Stimulating Baby

Places for baby to rest and play in the home

0-3 months

In the first few months, baby is still on his/her back and without your help, all he or she will have to look at is the ceiling. Here are some ways that I found helpful with stimulation.

Something for baby to look at: 

Dangling baby-safe toys from a baby gym helps to stimulate their little minds and reaching to touch the toys gives them something to eventually strive for. I used to put mine on the bed, the floor or on the dining table while I worked. I’d put the changing mat with the anti-roll sides on top of it for extra comfort and security. This Fisher-Price 3-in-1 Music, Glow and Grow Gym was great for us because it’s almost weightless to move from room to room, it’s completely washable, the toys come off and the little bear sings songs and lights up.

I found a baby mobile overhead was pretty handy and moved one around from place to place. I couldn’t recommend the one I had because it was too tricky to attach to different types of furniture and possibly too precarious when I did manage it. But if you can find a mobile one on its own stand that you can move around, that might be very useful.

Something to interact with: 

A great tip from my Mom was that kicking is easy for even new-born babies and putting something that makes noise under or near their bums gives them something to interact with. My little one would be highly entertained to hear a noise when he kicked.

A friend gave us this crackly cloth high-contrast baby book that served us so well from 0-10 months. At first we could put it under his bum and he would kick it and enjoy the sounds. As he got older we could attach it to the handle on his buggy for him to play with his hands. It has a mirror too which is brilliant for giving him another baby to play with! As we all know, babies at a young age can only see black and white and other high-contrast images. Otherwise, things look pretty monotone. So that’s another thing that made this toy great – and at under €10, it’s real bargain!

4 months+

After a while, they get pretty bored looking at the ceiling and, consequently, they will need more stimulation. Here are some items to be that I found very helpful. I would literally cycle through these like stations in a circuit. When he got tired of one I’d move him on to the next.

BabyBjörn Bouncer Bliss

This bouncer has a relatively high price tag but there’s a reason people pay €200. My baby was very happy to be in it most days for a good few months. Having a space for babies off the floor when they can’t yet sit up is really important. They can start to see more than the ceiling!

This one is suitable from newborn to 2 years. It folds up flat which is brilliant for when not in use or if you want to pop it in the car to bring with you to someone else’s house. After Max was able to sit on his own, I sold it for half the retail price on a local ads board. I possibly should have got the toy that attaches to it so that there was something to play with but didn’t.

Mamas & Papas Baby Snug Seat and Activity Tray

This was recommended to me by our physio. My baby’s head had been getting a little flat on one side and she was keen to get him sitting up to take the weight off. He’s 10 months now and we still get use out of it. I pop him in it when I’m taking a shower or doing a job in a room where I don’t have a highchair or a play mat and I know he’s safe and entertained.

The activity tray comes off so you could use that surface underneath for eating and you can use the activity tray when he’s not using the seat. When I had to work on my laptop for a short spell I’d often pop him into this beside me and he’d be happy for a half hour or so. Again, there’s a good resale value on these so you can probably get back half the retail price.

6 months+

Stokke evolutionary highchair ® tripp trapp

This one is definitely an investment. The chair itself is over €250 but as baby grows into a child, you can keep adjusting it so that it fits exactly in terms of where the bum and feet go and then there are is a baby set, straps and trays for the very early days. Aesthetically, it’s got that Swedish cool factor and it comes in lots of colours so it will look well in most homes. Again, there’s an excellent resale value on all of the kit which is very hard waring and durable.

Baby set for the Stokke tripp trapp

When baby is about six months, this set helps baby him/her fit snugly into what will become his/her high chair.

Stokke high-chair tray

High Chair Cushion for Tripp Trapp – For Babies and Children

This will help your child feel comfortable in the chair for longer. It is quite wipeable and washable which is great considering what it will have to withstand! My baby sits happily in this chair with a toy or two on the table top while I cook. It fits with and without the baby set.

Fisher-Price Roarin’ Rainforest Jumperoo – Infant Activity Center with Music, Lights & Sounds – 360° Play

Wow, babies just love this. It was literally like Disneyland had landed in my living room when this arrived. The sounds, music, dangly toys overhead, using his newfound legs to ‘bounce’, toys at head level – they were just so entertaining for him. It would give me a window of time where I could get a job or two done and he would be quite happy. Great for tiring him out and it helps to strengthen his legs in a way that is safe for him. Highly recommended.