Best Way to Help a 4-Month-Old Baby Learn and Develop Skills

This month, your baby’s increasing knowledge and understanding is transferred into action. He is really growing in strength and ability, with each new experience being stored in his memory. You will also notice that he has become far more responsive to the people around him, smiling, gurgling, and laughing to express himself and communicate with his favourite person – you.

Physical development

During this month your baby will take a real leap forward in the way he can control his movements. When he lies on his stomach, he will probably now easily lift his head and upper body off the ground, supporting himself quite well with his arms and hands, and turning his head to you or anything that interests him, he will be able to hold his head steady for a short while.

Movement

His developing neck control marks the beginning of a whole new adventure for your baby. His increased strength, confidence, and ability to manoeuvre himself up on to his hands means that sometime over the next three months, much to his surprise – and yours – he will suddenly find himself rolling over. Do not leave him unattended on a bed or changing mat, for example, as he might choose this moment to roll over for the first time, and fall off.

This is an important milestone, as he is gaining a sense of control over his whole body, paving the way for learning to crawl in later months.

Activities to develop skills

As your baby gains better physical control and is more aware of objects and his surroundings, the range of toys and games he will enjoy increases. Interaction with you is still his number-one pastime, and he will show even more enjoyment of singing, clapping, and bouncing games. They will now be familiar to him, which will boost both his enjoyment and confidence.

Repetitive actions

Now that he can recognize familiar objects, your baby may love to play repeatedly with a toy that can make a sound if moved in a particular way. By singing simple, repetitive rhymes, he will soon recognize the tune (even if he doesn’t yet understand the words) and anticipate the actions that go with it. Try the action song “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”.

Playing with finger puppets

Your baby will be fascinated by the distinctive and friendly faces of linger puppets. Bring them to life by moving your fingers, perhaps integrating the movement with a song or story.

Lie your baby on your partner’s chest and get his dad to hold up the linger puppets. When he reaches out, he’ll be strengthening his muscles.