Spring Activities for Infants

Outdoor Crawling

• Bring your infant to a park and let her crawl around while you watch her. Infants benefit from the independence that an open area brings and the exercise of crawling. By letting her do this on her own, you will be encouraging initiative and exercise, in addition to giving her an appreciation for the outdoors. Put her on a blanket, though, to keep her from eating grass and/or bugs.

Garden Work

• Put your child in a back-mounted child carrier and work in the garden. This will let your baby spend time with you while you get some exercise and work done. Because infants are so dependent on their parents, infant activities are equally important for you--going outside and getting some yardwork done will help you keep your sanity and your child will be able to spend time with you while you do so.

Socialization

• Organize a play date with other children and have your baby play outside with them. This will help your baby learn how to socialize from an early age. This builds a firm foundation for the rest of her childhood and life, as she is going to have to interact with people who aren't related to her.

Tummy Time

• Bring your child outside and place her on her stomach on a blanket. Sit near her and distribute some of her favorite toys. This will encourage her to move around on her stomach and build the strength needed for walking and crawling. While you can do this just as effectively inside, spring offers a good chance for your baby to practice on different terrain and develop an appreciation for the outdoors.

Outings

• Take your baby for a walk, car ride or bike ride. It doesn't really matter where you go; you could just walk around the block. You should, however, interact with him when you do so, pointing out such things as clouds, trees, birds, mailboxes and other things. This will help him label the world around him and set a foundation for eventually learning how to speak.