Sensory Activities for Newborns

I'm learning that it's important to provide a stimulating environment for a newborn. One way to do this is by trying to stimulate the five senses:

Hearing
- talk with her
- sing to her
- play music in the background
- have a musical mobile

Seeing
- place your face near hers when you talk with her
- show baby toys such as rattles or stuffed animals
- provide stimulating black and white images for her to look at

Touching
- hug, pat, kiss and rock your baby
- take her for a walk in the stroller
- walk around with baby in your arms
- dance with baby
- have baby feel different textured fabrics

Smelling
- if you wear perfume, put a drop on baby's blanket
- put an article of your clothing in a safe place in baby's crib

Tasting
(note: you can't do much with taste yet!)
- feed baby when she's hungry
- provide a pacifier or allow baby to suck her thumb