Activities0to6months

Sample Activities I do with 0-6 month old babies!

People often ask me “what does a nanny DO all day with an infant? Don’t they just lie there and stare off into space?” I can’t stand it when people think babies can’t *do* anything or learn anything!

Babies are very perceptive and are constantly learning everything they can about the world around them, and learn through their senses of sight, sound, touch, taste & smell.

They lack in motor skills, so obviously they are completely dependent upon others to eat, and keep them clean and warm. The most important thing a baby can get is LOADS of attention, they THRIVE with social contact!

Most of my activities are centered around cognitive stimulation, social contact, and appealing to infant senses.

I work mostly on Social Cues, Hand-Eye Coordination, Visual and Audio Tracking, and Building Blocks of Language… mainly through music!

0-3 Months:

Visual Tracking Games with black and white colored toys until they are about 3.5 mo.

Audio Tracking Games with bells, singing toys and hiding games (hide and speak, and

Get them to turn their head to my voice”

Hearing/Language Building

Soft Music with steady beats in 4/4 time (My Favorite is the Lovely Baby CD collection)

Dance with baby in arms to music of different types (jazz, blues, country, techno, as well

as children’s music)

Pat the beat on baby’s back during music and count the beats

Use shaker to the beat of music

Reading Short, Bright Board books like Tana Hoban books, and Eric Carle’s Brown Bear

Changing Voice Pitch for stimulation

Speaking in high pitch voice, lots of smiles and encouraging when they smile & make

eye contact

Singing lots of songs (combining song and touch and movement)

Whisper, low tones of voice occasionally to get attention

Physical:

Baby Massage

Baby Exercises on their backs … arm lifts, leg lefts and bicycle legs

Baby Dancing, moving baby’s arms and legs to music

Tummy Time! Place tummy down on belly and on Boppy and place chewy toys in front

Of them and let them practice reaching, and holding chin up

Cognitive:

Change Baby’s Position every 10 min. so they look at something new

I print black/white patterns of all types from my computer and use them like flash cards

Changing them every minute to keep stimulating baby

I also have TANA HOBIN books that have great black/white bold pictures in them to look at with baby.

Putting Bright Colored socks on a hand or foot and change it around at times so when they move they see colors… also noisey socks with rattles/bells are good for that too!

I actually wear a different brightly colored shirt/scrunchy everyday so that they notice

Something new every day

Sometimes I’ll put a colored towel, sock or scarf on my shoulder so they see it when they

are eating.

Tactile:

Touch various fabrics to baby’s skin (cotton, denim, feathers, velour, snuggly stuffed

friends etc.)

Lots of holding, & snuggling & if they like it: sling and snugli time!

4-5 Months:

Visual Tracking Games with bright colored toys/scarves until they are about 5.5 mo.

Reaching Games

Tug of War (they grasp a scarf, so do I and we “tug back and forth”

Tie a toy on a scarf so they try and bring the toy to them with the scarf

Using baby Gyms to change hanging toys on… to keep baby attention and let them

Swat and catch the toys… and of course chew them!

Taste Tests with various flavors & textures of baby foods

Experiment with flavored pacifiers and teething toys

Fill film canisters with different smells and let baby smell different smells

Hearing/Language Activities:

Baby in Bouncy seat and Exercaucer to have them move and wiggle on their own to different types of music. Placing bouncy seat in different areas every few minutes

Especially outside!

Lots of stroller walks outside so baby can see/hear the world around them.

Begin Baby Sign Language around 4 mo. Old when their visual tracking is better.

Motor Skill Activities:

Roll overs, and sit ups (using their arms to help them, and let them do it themselves, with

Little tugs of help)

Chin ups… holding toys on yarn danging above their head while on their tummy, and let

them lift chins & belly up and look at it

Longer Tummy Times! Place tummy down on belly and on Boppy and place chewy toys in front.

Stimulate tummy time movement with moving toys like cars, and balls

Let them try to hold their own bottle for periods of time to make arms stronger


Sample Activities I do with 0-6 month old babies Sample Activities I do with 0-6 month old babies! People often ask me “what does a nanny DO all day with an infant? Don’t they just lie there and stare off into space?” I can’t stand it when people think babies can’t do anything or learn anything! Babies are very perceptive and are constantly learning everything they can about the world around them, and learn through their senses of sight, sound, touch, taste & smell. They lack in motor skills, so obviously they are completely dependent upon others to eat, and keep them clean and warm. The most important thing a baby can get is LOADS of attention, they THRIVE with social contact! Most of my activities are centered around cognitive stimulation, social contact, and appealing to infant senses. I work mostly on Social Cues, Hand-Eye Coordination, Visual and Audio Tracking, and Building Blocks of Language… mainly through music! 0-3 Months: Visual Tracking Games with black and white colored toys until they are about 3.5 mo. Audio Tracking Games with bells, singing toys and hiding games (hide and speak, and Get them to turn their head to my voice” Hearing/Language Building Soft Music with steady beats in 4/4 time (My Favorite is the Lovely Baby CD collection) Dance with baby in arms to music of different types (jazz, blues, country, techno, as well as children’s music) Pat the beat on baby’s back during music and count the beats Use shaker to the beat of music Reading Short, Bright Board books like Tana Hoban books, and Eric Carle’s Brown Bear Changing Voice Pitch for stimulation Speaking in high pitch voice, lots of smiles and encouraging when they smile & make eye contact Singing lots of songs (combining song and touch and movement) Whisper, low tones of voice occasionally to get attention Physical: Baby Massage Baby Exercises on their backs … arm lifts, leg lefts and bicycle legs Baby Dancing, moving baby’s arms and legs to music Tummy Time! Place tummy down on belly and on Boppy and place chewy toys in front Of them and let them practice reaching, and holding chin up Cognitive: Change Baby’s Position every 10 min. so they look at something new I print black/white patterns of all types from my computer and use them like flash cards Changing them every minute to keep stimulating baby I also have TANA HOBIN books that have great black/white bold pictures in them to look at with baby. Putting Bright Colored socks on a hand or foot and change it around at times so when they move they see colors… also noisey socks with rattles/bells are good for that too! I actually wear a different brightly colored shirt/scrunchy everyday so that they notice Something new every day Sometimes I’ll put a colored towel, sock or scarf on my shoulder so they see it when they are eating. Tactile: Touch various fabrics to baby’s skin (cotton, denim, feathers, velour, snuggly stuffed friends etc.) Lots of holding, & snuggling & if they like it: sling and snugli time! 4-5 Months: Visual Tracking Games with bright colored toys/scarves until they are about 5.5 mo. Reaching Games Tug of War (they grasp a scarf, so do I and we “tug back and forth” Tie a toy on a scarf so they try and bring the toy to them with the scarf Using baby Gyms to change hanging toys on… to keep baby attention and let them Swat and catch the toys… and of course chew them! Taste Tests with various flavors & textures of baby foods Experiment with flavored pacifiers and teething toys Fill film canisters with different smells and let baby smell different smells Hearing/Language Activities: Baby in Bouncy seat and Exercaucer to have them move and wiggle on their own to different types of music. Placing bouncy seat in different areas every few minutes Especially outside! Lots of stroller walks outside so baby can see/hear the world around them. Begin Baby Sign Language around 4 mo. Old when their visual tracking is better. Motor Skill Activities: Roll overs, and sit ups (using their arms to help them, and let them do it themselves, with Little tugs of help) Chin ups… holding toys on yarn danging above their head while on their tummy, and let them lift chins & belly up and look at it Longer Tummy Times! Place tummy down on belly and on Boppy and place chewy toys in front. Stimulate tummy time movement with moving toys like cars, and balls Let them try to hold their own bottle for periods of time to make arms stronger