Playing with your newborn baby is essential and necessary for their overall development and learning, as babies learn more about the world around them and how they can interact with it through these activities. Additionally, new play experiences help parts of your newborn baby’s brain connect and grow; build muscle strength, and develop both gross and fine motor skills. To help you get started, here are some simple but fun activities for your newborn baby — additionally, some of these activities require toys that are easily available in newborn hampers, making them the perfect gift for new mothers.
Sensory Activities
Like its namesake suggests, sensory activities help babies stimulate and attune their senses to the world around them. These activities include —
Talking to your baby
It may seem counterintuitive at the get go, considering how newborn babies can’t understand or even respond to what we’re saying, but subconsciously, babies pay special attention to the sound of human voices, especially during the first month. “Baby talk,” for instance, is proven to be more effective as babies are more attentive to high-pitched sounds. In time, you may even find them moving their arms and legs in tandem with your speech.
Introducing different textures and surfaces
Let your newborn experience and discover different tactile sensations by letting them touch various surfaces, such as a smooth blanket, a towel, or even a straw mat. Toys, clothes, or even water all present different sensations for your baby; the idea is to allow them to experience as many different textures as possible, from sticky to smooth, cool to warm, in a safe and enriching environment. To that end, newborn hampers in Singapore make for great gifts to expectant and new mothers, as they often contain sensory toys to help their newborn babies develop holistically.
Learn more: 4 Basic Considerations When Shopping For Newborn Hampers
Indoor Activities
Let your newborn baby enjoy the comfort and safety of their home, especially in the first postpartum weeks. These activities include —
Tummy Time
Laying your baby on their stomach for a few minutes twice or thrice a day while they’re awake helps them strengthen their shoulder and neck muscles over time. You should also stay next to them and watch them closely when they’re doing so, and if they don’t seem to enjoy being on their stomach, even on a play mat, you might want to consider placing them tummy first on your chest. This way, your baby may enjoy it better when they’re able to see your face and feel your warmth.
Puppet Play
Puppets make for excellent newborn gifts in Singapore as you can perform a wide range of activities for your baby, from peek-a-boo, to silly songs and dances, to giving your baby kisses — the possibilities are endless. To further enhance the experience for them and even for you, don’t forget to make lots of goofy sounds for the puppet. What’s more, you can also find wonderfully crafted puppets in our newborn hampers so other babies can also enjoy puppet play.
Outdoor Activities
With parks and warm days aplenty in Singapore, why not enjoy a day out with your newborn baby? While they shouldn’t be exposed to direct sunlight, there’s luscious greenery all around to provide ample shade. Moreover, taking your newborn baby outside allows them to discover and interact with the world around them — an eye-opening experience indeed. Outdoor activities include:
Going for a walk
Seat your newborn comfortably in a canopied stroller and be their Uber driver-cum-tour guide for the day. As you take them to various places around your neighbourhood, you may also point out the things you both see and introduce your baby to what will feel like a whole new world to them. It could also be a great form of exercise and escape from your usual hectic everyday routines.
Play with bubbles
Babies love bubbles, and blowing bubbles for them outside on a nice, pleasant day paints a lovely picture of fun and parental bonding. Do note however, that you should only blow bubbles away from your baby to ensure that soap doesn’t get on their skin or in their eyes.
From the moment babies are born, they’ll never stop learning and absorbing new information, which is why identifying the right activities and toys to help them develop further is so important. Here at Pineapple!’s one-stop newborn hamper shop, we provide mothers and infants with everything they need to spend quality time together.
What’s more, our hampers can also be personalised and customised into an all-round gift that best suits the needs of their recipients.
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