Baby Play Ideas: For 6-12 Months
Peek-a-boo
You’ll need
- Baby
- Adult
- Light weight cloth
What to do
- Hide behind your hands, behind the cloth, or pop the cloth of baby’s face.
- Pop out from behind your hands or cloth or quickly pull the cloth of baby’s face and say ‘peek-a-boo’ in an animated voice.
- Repeat over and over.
How it supports baby’s learning
Babies’ memories are just beginning to be established, they haven’t yet developed object permanence’ where the understand that something exists even if they can’t see it. When you pop out from behind your hands or from under a cloth their surprise every time is real. Each game helps develop the understanding of ‘object permanence’. It also helps develop turn taking communication skills, ‘my turn to hide’ then boo ‘your turn to respond’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCdLNuP7OA8
Posting box
You’ll need
- Box/container with hole/slot cut into the lid, and hole cut into one side.
- Various items that fit into the hole/slot on the top.
What to do
- Provide the box for babies with items. Hold the box up for children while on your lap if they need support.
- Model how to post the items into the box initially, and after you post an item you may even ask ‘where it is?’.
- Then show baby how to check that the item is in there by looking into the hole that is cut in the side saying ‘there it is, it’s in the box’.
How baby’s learning is supported
Baby’s understanding of ‘object permanence’ is developed. By posting the item, seeing it disappear and then checking where it has gone, they learn that even though they cannot see something it still exists. This is the early stage of memory.
Aquarium
You’ll need
- Clear water bottle (any labels removed)
- Funnel
- Jug
- Blue food colouring
- Water
- Dish sponges/chux (different colour from the food colouring)
- Scissors
- Optional: star shaped sequins or shells.
What to do
- Cut sponges into small fish shapes, cut chux into seaweed.
- Add sponge shapes, with sequins/shells to your clean bottle.
- In a jug add a couple of drops of food colouring to the water until it is lightly tinted.
- Pour the water into the bottle and secure the lid tightly.
How baby’s learning is supported
Place in front of baby during tummy time as with the glitter bottle. When a sitting baby lifts the bottle with both hands to look for the fish their vision is developing along with their physical strength. Try to choose darker coloured sponges so your baby can spot the fish more easily. This is also calming for them and great for toddlers too.
Pool noodle threading
You’ll need
- Wooden spoon (with a long handle)
- Pool noodles
- Box cutter/sharp kitchen knife
- Optional: duct tape
What to do
- Cut pool noodles into 2.5-3cm rings. Hold the spoon handle up for your baby to direct the pool noodle holes onto the handle.
- You might need to manoeuvre the handle to help your baby to coordinate and ‘land’ the ring.
- As babies’ coordination improves tape the spoon onto a box or table for them to insert the noodles independently.
How baby’s learning is supported
Physical development is supported, as they practice placing the noodles. Repeated practice supports them to become more efficient and coordinated in their movements. This will help them with other activities such as feeding themselves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELpfYCZa87g