You may have noticed that your newborn's vision is a bit limited. He or she seems unaware of things that are far away, but bring something right into the line of sight (between 8 and 15 inches from your baby's face) and suddenly he or she is all eyes. Explore your baby's developing visual skills with a simple game of finger puppets.
Appropriate for: Newborn to 4 months
Skills developed: Visual stimulation, interactivity
What you'll need: A few finger puppets
Lay your baby on his or her back or in a reclining bouncy seat. Put a finger puppet on the index finger of each of your hands. Bring your fingers slowly into your baby's line of sight and wait until he or she focuses on the faces. Then, speaking slowly, introduce each puppet. Something simple like "Hello, I'm Clover the cow" will do. As each puppet speaks, bend your finger forward so the puppet bows to your baby. Wait a moment, as if your baby were answering, then continue conducting a one-sided conversation between your baby and each puppet.
At this age, don't expect your baby to be able to follow the puppets' movement with his or her eyes and head; instead, just let your baby enjoy the interaction with you.