How to Play Up, Down and All Around With an Infant

Brightly colored toys are easier for young babies to track.

Your baby's vision will change dramatically during her first three months. As a newborn she'll see only blurry images, but within a few months she'll be able to focus clearly on nearby objects. This simple game helps her practice her focusing and tracking skills by looking up, down and then around to watch a colorful toy. Make the playtime more visually stimulating by alternating the toys you use. Since newborns and infants have short attention spans, this game takes only a minute or so to play.

Things You'll Need

• A colorful, lightweight toy

Instructions

1. Pick a time when your baby seems alert and calm, then place him on his back.

2. Hold a boldly colored toy, such as a large red rattle or a black and white patterned toy, about 12 inches above his face.

3. When your baby focuses on the toy, start moving it slowly from right to left, then move it up and down. Don't move faster than he can track it or he may become frustrated.

4. As your baby's vision matures, around 4 to 6 months, move the toy in circles and sing to the tune of "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush":
   "This is the way we look back and forth,
   look back and forth, look back and forth.
   This is the way we look back and forth,
   so early in the morning."

5. If your baby reaches to grab the toy, give it to him to play with.

Tips & Warnings

• Give your baby one toy at a time. Alternate toys every week or so, putting away a familiar friend and bringing out something new. When you pull out an "old" toy in a week or two, it will seem like a exciting new pal.

• Stop playing when your baby indicates she's had enough. Some telltale signs are she pushes the toy away, squirms, rubs hers eyes or even falls asleep.

References

• Baby Center: How does my baby see the world? How far can she see?