Showing black and white pictures for babies is one of the most important things you can do for their development – And it doesn’t have to be complicated! Check out below how you can help baby’s vision with this FREE printable black and white picture book.
Why Black and White Pictures are Important for Babies
Newborn babies are born with a very limited perception of color. In fact, it is expected for baby’s color vision to continue developing over the course of the first 5 months! (source) Black and white are the only colors that baby’s eyes will be able to see for the first few months of life. By showing newborn babies black and white imagery it not only encourages engagement, but also strengthens eye muscles, supports developing attention spans, and nurtures your baby’s desire to learn about the world around them!
The Benefits of Showing Black and White Imagery to Young Babies
- Helps baby learn to focus, strengthens attention span, and helps them learn to concentrate
- Trains the eye muscles to work with their brain
- Supports interaction with your baby and establishing a connection with them
- Cultivating your baby’s growing curiosity with the world around them (without the use of screen time!)
When to Start Showing Black and White Pictures for Babies
Since black and white images are colors that baby can see right after birth, it is recommended to start showing them high contrast images right away! Start adding them to your day to day routine so baby can get a few minutes each day of visual stimulation. Keep reading below for easy ways to do this.
How Long Should Babies Look at Black and White Images?
Although there is no time limit, try to show baby high contrast patterns a few times a day for 10 minutes each. This is an easy, attainable goal that will help your little one’s vision become fully developed. By doing this regularly, your infant’s eyes will start to establish a connection with their developing nervous system. This is when baby will start to interact more with you and learn how to use their developing senses! (source)
What Types of Images do Newborn Babies Prefer Looking At?
Again, this doesn’t need to be difficult. You don’t have to pull out the school books… YET! 😉
- Simple, high contrast images with sharp outlines will do the trick. High contrast patterns are easy to find that your baby will love to engage with.
- Black and white pictures of farm animals are my favorite to grab baby’s attention. While showing baby the high contrast image, describe the picture to them and make the animal sound.
- Black and white pictures of family and friends are a PERFECT way to promote visual stimulation with people they will soon recognize.
Download Your Free Printable Book Now
This free printable black and white picture book is perfect to start introducing to your little one, created for newborn babies to enjoy all the way throughout their first year.
Fill out form above to receive your free printable book for baby
Included in your free printable black and picture book:
- 9 high resolution, engaging pages to enjoy one-on-one with your baby
- An entertaining story to read as your infant gazes at the black and white pictures
- Each page introduces fun, high contrast pictures of animals
- A beautiful book cover for you to cherish with your baby
- Simply print out your book, cut around the edges and then put together to start enjoying. (Read my tutorial here how to put your book together so it can be enjoyed and saved as a keepsake!)
How to Use Your Free Printable Black and White Picture Book
Step-by-step how to download the picture book:
- Click here to download.
- Enter your first name and email that you want the book sent to.
- Go to your email, download, and select option to print.
- Before printing, make sure to adjust the scale to ‘Actual Size’ instead of ‘Fit to Printable Area’. (That way your book is the correct size and not huge!) I also recommend setting the page to ‘Landscape’.
- Print, cut around the edges, then check out my tutorial HERE on how to easily put your book together. (I show a very easy way to bind the black and white pictures for babies together so it will last a long time.
Read below how I incorporate these pictures into my little ones routine.
How to Use Black and White Images for Babies
These are my favorite ways to add black and white imagery to our schedule:
Tummy time
Using tummy time to show your baby black and white images knocks out two birds with one stone! They not only get visual stimulation from the high contrast pictures, but also work on strengthening their little neck muscles.
Hanging mobiles above their crib or changing table
Decorate your newborns nursery with bold, black and white color to help visual stimulation even more. Babies spend quite a bit of time in their crib and changing table (hello, messy diapers!), make it even easier to show high contrast patterns by hanging a simple black and white mobile above either place.
Mobile for car seat or bouncer seat
Adding a mobile to a car seat is a perfect time for baby to work on visual stimulation. The one’s that play music are the BEST. My little boy strongly disliked the car seat when he was a baby. Having a mobile there not only entertained him, but the music also calmed him. Win-win!
Interested in finding other activities for your newborn? Check out my post here for more easy ideas to entertain your 1 month old!
Other Ways to Encourage Baby’s Vision Development
Black and White Contrast Cards
Black and white flashcards are a great way to expose baby to high contrast pictures. From pictures of animals to food, the cards offer a wide variety of visual stimulation.
Black and White Toys for Babies
These black and white toys can easily be added to strollers, car seats, or play mats!
Activity Mats with High Contrast Images
Baby can enjoy tummy time while gazing at the different patterns.
Travel Friendly Soft Black and White Books
These adorable baby picture cards are soft, making them safe for travel. I love how they can be propped up for tummy time as well!
Family Pictures
Black and white family pictures is an easy and effective way to enjoy high contrast images with your baby. This is an inexpensive solution that most people already have in their home!
Nursery Décor
This wall hanging proves that nursery décor doesn’t have to be boring! This tapestry provides baby with wonderful visual stimulation, while creating a beautiful space as well!
Bold and simple black lettering is a great way to grab baby’s attention.
RELATED: Grab your free printable newborn daily care log here.
Summary
Showing baby black and white pictures is such an important thing to do from a young age! Doing this will help baby establish connection to the world around them, improve attention span, and help with hand eye coordination as they grow. Be sure to download the free printable picture book above and check out this tutorial for an easy way to bind it.
