Intellectual development occurs in your baby from the moment they are born.
Problem solving starts from the very start as they listen to their surrounds to see who is near.
They use cause and effect to find a very effective way to communicate with their caregiver.
You are probably VERY familiar with this.
They have realized that if they cry…you will meet their needs.
Babies are so smart!
So what are the best infant cognitive development activities you should do with your child?
Many of these things you can do will take place during your daily routines while you have a newborn or young infant.
Playtime will also be a perfect opportunity to promote intellectual development.
If you are wondering what cognitive milestones your baby should be meeting, make sure to download the free developmental checklist at the bottom of this post.
Here are some of the things we will cover in this post:
- Mirror Play to Build Cognitive Development
- Effects of Reading on Child Development
- How to Read to a Baby
- How to Teach Problem Solving Skills Through Play
- Benefits of Singing to Infants
- Frequently Asked Questions About Cognitive Development Activities
The Best Infant Cognitive Development Activities
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Mirror Play to Build Cognitive Development
Mirror play is an easy and effective way to encourage development in your baby.
Using a small unbreakable mirror toy like this, you can entertain your child during tummy time.
Show them how to interact with the mirror by making silly faces or by patting it.
You can also utilize mirror play with the mirrors that are around your house in the bathroom or hallway.
When you are walking by just take a second and let your baby see themselves.
You can show them how to wave or label their body parts as they look at their reflection.
Effects of Reading on Child Development
Reading and looking at books with your baby is one of the best things you can do to encourage cognitive development because it allows them to hear words and see pictures.
Reading also encourages fine motor development as your baby starts to focus on the pages of books with their eyes and pat pictures with their hands.
You can start reading to your baby from the very first few days of life.
You don’t even have to read a children’s book if you don’t want to!
One of my favorite memories from when we brought our son home from the hospital was when my husband would sit and read science books to him out loud.
It provided them a time to bond as well as let our son hear words for the first time.
When you are reading to your newborn just keep it simple and enjoyable for both of you.
How to Read to a Baby
Make reading a part of your daily routine.
Think about what times of day may work best for it?
Maybe snuggling up on the couch with a book in the morning is ideal for you.
You could also read to your baby during play time or show them a book while they do tummy time.
Reading can also be a great way to calm your infant down for nap or bedtime.
You will want to start off with soft books that are easy to clean like this.
Chances are your baby will try and mouth the book which is one of the ways that they take in information to learn.
You will want to follow their lead when reading with them.
If they want to skip pages that is ok!
Just focus on labeling and pointing at pictures.
As your baby gets older you can show them how to pat pictures that you name with their hand.
This is a great way to build receptive language skills.
You can also give your baby fun textured books like these that they can explore on their own.
Teach Problem Solving Skills Through Play
Play is one of the most effective ways for your baby to learn new concepts.
There are so many ways that you can encourage problem solving skills through play.
For example, the simple act of just putting a toy a little bit out of reach gets your baby’s brain working in trying to figure out how to get to the toy that they desire.
Can they reach it?
Maybe if they roll they will get to it?
You may need to help your baby get to the toy by modeling them or gently showing them how to get there.
Give Them Something to Explore
Everything is new to babies so just giving them something to explore…can be a wonderful learning activity.
For example, you could fill a box with objects that have different textures or are a variety of colors for them to explore.
Some ideas of things to put in the box are:
- Rattles or toys that make sounds
- Fabric that has different textures
- Stuffed animals
- Balls
- Containers and Lids
- Just get creative!
Always make sure to put safe items in the bin making sure there is nothing small enough that they could put in their mouth or could become a choking hazard.
Sing to Your Baby
Singing to your baby is a great way to expose your child to new words and sounds and it is also very interesting to them.
You can start doing songs and fingerplays when your baby is just a few days old.
You can make singing part of almost any daily routine such as bath time, play time, or when you are getting your baby ready for sleep.
Benefits of Singing to Infants
Their are numerous benefits of singing to your infant as it encourages development in almost every area.
Singing helps your baby learn to tune in and listen.
Receptive language skills are being sharpened everytime you sing to your little one.
Singing supports bonding with your baby and is a simple way to play with your little one with no equipment or toys needed.
Imitation skills are learned as your little one tries to mimic the sounds you make or tries to imitate your movements while doing a finger play or dancing.
Need some ideas on what to sing to your baby?
Here are a few of my favorites:
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- Itsy Bitsy Spider
- Hickory Dickory Dock
- 5 Little Monkeys
- Mary Had a Little Lamb
- Old Macdonald Had a Farm
Want some more song ideas for babies?
Click here to find an extensive list of song and fingerplays.
Just listening to music can also have benefits for both you and your baby!
Frequently Asked Questions about Cognitive Development Activities
Cognitive development in infants includes a variety of skills that your baby needs to gather information about the world around them.
These skills include problem solving, listening, and pre academic concepts as well.
Cognitive activities can include simple doing simple things with your baby such as talking, singing, and playing with them.
All of these activities engage your baby and build new skills.
Reading is important in early childhood because it builds skills in all areas of development including cognition, language, fine motor, and social emotional.
It is a great way for babies and toddlers to bond with their parents while they learn new concepts from books.
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