Sensory Stimuli For Babies: 0-6 Months
At this age, babies begin to recognize body sensations and demand the satisfaction of their basic needs, such as nutrition and sleep. At this point, they are in need of help and need someone to guide and support them. Many parents also find the task of providing the necessary sensory stimuli difficult. That’s why we’ve collected some tips and ideas here that can stimulate and activate your baby’s senses.
Sensory stimuli for babies from birth up to 6 months
0 to 3 months
At this age, it is important to stimulate the following areas of your baby’s brain:
- Sense of Touch: To stimulate your baby’s sense of touch, you can have your baby bathe with utensils made of various materials, such as sponges, gloves, and so on. In this way it can learn to recognize different sensations. You can also give him a gentle massage after the bath, focusing first on one side of the body and then on the other.
- Movement and Balance : Rock your baby gently from side to side and up and down to stimulate this area of the brain. Give him toys of different weights and subject them to different types of tones and noises.
- Motor Skills: Help him move his limbs. Hold your baby up so they can see what’s around them and move their legs like you would on a bicycle.
- Sight: Show him picture books with bright colors and objects that he can follow with his eyes.
4 to 6 months:
In this age phase, you can stimulate the following areas:
- Sense of touch: hug your child gently, then a little tighter. So it will be able to perceive different sensations in its muscles.
- Senses: It is important to read to children and sing songs to them.
Sensory activation for babies up to 6 months of age
Stimulation of the senses can affect different areas of the body, so it should be varied to get the best effects.
Now we come to the different types of stimulation that babies can use to develop their senses.
We also speak of sensory stimulation and it is achieved with certain activities, which we list and describe below.
Auditory sensory stimuli
To stimulate your baby’s hearing, we recommend:
- The use of toys that can make sounds
- The sounds and noises to imitate that generates your baby
- Speaking loudly near your baby
- Disguise your voice
- Play music for your child
- Talk to your child
Visual stimuli
These activities help stimulate babies’ eyesight.
- Using light colors in his child’s room
- Play in front of the mirror
- Toys that glow
- Remove toys from your baby’s sight and let them search for them
- watch TV
Tactile sensory stimuli
These activities can improve your baby’s sense of touch.
- Teach your baby to play with clay, play dough, dough, mud, etc.
- Bring it in contact with objects of different textures and materials
- Make them aware of objects of different shapes and sizes and encourage them to play
Olfactory sensory stimuli
Here are some things that can stimulate your baby’s sense of smell.
- Let it smell perfume and other scents
- Let them smell the food before you feed them – this will help them smell different fruits and meals
- Teach him how to recognize different smells in everyday life
Stimulating your baby’s sense of taste
Here we will show you the best way to stimulate your baby’s sense of taste:
- Expose your child to different flavors: mild, sour, salty, sweet, bitter
While using these tips, you should always explain to your child what you are doing. This can help your baby become familiar with sounds and aspects of their surroundings.
Stimulation is an important part of supporting babies’ development and helping them grow up healthy.
You will need a lot of patience and enthusiasm, but the success will be worth it. So: Play with your little ones and help them develop their senses.
