The way babies learn is through play! They touch, taste, experiment, and take in their environment by interacting and having fun. In case you’re not sure where to start with your baby or need a couple of fresh ideas, I’m sharing some of my baby’s favorite toys and activities today!
My youngest daughter is six months and she absolutely loves everything that I’ve listed below. Most of these ideas we started when she was just a few weeks old, but use your judgment and see how soon you’re comfortable introducing them to your baby. All babies develop at different paces and have different preferences.
Bubbles
Lay small babies on their back and they can watch the bubbles fall or start reaching for them. Place older babies on their tummies and they can pop the bubbles that land on the ground.
As your baby watches the bubbles and tries to catch them, eye tracking and hand-eye coordination are being promoted.
These Gymboree bubbles are our absolute favorite! They’re made out of a glucose solution so they’re safe for your baby and super sticky for easier catching.
Instruments
What’s more fun than making noise?
This Melissa and Doug set has lasted us through two babies and shows no signs of wearing down.
Instruments are a great way to work on rhythm and musical awareness. Sing classic kids songs or make up your own. Your baby will love creating music with you!
Tunnels
Tunnels are a fun way to encourage your little one to scoot or crawl. They also help your baby to develop spatial awareness as they judge how their body fits in relation to the space of the tunnel.
Toss a few small toys in there in case your baby needs some motivation or wants to stop and play. Now that my baby has mastered the army crawl, I love celebrating with her each time she makes it from one end to the next.
PLUS, this tunnel collapses and takes up virtually no storage area. It’s perfect if you live in a small space or just like to keep things ultra tidy.
Doorway Jumper
My baby would probably stay in her jumper all day if I let her, but we only use it for about 15 minutes at a time. This is my secret weapon when I need to take a quick shower or run the vacuum cleaner unencumbered. We can still see each other, but she’s happily bouncing away and building lower body strength.
Make sure your baby has good control of their head before using a doorway jumper and check that it’s secured safely. We didn’t start using ours until closer to five months and our baby could sit up almost unassisted.
Blocks
These soft blocks provide a basic introduction to building and engineering. Start by making short stacks and giggle with your baby as they knock it down!
You can also have conversations about the colors of the blocks and the numbers and animals on them. It’s a great opportunity to introduce some new vocabulary while you play!
Mirrors
My baby giggles each time she sees herself in the mirror. I would, too, if I had such cute, squishy cheeks! Mirrors teach self-awareness and body awareness as babies study their appearance and movement.
This little mirror is perfect for moving from room to room and there’s no worry about shattered glass.
Books
I started reading to our first daughter the moment she was born and now, at two-years-old, she loves grabbing a book off of the shelf and curling up on her bed to “read” by herself. I’m mindful of reading with our second baby so that she’ll have the same love for books as she gets older.
Reading with your baby is also important because it introduces them to vocabulary they may not normally hear and teaches them basic literacy skills.
Right now, my baby enjoys looking at the pictures and turning the pages. Start with a small collection of board books and read for a few minutes each day.
Floor Time
No special toys or equipment needed to play on the ground with your munchkin!
We started by having side-by-side tummy time between naps when she was a month old. Now, we hold her carefully around the center of her body and take her in all different directions.
Make sure you never pick up a baby by their wrists or ankles and that no pressure is put on their head or neck.
Playing With Our Cat
Having a pet at home is perfect for introducing the concept of animals and being gentle. My baby is always interested in what our cat is doing and loves touching his soft fur.
If you’re thinking about getting a pet, I encourage you to visit a local shelter and adopt a new family member from there.
How does your baby like to play? Tell me in the comments!
See how my husband fits in daddy and baby bonding time! And learn how easy it is to make homemade baby food!
Talk to you soon!
I love this list! I have a 10 month old and I am sure he would love bubbles. Never thought about that. Thank you!
Yay! Everyone loves bubbles! The Gymboree ones I mentioned float for a really long time and a lot come out of the bubble blower at once. It’s so much better than any other bubbles we’ve tried.
These are awesome ideas. I look forward to one day having a baby and putting some of these suggestions into action.
Thank you! I promise you’ll have lots of fun 🙂
These are great ideas! I did so many of them with my babies when they were actually babies. By the way, your daughter is WAY too adorable <3
Thanks for the sweet compliment! Playing with babies is so fun!
I haven’t tried bubbles yet but my daughter loves everything you listed! I am also going to need to get a tunnel once she starts crawling! And what a cute little girl you have!
Thank you! We’ve gotten great use out of our tunnel and these bubbles are super safe for little ones. Hope you give them a try!