5 indoor activity ideas for your infant

By Stacie Gaetz

When you first bring home your bundle of joy, you are immediately entrenched in a seemingly endless loop of diaper changes, feedings, naps, and laundry but as things start to settle down and you get into a routine, you may find yourself wondering what to do with your babe during your “down time.”

February and March can be hard months to have a newborn at home as it is too cold to bring them outside and days can be long cooped up indoors.

There are thousands of online lists about how to keep your kids busy indoors but most are geared towards older children, so how do you entertain (and teach!) your little one during those times that they are awake, alert, and ready to interact with you during the winter months?

Learn together

Babies learn solely by their interactions with you. How the people in their lives treat them and what they do with them is their only way to explore their world, so take the time to make it fun.

Read to your little one and talk to them about what you are doing throughout the day. Your voice is soothing to your child and infants learn a lot from hearing you speak. They learn that they can tell which side of them you are on just by listening to your voice and will start to turn their heads that way. They can even recognize certain sounds in books when they are read repeatedly. Listening to music is another fun way to learn, whether you crank up children’s songs, your favorite tunes or a combination of both, children really enjoy hearing singing and the beat of music.

Sensory play

Introduce your baby to different textures and surfaces by placing them on a variety of blankets, carpets, and towels. Show them what snow feels like by letting them touch it. It is fun to explore their reactions and you can start to see your little one’s personality come through by assessing what textures they like and dislike.

Ever wonder why people seem to enjoy making faces at babies? It’s because they react. Get close to your child so they can clearly see your face and make several different expressions at them – the more exaggerated the better! Before long, your baby will start mimicking the expressions back to you.

Get moving

We talked about how much your infant will enjoy music. Why not bounce to a beat with your baby. Your little one will get a kick out of you gently “dancing” around the living with them to your favorite tunes.

Another fun activity to do to music is to clap your baby’s hands together. We have all seen an infant discover their hands and feet for the first time. The look of wonder and excitement on their faces is adorable. Think of how thrilled they will be when they realize (with your gentle help) that these two things on the ends of their arms can be smashed together to make a noise!

Tummy time

We all know that tummy time is an important part of developing neck and shoulder strength and head control for infants. For some babies, it can also be a source of fun. Try putting a toy just out of reach and see what they do. If your baby doesn’t like tummy time on the floor, let them try it out on your chest. This is a great time to bust out those funny faces.

Another way to get infants to like tummy time is to put a mirror in front of them. They will be so busy trying to figure out who that other cute baby is, they won’t even remember they don’t like this position.

Mirrors don’t just have to be for tummy time though. There are several baby-safe toys with unbreakable mirrors in them that kids love. You can also hold your baby up to a mirror and let them wonder how you are holding them and in front of them at the same time.

Baby massage

Touch is a wonderful way to bond with your baby. As a new parent, you may feel a bit “touched out” lately and that is completely understandable. However, intentionally taking part in baby massage can be a rewarding way for you and your little one to connect on a different level. It can be relaxing for you both. It is important that you read up on infant massage and ensure you are doing it correctly and safely. Adding lotions with a scent to the massage has the added benefit of letting your infant explore another one of their senses.

It can be tough to be “stuck at home” with an infant during those last few dragging months of winter but there is plenty to do in your own house to entertain and educate your new baby.

The best part is that so many things are new to them that just experiencing the chores you do day-to-day, like watching you dance while you vacuum or peek-a-boo around clean towels as you fold them, can be an exciting adventure for you both.

So try not to stress about what activities you do together and enjoy your time with your little love who will be up and running around before you know it.