21 tips to develop & stimulate baby’s senses

15 simple ways to make your baby smarter

 

The baby brain is an incredible learning machine.  Its future to a great extent is in our hands.

The baby’s brain consists of hundred billion brain cells called neurons. These neurons are connected to each other like a spider’s web. More connections means, smarter baby! The formation of these connections are triggered when your baby is exposed to an environment which is rich in senses like colors, sounds, smells, movement & touch.

Here are some ways to stimulate the baby’s senses & give a jump start to your baby’s intellectual & physical abilities:

 

Stimulate baby’s senses – 0-6 months

 

1) Your baby needs your time, patience & of course full time attention. You should talk, sing & play with the baby to build a strong relationship & trust.

2) You can take your baby out for strolls in the park in the evening where the baby will see the sky, trees, birds, other kids & so on. This can be a very stimulating experience for your little one.

3) Take your baby in your arms & show different facial expressions like a big smile, raised eyebrows, pout & more.

4) You can also give the baby an oil massage which will strengthen the muscles & also help the baby be calm.

5) Hang a string of colourful toys above the crib. You could buy a musical mobile or a play gym too.

6) Teach you baby to hold objects. You can start with an easy grip rattle.

7) Tickle the baby’s stomach, feet & chin area. Your touch is a very effective and good stimulating tool.

 

Stimulate baby’s senses-  6-12 months

 

8) Give the baby toys that have movement, light & sound. You can also use toys with buttons or pop-ups to improve motor skills.

9) You can also give safe household items like plastic cups, steel bowls, spoons etc to stimulate baby’s senses.

10) Teach the baby simple actions like waving good bye & clapping.

11) Make bath time a fun time for the baby. You can use this time to teach simple words like mamma, papa, dada & so on.

12) Play hide and seek – Show the baby a toy & then hide it behind yourself with a little bit of the toy showing & teach the baby to look for it.

13) You can read picture books to the baby. Studies suggest that babies as young as eight months old can learn to recognize the sequence of words in a story when its read two or three times in a row. This is believed to help them learn language.

14) Introduce the baby to other people like your friends, relatives, other kids of similar age group for the baby to pick up some social skills too.

15) Introduce your baby to healthy food items like fresh fruits & vegetables after your baby is six months old. You can add nuts, eggs & boiled chicken only after your little one is nine months of age to avoid food allergies.

16) Go to the park and look for butterflies and birds and bees.

17) Cuddle up – Physical affection helps in stimulating baby’s senses and  raises a secure, happy child. This should continue as long as you and your child are comfortable.

18) Watch the raindrops – Watch the rain falling from the sky, how it makes everything wet. If possible go out in the rain to let your baby feel the rain.

19) Watch family albums – Show pictures to baby and introduce her to the extended family.

20) Let the child explore different textures like rough and smooth – make sensory bags with a bag of rice, smooth and rough toys etc.

21) Expose baby to different sounds – loud and soft to stimulate baby’s senses.

Infants learn things so quickly that their new skills & talents will amaze you almost daily. However, it’s important to keep in mind that there are a lot of differences in the learning abilities among children which is normal & healthy.

So, start right away being more interactive and giving your baby positive and meaningful experiences and stimulating those baby brain cells!

 Related:

Role of Toys in Child Development

 This post has been contributed by Aanchal Goel. She is an interior designer by profession and comes from a family of doctors. She is mum to an adorable 1 year old.