Activities to Do with a Baby

Mostly taken from The Bump

Tummy Time

Practice supervised tummy time daily to help baby develop muscle strength to be able to move head away from choking risks - reduces risk of SIDS
- 1-5 minutes a day right after birth
- 5x15 minutes or 3x30 minutes a day after 3 months old
Can be done on your chest, legs, or the yoga ball!
Can also be made easier (and thus more tolerable) for baby by propping them up on a pillow or holding their bum down, because baby heads are proportionally huge and heavy for them to hold up.
It's better to do a lot of short sessions than one long one if he hates it.
Also, it's a lot easier for babies to do this on a firm surface (e.g. playmat, rug) and NOT the bed!
Place toys just out of their grasp when they're on their tummy, or drag them around like you would with a cat - encourages them to work muscles that will be important for crawling and walking!

Arthur doesn't seem to like traditional peek-a-boo
However, hiding behind a pillow and popping out, or below his crib and rising up is a big hit!

Massaging babies for 15 minutes a day is linked to less crying, better weight gain, higher IQs, more alert and socially engaged babies with lower levels of stress hormones!

The more a kid is read to (and at earlier ages) the better they will be at reading later on, as well as processing stories (first-born children are generally better at this because their parents had more time to read to them when they were little, before siblings came along)
Make sure you ask questions as you read (e.g. Where do you think she went? How do you think he feels? etc.)

Grab baby's hands when he's lying on his back and pull them up into a supported sitting position.
Baby’s body naturally works to keep their head in alignment, which helps build muscle in their neck and torso.
As you pull baby up, get close to their face and sing, make funny noises or give lots of kisses. You get one-on-one attention and emotional bonding time!