11 simple ways to play with your newborn

Newborn play is slow and simple—brief moments you sneak in between sleep and feedings. Talking to your baby about your day or turning a water faucet on and off may not sound very playful, but these activities support your newborn’s brain development and help them understand their new environment. 

1. Take your baby on a tour of your home. Hold them in the crook of your arm and slowly walk from room to room, talking about what you see. Your baby’s vision is still fuzzy at far distances but they notice movement and silhouettes.
2. Bring their attention to light. Pull a curtain open and close it slowly as your baby watches. You may see their pupils expand and contract. Their brain is fine-tuning how to adjust their eyes to different lighting.
3. Brush your finger against their palm. This can activate your baby’s grasp reflex, causing them to close their hand. They may not grasp your finger right away, but the more times your baby engages this reflex, the more quickly they may develop intentional hand control.
4. Spend time outside. Spending time outside is a multi-sensory experience for your baby. They may be fascinated by the contrast of the sky against trees and buildings and close their eyes as the wind ruffles their hair. 
5. Rip or crumple paper. Have some mail to recycle? Before you toss it, slowly rip it up in front of your baby. We often filter out sounds like this as adults—but it’s novel and interesting to your newborn. 
6. Make conversation. Your baby can’t understand your words or respond yet, but talking to them now can lay the foundation for their language development. Get face-to-face, make eye contact, and speak with a high-pitched voice and lots of expression. 
7. Show them black and white images. Gazing at high-contrast patterns can help develop your baby’s visual perception—their brain’s ability to receive, interpret, and respond to visual stimuli. You can use the Simple Black & White Card Set or a print out of the new black and white images. 
8. Gently spin The Mobile. Hang your baby’s mobile, black-and-white side facing down, above their changing table or play space. Lay them on their back and give The Mobile a slow spin. Watch to see how your baby’s eyes react to the movement. 
9. Sing or play music. Hold your baby, move to the beat, and sing along. Even if you don’t think you’re a great singer, they love the sound of your voice ❤️
10. Snuggle and touch them. Close physical contact has important physiological benefits for your baby—and can boost your mood and well-being, too. Try giving them a massage, doing tummy time on your lap or chest, or getting skin-to-skin.
11. “Read” a book. Grab a book with simple, bold imagery, like the Wooden Book. You can read it cover to cover—or just explore it. Slowly rotate the book around, open and close it, or stand it up like a tent. 

The Looker Play Kit (Weeks 0-12)

Spark your baby’s curiosity with toys from The Looker Play Kit

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The Play Gym

A play mat that provides stage-based activities that engage your child throughout their first year.

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Learn more about the research

Bergman, N. J., Linley, L. L., & Fawcus, S. R. (2004). Randomized controlled trial of skin-to-skin contact from birth versus conventional incubator for physiological stabilization in 1200-to 2199-gram newborns. Acta Paediatrica, 93(6), 779-785. 

Chen, J. S. (2021). Beyond black and white: heibaika, neuroparenting, and lay neuroscience. BioSocieties, 16(1), 70-87.

Hainline, L., & Lemerise, E. (1982). Infants’ scanning of geometric forms varying in size. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 33(2), 235–256.

Johnson, S. P. (2011). Development of visual perception. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 2(5), 515-528.

Moore, E.R., Bergman N., Anderson, G. C., & Medley, N. (2016). Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 11, CD003519.

Weisleder, A., & Fernald, A. (2013). Talking to children matters: Early language experience strengthens processing and builds vocabulary. Psychological Science, 24(11), 2143-2152.