Why Do Babies Love Black & White? (And What Can They Actually See?)

Ever wondered why your baby looks absolutely mesmerised by those black and white cards, books, or toys?

You’re not imagining it — babies really are obsessed with bold patterns. And there’s a pretty amazing reason why!

What Babies Can Actually See?

Here’s the thing — when your baby is born, their sight is the least developed of all their senses.

They can only focus about the distance from your nipple to your face (handy for feeding and bonding!). Everything else? A bit of a blur.

In those early weeks, babies mostly see in black, white and shades of grey. Bright colours are kind of wasted on them at this point — they just don’t have the eye development to make sense of it all yet.

That’s why high-contrast black and white patterns grab their attention — they’re crisp, clear, and easy to see.

When Do Babies Start Seeing Colour?

As your baby gets to around 2 to 4 months old, things start to get more colourful.

Their brain begins to process strong colours like reds and oranges first, before moving on to greens and blues later on.

It’s not really until your baby is around a year old that their vision is pretty much like yours and mine — fully focused, full of colour, and ready to take in all the chaos of the world.

Black & White and Tummy Time

If your little one isn’t the biggest fan of tummy time (many aren’t!), black and white toys are your secret weapon.

Here’s why:

Babies love looking at high contrast, so it keeps them engaged for longer.
Propping up a black and white book or card during tummy time encourages them to lift their head and build strength.
It also gets them turning their head side to side — great for neck muscles and early movement skills.

Want to Make Tummy Time More Fun?

If tummy time feels like a bit of a battle, you’ll love my online baby massage course — it includes a bonus “Tummy Time Fun” module that’s packed with easy ideas to keep your little one happy and engaged during tummy time.