Stimulating child development during the first year of life
- Adam Klatovský
- Dec 9, 2024
- 10 min read
Here, you will find suggestions for activities that stimulate a child's senses, self-awareness, and motor skills. The suggestions are divided according to the age milestones that children typically reach. However, feel free to explore activities from earlier stages as well. Select activities with a level of difficulty that is only slightly higher than the child's current abilities. If the activities are too difficult, certain stages of development may be skipped. The child may either resist the activity or comply without understanding, which could require significant correction later on.
You can think of it like math. Imagine being given a math problem that is far beyond your current abilities. You might give up immediately or follow a step-by-step guide without truly understanding why it works. If you then receive a different but equally difficult math problem, you won't know how to solve it. You might even develop your own incorrect method, which will later need to be unlearned.
With babies, an example of this would be sitting them up too early. While the baby may be happy in a sitting position, their spine is not ready for it. Babies should learn to sit up on their own, passing through the "on all fours" phase before they can sit upright firmly and independently.
Suggestions for stimulating child development by trimester
1st trimester (0-3 months)
Parents naturally react to their newborn's behavior. Their responses to the baby’s cues stimulate the child’s development in the first days and weeks of life. Talk, sing, and gently stroke your baby as much as possible.
One of the major tasks for a baby in the first three months is to transition from a curled-up, asymmetrical position to a more open, balanced posture.
By the age of 3 months, babies should be able to lie stably on their back (without tilting to one side, even when changing a diaper) and on their stomach (propping themselves up on their forearms) while maintaining an upright head position for several minutes. This is a challenging task for the baby, so they need plenty of opportunities to practice. Place the baby on their back and stomach on a firm surface (like the floor) so they can experiment with their body.
Movement is a powerful learning tool, especially for babies. During these months, babies practice lifting their head while lying on their stomach. If they are given frequent opportunities to lie on their stomach, they will gradually master the skill of finding the correct support points and center of gravity, enabling them to lift their head and chest off the ground by the end of the third month. This process strengthens the neck, back, and abdominal muscles, as well as the shoulder girdle and gluteal muscles. Upright head posture forms the foundation for future movements.
Car seats for infants (group 0), which are used from birth up to 10–13 kg, should only be used in the car. Avoid leaving the baby in a car seat at home, while visiting friends, or in a stroller.
If you have a mobile over the crib, position it above the baby's belly. If the mobile is above the baby's head, the child will have to tilt their head back, which is undesirable. Instead, the baby should learn to engage their abdominal muscles and raise their legs.
Let your baby lie on their tummy without a diaper as often as possible. Thick diapers lift the pelvis, which can prevent the baby from finding the right support points. By the third month, the baby’s center of gravity should naturally shift down toward the pubic bone. Place the baby on a changing table or a table where they can see your face (sit in front of them at eye level). This encourages them to lift their head and look at you.
Activities
Blowing on the baby
While changing the baby's diaper, gently blow on different parts of their body (belly, bottom, soles of feet) and name the body parts as you blow on them. The baby may not understand the words, but they will enjoy listening to your voice.
Chest-to-chest play
Lie in a semi-reclined position with your back supported by a pillow. Place the baby on your chest. Gently rock side to side, encouraging the baby to maintain balance.
2nd trimester (4-6 months)
During this period, offer games that stimulate the baby's sense of balance, such as spinning, rocking, and swinging. These activities support the inhibition of certain primary reflexes, particularly the Moro reflex and the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR).
When lying on their back, babies begin to raise their hands to their eyes to look at them. Offer tactile toys like teething rings with ridges or soft fabrics. Don't overwhelm the baby with too many toys — one or two just out of reach is enough to encourage the baby to stretch and reach for them.
By the beginning of the fifth month, babies start to shift their weight to one side while on their belly, freeing one hand to play. Encourage the baby to reach for a toy placed to one side. The mouth becomes an important sensory tool, so the baby will naturally want to put everything they hold into their mouth. This is completely normal and should not be discouraged.
If your child does not like lying on their stomach, you can help them by gently lifting their chest while pressing their bottom down.
Place toys or a hanging mobile above the baby's belly, not above their face. If toys are placed above their face, the baby will be encouraged to tilt their head backward, which is undesirable. Instead, try showing a visually interesting toy slightly to the side of the baby’s field of vision to motivate them to look at it. Slowly move the toy to the other side, encouraging the baby to turn their head and track it with their eyes. By the sixth month, when you show the baby a toy from the side, they will be motivated to turn onto their side. If you'd like to help the baby turn onto their side, bend one leg while keeping the other straight. Move the bent leg across the center of the baby's torso to the other side, and the rest of the torso will naturally follow.
Make or buy socks with rattles. Every time the baby moves their leg, they will hear the rattle. The baby will want to grab their foot and put it in their mouth. When the baby is lying on their back, give them a small gymnastics ball (known as an overball) to play with. You will see the baby try to "catch" the ball with both their hands and feet, which strengthens the abdominal muscles. If the baby is (nearly) naked during this activity, their body awareness will also improve.
Activities
Baby massage
Baby massage is a gentle touch technique that gives the baby a feeling of warmth, security, and love. It also deepens the sense of mutual trust and understanding between mother and baby. Baby massage supports the overall development of the child. It can trigger significant positive physical and mental changes and improve the child's body awareness. Use aromatherapy oils and enjoy this special moment together.
Activity with a gymnastics ball (overball)
Place the baby on a large gymnastics ball (overball), either on their belly or back, and gently rock them back and forth. This activity stimulates the baby's sense of balance and body awareness, helping to develop motor skills.
3rd trimester, 7-9 months
By 7 months, a baby can roll from their stomach to their back and play with their raised feet. They can also play with two toys at the same time.
You can hold the baby by the waist and lift them high above your head, which they will definitely enjoy. If you have slippery floors, consider laying down a carpet or play mat for a few months so the baby can practice crawling properly. If using a carpet isn't possible, remove the baby’s socks so their feet don’t slip. At this stage, do not put the baby in rigid shoes. When crawling, the baby needs to push off with their big toe, which supports the development of the foot arch.
Avoid passively seating the baby before they can sit on their own. They will naturally learn to do this when their body is ready.
The baby spends less time on their back — mostly just while sleeping. As soon as they are on their back, they immediately roll onto their stomach, from which they begin to crawl. From this position, they can shift into a "on all fours" position (rocking back and forth) and gradually start to crawl on all fours. Initially, the baby's crawling movements have a wide base, but as their skills improve, this base becomes narrower. The baby also begins to sit independently through a side-sit position. With the help of a support (like a playpen), they can get into an upright kneeling position and hold themselves in a standing position by holding onto a support (like a playpen bar).
Tips for supporting your baby’s development
Place toys slightly out of reach so the baby is motivated to crawl to them.
Get down on the floor with the baby. Babies are more active and happier when their caregiver is on the ground with them.
Encourage the baby to lift their arms, head, and legs upward while lying on their stomach (a movement called pivoting).
You can also lift the baby by holding their waist or belly and raise them high above your head. Babies love this!
Activities
Activity: Play with baby on your legs
Lie on your back, bend your knees, and bring them toward your belly. Place the baby on your shins.
Rock the baby by moving your shins up and down or by shifting from lying down to sitting up and back again.
This exercise strengthens your thigh muscles and abdominal muscles while giving your baby a fun and exciting experience.
Activity: Practice turning with your baby
Lay the baby on their back.
Stretch out one leg (the leg on the side you want the baby to turn toward).
Bend the opposite leg by holding it just under the knee.
Move the bent leg across the baby’s torso to the opposite side, encouraging the torso to follow.
This technique allows the baby to experience the movement of rolling, which strengthens their muscles and develops their coordination.
4th trimester, 10-12 months
From the 10th month, the pace of a baby’s development slows slightly. The body begins to physically and mentally prepare for the baby's first steps and independent walking.
Exploration and safety
Babies at this stage begin to explore their surroundings and move quickly. It's essential to baby-proof your home to protect them from dangerous areas, such as electrical outlets, sharp furniture corners, and stairs. To understand how your baby sees the world, try crawling on all fours — you’ll quickly notice which items should be hidden away or locked in cabinets.
Encourage exploration
Encourage the child to explore and experiment. You can show them how to place their knees or where to grip as they climb. Simply yelling from a distance, "Be careful!" or "Don't go there!" won't help the baby develop critical motor and problem-solving skills. Instead, actively support exploration while ensuring their safety.
The importance of crawling
Continue to encourage crawling, as it provides essential training for:
Strengthening the core muscles (deep trunk muscles)
Coordination of movement
Collaboration between brain hemispheres
Hand-eye coordination
Allowing the child to crawl properly can prevent potential problems in school-age learning and coordination.
Do not teach walking by holding their hands
Avoid encouraging walking by holding the baby's hands above their head. This can:
Hinder the child’s independence and initiative to learn on their own.
Disrupt balance and promote an undesirable arched lower back.
Encourage toe-walking, as the child may rely on their toes instead of their entire foot.
Cause back pain for parents who are bent over holding the baby’s hands.
Some children start walking before their first birthday, but it is perfectly normal for a child to walk as late as 18 months. Do not use baby walkers, as they hinder natural development. There is no rush — your child will learn to walk in due time, especially if they spend time crawling and exploring.
Consistency and boundaries
At this age, it's important to be consistent with rules and boundaries. If you say "No" or "You can't", ensure it always means "No." Your baby will quickly learn to understand and respect boundaries. Inconsistent rules will confuse them, especially if one day "No" means "Stop" and the next day it means "Well, okay, just this once."
Toys that support motor development
Look for toys that promote motor skills and sensory development, such as:
Building blocks and stacking towers
Puzzles
Interactive books with textures and flaps
For the garden, consider a sandbox, swing, or a small truck or push toy.
For household play, consider a child-sized broom, dustpan, toy vacuum, or even a mini play kitchen.
Playtime ideas
Tag, hide-and-seek, and peekaboo: Simple movement games like these provide plenty of physical activity and fun.
Object play: Encourage the child to hand you objects, and as they do, name the object aloud.
Movement rhymes: Sing songs with accompanying movements, like "This Little Piggy" or "Pat-a-Cake."
Stacking towers: Show the child how to build a tower out of blocks.
Treasure boxes: Offer a box filled with random objects that the child can pull out, explore, and "tidy up" by putting them back.
Ring-stacking games: Kids at this age love to stack and unstack rings on a pole.
Activities
Activity: Balance on your lap
Sit the child on your lap, with their back leaning against you.
Hold the baby by the hips.
Gently rock them side to side, encouraging the child to maintain balance.
You can also try this activity by placing the baby on a cylinder-shaped gymnastics ball (like a foam roller or long gym ball).
Make sure the baby can plant their feet flat on the ground — not just on their toes — to avoid encouraging toe-walking.
Activity: Balance on your legs
Sit on the ground with your legs extended in front of you.
Place the child standing on your thighs, and hold them by their hips.
Gently shift your legs by alternating which leg is slightly raised, encouraging the baby to maintain balance.
You can also rock their hips gently from side to side.
This activity promotes balance, strengthens the baby’s core, and enhances postural control.
Author of the article: PhDr. Marja Volemanová, PhD.
Main sources:
Volemanová, Marja. Primary reflexes: An overlooked factor in learning and behavior problems in children. 2nd expanded edition. Statenice: INVTS, 2019. ISBN 978-80-907369-0-0.
Kleplová, Věra; Pilná, Dobromila. Našemu sluníčku. Prague: Anag, 2007. ISBN 978-80-7263-357-9.
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