There is a lot of pressure on new parents to be constantly entertaining their baby during wake windows. While playing with your baby is certainly important, that doesn’t always have to mean using toys all day long or organising enriching activities back-to-back. Just spending time with your baby is the most important factor, and as long as your baby is happy and healthy, they’re probably perfectly entertained.

However, for those times when you feel like you need something new to do with your little one, here is a list of our favourite simple and practical activities.

Introduce your baby to different textures

Introducing your baby to different textures is a great sensory activity. Gently running your baby’s hands over different materials such as blankets, clothing and pillows can help them explore the world through touch! Remember everything is new for your baby, so even just being introduced to fluffy, rough, or smooth textures can be exciting for them.

Taking a house tour

Going on a house tour with your baby can be a great way to help them start building memory, developing reactions, and exploring new sights. As you walk around the house, point out different things within each room and watch as your baby reacts to things they’ve never noticed before. While it sounds super simple, just walking around the house and talking to your baby can be perfectly entertaining.

Give a baby massage

Giving your baby a massage every now and then or working it into your daily routine can help you feel more connected to your baby and for them to feel more connected to you. Through touch, your little one feels safe and is learning to recognise you. Baby massages will also help your bub feel more relaxed, which may improve their sleep!

Listen to Music

Listening to music can be a fun or calming experience for your baby. This can also act as a bonding experience between the two of you and help develop a love for music within your baby later in life. Simply turn on a playlist with some of your favourite songs, pick up your baby, and dance and sing along.

Narrate Your Day

Narrating your day, as well as just talking to your baby in general, can help develop their understanding of language. Babies hear through pitches, so change your pitch when you are talking to your baby and see the change in reaction! You can narrate what you’re putting on your grocery list, what you’re cooking, what you have planned for the day… pretty much anything you’re thinking can be spoken out loud and entertain your little one.

Play with Mirrors

Playing with mirrors is an activity that can really engage your baby. Set up a baby-proof mirror near your baby’s face and watch their reaction to themselves and to you in the mirror! Babies love to study faces, so changing up your expression and pulling funny faces can keep them very entertained. They may also start to reach for the faces in the mirror, which helps with motor movement.

Conclusion

Finding activities that you can do with your baby may seem difficult, but most of the time, your baby can be entertained by even the smallest things. The most important part of play time with your baby is that you are there with your baby and engaging in the activities with them. Remember though, babies get tired too, so make sure you watch your baby’s mood and let them rest when they’ve had too much!