Development by trimester
During the first year of life, baby won’t only sleep and eat. Quite the opposite in fact! It is one of the most exciting and emotional years! Baby has so many things to learn and discover… with you! Play an active role in their development and share moments of joy and happiness together. Don’t say we didn’t warn you: baby will grow so quickly and will be blowing out the candle on their first birthday cake all too soon !
First trimester : discovery
Over the first four months, baby is tiny. It is difficult for them to control their body and to acquire all the movements that seem so simple to us. The first quarter is therefore one of discovery. Baby is developing in a world that is brand-new to them! You therefore need to provide them with new and varying sensory experiences to stimulate their development. To do this, give them objects in different shapes and colours and expose them to natural and electronic noises such as music. Show them any animals that you may come across, sit them down in the grass (laughter guaranteed) and pull faces at them. In short: introduce them to the variety that the world has to offer. All of these little developmental games also help to socialise baby, to increase their awareness of their body and their movements in space and most importantly, make them feel loved through these special moments of sharing.
A few activity ideas :
- A massage
- Pour water over different parts of the body in the bath
- Gently move them in time with some music
Second trimester : social relationships
Between the 5th and 8th month, babies fine motor skills and overall motor skills develop very quickly. They are now able to make many more gestures and movements and therefore enjoy different activities! The biggest change is that their movements are now voluntary. In parallel, they begin to pronounce a few syllables and their ability to understand is growing, making their relationships with others a considerable source of amusement for baby. All these small steps are an opportunity to include interactive games in your routine! This is also the period during which baby learns to crawl, to sit up and sometimes even to stand (by holding onto furniture): major steps which increase the range of possibilities.
A few activity ideas :
- Roll the ball towards them and encourage them to push it back
- Imitate animal noises and ask them to try and have a go
- Very simple hide-and-seek in a small room
Third trimester : reasoning
Between the 9th and 12th month, baby makes significant intellectual progress in particular. They say “yes” and “no “with their head and can even say a few simple words which they utter at a suitable moment. Their ability to reason has developed enormously: they know the general routine for the day (meals, games, bath…) and try to help, they remember what made their parents laugh yesterday and imitate the gestures of adults. In short, they try to be the centre of attention and to show the world all that they are able to do.
A few activity ideas :
- Hide a toy and ask them to find it
- Point to different parts of their body
- Match shapes with specially-designed games
