The first three months of baby’s life are intense. You’ve just experienced an incredible transformation in your life, and you’re both getting used to each other.
At three months, your baby is officially out of the newborn stage and into their infant stage. They are likely to be pretty happy and possibly sleeping for longer at night. It’s a golden moment of baby’s first year.
And, of course, just when you think you have it all figured out, your baby will change again.
Babies typically have growth spurts around three months old, which can be marked with increased hunger, night wakings, and fussiness. For this reason, it can sometimes be a challenging time for babies and parents.
To help you enjoy this phase, we’ve compiled 35 different activities that will help you and your baby make the most of their developmental milestones.
These daily activities will help you bond and learn about one another.
Best Activities for Three Month Old Babies
1. Tummy Time
According to Dr. Jay L Hoekler at the Mayo Clinic, “Tummy Time” — which is defined as placing a baby on their stomach when awake and supervised — is one of the best baby activities there is.
It’s a great way to promote motor skills and help baby develop their neck and shoulder muscles. It can also help them build the strength that is needed for sitting up, rolling over, and eventually crawling and walking.
Furthermore, it can help prevent the back of your baby’s head from developing flat spots.
Tummy Time Tips:
- Spread out a blanket in an open area
- Place your baby on their stomach for 3-5 minutes, two or three times a day.
- Do tummy time after a diaper change or nap for the best results.
- As your baby gets used to it, try to do it more frequently or for a longer period of time.
- Don’t leave your baby unattended during tummy time!
To level up your tummy time, this water splash play mat introduces bright colors, sharp contrasts, and cute floating toys to your baby. They’ll try to reach and bat the toys as they float by, helping develop their hand-eye coordination.
You can also use a Boppy nursing pillow for Tummy Time.
2. Take a Walk
There’s nothing better than getting out in the fresh air with your baby. And for a three month old, a simple walk is filled with entirely new things they may have never seen before.
Place them in your baby carrier or stroller and head to your favorite park or trail. Point out different things along the way, and chat with your baby about what you see. You’ll both benefit from the movement and (hopefully) sunshine.
3. Story Time
Though they may seem too young to understand books, including story time as part of your daily routine is still a good idea. Babies in this age group love nothing more than the sound of your voice and being close to you. Plus, engaging in story time from a young age helps babies develop their language skills.
Young babies will start to understanding story time as a calming time for togetherness. You may notice them widening their eyes, kicking excitedly, or smiling, and this means they are enjoying the story time.
Start by reading chunky board books, soft fabric books with different textures, or vinyl bath books. Here is a list of 100 Best Books for Your Baby’s Nursery, including black and white books with lots of contrasts, nursery rhymes, and more.
They’ll love to explore the books by grabbing them and even chewing the book.
If they get bored, don’t push it. You’ll know they’re bored because they’ll look away, arch their back, or cry.
Pro Tip: When you tell a story, consider using your baby’s name for a character’s name so that they get ones to hearing it in a different tones.
4. Slow Dance
Turn on soft, calming music and hold your baby in your arms. Your little one will love swaying and resting on your shoulder and being gently rocked in your arms. This is a great bonding activity!
5. Mirror Mirror on the Wall
3-month-old babies love faces, especially the familiar faces of their parents and caregivers. But they also love studying the faces of new visitors, faces in storybooks, and their own face!
Hold up an unbreakable mirror up for your baby or stand in front of a mirror. At first, they might try to reach out and touch the baby they see in the reflection. Over time they’ll learn that it’s their own reflection they’re looking at.
You can point to your baby’s hand, foot, and different parts of their face and body and tell them what’s each part is called. And if you’re in the bathroom, the echo makes talking and babbling even more fun.
A mirror is also a great way for baby to practice visual tracking, which is the ability to follow a target without moving our entire head.
Finally, make different facial expressions in the mirror to see if your baby imitates you.
6. Peek-A-Boo
Peek-A-Boo is a fun game for babies and toddlers of all ages. You cover your face, and then uncover it while saying “Peekaboo! I see you!” Make silly faces to surprise your baby.
The game is stimulating for your baby’s sense, help them strengthen their gross motor skills, visual tracking skills, encourages their social development, and it is just plain fun.
It also reinforces object permanence, the idea that even thought they can’t see something, it still exists!
At three months of age, your baby is developing their object recognition skills and beginning to laugh out loud, so it’s the perfect time to start playing peekaboo.
7. Find Your Feet
Babies typically “find their feet” around 4-6 months of age. This developmental milestone is marked by your baby reaching their hands down to their feet.
These colorful foot finders are wearable rattles that go on your baby’s feet and wrists to attract their attention and entertain them.
8. Rolling
Babies typically start rolling over around 4 months of age. To encourage your baby’s development, you can place their favorite toy near them so that they reach for it and begin to roll side to side.
9. Bumpy Ball
This bumpy ball is a safe toy for your three month old to help develop their sense of touch and encourage reaching and fine motor skills like grasping.
10. Bouncing
If you have a large exercise ball in your home, hold your baby while you carefully bounce on it. They’ll have so much fun bouncing with you!
11. Patty-cake
This simple activity builds cognitive skills, hand-eye coordination, and social skills.
At three months, babies can typically bring their hands together in a clapping motion. They’ll need your help to play patty-cake as they won’t be able to play on their own for several more months.
The lyrics are:
“Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man!
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.”
(Help your child “pat” and “roll”, and draw a B on their belly)
“Roll it, and pat it, and mark it with a B.”
(Touch baby’s face and then your own)
“Put it in the oven for baby and me!”
12. Sing Songs
Your voice is your baby’s favorite sound. Sing them your favorite songs, or the songs you sung as a child. Good songs for babies include “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” “The Wheels on the Bus,” “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” and “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.”
Pro Tip: Sing songs with surprise endings, “Pop Goes the Weasel.
This best-selling music toy has tens of thousands of five star ratings because it’s the perfect take-along music toy for your baby to use at home or in the car.
13. Raid Your Closest
Three-month-old babies love to feel different textures. Find different textures in your closet like cashmere, cotton, and silk and engage in sensory play with your baby. Rub the fabrics over their face, hands, and feet. You can even let them lay on the fabrics.
Your baby will also love touching anything beaded, embroidered, or embellished. Careful that no small objects can get into their mouths.
14. Window Play
For a fun activity, attach these suction cup spinner toys to a window. The jingle bells and rotating wind leaves will entertain and stimulate your babies senses.
15. Car Ride
Some three month olds love to be snuggled into their car seat and taken for a ride. The movement and vibration can be soothing as they watch the world go by.
16. Gym Time
A baby gym offers toys, activities, and tactile engagement for your growing baby. There are so many different types of activity gyms.
17. Household Chores
The best way to get some housework done with a baby is to do it with them. Place your baby in a baby carrier while you complete household chores. They will love to be close to you while you go about your day.
18. Reaching for toys
After your baby has gotten used to tummy time, you can arrange age-appropriate toys within their reach. This is the perfect time for the to perfect their reaching and grasping skills.
19. Show and Tell
Pick up different objects like a board book, a stuffed animal, or a toy. When they notice it, tell them what it is, and move it side to side so they can track it with their eyes. It’s a great activity to help them learn to coordinate their head and eye movements.
20. What’s That Smell?
Take your baby to the spice rack and let them smell cinnamon, vanilla, peppermin, cumin, nutmeg, and more. Let them smell lotions, hand creams, and other household items. Be careful so your baby doesn’t eat it.
You can also go to a park or botanical gardens and let your baby smell the flowers there.
21. Jumping in Jumperoo
Now that your baby has stronger neck muscles, they are ready to be in a sitting position with strong support. Jumperoos are a great place to start. They offer 360 degrees of music, lights, and sounds for your baby, with freedom for them to bounce and jump.
22. Teething
Some babies start teething around four months old, and all babies love to put things in their mouth. Introduce some safe, soft teethers to help them get through what can be an uncomfortable phase.
23. Rattles
At 3 months, many babies will start to open and shut their fists, meaning they can hold a rattle placed in their hands. It’s only a matter of time before they discover that they’re the one who made the rattle make noise!
24. Easy-Grasp Ball Play
Babies are ready to perfect the skill of grasping items, and this easy-to-grab ball is just the thing to help them. It has 32 finger holds and is soft to play with.
25. Balloon Play
Teach your baby the basics of cause and effect by blowing up a few balloons and letting them swat at them. Make sure you are supervising your baby during this activity so that nothing gets in their mouth that shouldn’t.
26. Stretching
We can all benefits from some stretches, even at three months old! Stretch their arms up high and circle them around. Bring their feet to their hands. Allow them to bear weight and stand while you’re holding them up. It feels good to move!
27. Mommy & Me Classes
Look for a local Mommy & Me Yoga or Exercise class where you can both move your bodies and bond together.
28. Cycling
No, we’re not talking about biking. This activity can be especially helpful if your baby seems to have gas. Cycle their legs as if they are riding a bike and push them into and out of their bellies.
29. Baby Pull-Ups
Help your baby strengthen their core! Now that your three month old baby has better neck control, lay them on their back and slowly pull them up by holding their hands.
30. Swinging
Gently swing together in a hammock or playground swing set. Your baby will love the sensation and of course, being close to you.
31. Massage
Use baby lotion or unscented oil and gently massage and rub your baby’s body parts like their arms, legs, hands and feet, fingers and toes.
32. Bubbles
Blow bubbles with your baby! They’ll naturally reach for and swat at them.
33. Fun with Mobiles
Mobiles provide gentle stimulation for babies laying in their crib, play yard, stroller, or on the go.
This highly rated take-along mobile provides 30 minutes of music with five different melodies.
34. Copycat
Your baby is starting to babble, saying things like ‘ah goo’ ‘ga ga’, ‘ba ba’, ‘ma ma’ and ‘da da’.
Encourage their language development by imitating the sounds you hear them make. Make eye contact when you chat with your baby.
35. Airplane Ride
Hold your baby face-down using your arm across their tummy to support them. Gently sway your baby from side to side, making airplane noises to entertain them. This is another activity that can be really helpful for a gassy baby.
We hope you loved this list of fun activities for three month olds, and that it helps you bond even more strongly with your baby.
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Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.
Her decade-long teaching career in Milwaukee Public Schools and academic background, including a Master’s in Teaching from Marquette University and dual B.A.s in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, fuel her passion for inclusive and engaging family content.
Calie is also a recognized voice in local media, contributing to WISN Channel 12 News, WTMJ Wisconsin Morning News, Fox 6’s Real Milwaukee, and B93.3.
Discover more about Calie’s journey and editorial approach on her About Page and Editorial Policy Page.
