When you’re spending each moment looking at your new bundle of joy, you may wonder what they’re thinking about, what can they see and hear around them? In the earliest stages they have little capacity to express emotion other than a cry, they may seem to do a lot of passive ‘lounging about’ but in these awake moments they are learning, observing and developing at a rate of knots, seeking ways to engage with you and their new environment outside of the womb!
Your newborn baby’s colour perception is firstly limited to white, black and shades of grey as their eyes are not yet fully developed... totally normal! Excitingly though, you can help with the natural development of your baby’s brain and sight by offering them visual stimulation to look at. High-contrast, black-and-white patterns, images and objects will stand out in a bleary world, offering them focus and a sense of space. This support through play will not only help your baby’s development of sight but will also encourage the development of cognitive skills, improving their focus and attention leading to more interactive play as the months roll on.
We have a range of Baby Sensory items to help develop your baby's senses & sight from newborn and up here. From Sensory Flashcards to on-the-go Sensory Toys, Books and more).
So, we know that visual milestones are an essential part of your baby’s development and introducing black and white images to newborns has so many benefits, but you probably want to know why. So, here’s the science…
It Stimulates Your Baby’s Vision
Your baby has a limited colour perception at birth, it is agreed amongst many scientists that they can first see black and white or shades of grey. Babies start focusing on objects up to 12 inches away, within their first month.
Babies love simple, bold and high contrasting colours, these are easier for them to see. Your baby will be able to identify shapes in these shades in their first few months. Black and White toys and images will support your baby’s visual development and teach their eye muscles to coordinate with their brain!
Helps To Encourages Engagement
Black and white stimulation can encourage physical and verbal engagement from your baby. Your little one’s eyes will be drawn to the shapes and objects because of their visual contrast. They will enjoy exploring and playing with different patterns and textures.
Improves Attention Span and Stimulates Cognitive Development
Newborn babies aren’t meant to focus on one activity for too long, but as your little bundle of joy develops, they will learn how to concentrate for a minute or two. High contrast images are easier for babies to interpret, and they will spend more time interacting with objects in this colour combination. Providing these images, black and white books and toys, it will lengthen their attention span and improve their developing nervous system.
Boosts Confidence and Vocabulary
A baby will imitate their parents and others until they are fully developed, they observe and slowly learn how to do the things we do. Providing your baby with images and objects helps them to learn and explore. This play will boost your little one’s confidence and yours!
Babies primarily see black, white and grey before their colour vision develops at around 4 months. So why not get prepared for some bonding time with your baby and try the following…
