Many activities and useful games to stimulate the sight of newborns
In the first months a newborn does not see clearly or completely and is attracted only by a few colors. Then the vision of the objects becomes clearer and begins to follow the objects with the eyes.
It’s amazing how every young child gains new skills and abilities day after day. In fact, every day that passes is a milestone reached: he recognizes, grasps and learns more and more things and also his sight is constantly developing.
In the first few months, for example, what he sees is not as clear or complete as an adult’s vision. At first, children do not focus well and are attracted only by a few colors.
Then the vision of the objects becomes clearer and clearer, the children begin to follow the objects with their eyes, to perceive the shades of colors and the depth of field. So as the child grows and matures, advances in the development of the sense of sight become evident especially when they begin to recognize faces and objects.
Activities and games to stimulate the sight of newborns
To stimulate the development of vision, simple daily activities are enough. For example, you can:
- often look out on the bed so that over time the child recognizes the faces of the parents;
- change the position of the baby’s crib and look out from both sides to help him see from different angles;
- slowly move very colorful toys or dolls closer and away from his face and let them observe thoroughly if something has attracted the child’s attention;
- decorate the bedroom with bright colors;
- Put your face in front of the child’s face by talking or smiling. This allows him to focus on the face and observe movements;
- play bubu-settete by covering your face with your hands and making it reappear;
But there are many other games to stimulate the eyesight, such as:
The carousels on the cradle
The activities and games to be offered to the first few months are based on colors and shapes : children’s eyes are strongly attracted by the black/white contrast, the red color and the bright and decisive colours. Carousels, for example, can be excellent games that can stimulate the eye. Particularly recommended are:
- Munari’s carousel : it is a particular carousel with symmetrical geometric images in black and white and high contrast, placed at precise distances. It is suitable from the first month of life.
- Octahedron carousel: suitable from 5-6 weeks, it allows the baby to develop the acquired ability to see colors and shapes more clearly.
- the Gobbi carousel : suitable from the second and third month, it stimulates the child’s ability to distinguish even the shades of colors and improves the perception of depth of field.
- Dancers’ carousel: suitable from the third / fourth month, improves depth perception and stimulates visual focus.
The cards with geometric drawings in black and white
The stripes and geometric patterns in black and white are very stimulating and naturally attract the attention of the child. You can find commercially available toys, car seat covers, or even room decorations that contain colored stripes in black and white, red and black, or other bright, high-contrast colors. But I would say that you can also create them yourself at home by.
Books with contrasting colors
These are games that can be purchased or even DIY that can be put on the cot, on the mat, on the seat or in the car and with which parents can play with children. An example can be books with black and white images or very contrasting colors. They are suitable books from the first months of life, have large and well-defined figures and stimulate children to focus on objects and perceive their colors. If you want, you can also create that can be placed on the cot, on the that can capture the attention.
The mirror game
To stimulate vision, a mirror can also be placed rather close to the child. Placed on his stomach on the bed or on a carpet, the child will be stimulated to move and will be able to concentrate on himself. Playing with the image of him is also a good exercise for the sense of sight. You can use mirrors that we have at home or buy a toy/mirror specifically for this type of activity.
However, any occasion can be good to stimulate the child’s curiosity tags. Even simple movements of the hands and fingers – even if you want to the rhythm of music – can attract the gaze and interest of children. These moments of fun will not only be useful for the health of her eyes, but can sometimes highlight any vision problems to the attentive eye of the parents.
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.