Play with Newborn - Activities to Promote Development

Your newborn may not be able to actively participate in games, but playing is essential for your baby’s development, and he enjoys it. Don’t stress too much about how to play with your newborn. There are three clear ways to do so, and though they might not seem like play to you, your child will love it.

• Adults going on about their lives: Keeping your baby around adults is plenty of entertainment for him. He will listen, smell, look, touch and discover things every moment of the day. Talk with him while you’re doing your daily chores, let him be next to you when you’re watching TV, carry him around the house whenever you can, and leave his bassinet in the place where you spend most of your free time.
   
• Carry him to new heights: Carrying your baby is full of excitement for him. It gives him a great spot to observe the world around him. Think of it as a new blockbuster movie taking place every day, and your baby has front seat tickets to it. (Tip: Once your baby can hold his head up, put him in a carrier with his back on your stomach, so he can have a comfortable view of everything around him.)
   
• Change his views: If your baby spends all of this time in the same place, his view doesn’t provide for much entertainment after a while. Try to mix things up by moving his crib around the room, giving him new angles to look at and keeping it interesting for him.
  
  In terms of more “traditional” toys for him to play with, try showing him different flashcards, or create your own mobiles using items from around the house that you can change regularly to keep him discovering and learning.
   

Reference:

http://www.babycenter.com/404_how-do-you-play-with-a-newborn_14043.bc