Being outside & giving our kids the outdoor experiences promotes early langugage development, among other things. It gives them more sensory experiences, too. When an infant feels the grass and touches the leaves, they want to tell you about it. When they hear an airplane or feel a raindrop, they express their feelings. The more that they WANT to say, the more it will be recipricated. They “talk” to you, you talk to them. This promotes social & vertbal development. In additon, play is extermemly important and the outdoors are like a giant playground.
1). Touching a variety of things.
Letting your baby lay on different textures is great for a baby when they are learning. Let their feet touch the sand… Let your baby lay on the grass, lay on a quilted blanket outdoors, lay on a picnic blanket. Let your baby and hold different things: a leaf, a pinecone, grass (just watch that they don’t eat it). I like to touch our baby with silk, leaves, flowers, tissues, wool, terrycloth, even harder plastic toys. I talk about the way that it feels and if it feels good or if we don’t like the way that it feels.
2.). Be prepared.
We always have what we need: Pamper Swaddlers are a must, an extra bottle, etc… We stock up at Babies R Us and I fill up my diaper bag every weekend. It’s nice to have a few extra Pampers Swaddlers for my on-the-go to enjoy outdoor activities. Whether you’re taking a walk, a wagon ride, heading to the park or going on a weekend trip, we just try to stay prepared. Babies R Us and Pampers help with everything. Babies “R” Us has always been the one-stop-shop for every baby need (especially purchasing Pampers! A leaking diaper is not what I want to be dealing with when we are out & about!)
3) Read to your baby!
When we are going on a picnic, I would read a book about a picnic before we left. Heading to the zoo? Prepare at home by reading a book about the zoo. It is proven that even babies as young as eight months can recognize words in a story if it is read twice in a row. This will help your child learn their language and learn to appreciate books, not to mention the bond built between the two of you. You can even head out and look at the stars at night…. We love to read Goodnight Moon outside on our back porch at night!
4). Sign with your baby.
Sign language is a great way to teach new words. Did you know that babies that learn sign language actually talk sooner than babies that don’t? Signing can be very easy! I always start out with More, Mine, Drink and Eat. You can find these & more by just doing a simple Google search for Baby Signs. Then, when you are outside, start signing what you see.
5). Talk to your baby
Simple, right? This is SO powerful. Talk to your baby all day long.
Changing their diaper? Talk to your baby “Do you have a dirty diaper? That’s OK! Let’s change it! Do you see the new Pampers Swaddler? Let me put it on you.” Feeding your baby? “Do you want a bite of these bananas? They are yellow. Let me open the lid. Here comes a bite!”
Cleaning the house “I am going to fold this shirt. You spit up on it and I cleaned it, so now I can fold it and put it away. It is white with blue letters. Do you like the color blue?” Talk as much as you can. Your baby is learning from you… every minute of every day.
All in all, be sure to be prepared. Buy what you need in advance. For both pre-natal and post-natal moms, Babies”R”Us has everything you’ll need to have the best products during those First 100 Days with baby (and beyond). We registered there when I was pregnant (we loved the playpen that we got) and we shopped there when our babies were born.
OH and be sure that you take advantage of sales & stock up. Here’s a good one:
- From 3/29-4/12: Get a FREE $20 GIFT CARD WITH ANY 2 PAMPERS VALUE BOXES OF DIAPERS REG 42.99 at Babies R Us (in store only)
- From 3/29-4/22: For onely 12.99, you can get PAMPERS WIPES (Normally $15.99). Gotta love a good deal!
Giveaway
I’d love to help you bond even more with your baby, so we are giving away an awesome prize pack! How do you win? Just leave a comment telling me your favorite outdoor activity with your baby…
- Babies”R”Us gift card (Woo-hoo!)
- Dreft Pen (you will be needing this)
- Pampers Wipes (our go-to!)
- Brown Bear & Friends Board Book Gift Set (Love these books!)
- Goodnight Moon Book (our favorite!)
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pampers. The opinions and text are all mine.
Cassie says
April 10, 2017 atWe love walks and blowing bubbles.
Stacy Robello says
April 10, 2017 atWe live minutes from the beach…going out there is a way for us run free, fly kites, play in tides pools, fish or just relax on a towel!
Mandy Schroeder says
April 10, 2017 atWe love exploring new places, climbing on rocks (not big ones – yet), and digging in dirt for hidden treasures!
Ashley O'Hara says
April 10, 2017 atWe love swimming in the pool!
Nicola says
April 10, 2017 atWe love singing nursery rhyms 😀 my daughter is almost 14 months and she knows all the actions to twinkle twinkle, row the boat and wind the bobbin up 😀
Adinna says
April 10, 2017 atWe love reading stories on a blanket in the yard, watching the fireflies and listening to the stream.
Rebecca Uy says
April 10, 2017 atPlaygrounds & pools
Sandra says
April 11, 2017 atWe love nature walks!!
Jennifer Bhartiya says
April 11, 2017 atLove to just bike or walk to the playground/park and see where it takes us! Always run into neighborhood friends and spontaneous play and conversation!
Jill Moore says
April 11, 2017 atSwinging. With all 3 kids. Baby in the baby seat and big kids on either side. It’s always a moment I soak in and try to etch on my memory.
Stephanie B says
April 11, 2017 atSwinging on my lap and tummy time on a blanket in the grass!
Ahri Agyapong says
April 11, 2017 atMy little one loves animals! We love bird watching or taking walks to see other things like squirrels or people walking their dogs. We can’t wait for the warmer weather to walk down to the river to look for fish, frogs etc.
Maria deRosario says
April 11, 2017 atThe dirt, twigs, leaves, getting sand in our toes, water….everything that resembles water. Mostly it’s th fresh air and sun that makes us love the outdoors 😊
Hannah says
April 11, 2017 atWe love to walk on our path through the woods!
Sandra says
April 11, 2017 atTaking a walk out our long lane, going to the park, or biking
Linda Koenig says
April 11, 2017 atPlaying in our pool and going to the cabin in Arkansas
Lorrie says
April 11, 2017 atMy kids all love to play in the sandbox. I have started looking for different items at the stores that they can use to get their imaginations working! Right now my littlest likes to use large plastic spoons to pour the sand to make “waterfalls”.
Lorrie says
April 11, 2017 atMy kids all love to play in the sandbox. I have started looking for different items at the stores to get their imaginations working! Right now my littlest likes to use large plastic spoons to pour the sand to make “waterfalls”
Ronit Irwin says
April 11, 2017 atWe love walking around looking for animals, even insects & talking about the flowers, trees or bushes we see!
Erica says
April 11, 2017 atWe love taking walks to the park and spending time with each…so excited that the weather is getting nice here in NY!
Stacey says
April 11, 2017 atWe love blowing bubbles with our baby and swinging! Our baby’s first word was bubbles!
Wen says
April 11, 2017 atSigning with my little ones was so much fun but also great for communicating “privately.” At 10 months old, my youngest signed “milk” to me across a crowded room. He really just needed some quiet time away from the party and I was quite ready for quiet time myself!
Cassie says
April 11, 2017 atI love taking my kids to the park…since we don’t have a yard yet, just mud! However, once the mud dries out, they actually love to just play on the dirt piles around our house.
Sarah K says
April 11, 2017 atMine loves to go on nature walks in a stroller while I talk to him. I show him the fast cars, the tall buildings, the green grass, the blue sky etc. He is usually very calm in the stroller therefore it allows us to have a good bonding time as well.
Christina says
April 11, 2017 atWe love going to the beach year round. And the park for walls, picnics, bike riding, swing s, throwing a ball, kicking a soccer ball, rollerblading, flying a kite or whatever ideas we come up with that day.
Serena Haire says
April 11, 2017 atI have a 7 year old nonverbal son with autism and a 5 year old daughter who is neurotypical. It is hard to find things to do together with them because he also has sensory processing disorder, but they both love to swim. They long for the water. So we play games in the pool together. I just recently started following you and I am thankful I did!
Madelyn says
April 11, 2017 atNature walks are quite enjoyable and so very peaceful! This affords plenty of opportunities for language stimulationas well.
Regina Austin says
April 11, 2017 atWe always plan family days during the weekend when the husband doesn’t work. During the week my girls and I like to play on their swing set, going for walks and doing crafts. We definitely loving spending time together. Wouldn’t change it for the world.
Shelly B-DLS says
April 11, 2017 atBubbles are my sons favorite activity. We also love taking long walks
Karissa says
April 11, 2017 atTaking walks, or hikes through the woods with baby in wrap. Big brothers get to enjoy the hikes too!! Love being outside with my kids. These last two days of beautiful weather have been gorgeous. The favorite activity for the big kids has been setting up the sprinkler underneath the trampoline 🙂
Aleah says
April 11, 2017 atBubbles,sandbox, and walks.
Paige says
April 11, 2017 atI’m a stay at home mom of 4, 6 years old and younger so we are always outside! It gives them the chance to play together on their own and truly become friends. We love jumping on our trampoline and building sand castles in our sand box!
Rachel says
April 11, 2017 atWe love pretend gardening and playing in the dirt!
Davia says
April 11, 2017 atMy little likes to look for colorful strips or any color things that I hide outside and ask him to go and find them , it’s like color hunting outside for some yummy treat afterwards, and he’s only two !
Katasha Leggett says
April 11, 2017 atI love to play I Spy outside! Great time to build vocabulary and create awareness of our place in the world.
KERI MASCAGNI says
April 11, 2017 atMy favorite thing to do was blowing the dandelions that have turned to seed. Now she is older we do a fairy garden. But I would like to donate my win, that is, if I win, to my cousin who is pregnant so she can make her own memories.
Meara says
April 11, 2017 atIn the fall we take poster board and zip tie it to the fence. Then we paint fall leaves and pumpkins in the crisp air.
In the spring we get all the flower beds ready and he gets to pick his own “babies” to take care of.
Kim says
April 11, 2017 atOur family loves swimming and fishing! Everyone remembers when they caught their first fish : )
Rachel Cid says
April 11, 2017 atMy have baby isn’t norm yet, but she’s just a few weeks away. I think my favorite activity with her will be reading to her on the front porch, taking her to the pool, and giving her all the grandma kisses I cab get in!
Latasha Lathan says
April 11, 2017 atWe love to be out fishing on the beach as a family
Sharon says
April 11, 2017 atI love setting up the water table for my toddler. Sometimes it’s just a bucket of water and a small watering can. We have one section of our yard that is shady so I set up a blanket for the baby to lay on and do tummy time. Fun for everyone!
Tiffany Stutler says
April 11, 2017 atWe love to go camping. Family time with all 4 kiddos. Our baby loves being outside in the grass and we make smores by the campfire and have movie night with a projector under the stars. We love just exploring nature and being together as a family away from the hectic schedules 🙂
Rebecca Rael says
April 11, 2017 atWe live right next to a park and our favorite thing to do is hike up to the top where there’s a tower from an old fort and you can see all of San Antonio.
Debra says
April 11, 2017 atWe love to blow bubbles and watch siblings run around.
Valerie says
April 11, 2017 atI have three active boys so we love to be outside! Our favorite things to do are playing in the water table, setting up different sports stations (baseball, football, basketball) going for nature walks, blowing bubbles, getting ice cream from the ice cream truck, or just playing on the swing set. I can’t wait for summer!
Ashley Provo says
April 11, 2017 atOur favorite activity is to ride bikes for miles, stopping along the way at the park and the ice cream store on the way home!
Tiffany Jenean Manning says
April 11, 2017 atWe love water, if it’s a water fight, if it’s playing on the beach, skiing or wake boarding behind a boat or just a fun swim!
Christiana says
April 11, 2017 atWe walk to the Italian ice place or the playground and enjoy the fresh air and looking at trees and the neighborhood.
V Tsang says
April 11, 2017 atDigging in the dirt, feeding the birds, and listening to the sounds around us—all fun for us!
Natalie Niemeyer says
April 11, 2017 atWe love just taking walks whether it’s to the park or just around the neighborhood. My 2 year old just loves to touch and feel the grass, trees, sand, dirt…it’s such a great sensory activity. Meanwhile my 4 year old is able to bike and get some energy out 😊