Baby Brains in the First Year: A Lot Is Going On

Your baby's first year is a big one! With so much going on in their brain that first year, if you blink too long, you might miss a new development. Many people underestimate the power of their baby's early experiences but understanding what stage their brains are at and what they're learning will help you nurture healthy development, including social-emotional, language, and thinking skills.

Birth to 3 Months

At this stage, babies do a lot of sleeping and eating, but according to the Mayo Clinic, they are also developing their ability to hear, see, feel, and taste, and they're forming connections between the world and their senses. This is a rapid developmental stage. Their communication is rooted in cooing and crying, but they are also learning faces and voices and responding to social interactions. 

3-9 Months

This is one of the most exciting stages of development for parents because their little one starts to show their personality, become more vocal, start to understand emotions and get control of their facial expressions, gestures, and sounds. You'll start to see unaided sitting up, attempts to crawl, making sounds in an attempt to form words, and teething!

9-12 Months 

Not only is your baby developing stronger motor skills at this stage, but they are mobile so they're exploring their surroundings and learning observational skills. They'll play games like peekaboo, clapping hands, and increasing their memory power. A major brain growth spurt happens during this period, and you might even notice that your baby is forming an attachment to a specific toy, blanket, book, or person.

The Power of Sensory Stimulation 

While baby brain growth happens naturally, there are methods to nurture and guide that growth. Baby sensory classes are an effective way to provide your baby with age-appropriate activities and sensory stimulation. Sensory classes are designed to engage all of the senses and create strong connections in babies' brains to encourage complex thoughts. The activities vary by age: for young babies, there are colourful mobiles and mirror play; for three to nine months olds there are musical instruments, tummy time, and textured toys; and for the older babies, there are activities that encourage exploration.

Sensory classes incorporate fun activities for every age group. Whether you embark on a mixed-age group class or choose a baby-specific class, it allows you and your little one to get out of the house and spend time with other parents and children. You can even schedule a trial class to see if you like the vibe and see how your baby responds to the different activities.