A Sight For Baby's Eyes

You can tell that your newborn baby's vision is not fully developed. She doesn't seem aware of faraway objects, yet bring something interesting into her field of vision and she'll follow it as best she can. Your baby is born with the ability to see things that are between 8 and 15 inches away from her face because this is the distance between an infant and her mother's face as the baby nurses. It's a survival instinct that helps the infant to find her food source. You can help your baby develop her visual skills with some simple props.

Finger Puppets

Buy or make two simple finger puppets. Place the baby on her back or in an infant or bounce seat. Slip a finger puppet onto the pointer fingers of your right and left hands. Using slow and gradual movements bring your puppet-laden fingers into your baby's field of vision and watch until she is able to focus on the puppets. Say something as you bend your finger toward the baby so that the puppet bends its head. Pause as if waiting for the baby's response, and continue speaking for the puppet and pausing for the imagined response. You can have the two puppets interact with each other. They can dance, converse, or sing. When your baby seems to tire, have the puppets dance out of her vision.

Expressive Faces

Another way to enhance your newborn's visual acuity is to utilize your own face as the most interesting "prop" of all. Baby's love to look at an expressive face and have demonstrated their ability to remember faces on a level far above adults. Babies prefer faces to shapes of any kind, which explains why so many baby toys are painted with rudimentary faces on them.

Get down to eye level with your baby as he sits in an infant, car, or bounce seat, reclines in his stroller, or lies on the floor on his back. Begin by making slow changes to your expression. Start with a smile, turn it into a look of surprise, and then pout. Pause at each expression to gauge your baby's response.

Baby's often mimic a parent's expression. If your baby should imitate the expression on your face, hold up a hand mirror and show him his own face. Tell him, "Yes, you are very happy. I see you are happy. What a happy baby," and etc., repeating the word that describes his expression. You may not get much of a reaction, but your baby will enjoy this interaction and so will you. The main point of this exercise is to get your baby to use and develop his visual recognition of the faces and the facial expressions he sees from day to day.

Buy or make two simple finger puppets. Place the baby on her back or in an infant or bounce seat. Slip a finger puppet onto the pointer fingers of your right and left hands. Using slow and gradual movements bring your puppet-laden fingers into your baby's field of vision and watch until she is able to focus on the puppets. Say something as you bend your finger toward the baby so that the puppet bends its head. Pause as if waiting for the baby's response, and continue speaking for the puppet and pausing for the imagined response. You can have the two puppets interact with each other. They can dance, converse, or sing. When your baby seems to tire, have the puppets dance out of her vision.

Expressive Faces

Another way to enhance your newborn's visual acuity is to utilize your own face as the most interesting "prop" of all. Baby's love to look at an expressive face and have demonstrated their ability to remember faces on a level far above adults. Babies prefer faces to shapes of any kind, which explains why so many baby toys are painted with rudimentary faces on them.

Get down to eye level with your baby as he sits in an infant, car, or bounce seat, reclines in his stroller, or lies on the floor on his back. Begin by making slow changes to your expression. Start with a smile, turn it into a look of surprise, and then pout. Pause at each expression to gauge your baby's response.

Baby's often mimic a parent's expression. If your baby should imitate the expression on your face, hold up a hand mirror and show him his own face. Tell him, "Yes, you are very happy. I see you are happy. What a happy baby," and etc., repeating the word that describes his expression. You may not get much of a reaction, but your baby will enjoy this interaction and so will you. The main point of this exercise is to get your baby to use and develop his visual recognition of the faces and the facial expressions he sees from day to day.