I love babies. They are little miracles and they bring so much joy. However, I enjoy the toddler phase more because I feel we can do stuff together. For example, I like crafts, and I love that I can share this with William now. When he was a baby, I struggled to find activitites that both of us would enjoy. We are very lucky here in England to have amazing children's centres, but I wanted to be able to play with my son when it was just the two of us. Well, it turns out there are plenty of activities that young babies will love. Here is a quick list of my favourites.

- Find a mirror.

Newborns love mirrors and this is so easy. No set up to do, just find a mirror (preferably one meant for babies like you can find on children's toys). William would spend ages staring at his own face. I used to attach the mirror to his playmat and watch him stare. One time, he actually laughed at himself! Great for tummy time too : just place the mirror on the floor, it will give baby something to look at and they might stay on their tummy for longer period of times. This was particularly helpful for us because William hated being on his tummy.

- Stretch baby.

Calmly stroke baby's arms and legs, then stretch them. Always be delicate, of course, and don't force it if they don't appreciate. It's best to do it when they're fed and happy. Ezra liked when I stretched his arms above his head, and brought them back together. You can also take baby's arm and touch the opposite leg.. This is supposed to help develop a certain area in their brain (I'm sure you can find more on it on the internet if you're interested).

- Sing.

It doesn't matter if you think you can't sing. Baby will enjoy listening to your voice and if you sing the same song over and over again, baby will start recognising it. They might even copy your actions so try and do easy hand gestures. William still asks me regularly to sing the "baby songs" he heard from birth :) He's even starting to sing to his brother!

- Blow bubbles.

Babies love looking at soap bubbles! (Or is it just my boys?) This is very practical too: they learn to follow things with their eyes and to concentrate. It also helps their eye/hand coordination, so it's a bonus!

- Read and play with books.

I have always been a book lover. In fact, I even prayed when I was pregnant that my baby would enjoy reading! There are many books aimed at very young babies: books with contrasting colours (babies can't see very well when they're born) and thick pages for example. Don't try and stop them from putting books in their mouth. Let them explore! They might not be able to listen to an entire story before they are older, so follow their lead and let them have fun chewing on the front cover!