How to Play With a 3-Month-Old Baby

By eHow Parenting Editor

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At three months, a baby's favorite toy may be his hands. He'll use them to explore his facial features, and he might join his hands together and let each hand take a turn playing with the other. He'll enjoy interacting with you, too. (The following information has been adapted from Dr. Segal's book series, "Your Child at Play.")

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

  • Ball For A Baby
  • Music
  • Baby Toys

Step1
Put him on his tummy on the floor. Roll a ball about 2 feet in front of him. With a little practice he'll be able to coordinate his eye and hand movements and reach toward the ball.
Step2
Ring a bell while he's watching, and then ring it again just out of his line of vision. See if he'll turn and search for the bell with his eyes.
Step3
Play music with a strong rhythm. Try a variety songs - fast, slow, loud, soft - and soon your baby will learn to recognize the difference.
Step4
Bring your baby outside. Place him under a tree, and he'll enjoy listening to the leaves, watching light and shadow, and seeing birds and airplanes go by.
Step5
Sew a bell securely into a wristband and put it on his wrist or leg. Noticing the sound it makes when he moves will help him develop body awareness and eye-hand coordination.

Tips & Warnings

  • Respect your baby's cues. If a particular activity seems stressful or frustrating, stop and give it a try another day.
  • Remember that all babies develop at different speeds, usually with spurts and plateaus.
  • Consult with your pediatrician if you have any concerns about your baby's development.

Comments

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on 2/17/2008 We have been reading to our baby since she was born, and in the beginning she didn't pay much attention, but now at almost three months she clearly has books she likes and characters she recognizes. I think reading to your baby is one of the best things you can do, even at this age!

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on 6/11/2007 My daughter just turned 3 months and her favorite thing to do is suck on her fingers, even through her mitts. She also likes looking at our make-shift light show (we're using a disco multi-color ball). She pretty much used to depend on her binkie for her sucking time, but now she loves her fingers. She even falls asleep sucking on her fingers. It beats looking for her binkie in the dark at night when she wakes up! :)

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on 8/8/2006 My 3 month old is discovering his hands. First he batted the toys in his gym, then he started grabbing and mouthing them, but now he has a new challenge. Tied to his crib there's a pocket with a soft bee in it, attached with a small string. He spends a lot of time trying to get the bee out of the pocket. I put it there again, and again he tries to retrieve it. I also tuck the bear nearly out of reach and wait for him to grab it, then tuck it again. The best way to play is increase the difficulty level slowly, so he can learn new things, but still get a feeling of accomplishment.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 6/30/2006 My 3.5 month old is discovering his hands. First he batted the toys in his gym, then he started grabbing and mouthing them, but now he has a new challenge. Tied to his crib there's a pocket with a soft bee in it, attached with a small string. He spends a lot of time trying to get the bee out of the pocket. I put it there again, and again he tries to retrieve it. I also tuck the bee nearly out of reach and wait for him to grab it, then tuck it again. The best way to play is increase the difficulty level slowly, so he can learn new things, but still get a feeling of accomplishment.

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eHow Article:  How to Play With a 3-Month-Old Baby

eHow Parenting Editor

eHow Parenting Editor

Category: Parenting

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