Head and Shoulders (5 Minutes)
Materials: None
Instructions:
1. Place baby on their back.
2. Sing the "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes Song" to them:
"Head, shoulders, knees, and toes
Knees and Toes,
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes
Knees and Toes,
Eyes and ears and mouth and nose,
Head, shoulders, knees, and toes
Knees and toes."
3. Touch the corresponding body parts as you sing.
Buzz the Baby (2 Minutes)
Materials: None
Instructions:
1. Place baby on their back.
2. Start to make a buzzing noise.
3. Move your finger closer to the baby as you intensify the buzzing noise.
4. As you touch them with your finger say, "Buzz the baby!"
Tip: You can add in a little more fun by naming the body part as you touch it. Saying, "Buzz the belly!"
Roll On the Ball (5 Minutes)
Materials: Inflatable ball
Instructions:
1. Stand the ball so that the ball is between the two of you.
2. Gently press their belly against the ball. Supporting them the whole time.
3. Roll them onto the ball while holding them securely.
4. Return them by rolling them back to the standing position.
5. Repeat for as long as they are comfortable with it.
Tip: Strip them down to just their diaper to have their skin as extra grip.
Toy Peek-a-boo (5 Minutes)
Materials: Small toys, blanket, and bucket
Instructions:
1. Gather together your baby's favorite toys and place them in the bucket.
2. Place your baby in a secure place such as the bouncer or car seat facing you.
3. Take out a toy, shaking it or making noise with it to gain their attention.
4. Then once you have their attention, cover it up with the towel. Saying "Where did it go?"
5. Make the toy appear, saying "There it is!".
6. Repeat with the rest of the toys.
Tip: Make sure to be engaging with facial expressions and excitement.
Eskimo Kisses (5 Minutes)
Materials: None
Instructions:
1. Place your baby on their tummy on a firm, flat surface.
2. Get on your tummy as well, facing them on a few inches away.
3. Encourage them to lift their head by saying their name or singing a song.
4. If they respond by lifting their head, give them an Eskimo kiss by gently rubbing noses.
5. Repeat for as long as they are comfortable with.
Tip: If they cannot lift their head, support it and give them the kiss.
Floating Ducky (10 Minutes)
Materials: Sheet pan, rubber ducky, and water.
Instructions:
1. Place your baby on their tummy.
2. Set the sheet pan down with water in front of them
3. Float the rubber ducky in the pan of water.
4. Gently bump the toy around the pan, making it move back and forth.
Tips: Place a towel under the pan and the baby for easier clean up. Always make sure to watch your baby during this activity - even a shallow pan like this can be dangerous.
Disk-O-Baby (5 Minutes)
Materials: Hot glue gun, clear plastic lids (I used two old container lids that didn't match any containers), dry beans and rice (or any dry sound making items), and packing tape.
Instructions:
1. Place one lid upside down and place a few beans and rice on top.
2. Seal the second lid on top of it with the hot glue gun.
3. Wrap the edges with packing tape to ensure that the inside piece don't escape.
4. Place your baby on their back.
5. Shake the shaker above their head. Shaking on the right side, then the left, and then in the middle.
Kickball (5 Minutes)
Materials: Beach ball.
Instructions:
1. Lay your baby on their back, putting the ball against their feet.
2. Encourage them to kick against the ball.
Tip: Partially deflate the ball.
Burrito Roll (5 Minutes)
Materials: Blanket and favorite toy.
Instructions:
1. Loosely wrap the blanket around your baby.
2. Place them lying on their side on a soft, firm surface.
3. Use the toy to grasp their attention.
4. Bring the toy in an arc from the side they are facing slowly to the other side of them Encouraging them to roll onto their back and out of the blanket,
5. Repeat on the other side.
Tip: Offer a little assistance by lifting the bottom side of the blanket to help them start the roll.
Tummy to Tummy (2 Minutes)
Materials: None
Instructions:
1. Lie down on your back, placing you baby so that you tummies are touching and their head is on your chest.
2. Take a deep inhale, watching them rise and exhale, watching them sink.
Baby Sit-Ups (5 Minutes)
Materials: Blanket
Instructions:
1. Lay you baby on their back on the blanket.
2. Grab the two upper corners of the blanket above their head.
3. Gently lift the corners toward you, bringing the baby into a sit-up position.
4. Slowly lower them back down.
5. Repeat for as long as they are comfortable with.
Tip: Make sure you keep their head and body supported.
Crinkly Kicks (5 Minutes)
Materials: Blanket and tissue paper
Instructions:
1. Place you baby on a blanket near the couch.
2. Tuck a couple sheets of tissue paper under the cushions, letting them hang long enough that they drape to the floor.
3. Let them kick and rustle the paper.
Splashing Kicks (5 Minutes)
Materials: Sheet pan and water
Instructions:
1. Place your baby on their back.
2. Fill the sheet pan with water and place it under their feet.
3. Let them kick and splash the water with their feet. Saying, "Splash, splash!" as they kick.
Tip: Put a towel underneath the pan or do the activity on an easy to clean surface for less of a mess.
Sensory Bag Lay Down (5 Minutes)
Materials: Cotton balls (or water beads), 2 pieces of big clear plastic (shower curtain, ziploc, etc), washable paint, and packing tape.
Instructions:
1. Lay the first piece of plastic on the ground.
2. Pour some paint and scatter around the cotton balls in the center.
3. Lay the second piece of plastic on the top and secure the edges with the tape.
4. Lay your baby on their tummy slightly on top of the bag. Helping them move the contents around.
Tip: You can also flip them on their back to explore further.
Roll With It (5 Minutes)
Materials: Blanket
Instructions:
1. Place your baby on their tummy on the blanket.
2. Help them roll by slowly raising one side of the blanket.
3. Place a guiding hand on their back as you continue to raise it and they roll onto their back.
4. Repeat on the other side and as much as they are comfortable with.
Looking Glass(5 Minutes)
Materials: Nonbreakable mirror
Instructions:
1. Place your baby on their tummy.
2. Place the mirror to where they can see their reflection when they look down.
3. Pop your own face in as well saying, "Peek-a-boo".
4. Repeat until they lose interest.
Rock-a-bye Baby (5 Minutes)
Materials: Blanket
Instructions:
1. Roll up the blanket and place the baby on the top where their torso is supported.
2. Rock them from side to side and sing "Rock-a-bye Baby" song:
"Rock-a-bye baby on the treetop,
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock,
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will come baby, cradle and all."
Crinkle Play (10 Minutes)
Materials: Tissue Paper and blanket
Instructions:
1. Place tissue paper on top of the blanket.
2. Place your baby on their tummy on top of it. Letting them touch, rustle, and grasp the paper.
3. Talk to them about how their feeling, "It's so crinkly and scrunchy" or "Look how it rustles so loudly!"
Baby Picasso (2 Minutes)
Materials: Large ziploc, washable paint, paper, and tape.
Instructions:
1. Cut the paper so that it fits into the bag.
2. Place large globs of different paint colors onto the paper and then seal the bag, adding the tap to the edges so that the paint doesn't spill out.
3. Tape the bag to the floor and lay your baby on their tummy in front of the bag.
4. Help them paint by moving the globs around in the bag.
5. Once they are tired or disinterested, remove the painting from the bag and lay it out flat to dry.
Comments