Sensory activities stimulate the babies and help them learn about different sensations. Gather materials of different textures. Things such as craft feathers, cotton batting, carpet squares, satin and cardboard offer a good variety of textures. Choose materials that won't present a danger to the little ones. Other options include letting the children play with water using cups, playing with whipped cream or crunching leaves with their hands in the fall.
Even children in the nursery can handle simple art projects. Including art and craft projects in the nursery curriculum stimulates creativity. It also helps the babies use their fine motor skills. Finger painting is a simple art activity to do in the nursery. Instead of using regular paint, mix up a batch of pudding to finger paint with. Add a few drops of food coloring to vanilla pudding to create different colors. Tearing different colors of paper is another way to incorporate art. Place a dab of glue on each piece of paper the babies tear and let them press it onto a larger piece of paper to create a collage.
Playing music is another way to stimulate babies in the nursery. Play a variety of music for them. Singing songs on a daily basis is another simple way to incorporate music into the nursery program. Provide the children with basic children's instruments that don't have any small parts that could cause a choking hazard. The little ones can explore the sounds made by the instruments. Maracas and drums are both good options.
Incorporate puppets into the nursery curriculum. Put on puppet shows for the kids. You can make a simple puppet stage using an appliance box. Cut a square in the front of the box for the stage. Let the babies play with the puppets, as well. Place soft finger puppets on their little fingers so they can play with them.
Encourage the babies to engage in movement activities. Place them on the floor so they can scoot or crawl. Hold a toy a few feet away from the babies to encourage them to move toward it. Encourage older babies to dance to music played in the nursery. Load the kids up into a group stroller and take a walk around the daycare center. If the weather is nice, take them outside to get some fresh air and to explore nature. Babies learn much more and stay stimulated when they are doing things rather than staying in a crib or bouncer seat all day.