recognizing your smell and in no time, she will be able to trace you using her eyes and ears. She will soon start associating your heartbeat (you always hold her close) and voice with comfort.
And you need that as it helps you in calming her down whenever she is upset or hungry. I don’t understand how she did it, but my eldest daughter would stop fussing immediately I got into her room, even before I held her. I bet yours does too, right?
As a play toy, there are several games that you can play together with your baby. Here is just a sample of them.
Face Off
As I had earlier mentioned, babies are born to focus on mommy’s or daddy’s face. This game only works when your face is in her vision line (20 to 40 centimeters). She will be enchanted by your expressive eyes, mouth, and nose.
To get the play going, bring your face close to her face, and pull a series of fascinating facial expressions in the process. Provided the baby is happy and alert, she will lock her face onto yours.
You can start with a smiling face, then a surprised expression and then a tongue out expression. As you move through the expressions, ensure to pause in between. In no time, you will notice her trying to mimic you as you change the look on your face.
Additionally, you can use a hand mirror so that she can see her facial expression, and then try describing what you see to her. Alternatively, tilt the mirror so that she can see both your face and hers. Trust me; this game is going to be fun. In the process, she develops a visual recognition skill.
Get into A Conversation
I know that look. Having a conversation with a newborn? Who am I kidding? If you didn’t know, having such a conversation is like talking to yourself. It is always too boring, but believe me, your baby is always listening.
By hearing you speak, your newborn is learning to recognize your voice as well as develop her language skills. You may wonder what topic would interest a newborn, don’t you worry, any topic will do, even the mundane ones. Tell her about the weather, how you normally bath her, how you take good care of her, what is cooking for supper today and just about anything.
2. Newborn Toys
Besides you who will do everything to make sure that your fragile baby is kept safe and happy while playing, there are other soft toys for babies that your newborn can “play with” while ensuring that she doesn’t get any injuries. This is because if your delicate baby plays with just any toy, there is a possibility that she might accidentally cause injuries to herself while playing when you are not watching her.
Soft toys normally minimize the probability of such accidents happening as your baby plays with them. This provides you with some relief since you might never be able to be used as a toy by your baby all the time when she is awake. You could be wondering: How do newborn babies play with toys yet they can barely see or open up their hands?
Babies actually don’t need to touch these toys if they haven’t reached the age yet. It could be objects swinging in their eyesight or producing some kind of sound and light. Your baby will find those really amusing. Don’t be surprised to find her smiling by herself.
Here are some of the toys that can provide your newborn with amazing comfort and company.
Mobiles
The characters dangling from any mobile are always a great fascination for newborns. At the age they are in, their eyes and ears are their biggest assets. If you can find a mobile with some sort of soothing music, the better the playtime for your baby.
The good thing about mobiles is that you can customize it how you want. You can change its position so that the baby gets a different view. In addition, you can incorporate your voice as you point out to her the characters on it.
Soothers
I told you, newborns have very different definitions of play. Take the example of soothers. These soothers in addition to soothing your baby to sleep also give them some sort of game time feel. A soother helps your baby develop the skill of self-soothing to sleep which is very essential.
Portable, High Contrast Toys
High contrast toys help stimulate the visual sense in your baby. As you point out the different colors to her, she develops the ability to switch focus from color to color, although she might not understand what they mean at the time.
If the toys produce any sound, this can help to develop your newborn’s sense of hearing further.
When to Stop Playing
Your newborn might not be able to tell you in words when she has had enough play for the day, but she will be able to give you signs for the same. There are instances when you are having fun, and then the next minute she starts crying. Ohh! What wrong? Come on; she has had enough play. When playing, look out for these signs which tell you to should stop playing.
Conclusion
Newborn playing items are not that complicated, as long your pretty face is there to be looked at 24/7. First of all, you should recognize that you are the number one play toy for your newborn. You should, therefore, avail yourself whenever the kid needs to play. In support are some soft, soothing toys to add extra glamor to playtime.
