10 Activities for Babies – 6 to 12 Months

You must be thrilled to see your little one growing bigger and stronger day by day. Isn’t it such a joy to watch them trying and exploring new things ? I am sure you are loving every bit of this part. Your child will experience many more physical, mental, social and emotional changes before his / her first birthday arrives. You will be amazed when your child takes the first step or says the first word. There’s no stopping that super baby ! Here we have included some Activities for Babies.

As a parent, your role goes a long way in developing your child. Your love, attention, time, and touch are crucial for your baby’s growth and essential for development. In this post, I’ll let you know some fun and simple Activities for Babies – 6 to 12 Months which can help them improve their Cognitive Skills, Hand-Eye coordination, Explore their senses, etc.

10 Activities for Babies – 6 to 12 months

1. Peek a boo

This is probably the simplest of all the games that you can play with your little one. It can be started as early as 1 week and gradually can be built upon as the child grows. Peekaboo is thought by developmental psychologists to demonstrate an infant’s inability to understand object permanence. Object permanence is an important stage of cognitive development for infants.

Material Needed – You and a big handkerchief(or just hands)

How to do this – Cover your face with your hands or cloth over your face. Remember that to the baby, you’re not just hiding, you’re gone. You can ease your baby’s mind by talking to him while you’re hiding. You can say something like “Where did mamma go? Where is she?”

2. Homemade Bubbles

Bubbles make babies squeal with joy and you will love the sparkle in your baby’s eyes. It is an excellent way to help your baby or toddler developing visual skills. These simple activities for Babies make them yearn for more.

Material Needed – 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon glycerin, 1/4 cup natural biodegradable dish detergent.

How to do this? – Mix all the ingredients. Just dip a bubble wand in the mixture and get blowing bubbles. Note –

• Make sure the wand is not a size that babies or children can choke on.
• Use a child-friendly, non-toxic bubble mixture.
• Be sure to make learning fun! Come back to it if your baby is not in the mood.
• Never leave your baby unattended with any toy or activity.

3. Read Books Together

Reading is one of the best activities that you can do with your babies and children. It teaches a baby about communication and also builds listening, memory, and vocabulary skills. You can also read texture books. It’s important to encourage them to explore different types of textures and a texture book will help you do exactly that.

4. Sing Rhymes

Singing traditional lullabies and nursery rhymes to babies and infants before they learn to speak is essential. Songs aid a child’s ability to think in words. Listening to, and singing along with rhymes and songs uses and develops both sides of the brain.

5. Baby Flashcards

According to one estimate, 250,000 neuronal connections occur every second in a child’s brain. What babies experience literally builds their brains. Flashcards are ideal for stimulation and are fascinating to many children, making learning a fun part of everyday play.

Note –

• You should deliver lessons when your child is in a happy, relaxed frame of mind.
• Ensure baby has completed her sleep and is fed
• Do not push the baby, if she seems unwilling. Try it some other time.

6. Play Catch

Simply pushing a ball can boost your baby’s motor development since it promotes coordination and strengthens upper-body muscles. This is again one of the Simple Activities for Babies.

What do you need? – Balls. Include different sizes, colors, and textures

How to play? Roll a ball to your baby. Encourage him to roll or throw it back to you, helping him if he needs it.

Note – At this age, your baby’s aim won’t be accurate. She’s still working on her hand and finger motions, so she’ll be swatting or slapping the ball at first.

7. Discovery Basket

Quite simply, it is a basket that you fill with ordinary non-hazardous items for your child to explore. The theory behind it is that children are naturally inclined to explore and investigate to develop their own understanding and knowledge. Through exploring safe items that stimulate the senses, children are storing and retaining information about texture, taste, sound, appearance, and scent.

How to make a discovery basket – you can use a cardboard box, a plastic tub, or any other large container you have in your home.

Items you can include – Wooden spoon, Rolling pin, Salad spoons, Spatula, Potato masher, small bottles, glasses, soft toys, baby-friendly toys

8. Mirror Play

Looking into a large mirror is an awesome activity with a baby. Mirror games can help with their cognitive and physical development.

How to play?

1. Position your baby in front of the mirror so that he can see both your and his reflection.
2. Ensure that the baby and mirror are at a safe distance.
3. The mirror is sturdy and on a solid base.
4. Ask your baby to point to his nose, hair, eyes, etc. This exercise helps the baby learn the names of his body parts that he may not otherwise be able to see.

9. Edible Finger Paint Play

Colors are beautiful for everyone. Let your little one indulge in this messy finger paint play. Use edible colors as at this age, your child is most probably going to put his fingers into his mouth. This activity helps them with Hand-Eye Coordination and Control and Exploring the senses and discovering new textures

How to make edible paint for babies?

1. 1/2 cup flour
2. 1 cup water
3. pinch of salt (optional)
4. Food coloring/ Carrot, Beet, or Spinach puree

 Directions

1. Pour flour and water into a pot.
2. Stir the ingredients over medium heat until it comes together like a smooth, thick paste. The mixture will be lumpy along the way, but it all comes together.
3. When it starts to pull away from the pot, remove it from the heat.
4. Add a pinch of salt. This helps keep the paint from spoiling if you don’t use it right away.
5. To reach the desired consistency, slowly add cold water to the mixture. I added about 1/4 cup water to our paint. 
6. Divide the paint into bowls.
7. Squeeze food coloring into the flour mixture until you reach the desired color.
8. Store in a covered container in the fridge if you’re not planning to use this right away. It will keep indefinitely.

10. Drum

Babies love to bang objects together. Use this love of there to create a drum for them. You can just turn your bucket upside down Or you can use pots or saucepans from your kitchen and your portable drum is ready. Give your baby wooden / steel spoons to bang on pots and pans. Drumming teaches children hand-eye coordination and appreciation of musical structures. These are some Simple Activities for Babies that you use to engage and make learning fun for your baby.

Video: 10 Activities for Babies – 6 to 12 Months

• Video in Hindi – 6 से 12 महीने के शिशुओं के लिए 10 गथिविधिया
• Video in Kannada – 6 ರಿಂದ 12 ತಿಂಗಳುಗಳ ಶಿಶುಗಳಿಗೆ 10 ಚಟುವಟಿಕೆಗಳು 

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