What are some games to play with newborns?

While newborns can't physically play games, they enjoy looking at a wide variety of things -- people, toys, flash cards, any objects with patterns, board books, etc. Newborns are entertained for hours just by watching the world around them.

Adults can talk, coo, sing, touch or smile at a newborn to engage the baby's senses. Many newborns enjoy listening to music while swaying in an adult's arms. Carrying a newborn in a carrier or sling provides the baby with a great vantage point to see household activity. Newborns do not need constant stimulation while awake, however, as they are often perfectly happy to quietly gaze around their environment.