Week 5: Tracking sights and sounds
HERE ARE SOME NEWBORN PLAY IDEAS FOR TRACKING SIGHTS AND SOUNDS:
Tracking Sights
Slowly move a High-Contrast Card back and forth horizontally about 12 inches in front of your baby’s face and see if their eyes track the moving image. This may be a challenge for them. You can also shake and slowly move the high-contrast rattle in their field of vision from side to side. Your baby’s eyes may cross because they’re still building muscle strength.
Tracking Sounds
By week 4, your baby may show more interest in sounds. Help support that interest by exposing them to sounds from real life. Try to introduce just one sound at a time. When your baby is alert and the room is quiet, you can tear or crumple up paper, pour pasta into a pan, tap a spoon against a bowl, or make other everyday noises. Talk about what you are doing and see if they look toward the source of the sounds.
In this post
The Charmer Play Kit
Designed to help your baby examine and explore as they gain social awareness.
Learn more
Keep reading
0 - 12 Weeks
Week 1: Why skin to skin time isn’t just for the hospital
The benefits of skin-to-skin time include reducing crying and improving sleep and immunity. There are many more, as you'll learn in this post.
0 - 12 Weeks
Week 2: Yes, your teeny newborn needs tummy time. But why?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends tummy time starting in the first week. Here are some tips for newborn tummy time.
0 - 12 Weeks
8 tips for safe swaddling
Try these expert tips to swaddle your baby in a way that supports safe and healthy development.
0 - 12 Weeks
3 - 4 Months
Streamers on the Play Gym
Babies around 1 to 3 months will start to wave their arms around when they see something they are interested in. You can put leftover party supplies to good use by taping party streamers to the legs of your Play Gym.
0 - 12 Weeks
Your Baby’s Physical Development: Newborn (0-3 Months)
Watch Lovevery CEO Jessica Rolph discuss developmental milestones for your newborn with licensed occupational therapist and founder of CanDo Kiddo, Rachel Coley.
0 - 12 Weeks
5 fun newborn play ideas for tracking sounds and sights
Everyday noises are new to your baby. Use these 5 play ideas to introduce them to natural sounds and help them develop lasting neural networks.
0 - 12 Weeks
11 best Montessori toys for baby’s first year
Montessori is about tapping into a child’s natural inclination to learn. Here are 11 of the best Montessori toys for your baby's first year.
0 - 12 Weeks
The 10 best ways to grow your newborn baby’s brain
Lovevery's experts share 10 techniques you can use to protect and grow your infant's developing brain.
0 - 12 Weeks
The best high contrast images for newborns
High-contrast images are important for your baby’s cognitive development. Learn why babies love black and white images and download high-contrast images here.
0 - 12 Weeks
3 - 4 Months
Week 12: Why a simple light switch is better for your baby than those flashing-light toys
There is art to house tours. Learn from Esther as she introduces baby Freya to the different elements of her home environment by narrating and demonstrating.
0 - 12 Weeks
3 - 4 Months
Week 10: 4 ideas for no-floor, less fussy tummy time
Tummy time builds the muscles and coordination needed for rolling over, crawling, reaching, and playing. Here are some ideas for taking tummy off the floor.
0 - 12 Weeks
Week 9: A super-simple way to build your baby’s leg muscles
Your baby builds legs muscles by pushing objects with their feet. Here is how to help them begin to practice kicking.
0 - 12 Weeks
Week 8: 6 tips for how to talk to someone who doesn’t (yet) talk back
Talking with your baby can feel awkward, but it's so beneficial. Lovevery shares 6 tips for how to talk to someone who doesn't talk back yet.
0 - 12 Weeks
Week 7: If your baby can’t get enough high-contrast images, download these
Images of varying complexity help strengthen your baby's eyesight. Here are some high-contrast images to download.
0 - 12 Weeks
Week 6: What the experts want you to know about swaddling
Is swaddling necessary for babies? Lovevery provides an expert opinion on when and how to swaddle your baby, along with safety tips.
0 - 12 Weeks
Week 5: Tracking sights and sounds
Your newborn baby explores the world by tracking sights and sounds. Here are Lovevery's play ideas to support your baby's tracking skills.
0 - 12 Weeks
Week 4: Don’t miss this expert mama’s essential newborn tip
An occupational therapist shares how to gently turn your baby's head from side to side to avoid flat spots and tight neck muscles.
0 - 12 Weeks
Week 3: Why black and white is so riveting to your newborn
High-contrast images build rich neural networks in your baby’s brain. Learn how their vision is developing right now.
0 - 12 Weeks
6 amazing—and surprising— traits of newborn babies
Even though our newborn babies rely on us for so much, they come into the world with a surprisingly wide variety of skills and abilities.
0 - 12 Weeks
5 things on your baby’s mind in the first year
This is not about engaging with your kids 24/7. It’s about knowing what matters most to your child’s development right now.
0 - 12 Weeks
5 ways to take tummy time off the floor
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends supervised tummy time starting in your baby’s first week. Some babies are good with it, but alas, it is not a happy time for others.
0 - 12 Weeks
How to use high contrast for happier tummy time
Your baby’s eyes are naturally drawn to things like dark hair against a light shirt, ceiling fans, windows and blinds, or frames on a white wall. Entertain your baby with brain-healthy high contrast images during tummy time.
