Birth to three months

Babies’ hearing is better developed then their eyesight in early weeks, and they will respond to noise and music. Your baby will first notice light and contrasting colours, particularly black against white, then move on to colourful shapes and clearly defined patterns as well as moving objects. Child will learn to focus more as time goes on. Babies can open and close their hands from birth, then start to notice their fingers and, after about two or three months, begin to recognise that certain things happen when they move their hands. At this stage, they will start reaching out for objects.

Toys to consider:

• Mobiles - particularly musical ones and those with patterns or objects that face your baby when he or she is lying in the cot
• Toys with in-built mirrors - your baby won’t be able to recognise him - or herself until nearly two years old, but will be fascinated by the reflections in the mirror
• Brightly coloured, noisy rattles
• Toys with high-contrast patterns such as simple faces

*Tip*
A new born baby’s eyes can only focus on near objects, so hold your face about 30 centimetres from his or hers.

“We made our own mobile when Jesse was a baby. We knew that babies like contrasting colours so we made one with black and white patterns and shapes painted on to card. We also turned our triangular clothes-drying rack into a baby gym by hanging interesting bits and pieces down from the rungs and putting Jesse to lie underneath” - Simon, father of Jesse age 4