Activities for 0–3 months

Gross Motor

• Chest Tummy Time

  Place baby face-down on your bare chest at a 45° recline. Get face-to-face — your face is their strongest motivation to lift their head.

  2–5 min · A reclined chair, couch, or pillows to prop yourself up

• Floor Tummy Time

  Lay baby face-down on a firm, clean surface. Place a rolled muslin under chest to ease the lift. Start 2 min and add 1 min per week.

  2–5 min · Muslin cloth

• Bicycle Legs

  Lay baby on back; hold ankles gently and move legs in slow cycling motions. Say 'pedal, pedal' rhythmically while maintaining eye contact.

  3–5 min · None

• Arm Stretch & Midline

  Gently hold baby's forearms, slowly extend arms outward, then bring hands together at midline over chest. Repeat 5 times each side.

  3–5 min · None

• Visual Tracking Card

  Hold a high-contrast B&W card 25 cm from baby's face. Move it slowly left then right. Let eyes find it before you move again.

  3–5 min · Paper with B&W pattern

• Supported Upright Hold

  Hold baby upright against your shoulder and let them practice holding their head for 10–15 seconds. Support gently — don't grip.

  3–5 min · None

• Leg Kicking Scarf

  Hold a light scarf 15 cm above baby's feet while they lie on back. Let them discover kicking makes it move — first cause-effect feedback.

  5–10 min · Light scarf or cloth

• Side-Lying Practice

  Place baby on their side with a rolled towel tucked behind their back for support. Alternate sides each session; 5 min per side.

  5–10 min · Rolled towel

Fine Motor

• Finger Grasp Reflex

  Place your index finger in baby's palm and let the grasp reflex close around it. Gently tug to stimulate the grip.

  3–5 min · None

• Palm Massage

  With warm hands make small circular motions across each palm and each finger. Open fisted hands gently with thumb-stroke wrist to fingertips.

  5–10 min · Warm oil (optional)

• Hand Opening Stroke

  When baby's fists are clenched, gently stroke from wrist to fingertips along the back of the hand to encourage opening.

  3–5 min · None

• Arm-to-Midline Assist

  Gently bring baby's hands together at the centre of their chest. Hold 3 seconds, release. This builds bilateral brain coordination.

  3–5 min · None

• Wrist Rotation

  Hold baby's forearm steady and gently rotate the wrist in small circles, 5 times each direction on each hand.

  3–5 min · None

• Soft Object in Palm

  Place a small rolled cloth in baby's palm. Note how long the grasp reflex holds it and whether they bring it toward their mouth.

  3–5 min · Small soft cloth roll

Language & Communication

• Narrate Every Routine

  Talk through every nappy change, feed, and bath. 'Now I'm lifting your legs. This might feel cool.' Tone matters more than words.

  Ongoing min · None

• Daily Lori / Song

  Sing one consistent song at the same time each day. Repetition builds a neural safety pattern. Same song, same voice, every day.

  5–10 min · None

• Vowel Mirroring

  When baby makes any vowel sound, mirror it back exactly. Pause 10 full seconds before speaking again — that gap is the lesson.

  5–10 min · None

• Serve and Return Pause

  After speaking or making a sound, count to 10 silently before responding again. You are teaching conversation structure.

  5–10 min · None

• Name Recognition Distance

  Call baby's name from 1 metre away (not from directly in front). Watch for eyes or head turning toward the sound.

  3–5 min · None

• Sound Exploration

  Introduce one new household sound daily: wooden spoon on pot, rustling paper, running water. Watch how baby stills and locates.

  3–5 min · Household objects

• Parentese Talk

  Use a slightly higher pitch and slower pace than normal when talking to baby. This is biologically optimal for infant language processing.

  Ongoing min · None

• Read Aloud (Any Text)

  Read any book, recipe, or message aloud to baby. The vocabulary range and rhythm matter — comprehension is irrelevant at this stage.

  5–10 min · Any book or text

Cognitive

• High-Contrast Cards

  Hold a black-and-white card 25 cm from baby's face. Let them fixate 10 seconds before moving slowly left. Newborn vision peaks at this distance.

  3–5 min · Paper with B&W pattern

• Face Gazing

  Hold your face 20–30 cm from baby's. Make one slow exaggerated expression and hold it. Wait 10 seconds for their response.

  5–8 min · None

• Mirror Gazing

  Hold a small unbreakable mirror 25 cm from baby. They won't recognise themselves yet — but the responsive face is deeply engaging.

  3–5 min · Any mirror

• Disappearing Face Peek

  Cover your face with your hands. Hold 3 seconds. Reveal warmly. Very early object permanence and social anticipation practice.

  5–10 min · None

• Light and Shadow

  Carry baby toward a window or lamp. Let them observe light change as you move closer and further. Narrate: 'Bright! Now darker.'

  3–5 min · Window or lamp

• B&W Pattern Book

  Hold a high-contrast picture book 25 cm from baby. Spend 20–30 seconds on each page before turning. One page can hold attention this age.

  5–8 min · High-contrast book or printed pages

Social-Emotional

• Skin-to-Skin Hold

  Undress baby to nappy and hold against bare chest tummy-to-tummy. Cover both lightly. Regulates temperature, cortisol, and heart rate.

  15–30 min · None

• Smile Mirroring

  When baby makes a mouth movement or social smile, reflect it back immediately and wait. You are teaching: my expression has social power.

  5–10 min · None

• Responsive Holding

  When baby cries, respond before escalation. Consistent early response builds the secure attachment base for all future relationships.

  Ongoing min · None

• Emotional Narration

  Name what you see: 'You look uncomfortable. Let me see what's wrong.' Labelling emotional states builds the circuits for self-regulation later.

  Ongoing min · None

• Caregiver Rotation

  Let each main caregiver hold baby skin-to-skin. Each person's unique warmth and heartbeat is a distinct and valuable regulatory experience.

  15–20 min · None

• Calm Modelling

  When you feel anxious, slow your own breathing while holding baby. They sense and entrain to your nervous system state.

  5–10 min · None

Sensory

• Tel Maalish (Oil Massage)

  Warm oil in palms. Begin with legs — least sensitive. Long slow strokes hip to foot, then arms, back, head. Stimulates vagus nerve.

  10–15 min · Coconut or mustard oil

• Texture Touch Exploration

  Gently touch different textures to baby's palm and feet: soft cloth, smooth wood, cool spoon. Name each: 'Soft. Smooth. Cool.'

  5–8 min · Household objects with varied textures

• Outdoor Air & Light

  Take baby outside for 10–15 min. Wind, natural light, birdsong, and temperature variation are multi-sensory inputs no indoor space can replicate.

  10–15 min · None

• Water Temperature Play

  During bath, pour water at slightly different temperatures on hands. Narrate: 'Warm water now. A little cooler.'

  5–10 min · Water in containers

• Chest Hum Vibration

  Place baby against your chest and hum or sing. The physical vibration is felt across their whole body and is deeply calming.

  5–10 min · None

Self-Care & Adaptive

• Hunger Cue Recognition

  Learn early hunger cues: rooting, hand-to-mouth, stirring. Feed before crying. Responding to early cues builds baby's signal-response trust.

  Ongoing min · None

• Wake Window Awareness

  Track awake time: 0–6 weeks = 45–60 min; 6–12 weeks = 60–90 min. Beginning sleep routine before overtiredness sets in improves settling.

  Ongoing min · None