Are you stuck at home all day, trying to find ways to keep your 6 month old busy? We’ve all been there. It’s especially difficult during the long winter months. Or when you’re stuck indoors due to lockdown restrictions!
But we can help.
Our collection of quick, easy and fun 6-9 month activities will keep your baby entertained. Stimulate their senses and help all areas of their development. Including their physical development (gross motor and fine motor skills). Communication and language and brain development.
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Here’s our list of easy 6-9 month activities.
1. Explore a Treasure Basket
A treasure basket is an easy DIY activity that will interest your baby for months. It contains everyday items that your infant can explore using their senses. This activity encourages independent play. And it helps little one’s learn more about the world around them.
Read more: How to Start Treasure Basket Play With Your Baby
2. Make and Play With a Sensory Bottle
A sensory bottle is next on our list of 6-9 month activities. This DIY idea is filled with liquid and fun objects for your baby to look at. This homemade sensory toy will fascinate your baby and improve their attention span. It’s a great way to teach your little one cause and effect. And it can be used to distract your infant during tummy time.
Read More: How to Make Fun Sensory Bottles For Infants
3. Balls In a Tuff Tray
Try adding play balls to a tuff tray and then let your baby explore during tummy time. The large, shallow tray will mean your baby has plenty of space to move around.
The tray will keep the balls contained. This will help your little one reach and grab them without them rolling too far.
Play balls are the perfect size for little hands. And holding onto one will help your baby strengthen the muscles in their hands. And improve their grasp (fine motor skills).
Shop for a tuff tray on Amazon (US | UK)
Don’t have a tuff tray? Try adding balls to a cheap paddling pool. Your baby will still have space to explore. Just make sure you don’t add too many!
Check out other fun tuff trays for babies – 20 Easy Tuff Tray Ideas For Babies
4. Water Play
Water play is another easy sensory play activity idea for 6-9 month olds. This activity does mean more mess but it’s so much fun!
Here are a few different ways you can try water play with your infant now they’re a bit older.
- Fill a washing up bowl with warm water and a splash of bubble bath. Lay your baby over your legs. Hold their hips and let them splash around.
- Add water and toys to a shallow dish and let your baby play during tummy time.
- Fill a small paddling pool with some water and let your baby splash around whilst laying on their front. Try holding them over the paddling pool so they can kick and splash using their feet too! Remember to place towels down.
5. Oats Sensory Play At Home
Oats is another sensory play example your 6 month old+ baby will find interesting. The instructions are simple for this play idea. All you need to do is add uncooked oats to a tray or shallow dish. Add some utensils and then let your baby play.
You could also try cooking the oats so that your baby can feel the texture of porridge too. The oats are more edible this way. But it’s much more messy and harder to clear up. So make sure you cover your floor with a wipeable mat. You could also let them play in their high chair for a quicker clear up.
Tip: Make sure the porridge has cooled right down before letting your baby play.
6. Jelly Sensory Play
Jelly sensory play is next in our list of 6-9 month activities. This edible play idea will help your baby experience another texture. You can let your baby touch and feel the jello whilst they’re sitting in their high chair. Or you can add it to a tuff tray and let your baby play whilst laying on their tummy. This is extremely messy but lots of fun!
Tip: Make sure you put them in an old vest before you start this activity.
Don’t like the thought of all the mess this activity will create? Try adding the jelly to a sensory bag instead.
7. Circle Of Toys
This easy activity will help you make use of all the toys your baby already has. It takes minutes to set up and encourages your infant to roll over and crawl. All you need to do is put their toys in a circle. Then place your little one on their tummy in the middle.
8. Climbing
If your 6-9 month old is now on the move and crawling, the next step is for them to be able to pull themselves up to standing. You can help them to do this by encouraging them to climb a few stairs. Try putting a toy or something of interest a few stairs up. Then sit behind them and encourage them to move up to the next step.
This is a massive workout for them and they’ll need lots of practise. So try it daily.
We also used two Ikea folding gym mats to create our own soft play stairs. They made it easier and less of a challenge for our baby to climb when he was first learning.
9. Balls In a Muffin Tin
Balls in a muffin tin is another of our simple 6-9 month activities. All you need is a muffin tin and enough balls to fill each hole (usually 6). Little ones will love the challenge of taking the balls out of the holes. And it’s a great way to develop their fine motor skills too.
Try putting masking tape over the balls to add more of a challenge. It will improve your infant’s problem-solving skills and fine motor skills even more!
10. Make Your Own Touch and Feel Sensory Bag
A sensory bag is filled with liquid and interesting objects. It is then taped shut so that your baby can safely look at, poke and squish the different things. This cute craft only takes a few minutes to make. But it’ll keep your little one busy for quite some time.
Check out our previous blog post for step by step instructions – How to Make Tummy Time Sensory Bags for more inspiration
11. Pick ‘N’ Mix Snacks
There are so many new foods for your little one to try at this age. So why not give them a pick ‘n’ mix style snack tray?
You only need an ice cube tray and a variety of different foods. Just make sure you cut the foods into finger-sized pieces before putting them in the different holes of the tray.
This baby play idea works well if you’re trying baby-led weaning. It encourages self-feeding. And it also helps little ones to develop their fine motor skills. Especially their pincer grip.
12. Baby Texture Board
A homemade baby texture board is created with different fabrics and materials. They’re glued into place for your little one to safely explore. And it helps to stimulate their sense of touch and sight.
Your curious baby will love touching and feeling the items during tummy time. And you can also stick it to the wall so they can explore whilst they’re sitting.
Read more: DIY Baby Texture Board – A Fun Touch and Feel Activity
13. Torch / Flashlight In Tupperware
Flashlight tupperware is next in our list of 6-9 month activities. This quick idea uses everything you already have at home. And it’s a great way to entertain your little one. Especially on those gloomy, winter afternoons.
Adding the torch to the box will dim the light. So you won’t need to worry about the brightness affecting your baby’s eyesight. It also stops your baby from putting the torch in their mouth. So you won’t need to worry about loose parts or batteries coming loose either.
Learn more: How to Make Your Own Light Up Container Toys
14. Hanging Toys
Encourage your baby to reach for hanging toys whilst they’re laying on their front. It’ll strengthen their muscles and help to improve their balance and coordination.
You can make use of your little one’s activity gym for this idea. Or you can also tie a scarf between two chairs and hang the toys on it instead (as seen in the picture above).
15. Peek-a-Boo Picture
Peek a boo picture is the final idea in our list of 6-9 month activities. All you need to do is grab your baby’s favourite book and place post it notes over some of the illustrations.
Your baby will enjoy revealing the surprise picture below in this quick and easy activity. It’ll challenge them to use their fine motor skills. And it’ll also help their brain development and teach them about cause and effect.
We tried this activity using the 100 first words book from Amazon (US | UK). It has lots of different pictures. And it’s a great book that’ll help your little one’s speech and understanding right until they’re toddler age!
Conclusion
We hope our 6-9 month activities help you keep your 6 month old+ busy when you’re at home all day. Toddlers and babies under 1 year old will love the activities too so don’t forget to revisit the ideas when they’re a bit older.
Remember to always supervise your baby during any activity.
Looking For More Activities to Help Your Baby’s Development?
Take a look at our 3-6 month activities for more suggestions. Lots of these make great 6-9 month activities too.
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