How to Play With Your 3-Month-Old
The first three months, sometimes known as the fourth trimester, is a BIG CHANGE for babies (and parents, too). Now that you know a little bit more about your little one - and hopefully are getting a little bit of sleep - play skills can really take off! Your baby is starting to interact more with their environment and show interest in people and toys. You might even get a glimpse of that first purposeful baby smile! And your baby is getting ready to be on the move. I brought in the physical therapist on the EPS team so we can give you ALL the info on playing with your 3 month old!
What do we expect over the next few weeks?
At three months old, your baby should be:
turning his/her head side to side and tracking toys
lifting his/her head for short periods during tummy time
bringing his/her hands together and to mouth
rolling from his/her side to back
moving both arms and legs equally
batting at toys overhead
making eye contact
responding to facial expressions and vocalizes at caregivers
How do we get there?
Now that your baby is starting to get the hang of these things, you want to work on getting ready for rolling, crawling, and sitting! Your baby may already be rolling from their tummy to their back when they lift their head, which can make tummy time difficult since they can roll right out of it. So it’s time to pull out all the tricks to keep them on their tummy - high contrast pictures, fun toys, music, and getting down on the floor with your baby. Or you can get creative by working on tummy time face-to-face on your chest, or while zooming around the house in your arms.
Our Tummy Time Favorites!
Check out our favorite toys for tummy time to keep baby engaged!
You also don’t want to forget about sidelying play, too! It’s an important position for working on bringing hands and toys to mouth. It’s also important so baby isn’t on their back all the time - so their skull stays nice and round.
So… let’s talk about some fun things to do during the day with your 3-month-old…
Shake, rattle and roll! Grab a couple rattles, shaker eggs or anything that makes a little noise. Have your baby first track the toys side to side while lying on their back. Keep shaking and help them roll to their side. Once there, let your baby grab the rattle and shake, shake, shake! Then help your baby lift the rattle up over their head and roll to their tummy. Once on their tummy, it’s your job to shake, dance, and make some music to get some big smiles from your baby! Keep it fun and try to help your baby roll back to their back before they get fussy, even if they only last for a few seconds the first time.
The imitation game. Now that your baby is paying more attention to people, let’s use it to our advantage. Sit on the couch with your legs up and prop your baby up on your thighs so they can see your face. Smile, stick out your tongue, blow raspberries, and make all sorts of funny faces. See if your baby will imitate you…or WAIT for them to make a face and imitate them! You can also sing songs or just talk to them about your day. Don’t forget to give your baby a chance to “talk back” by pausing after you ask a question or finish a thought. You might be surprised by their responses! Read our blog post about why you need to pause.
Dance parties are a favorite for all ages. So turn on some of your favorite music (here is Eat Play Say’s Dance Party Playlist - trust me, you’ll love it!) and hold your baby while you dance around the room. Mix it up with upbeat jams and slow tunes to keep it interesting. You can hold your baby against your chest, in the super-baby position, or against you in a modified sitting position to let them experience many different points of view. You don’t have to be the best singer or the best dancer - no one is watching!
Spice up tummy time. Now that your baby is getting stronger, it’s time to start challenging them. Lift toys up a little higher when they’re playing on their tummy to encourage them to lift their head. Your baby may need some support to steady themselves and keep their arms under them at first, but soon you will see them trying to push up more and more. Use a shallow dish of water or some crinkly paper on the floor in front of them for sensory play and new entertainment. Make a toy car zoom by to try and get baby to turn their head (and eventually whole body) side to side. We love these roll back cars for now in tummy time and later for crawling!
Time to sit! Starting around 4 ½ months, you can start working on sitting with your baby to prepare them for prop sitting (sitting with their hands in front of them on the floor for support) and sitting in a high chair for meals. Remember, your baby shouldn’t start solids until they can sit independently and hold their head up on their own (along with other readiness signs). Start practicing by sitting baby on your lap facing you. Tilt your baby to one side then the other slowly. You want to see your baby try to right themselves by pulling their head back to upright using their neck and trunk muscles! At first, your baby will need a lot of support and you will have to hold them under their armpits. Eventually, you can relax your support and lower your hands down to the waist as they show more control. When baby is ready, check out our favorite toys to support sitting!
Final thoughts
Your baby’s development is a marathon, and this is just the first few steps. There will be hard times, but there will also be great times! Your baby is growing, changing, and starting to show off their unique personality. Pretty soon they’ll be talking your ear off and running circles around you. It is important to notice if your baby is falling behind in one area or another and contact a professional. BUT, it is also important to enjoy playing with your baby. Soak in these moments when they’re little, and don’t stress too much over the little things.
This resource has got you covered.
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