Infant Stimulation Graphics

When my baby was just a week or two old, she was already starting to stay awake for longer periods of time during the day. As a new mom, I wasn't really sure what to do with her when she was awake! She was too little to enjoy her play mat toys, and I couldn't hold her constantly to keep her happy. So I asked my fellow birth month moms on TheBump what they were doing, and someone suggested showing her infant stimulation cards.

There are many web-sites where you can print infant stimulation graphics for free- I like this one at OhBaby. Most newborns apparently really enjoy looking at these because they can only focus on dark and light images when they are very small. These are also thought to stimulate brain growth in babies and help increase concentration skills.

I printed some out and hung them in different places where my baby would hang out (her bouncy chair, crib, etc.) and she would actually stare at them for ten or fifteen minutes at a time!

As she got older, she was able to focus more and more on her play mat toys and hanging mobile, but if you have a tiny one and aren't sure what to do with his or her awake time, I'd recommend trying infant stimulation graphics- your little one might really enjoy them!