Baby Activities 101 – Part 1
This is not easy to do a subject on baby activities. However, there is a need to see what can be done for babies to learn. We need ideas to try different things with babies. After combing the Internet to help with this curriculum, I found some interesting ways to reach the baby with activities. Here are some of those activities I liked and hopefully you will, too! Since I like participation, I beginning wondering how do we participate with such activities. So by combing developments and activities, this topic will start as a happy medium for all of us!
WHAT ARE THE 3 STAGES OF FETAL DEVELOPMENT?
This period is generally divided into three stages: the germinal stage, the embryonic stage, and the fetal stage. The two-week period after conception is called the germinal stage. Conception occurs when a sperm cell combines with an egg cell to form a zygote.
What are the developmental stages of an infant?
During the first year of life, the baby will grow and develop at an amazing speed. The weight will double by 5 to 6months, and triple by the first birthday. And the infant is constantly learning. Major achievements—called developmental milestones—include rolling over, sitting up, standing and possibly walking.
No two babies are exactly alike. The baby will develop their own pace. Most babies reach certain milestones at similar ages. However, it’s not unusual for a healthy, “normal” baby to fall behind in some areas or race ahead in others.
The following milestones are only guidelines. The baby’s health care provider will evaluate your baby’s development at each well-baby visit. If your baby was born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy), some guidelines say that the milestone could be a little different. If the baby was born two months early, the baby will most likely achieve milestones two months later.
By the end of their first month, most babies:
- Make jerky, quivering arm movements
- Bring hands near face
- Keep hands in tight fists
- Move head from side to side while lying on stomach
- Focus on objects 8 to 12 inches away
- Prefer human faces over other shapes
- Prefer black-and-white or high-contrast patterns
- Hear very well
- Recognize some sounds, including parents’ voices
By the end of their third month, most babies:
- Raise head and chest when lying on stomach
- Support upper body with arms when lying on stomach
- Stretch legs out and kick when lying on stomach or back
- Push down on legs when feet are placed on a firm surface
- Open and shut hands
- Bring hands to mouth
- Grab and shake hand toys
- Follow moving object with eyes
- Watch faces closely
- Recognize familiar objects and people at a distance
- Start using hands and eyes in coordination
- Begin to babble and to imitate some sounds
- Smile at the sound of parents’ voices
- Enjoy playing with other people
- May cry when playing stops
By the end of their seventh month, most babies:
- Roll over both ways (stomach to back and back to stomach)
- Sit up
- Reach for object with hand
- Transfer objects from one hand to the other
- Support whole weight on legs when held upright
- Develop full-color vision and mature distance vision
- Use voice to express joy and displeasure
- Respond to own name
- Babble chains of consonants (ba-ba-ba-ba)
- Distinguish emotions by tone of voice
- Explore objects with hands and mouth
- Struggle to get objects that are out of reach
- Enjoy playing peek-a-boo
- Show an interest in mirror images
By their first birthday, most babies:
- Sit without assistance
- Get into hands-and-knees position
- Crawl
- Pull self up to stand
- Walk holding onto furniture, and possibly a few steps without support
- Use pincer grasp (thumb and forefinger)
- Say “dada” and “mama”
- Use exclamations, such as “oh-oh!”
- Try to imitate words
- Respond to “no” and simple verbal requests
- Use simple gestures, such as shaking head “no” and waving bye-bye
- Explore objects in many ways (shaking, banging, throwing, dropping)
- Begin to use objects correctly (drinking from cup, brushing hair)
- Find hidden objects easily
- Look at correct picture when an image is named
By their second birthday, most children:
- Walk alone
- Pull toys behind them while walking
- Carry large toy or several toys while walking
- Begin to run
- Kick a ball
- Climb on and off furniture without help
- Walk up and down stairs while holding on to support
- Scribble with crayon
- Build tower of four blocks or more
- Recognize names of familiar people, objects and body parts
- Say several single words (by 15 to 18 months)
- Use simple phrases (by 18 to 24 months)
- Use two- to four-word sentences (“want snack”)
- Follow simple instructions
- Begin to sort objects by shapes and colors
- Begin to play make-believe
- Imitate behavior of others
- Show growing independence
Between or at ages 3 and 4
The child should be able to:
. Walk up and down stairs
. Alternating feet — one foot per step
. Hop and stand on one foot for up to five seconds.
. Walk forward and backward easily.
From 18 to 36 months, your child:
- Uses 2 or 3-word sentences
- Asks for help using words or actions
- Can count and use new words
- Understands shapes and sizes
- Shows emotions and has mood swings or tantrums
- Knows and responds to others’ feelings
- Wants approval and needs praise
- Asks a lot of questions
- Responds to requests, such as ‘Get your coat’
- Gradually uses 1 hand more than the other
- Can walk up and down stairs
- Can learn to ride a tricycle
- Can run, climb, kick, and throw a ball
- Dances to music
- Tells stories, sings songs, and plays
- Tries to do more independently
- Helps with simple household chores, such as taking laundry out of the dryer
- Has trouble sharing and says ‘no’ or ‘mine’
- Becomes familiar with routines
- Recognizes and names familiar people
- Shows interest in a new person, thing, or sound
- Enjoys playing alone and near other children
- By 36 months, enjoys pretend play with others
- Shows an increased attention span
- Solves problems by trial and error
- Participates in group activities
- Shows affection openly, such as hugging
- Uses social language, such as please and thank you
- Copies adult behaviors
- Gets frustrated sometimes because they want to do more than they are able to do
- Tries to be the boss but needs to know that parents set limits
- Has a lot of fears and may have nightmares
Part 2 will be “When Baby Begins To Grasp!”