How Black and White Images Help Babies Develop

Written by Natasha Combrink

Published on June 10, 2022

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• Black and white images are easier for newborns to see while their eyesight still develops. 
• These high-contrast two-tone pictures will stand out against a bleary world. 
• Visual contrast will encourage your baby to explore the patterns and outlines.
• Black and white pictures help babies develop focus, attention span, and concentration.

It’s tempting to color your baby’s world with bright blue or pastel pink, but what they really need is a more minimalistic approach. While their vision develops, you should expose your children to black and white imagery with sharp outlines in their everyday environment. This will captivate them and develop their eyesight. 

Why Do Babies Need Black and White Visual Stimulation?

Visual milestones are an essential part of your baby’s development. Introducing black and white pictures to newborns has many benefits.  

Stimulates Vision

Your baby has a limited color perception at birth, and it’s agreed amongst many scientists that they first see black and white or shades of gray. Babies begin focusing on objects up to 12 inches away from them within their first month.

Babies like simple, bold high contrast images. These are easier for them to see. Your baby will be able to identify objects and shapes in these shades within their first few months. Black and white toys and images will support your baby’s visual development and teach their eye muscles to coordinate with their brain.

Encourages Engagement

Black and white stimulation can encourage physical and verbal engagement from your baby. Your baby’s eyes will draw to the shapes and objects because of their visual contrast. They’ll be interested in exploring and playing with the different patterns and textures.  

Improves Attention Span

Newborns aren’t meant to focus on one activity for a long time, but as your baby develops, they’ll have to learn how to engage for a minute or two. High contrast black and white images are easier for babies to interpret, and they’ll spend more time engaging with objects in this color combination. 

Providing these images, books, and toys to young babies will lengthen their attention span and improve their developing nervous system.

Boosts Confidence and Vocabulary

A baby imitates their parents and others until they’re fully developed. They observe and slowly learn how to do the things we do.

Presenting your newborn with images and objects they can see more clearly will allow you to describe what they see. Your baby will develop their sight, hearing, and vocabulary. Whenever they engage with you or start to understand, their confidence will boost too!

Stimulates Cognitive Development

Images provide infants with an opportunity to think, learn and explore. Newborn babies primarily see black, white, and grey before their color vision develops at around 4 months. 

You should present your baby with pictures, toys, and an environment made up of these colors in high contrast. 

How to Use Black and White Images for Babies

Using black and white images for your baby doesn’t need to be complicated! The idea is simply to provide them with high contrast patterns, shapes, or pictures. Placing these in front of your infant will allow them to concentrate and focus. They’ll exercise their eyes and develop their vision.

Here are some ideas for using black and white pictures to help your baby with their development:

• Picture Frames: One of the easiest ways to stimulate a newborn with black and white images is by placing them in a picture frame. You can stand the frame upright next to your baby while they lay on a playmat. This method is safe to use from birth.

• Flashcards: If you start practicing tummy time once your baby’s umbilical cord falls off, they’ll be steady enough to spend longer times in this position by month one or two. You can use flashcards with high contrast black and white pictured animals or things to keep them visually stimulated while they develop their abdominal strength. 

• Books: It’s never too early to start reading to your kids, and infancy is definitely an excellent time! Reading books should be a fun activity you do during play. You can buy or make your own black and white image books for your baby to enjoy.

Are Black and White Images Best for Babies with Cortical Visual Impairment?

Many families of children with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) are told to provide their kids with high contrast black and white images in order to optimize their ability to process visual stimuli, but this is generally considered one of the top misconceptions about CVI. 

While it is true that these types of images can be very beneficial to kids with CVI, it’s also important to remember that each child is different and that the goal of any vision therapy is to hone the visual skills of each individual child. As a matter of fact, many parents report that their children see bright colors, particularly red and yellow, better than black and white.

When providing images for your child with CVI, consider adding color and see how they respond. Pay close attention to their visual behaviors and try to find images with well-defined borders, clearly outlined backgrounds, and very little clutter. 

If you are interested in learning how to adapt images to make them more accessible, check out this guide from CVI Now or this one from CViConnect. There are also many iPad apps designed specifically for kids with CVI. Our favorites are the suite of apps from EDA Play.

The 7 Best Black-and-White Toys for Babies

Playmats and Mobiles

During the first three months of their life, your baby will spend a lot of time laying on their back and practicing their tummy muscles. You can use playmats and hanging mobiles to stimulate their vision during this time.

Mirrored Black and White Baby Playmat

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This black and white playmat is great for tummy time! It has high contrast black and white pictures on one side to develop your baby’s vision and brightly colored images on the other for further development.

The mat comes with a mirror that helps develop visual senses and language skills. It also has a safe teether making it the perfect buy for growing infants. 

Travel-Friendly Spiral Mobile

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If you’re a traveling family, this black and white spiral mobile will fit your lifestyle! You can quickly wrap this toy around whatever you want to keep your baby entertained and help them practice how to focus on high-contrast images. 

The mobile also has sounds for developing your little one’s auditory recognition. It’s an awesome, compact toy that parents can practically stick to a stroller or car seat. 

Books and Flashcards

You can use books and flashcards for education and play. Telling stories to your little ones and showing them images help develop their ability to imagine, communicate, and express emotions. 

Black and White Flashcards

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Visually stimulating flashcards are a powerful developmental and learning tool for infants of any age. Your newborn can lay still and watch these images to develop their ability to focus. As they grow, you can use these cards to teach them or include them in your bedtime stories. Each card will ignite their curiosity and encourage them to imagine. 

Soft Black and White Baby Book Bundle

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You can quickly capture your baby’s attention with these soft and flexible black and white baby books featuring high contrast images, letters, and shapes. The bundle includes six chew-safe books to develop your child’s vision, sense of touch, and imagination. 

Rattles and Teethers

Babies love to play with rattles and teethers, and there are good reasons for that! Rattles help babies develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, and teethers can help soothe sore gums. Focusing on simple black and white rattles and teethers add an extra benefit to developmental play.

Baby Plush Rattle Toy

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This black and white plush rattle is perfect for babies under 3 months! It has a circular design for little hands to grip easily, and the gentle sounds it makes can calm or attract your baby’s attention. 

You can practice visual tracking once your little one becomes aware of the contrasting patterns on this toy. It’s an excellent object for visual awareness and developing your infant’s color perception.  

Soft Dumbell Rattles

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Your baby will love these high-contrast musical dumbbell rattles at any age! They’re soft, loud, and easy to hold onto. Playing with these will train your infant’s eyes and help develop their visual nervous system.

You can use these black and white rattles from birth to encourage your little one to reach and grab or incorporate them into tummy time. The toys are lightweight but can take a punch, so there’s no need to worry if your baby throws or bites into them.

NogginRings

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If you’re a busy mom, you can still set your baby up for success with this red, black and white rattle teether. You can play with it while nursing, during tummy time, and even attach it to a car seat or mobile. 

The circle design makes grabbing onto the rattle easy for little hands. You can use this toy from birth to 12 months with follow-along activities in the mom-friendly booklet included. Interacting with your baby plays an important part in their growth. This rattle teether makes tracking your infant’s milestones easy while you bond. The red, black, and white colors will help your baby with visual tracking, and the teether is a bonus! 

There’s science behind gradually introducing your baby to colors. You should use objects with a high contrast image before moving to one-toned shapes, patterns and toys. If you notice any delays in reaching milestones or have a family history of eye issues, you should visit an ophthalmologist to ensure your baby’s vision is on the right track!