Look below to find games and activities you can play with your child to promote their sensory development. Activities are divided by age so it is easy to find games and activities that are age appropriate.
0-3 Months
- Hang a colorful mobile above baby’s crib to provide visual stimulation.
- Encourage baby to hold or shake an age appropriate rattle.
- Gently touch and tickle baby to make them giggle.
- Play with baby in a variety of positions.
- Provide plenty of skin-to-skin contact with a parent or caregiver.
- Smile at baby, touch her hands, feet and forehead. She how she wiggles , reacts to touch and voices.
- Play or sing songs with baby to help enhance baby’s listening skills.
- When changing baby’s diaper touch different body parts and say “beep” baby may begin watching your hand and anticipating touch.
- Hang a mirror on the wall. Tap the mirror and say baby’s name. Over time baby will begin to understand who the baby in the mirror is.
- Show baby family photos or flip through a magazine. Point out the smiling faces to baby.
4-6 Months
- Encourage baby to touch fabric with different textures such as wool, corduroy, and velvet
- Lift baby up and down and play in different positions to help develop their sense of movement and balance
- Find balls with different textures and colors. Teach baby how to roll, drop, and bounce them.
7-9 Months
- Explores and examines an object using both hands.
- Turns several pages of a chunky board book at once.
- Experiments with the amount of force needed to pick up different objects.
- Focuses on objects near and far.
- Investigates shapes, sizes, and textures of toys and surroundings.
- Observes environment from a variety of positions – while lying on back or tummy, sitting, crawling, and standing with assistance.
10-12 Months
- Play peek-a-boo with baby.
- Have baby look at their reflection in the mirror and point out each body part.
- Encourage baby to crawl over, under, and through various objects in your home.
- Introduce baby to new textures through food, toys, clothes, sponges, etc.
- Provide plenty of skin-to-skin contact with caregivers.
- Keep baby away from areas where people are smoking or using harsh chemicals.
13-18 Months
- Blow bubbles for baby. Let baby touch them, watch them soar through sky and pop when they land.
- Wrap a table in plastic and spray shaving cream on top. Encourage baby to explore the shaving cream with hands, brushes, spatulas, or plastic spoons.
- Fill up a bucket with blocks of different sizes, textures, and colors. Ensure that none are small enough to be swallowed if baby decides to explore them with their mouth. Allow baby to explore the blocks with all of their senses.
