Watching the development of the child is a real pleasure for parents. And at five months old, he no longer looks like a helpless baby, he is becoming more active and independent every day. It is very important for parents to use the skills already mastered by the baby in the game in order to stimulate further development.
The physical development of the child at five months
Games and activities with a child of 5 months need to be selected so that the baby can try out new types of activity. At this age, children already confidently hold their heads, raise their heads and shoulders from a supine position, confidently straighten their arms. Some may roll over from back to stomach and back. As soon as the child detects a new movement, he begins to actively move his legs and take the frog's pose. These reflex movements indicate that the baby will soon learn to crawl. But as soon as you find that the five-month-old baby knows how to roll over, you can’t leave him alone on the bed or any other surface from which you can fall.
A child at 5 months still cannot sit without support, and it is important for parents to know that it is impossible to specially plant a baby “for training the spine”. The child must master this skill in a natural way and as independently as possible. At this age, it will be quite comfortable for the baby in a half-sitting position (at an angle of 45-60 degrees). At five or six months, the baby clenches his fist confidently and strongly, can take objects with both hands, shift from one hand to another, bring it closer to his face. From the age of five months, children are able to keep on their own to hold a bottle with a mixture or water. These first signs of growing up are very pleasing to parents.
At five months, the active development of the crawling skill begins, and the most active babies already know how to move with rifts or crawl in a plastusky way. While lying on his stomach, the child is trying to push his body forward. Parents can help the baby begin to crawl. To do this, you need to put interesting toys in some distance, so that the crumbs try to get to them themselves. If it’s warm at home, it’s useful to remove socks from the child so that he quickly understands that it is necessary to push off with your fingers. When the baby is lying on his back, you can put your hands on his feet and gently bring his knees to his stomach. The baby reflexively pushes off legs. Such an activity with a child of 5-6 months trains the muscles that are needed for crawling. At this age, it is better to spend a wakeful period on the floor, because this way the child will be safe (there is no risk of falling) and will learn new skills faster.
Sleep problems while mastering skills
Against the background of the development of new skills, sleep problems may begin. Many babies refuse to sleep during the day or may cry when falling asleep, very stretching the process of going to bed. A night's sleep can also become alarming and sensitive. The baby can spin for a long time, worry, whimper. These are age-related changes caused by new skills. Daytime sleep should not be delayed until the moment the child is very tired. It is also time to put the baby in the crib not asleep, but asleep, so that he learns to fall asleep on his own.
Norms of weight gain and height to five months
Pediatricians assess the rate of physical development of a child up to a year, including weight gain and height. During this period, the baby can already weigh from 6,700 to 8,400 grams, the growth is from 64 to 68 centimeters. The child weighs twice as much as at birth, and in growth he added 14-16 cm. The optimal monthly gain is about 600 grams, but the growth may be uneven over the months. It depends on nutrition, the individual pace of development of crumbs, and other factors (during illness or during teething, many people refuse to eat and gain weight more slowly). After 5-6 months, the pace is reduced if the child has already "created a reserve", adding one kilogram per month. In this case, a monthly set of about 300-400 grams is considered normal.
Mental development of a five month old baby
For children of 5 months there are a lot of developmental activities that the development of the child allows him to experience and reproduce a wide range of emotions. The baby can insist on demanding something, laughing loudly, angry or rejoicing, expressing his good mood or dissatisfaction not only with laughter or crying, but also with the nature of babble. At five months, the baby willingly spends time with loved ones, recognizes family members and enjoys their arrival. But if a stranger tries to pick up a child in his arms, he may be wary or even frightened and cry.
The mental development of girls and boys at the age of five months is not different. Every day the child becomes more independent. There is a turning point for premature babies. Most of the kids begin to take the toy, roll over, actively contact with adults, walk. But the development of a premature baby should still take place in an atmosphere of emotional and physical comfort. This means that in the first place should be a full sleep and nutrition, and only then different types of activity.
What skills develop during this period?
Classes with children 1-5 months old and older are aimed at maintaining those skills that develop naturally in a certain period. So, for children at the age of one month, parents show black and white pictures, because full color vision is still being established, and at five months the time comes for active games. The child learns the world, activity begins to appear, chooses contrasting toys. It is very important during this period to intensify communication, teach the baby to understand speech and repeat syllables so that he can then say the first words without problems. The intonation with which adults are talking is still of tremendous importance, but after six months, an understanding of the meaning of what has been said begins to form.
Developing activities for children of 5 months are simple. It is necessary to pay attention to the crumbs on surrounding objects, and more than once, because the material is remembered better if it is repeated. It is necessary to depict the sounds that animals make, to teach the child the properties of objects. Any game must necessarily be accompanied by a verbal designation of objects. In the future, this will help the child to pronounce the first words. At five months old, many babies (especially girls) are already switching from babble to babble, can pronounce individual syllables, some vowels and consonants. To accelerate development, parents need to repeatedly repeat simple syllables with pronounced facial expressions. The child will do this meaninglessly by training the speech apparatus.
Games for the development of fine motor skills and coordination
Useful activities with children of 5 months are games for the development of coordination of movements and fine motor skills. It is necessary to give the baby objects of different shapes and textures. For the game, cubes and balls are useful (you can choose soft ones to avoid injuries). Items need to be given to the crumbs, distributing fingers on the surface of the cube or ball, pay attention to the presence or absence of corners, faces. It is useful to give objects to play not only of different shapes, but also of different textures: slippery, smooth, rough, hard, soft, fluffy, elastic, spiky. For classes with children at five months old, special tactile bags are sold, palpating which the baby will develop fine motor skills. You can make bags yourself, they are filled with plastic balls, cereals or beans.
Classes with a child 4-5 months should develop him physically. At this age, the kids are already “familiar” with their arms and legs. Many people try to grab their legs with their hands, which improves overall motility and coordination. Children at this age love to kick something. You can hang soft toys, balls at the optimum distance for this. A tumbler or a ball can be put in a crib so that the baby is played with their hands. Suitable for playing musical keyboards. At five months, you can give your baby the first toy piano. The kid will not only enjoy the sounds, but also understand how they are associated with finger movements. Parents only need to show the baby how to press keys.
Finger games with children at 5 months
Good developmental activities with children of 5 months are finger games. This is the easiest way to stimulate the brain activity of a growing child. Fists can be squeezed and unclenched, fingers rubbed, bent and unbent, accompanying the action with songs, poems, nursery rhymes, stimulating the auditory perception of information. Any game begins with a warm-up to set the child in a cheerful mood and warm up the joints. Then you can start the game, accompanying each action with rhythmic rhymes and songs. The most famous variant of the finger game is “Magpie-raven cooked porridge”.
Activities for developing visual memory
Classes with a child 2-5 months must be directed to the development of attention and visual memory. The mirrors are still interesting for the kids. At five months, you can bring the crumbs to the mirror, then move them away so that he watches how the image changes. All your actions must be accompanied by comments. In order for the child to learn to remember objects and find already familiar ones, one can show him old toys, periodically adding a new one. You need to pronounce the names of objects, their shape and color, comment on the reaction of the child. The hide and seek game, which develops attention, is very interesting for kids. You can show the baby a bright toy, hold it at a distance of thirty centimeters from the face, so that the child can examine every detail, and then hide it behind the side of the bed. It is important that the baby watches the movements of objects, is interested in their disappearance and appearance.
Games for the development of auditory perception and speech
At five months, the babies are still not talking, but it is already necessary to actively develop speech, preparing the child for the pronunciation of the first words and syllables. Most children are delighted with the sound of toys (tweeters, rattles, bells), but parents need to repeat them. So the baby will learn to pronounce the first syllables. Familiarity with objects that make loud sounds, you need to start gradually, because at 5 months, babies do not like too sharp rattling toys. Parents must utter the simplest syllables, highlighting them with intonation and accompanying gestures.
The best toys for five month old children
Any activity with children of 5 months is a game. You can use ordinary objects to develop your skills, but it’s better to buy some safe, colorful toys that will attract crumbs for a long time. Pediatricians recommend choosing silicone or rubber teethers of different sizes and shapes, a large ball, toys on which small balls are strung, safe mirror surfaces for five-month-old babies. It is better if the items are made of different materials: hard, soft, bumpy, rough. Necessarily need musical toys. Children at this age really like fitball lessons. A child at 5 months of age cannot sit on a big ball on its own, but you can ride in the supine position with the help of mom or dad.
Gaming mats: features and selection tips
Several developmental activities for children 5-6 months old combine special rugs. On sale there are a huge number of such. For children up to six months, compact rectangular rugs with sides are suitable. The key parameter when choosing a rug is the material. Such toys should be colorful and vibrant, but dyes should only be used in production. Arcs for fastening toys must be provided. Five-month-old children are attracted by large pictures, musical buttons and textured elements.
A few practical tips for parents
Lessons with children of 5 months are needed simple, but regular. This is the only way to ensure the optimal physical and psycho-emotional development of the baby. At this age, it is time to put all the hanging toys down, because the child is no longer interested in observing objects from afar, he wants to grab, shake and see all the details close by. Many people like to walk in a special backpack. At home it is better to put the child in such a backpack on his back so that he can watch the actions of adults. Be sure to talk more with the baby. Parents should accompany any action with words, because very soon the baby will begin to understand the meaning of what was said, and not just catch the intonation.