Once your baby is a few weeks old and you are beginning to be able to tamp down the urge to spray hand sanitizer on anyone who even looks at him or her, you should start taking your baby out and about to broaden his or her horizons. These field trips do not have to be big production numbers at first. Your baby can reap benefits from any trip outside, even just up to the post office. The important thing is to expose your baby to new sights and sounds and to get him or her comfortable with exploring new situations.
Always dress your baby appropriately for the weather. A bunting bag that fastens around your car seat or stroller is a great and easy way to protect your baby from the cold. In warmer weather, be sure to use a sun hat or sunshade.
Get in the habit of telling your baby where you are going and talking to him or her while you are there, pointing colors and sights out and, when appropriate, letting your baby touch and later taste things. To a baby that has never been much of anywhere beyond your living room, being pushed around a grocery store in a shopping cart is like a sensory roller coaster of new sights, sounds, and smells.
Beyond that, perhaps you would like to sign your baby up for formal, structured classes. Start by checking your local library and recreation center for their offerings. They will usually have classes available for babies birth and up. Or you can check out an organized program such as Gymboree Play & Learn, whose classes group babies ages 0-6 months and 6-12 months, with each session focusing on different developmental skills.
Music Together and Kindermusik both offer music classes filled with songs and activities for ages newborn and up, and at 4 months, you can sign your child up for developmental gymnastics at The Little Gym. At about 6-9 months, you can sign your baby up for beginning swimming lessons, which will probably consist of you carrying your baby around in the water. This is a good age to start sign language classes, as well.
Whichever classes you go to, check with the parents there to see what other classes they are taking. Word of mouth is often the best way to hear about good programs. You’ll also get the lowdown on which teachers or sessions are the best to take.
And beyond structured classes, you should also make an effort to check out local cultural offerings with your baby. Visit zoos, aquariums, museums, and arboretums in your area. Some museums are actually designed for children and include specific baby parts. But even museums that are aimed at older children or adults, like natural history museums, often provide padded pits where babies can play safely after being carried around and shown dinosaur bones and such.
Once you’ve sampled the local offerings, invest in a family membership for one or two institutions. The zoo in particular is a great place to visit for a couple of hours once a week just to get out of the house and walk around in the fresh air while looking at interesting things.
Finally, check out community places and events, like the park, local pool, and seasonal fairs or block parties. Socialize your baby by bringing him or her along while you meet and chat with your neighbors. You may soon find that carrying your baby around to mingle with you so as to aid his or her development will begin to develop your own social skills. The whole world is your friend when you are toting around a cute baby!
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