Help your infant develop movement skills: 0-3 months

Here are some physical activities and basic movement skills that you can help your infant develop in their first months of life.

In the first three months your baby will be spending many hours sleeping and eating. The time for activity is very limited, but there are small windows available for some simple ideas.

Vary posture

The key thought at this age is to try and add variety to your child’s posture as much as possible. This can be as simple as holding them in different positions, using different chairs for them to sit in, and trying to introduce tummy time as soon as they have enough control over their neck muscles to hold up their head.

A play mat is great for this age group where they can spend some time lying on their back looking at the hanging toys above. Before you know it they will try to reach and grab these toys.

Reach and grab

Reaching and grabbing is a crucial stage of their motor development. As soon as you see them trying to do this, you can help out by providing all kinds of shapes and textures for them to grab on to.

Massage

Massage is a very helpful stimulator of a baby’s neuromuscular system and I think that this is a perfect age to spend time on massage. As soon as your baby has the ability to move, they will not want to lie still for a massage. If you are unsure of massage techniques you could check in your community for a class, or research the techniques online.

Bath time

Bath time is also a wonderful opportunity for playing with different textures and movement. Encourage splashing and kicking as much as possible while you are giving your baby a bath. Always ensure they are closely supervised during bath activity.