There are few things a newborn loves more than your face. Use this to your advantage and help your baby’s brain grow by making silly faces as a fun, interactive experience.
You!
Place your baby in front of you and start making silly, exaggerated faces. As you make different facial expressions, describe what emotions or feelings go with them. You can even tell a story about why your face looks like it does. For example, you could make a surprised face and say, “Yay! I just opened a present!”
With each facial expression you make, watch how your newborn reacts. Allow her some time to respond. React to the response by engaging in a conversation. For example, if you make a scary face and your newborn gets upset, say, “You didn’t like that face. It was scary!”
When your newborn makes funny facial expressions, you can copy it. This is the beginning of your baby learning how to imitate, which is a big skill for learning.
This simple activity may even get you your baby’s first smile – one of the best firsts!
This activity helps your newborn develop facial motor skills, listening skills, language skills, and social-emotional skills.
