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You have just brought your baby home and you are thinking about ways to further the bond between you while stimulating babies brain to begin teaching about the joys of learning about the world around them. Here are a few brain developing activities for your newborn to six month old.

1. Massage your baby in a soft relaxing way. There are courses and books on this subject that are worth looking into.

2. Do baby stretch sessions. Slowly straighten legs and arms. In the beginning do not completely straighten them as it can be painful for new born. If you are gentle you may both enjoy this.

3. While you are changing or carrying the baby, talk to them. Tell them what you are doing. They will learn about the language and how to speak. By pausing at the end of sentences you will also teach baby about conversation and speech patterns.

4. Many parents speak in a dramatized higher pitched way when they are talking to their baby. This is called parent-teese and has been shown to stimulate the brain and teach language skills faster.

5. Sing to your baby. With the repetition of the same songs your baby will learn about predictability.

6. Show your baby simple picture books. They should be in bright colors and no more than two or three objects on a page so that baby’s brain doesn’t get overwhelmed.

7. Peek-a-boo teaches a baby about object permanence and that even if they can’t see you, you are still there. This leads to trust which is fundamental to your relationship.

8. Imitate facial expressions and baby’s sounds. They will learn that they can have an affect on their environment.

9. Vary your baby’s positions at least every half hour when they are awake. Sit and lay them in different positions and different spots. This will expose them to different areas of their environment and also prevent boredom and crying.

10. To practice hearing take a rattle and shake it off to one side and behind. They will begin to focus on the sound and try to find the object.

11. Give baby lots of different things to touch. Make sure nothing is too rough, but expose baby to different fabrics and textures.

12. Lay baby on the back and hang some colourful toys at a distance of 30 to 40 cm. Baby will learn how to focus on the objects.

13. Let baby sit on your lap or if it is still very little lay across your thighs. Bounce your legs up and down softly. Many babies love this. It teaches about motion.

14. Give baby several safe toys to explore with their mouth, vary these toys throughout the day.

15. Clapping games and active songs are fun for baby as they gets older. Perform the actions with the baby, it will be a good exercise.

16. Point out animals in the environment, state the name and tell baby the sound. Sometimes babies pick up the sounds long before they will actually be able to say the name.

17. Sometimes baby may seem overwhelmed. It is a good idea to have a little quiet time each day. Darken the room, sit in a rocker and softly sing or just sit quietly. This will teach techniques to calm you both.

18. Take babies for walks to give them fresh air and introduce them to new experiences.

19. Read rhyming poetry and nursery rhymes to introduce rhythms and patterns.

20. Tell your babies you love them and soon they will learn what it means and before long they will be able to reciprocate that love back to you.

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