6 Fun and Cute Activities Parents Can Do With Their Newborn

Having a newborn is a rush, to say the least. Your world is suddenly super small and simultaneously massive. You’re high and low and eager and dread-filled, and quickly you realize that every family is different; other people’s advice is only going to take you so far; you need to feel out the situation yourself. Despite the intensity of the experience, you don’t need to forego fun. The following will explore a few fun and cute activities that parents can do with their newborns.

Have a Bed Weekend

Sometimes the most joy comes from the simplest of moments. Having a newborn in the home causes radical growth and transformation for everyone, and this can be tiring or result in growing pains. Sometimes what parents need most is just quiet time with their little one. Canceling all your plans, telling people to stay away, ordering food, and staying in bed all weekend can sometimes be the perfect solution. You can invest in good quality mattresses to enjoy your precious time.

Not only will the break and extra rest time help you catch up on some much-needed sleep, but this activity can also help with bonding struggles and breastfeeding struggles, particularly if little clothing is worn. Time in bed with a baby used to be frowned upon in western culture, but this conversation is being radically reassessed as new data comes out. With the screens and all other obligations taken away, life can simply progress at the pace it wants to.

Photography Sessions

Everyone tells you they grow fast, and you kind of understand, but at the same time, you’re shocked by the growth of your baby almost daily. Taking photographs and having professional portrait sessions with newborn photographers can be a lot of fun and help you hold onto this precious era. There are countless cute postures and costumes that can be part of this experience.

Before you get started, you might want to think about the style and vibe of the photos you want. You can begin by looking up any award-winning photographers in your area. Looking through their samples can give you an idea of the type of photographs and arrangements you want.

If you’re taking photos yourself, you might want to search for a few props and photography elements. Things like digital backgrounds and textures can help take your photographs to the next level. If you’re new to photography, try to rely on natural light so that you don’t need any flash. Babies can be bothered by flash.

If you’re working with a professional photographer, you might be a little nervous. It’s hard letting people into your little bubble when you’ve got a newborn. Lemonshoots offers a list of nine things you should be asking a newborn photographer to help ensure you’re thinking of all the health and safety basics. Of course, in addition to this, you want to use your instincts. If someone doesn’t feel right, keep looking until you find someone that does.

Explore Your Child’s Musical Tastes

While newborns don’t seem to have complicated personalities, humans have an innate connection with music that spans all ages. Spend some time with your friend or partner selecting new music to play for your newborn. Watch your child respond and feel the beautiful connection that develops between you and them when you discover what music they like and what music they don’t. Don’t hold back; try all the genres, including music in foreign languages. Many newborns also love being held while their parents dance. They also tend to respond well to the sound of their parents singing.

Get Outside

Many parents with newborns find the idea of nature excursions excruciating. There’s so much to carry and organize and a whole slew of new fears for them to encounter. We’re used to thinking of nature activities as bigger projects like visiting the beach for a few hours or going for a hike. You don’t have to make trips outside extravagant if you’re not ready to head to the local nature reserve. Simply standing outside together for a few minutes can do wonders for everyone. Don’t rush and start small; dress everyone for the weather and if your baby finds something interesting, let that lead you. Perhaps stepping out in the morning to hear the birds produces a response in your child. Maybe a soft breeze causes her to open her eyes wide in interest. Family time outdoors can create lovely life-long memories and healthy habits that carry on into your baby’s early childhood and teen years.

Outloud Reading

While your newborn isn’t going to be gripped by the plot of a novel, hearing your voice and language patterns can be excellent for them. Where this activity really shines is it gives you and any partners you have the chance to finally get around to those books you’ve been meaning to read for years. Taking turns reading aloud with your partner can also provide some much-needed connection time for the two of you.

Parent Dates

While playdates might occupy some of your time in the future, scheduling parent dates with other couples who have newborns can result in a ton of laughs. One big stressor of early parenthood is feeling like you’re not keeping up. When you talk to other people in your position, you quickly realize that no one “keeps up” with their pre-baby conceptions of parenthood. Some of the most fulfilling friendships can come out of going through the newborn stage together. It can also help alleviate any differences between you and your parenting partner.

Sometimes you both need to see that neither of you is wrong in your approach; you’re just different people reacting to the intense emotional experience of having a newborn in different ways. If you see other people employing each of your approaches, you might be able to be less concerned about differences in parenting styles.

Hopefully, the above list has illustrated that there are plenty of activities that you and your newborn can do that are fun for everyone. Of course, every baby is different, and every family is different. If you find something on this list doesn’t work for you, that’s completely okay. Skip it and try something else. If you keep looking for ways for the family to enjoy time together, you will find something that works for you and your partner as well as your little one.