Things to do with a 6 month old.
20 Things to do with a 6-month-old
It might be hard to believe that your little one has been with you for half a year now. On the other hand, you see your baby changing and growing so much. To support their development while sharing quality time, love, and laughter, check out these fun 20 things to do with a 6 month old!
A baby turning six months old can be a very exciting time. A time filled with firsts.
Your baby might start to sit up without support, babble, laugh, and try solid foods for the first time. You will see an increase in their curiosity. They will try to grab objects more frequently and also try to put them in their mouth. More good news for parents, your baby might start sleeping through the night.
Since they’re able to sit up straight and are super excited to explore the world through touch and taste there’s a variety of activities you can introduce now. Check out 20 things to do with a 6-month-old below.
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20 Things to do with a 6-month-old
#1 Make music together
Not only do kids love music and are super curious about different sounds around them. At this age, they will also be able to start making music themselves. You can give them a shaker, let them try to bang on baby-size drums or simply use a wooden spoon and a pot.
#2 Sing to them
Even if you’re not the greatest singer, your baby will love it when you sing to them. Babies love their parents’ voices, it will help them relax, have fun, and bond with you. Singing also prepares babies for their language development, even more than reading does. Read more about the benefits here.
#3 Storytime and board/cloth baby books
Reading is great for kids of all ages. Your little one will enjoy spending quality time with you while you tell them short stories and point to pictures in a children’s book. Since your baby is able to grasp and hold on to objects now, let them explore board and cloth baby books on their own as well. Soon enough they will be able to flip the pages themselves!
#4 Narrate your day
Keep talking to your baby as much as you can throughout your day, like you’ve been doing since day one. The easiest way to do so is by narrating your day. Simply explain to them what you’re doing, what you can see, taste, and hear. This will help them with language development and it keeps them entertained and connected to you all day long.
#5 Play tug of war
Since your baby loves to explore the world around them by touch and will try to grab whatever they can you can play tug of war with them. You might be surprised how strong their grip actually is!
#6 Peek-a-boo
Keep playing peek-a-book as it’s not only fun and will very likely make your baby smile, but it also supports their thinking, emotional and social skills.
#7 Sensory bags
Your little one will definitely enjoy playing with sensory bags. It’s great for their fine motor skills, and sense of touch. It increases their hand strength and feeds your baby’s curiosity. There are endless objects you can use in your DIY sensory bags, which makes it a very affordable activity with endless possibilities.
#8 Sensory bottles
Another option is using sensory bottles. These might be too heavy for your baby to hold but them can try to roll them on the ground or you can shake them for your baby. Sensory bottles can also be more convenient than sensory bags as you can easily bring them with you to the park or for a car ride.
#9 Clap your hands
Your baby will most likely not be able to clap until they’re a little bit older, around 9 months, but you can definitely introduce them to clapping right now. They will certainly enjoy it and then slowly try to mimic you.
#10 Let them use a silicone baby feeder while introducing solids
Introducing your baby to solids doesn’t only mean that you should try to feed them but make sure to also let them explore their food. Yes, that can get pretty messy. Hence, another great way to turn exploring new foods into an activity is by letting your child use a silicone baby feeder. It was an absolute hit with my son and I can’t recommend it enough. It will keep your baby entertained, occupied, and rather mess-free for quite a while, while you can take a minute to sit down or prepare dinner for the rest of the family.
#11 Exploring different textures
You don’t necessarily have to come up with sensory bags and bottles, you can simply let your child explore different textures by letting them touch objects you’ve got laying around the house. It could be a soft rug, a pair of jeans, or a bag of beans.
#12 Painting with yogurt
Since your baby will love to put their hands and well, whatever is on them in their mouth, it’s not safe to let them play with regular pain, duh. That doesn’t mean they can’t get creative. Simply let them paint with yogurt. Greek yogurt probably has the best texture for that, you can add natural food coloring.
#13 Let them sit on and play with grass
We can all benefit from spending more time in nature, same goes for your baby. Take them out for walks and let them engage with nature. Whether it’s by letting them sit on and play with grass, leaves or snow.
#14 Pool time
Take your little fishy to a swimming pool. They will definitely enjoy splashing and kicking around!
#15 Bubbles
Blowing bubbles is many kids’ beloved activity. Besides being a fun activity, it can support your baby’s visual tracking skills, spacial skills, hand-eye coordination, and much more!
#16 Make faces
Baby activities can be so simple yet so meaningful and beneficial to them! Simply making faces, will strengthen your bond with your baby. It will also help them develop their social and emotional skills while making them laugh out loud!
#17 Let them sit in front of a mirror
You can keep your little one entertained for quite a while simply by letting them sit in front of a mirror. They will be fascinated by their own reflection.
#18 Tummy time
At 6 months, tummy time becomes more and more fun for both you and your baby. It’s easier to keep them engaged and entertained as they can grab objects and are simply more aware. You can use sensory bags, sensory bottles, rattles, balls, a mirror, and much more during tummy time. Just make sure you don’t leave your baby unsupervised!
#19 Stacking
Introduce baby to stacking cups or blocks. They might be excited to knock them over and with time they will try to start stacking themselves.
#20 Pulling scarfs out a container
Babies absolutely love pulling stuff out of containers as well as putting things from one container to another. You can use an empty baby wipes box, fill it with scarfs that are tied together and let the baby pull them out one by one. You can also fill a container with toys, scarves, or balls and let your baby take them out and explore.
This post was all about things to do with a 6 month old.
