4  Characteristics  of  Your 2 Month Old Baby’s Development

l. Visually aware of surroundings

2.  Interacts with others, shows pleasure and distress

3.  Interested in sounds

4.  Beginning to lift head on tummy

Play Activities at 2 months

Interactive Visual Play: l.)   Place  your face about 8-10 inches from baby and encourage baby to follow your eyes and to watch your facial expressions.  2.)  Utilize colored scarves to encourage tracking and turning head left to right.  3. ) Sing the scarf song, “Colors, Colors” while playing with scarves as your baby follows.

Interactive Auditory play: 1.) Encourage your baby to follow your voice.   2.)   Gently shake a shaker within baby’s direct line of vision, then to either side.  3. )  Sing the “Shaker Song” to your baby, using his name.

Interactive Movement:  1. )  Continue “Tummy Time” a few minutes every day using a boppy.  2.)  Dance with your baby to lullabies  and soft music. Utilize the song  “Goin’ on an Airplane”  for dancing while holding baby in the “Tummy Time” position.  3.)  Sit baby on your lap, providing head and neck support and gently tilt to left and to right.   4.) Incorporate songs and nursery rhymes into baby’s  activities  to make them  more enjoyable and to begin to develop phonological awareness which is helpful for  speech and language development later on.  Examples include activities put to music such as  “Trot Along to Boston”,   “Grand Ol’ Duke of York”,   and “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” 5.) More music and movement activities while providing head and neck support are learned in our “First Weeks” groups.

Watch for tips for playing with your 3 month old in our next blog.

Marilee Hartling RN, MFT

Infant/Child Development Specialist

Licensed Child and Family Therapist