6 Fun-Filled Baby Paper Activities to Delight Your Little Ones

Unlock Baby’s Sensory Experiences with Baby Paper with Playtime

Bottles, binkies, diapers, and drool! Babies can come with an overwhelming amount of “tools''. Baby gear comes in all shapes and styles from play gyms and bouncer seats to safety gadgets and baby gates. The most important thing your baby needs is you! So don’t sweat playtime with baby - keeping it simple is easy. All you really need to play with your baby is YOU. Incorporating playful interactions into your daily activities can encourage precious milestones while meeting their needs and giving your baby the attention they crave. Read on to learn how joyful play can be as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Play is how little ones learn. In the first months of life, babies depend on others for interaction and connection. Zero to Three, an authority on nurturing early development, shares that for babies, play is not just about toys, it's about back-and-forth interactions. Through play, your baby learns about the world around them and how they can interact with it. 

Research shows that play with parents and peers is an ideal way to promote developmental skills and nurturing relationships with caregivers help children thrive. 

Babies uncover the world around them through their five senses - sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Some senses are more precise than others at first but sensory development evolves and presents a unique reinforcement on learning for each individual child. Little ones are curious, eager, and often quick to engage with their environment - always keeping you on your toes! According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the power of play is a critical opportunity for brain growth and development. No matter how simple or silly the interaction, play stimulates the senses and helps your baby develop critical skills needed for meeting cognitive and physical milestones. No one appreciates the power of playfulness more than children. Experimenting with sounds, making funny faces, singing off pitch, and busting a dance move are the epitome of taking care of a baby. 

Playtime together can be entertaining and bonding for both baby and adult and results in spontaneous fun. The definition of play is elusive, but it is intrinsically motivated and has no extrinsic goals. No rules required for playtime! 

Around three months of age after the newborn days of ‘eat, sleep, and poo’ have evolved, babies will start to move their bodies with purpose. They become noticeably more interested in the world around them and can begin to explore toys and people through their senses. 

Babies cannot resist the excitement of sensory exploration! The jingle of a rattle, the mesmerizing look of a mobile, the crunchy sound and feel of Baby Paper. 

1. Peek-a-Boo - Surprise! The universal game of peek-a-boo is always a hit with babies. Use Baby Paper to cover your face to reveal a silly look, toothy smile, silly laugh, or cheerful song. This game never gets old! For extra amazement, crunch the Baby Paper during the reveal. 
2. Sound Check - What’s that sound? Crinkle the Baby Paper behind your back, up in the air, or in front of the baby's belly to have them seek out the sound. Add questions and sounds during play to amp up the silliness like: “What’s that?”, “Hah!”, “Where’d it go?”, “Wow!”
3. Tummy Time* Crunch - All work and no play? No way! Make Tummy Time more appealing by placing Baby Paper under your baby's belly as they work to build up muscle strength. You can take part in Tummy Time too by laying on your back with Baby Paper on your chest with your baby on top! 
4. Show ‘N’ Tell - Bond with your baby through storytelling! Share a goofy story in detail about Baby Paper. Describe its shape, color, pattern, texture, sound, and feel. You can even make up a story about Baby Paper’s day! Unleash your imagination with your captive audience. 
5. Googly Eyes - Lights, camera…Baby Paper! Use Baby Paper to catch baby's eye. Encourage visual tracking skills by slowly moving and crinkling Baby Paper from one side to another as your baby’s eyes and ears find focus on the crinkle paper. 
6. Hide & Seek - Baby Paper magic! Place Baby Paper in an empty tissue box, wipe container, or small box and let them pull it out to make it appear just like magic. Replace and repeat. Out and in! In and out! 

“Time spent playing with children is never time wasted.” - Dawn Lantero

Play is serious business! It is how your little one gears up for meeting milestones. When you play with your baby - telling stories, singing songs, playing peek-a-boo, crunching Baby Paper and more - you are giving your baby opportunities to grow both their brain and their body. 

*The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends at least 15-30 minutes of tummy time per day (by 7 weeks of age).

Article written for Baby Paper by Ahren Hoffman, CTRS, CPE

References:
Zero to Three: https://www.zerotothree.org/resource/how-to-play-with-babies/
American Academy of Pediatrics: https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/142/3/e20182058/38649/The-Power-of-Play-A-Pediatric-Role-in-Enhancing?autologincheck=redirected