10 Brain-Boosting Activities for Babies

These activities are meant to give you ideas of fun things to do with your child that will support their development and expand upon what they are learning in their classroom. Ideas are adapted from the Ages and Stages Questionnaire Learning Activities by Elizabeth Twombly and Ginger Fink.

1. Floor Play

Put items on the floor and let your baby explore! Small stainless steel bowls, wooden spoons, plastic cups, rolled up socks, or books are good options.

2. Peek-a-Boo

Use wash cloths or sheer fabric to play peek-a-boo with your baby.

3. Use Baby’s Name

Sings songs about everything using your baby’s name. Babies respond to their name amazingly early and continue to listen for it as they get older.

4. Dance to Music

Dance to music with your baby. Moving to music helps babies learn rhythm which is helpful with math skills.

5. Empty & Fill

Put several pieces of fabric scraps in a container, such as a wipes container, for babies to pull out. Once it’s empty, they can help put them back in and start all over again!

6. Go Outside

Explore the outdoors with your baby. Sit near trees and talk about the leaves moving, the birds you see or hear, and the way the grass feels. You’ll be exploring all of their senses and building their vocabulary.

7. Play Ball

Have a variety of balls available for your baby to explore. Talk about the size of the ball and how it feels, bounce the ball and talk about what your baby is doing with the ball.

8. Read

Read children’s books, the newspaper, food labels — anything you might be silently reading, read aloud to help build your baby’s brain!

9. Play with Clay

Get a block of clay, moisten it and let your baby explore by touching the clay. You can even cut off a piece and soften it so your baby can hold it in their hand and squeeze it.

10. Explore Velcro Rollers

These hair rollers stick together and pull apart easily. Babies can build and be surprised when the rollers stick to items other than each other!

Curious about how we work on different areas of development in our classrooms? Explore more about our infant curriculum today!

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