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Peek-a-Boo! What do babies really see?
As a new mama, we're always looking at our babies, wondering what is going through their minds, what they think about what they are seeing. Believe me, I'm spending hours these days wondering just that! In the few free moments I had last week, I actually did a little research, which has also inspired one of this month's Foreverly Box items, a tummy time sensory toy!
So here are some things I've learned... first, newborn vision is generally limited to about 8-10 inches away from them - so roughly the distance a baby is from you when you are nursing or bottle feeding. YOU are baby's most significant visual frame of reference, which is also what strengthens the bond with you!
But as baby grows, the newborn learns through more sensory exploration. That means that their brains are processing all the new information we're giving them, including new smells, sounds, textures, and more visual input.
Research shows that black and white sensory toys can help assist in that development. These toys help newborns’ brains to become more organized and focus on the world around them. Black and white sensory toys are designed to engage the baby’s visual system, and this helps them learn to distinguish between shapes and patterns. The simple and distinct colors and patterns are key to that.
These toys can help to stimulate the baby’s vision by providing a clear contrast between the two (or three) colors. This contrast helps the baby to become more aware of their surroundings and to recognize shapes and patterns. Additionally, many black and white toys contain features like rattles, crinkles, and textures that help engage the baby’s other senses. Yes, the tummy time toy we included this month crinkles!
As baby grows, black and white sensory toys can also be used to encourage the baby’s development of fine motor skills. Added features that help with hand-eye coordination can help babies learn to grasp and manipulate different objects.
These sensory toys are an excellent way to help newborns develop and learn about their world. They provide a clear contrast between colors that helps engage the baby’s visual system, as well as a variety of textures and activities that help engage their other senses. Additionally, these toys can help to encourage the development of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Super cool, right?!
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