16 Brain Boosting Fun Activities for Babies (Month-wise)

Today's post is about how you can entertain and spend time doing fun activities for babies.

Hola Amigos!

Fetching activities to turn boring time into fun time with your baby?

Although the tiny ones are unable to communicate, we come across phenomenon that make us feel they are very similar to the adults and that is also true with the feeling of boredom.

We do a lot of things to keep ourselves occupied, to keep boredom at bay. Babies too need to be occupied with some activity or other to keep their brains busy.

Are fun activities for babies important?

Playing with your babies not only relieves boredom but also play a significant role in their skills, growth and development.

• It helps better bonding between you and your baby
• It also aids to develop communication, language and social skills
• Your baby feels loved and happy
• It is good for baby's motor skills and physical development
• Fun time with your little one gives him/her ample of opportunities to get imaginative and creative

Read further to know the fun activities for different age group of babies ranging from 0 to 18 months.

Fun activities for babies below 6 months:

These are the group of tots who are least mobile. Imagine yourself lying down at the same place all the times; the same happens with these little ones. They need to be entertained by one or other activities to remove monotony.

#1. Catch the ribbon

You can make your little one lie at one place and play with her ribbon. Hold the ribbon in front of her at a height and swing the ribbon. Give your baby opportunity to catch it. As soon as she holds the ribbon, let her play with it for some time. After few minutes of playing when she gets bored again, continue the game.

Your baby will love this. This would also increase her hand- eye coordination and help your baby to sense touching different objects.

My baby used to love this while she used to have her swing time. She had a ribbon hung on the swing, which I used to sway and she tried to grab it.

You may also tie a soft toy to the ribbon and also hang rotating toys to give treat to her eyes. But remember to supervise your baby when she is playing with the ribbon and toys hung within her reach.

#2. Mimic your baby

At this age, babies are unable to speak but they can babble. To encourage them babbling, you may repeat the sounds made by your baby. After she understands that you are mimicking her, change the patterns of the sounds you are making and encourage her to mimic you too.

For example, when she makes the sound 'ba' you may repeat and introduce the familiar but different sound like 'baa' or 'baah' and encourage her to mimic you.

This fun activity will help your baby to add few more sounds to her babbling ability.

#3. Make massage time a fun and joyful experience

If you massage your baby, it is the great opportunity to turn this time into fun activity. Instead of silent massage time, make it a funny and joyful experience to you and your baby. You can do this by making different funny sounds during giving massage to your baby. Tickle her in between while massaging. Chat with your baby while giving massage and exercise.

This will give your baby a positive feeling about massaging and she will start enjoying one of the best bonding activities for mom and baby.

Meanwhile also look into how to oil massage your baby the right way.

#4. Play ball for her

While she is lying at one place, entertain her by playing ball for her. For some reason, balls are close to every baby's heart.

Your little one will also love watching you playing with this round object.

#5. Let her watch you doing different activities

Everything is new for them and they learn something by viewing everything. So while you are busy in different activities also, place your baby in the place where she can watch you doing various activities.

This will keep her busy and she will not get bored as some activities are going around.

Fun activities for babies from 6 to 12 months:

This is the age group when your baby gets more mobile than previous and so gets hyper curious. She may also speak few words. You have multiple options of fun playing with your baby at this stage, which would also boost their curiosity and imaginations.

#6. Play with water

Babies love to play with water and bubbles. You can give your baby chance to play with water while bathing time. If your baby is able to sit, get a tub or pool in which she can sit and play with water.

You also join playing with her while giving bath like sprinkle water at her, show her the foam formed from the bath soap. Form bubbles from the soapy water. Take precautions that soap does not get into her eyes.

This activity would also get them explored to the world of imagination.

When playing with water, never leave a kid unattended even for the shortest time. Always supervise kids when they play with water.

#7. Get her some colorful books and puppets

Although they cannot understand yet, get them colorful books. It may be storybooks, animal/ birds' book or any other interesting things. Show them different pictures in it. Talk with her about the pictures/tell the stories. Even though she is unable to understand your words, your baby loves to hear you. This activity would please you both and add a lots of words to her developing language skills.

Puppets are also the fun and learning way to play the babies with. You can show the puppets and act like a puppet character while saying about it. This would catch her attention.

#8. Play tickle songs

I am sure your babies would love this activity. Play "round and round the garden" or any other songs you know with your baby.

You can also play tickling with her simply by counting stretched "ooone, twwwo, threee". Tickle her gently from the toes to the fingers. Count her fingers and open and close her hands finger while playing this.

This is a real fun time with your baby which would also help them to increase their memory by memorizing the rhymes heard repetitively.

My baby enjoys this game and laughs while playing a lot. As soon as I start singing this song, she understands and lie down resting her hands as if saying, "mumma I am ready to play my favorite game".

#9. Dance with her

Find out her favorite tune and dance on that tune. Seeing you dancing she would also start dancing moving her hands and clapping singing 'Aa, aa, aa, aaa'.

#10. Play with ball

Now as your baby can sit, play ball with her instead of playing ball for her. Throw the ball with slow pace at her and ask her to throw it back to you.

You can enjoy with her playing ball as it would also improve her hand- eye coordination.

#11. Go for a walk/take her to park

Hold your baby and take her for a walk. Go to park and show your baby the various objects on the way like passing by vehicles, shops, trees etc. Make it a joyful walk to the park. Sit with the group of playing kids in the park. Your baby would love to see other kids playing.

You may also carry her toys/ ball and play with her in garden. This fun time will also increase her social skills.

While playing these activities with your 6+ months baby, you may continue certain activities of the under 6 months also like mimicking her, fun time massage, watching you doing various activities of your house hold work etc.

Fun activities for babies from 12 to 18 months:

Now that your babies have crossed many milestones like sitting, crawling, standing and may be even walking, she is ready to explore her creative and imaginative world. Spend even more time with her and play a lot with her with the following learning activities for babies.

#12. Open and close activities

Give your baby different types of small boxes/jars with screw able lids or simply the closing lids. Show her how to open and close the lids. Do this with her. By observing you, she will also give herself a try on this activity.

As soon as she learns this, give her even more colorful dabbas with various designs. Mix the lids and dabbas and let her find out which lid matches each box/tin. This is a little difficult for many but they will learn eventually. Play this open and close the lids activity with her and appraise her when she is able to open and close the lid or match lid and box.

This activity will also increase her motor skills.

#13. Play with puzzle blocks

Get attractive puzzle blocks and play this game with her. Play with her locking and unlocking puzzle blocks and make different objects out of the blocks or build a tower of it.

This activity doesn't just keep your little one busy for hours but also improves her observation and motor skills.

#14. Hide and seek

Play this traditional game with your baby. Your baby doesn't require to be walking for this, you may have fun playing hide and seek with your crawling baby also.

Hide in a place in front of her to begin with and call her so that she gets to know that she has to seek you. Then slowly explore other hiding places where your baby will come and find you. Applaud her and say "oh!! You got me" when she comes to you.

This will be fun with your baby to learn a new game with her dearest mommy.

#15. Get crafty

You can introduce crafting to your year old baby where both of you are involved. Few of the crafts with one year old are water painting, painting with baby friendly colors, dough playing etc. Have fun doing crafting with your little one recollecting your own childhood.

Note that playing with dough and paints should be done under supervision.

Doing this, your baby slips into her own world of creativity.

#16. Catch me if you can

Play " catch me if you can" you used to play in your childhood with your friends. While she is crawling or walking and chase her slowly (your baby is going to love this totally opposite reaction as it is her who chases you always) and catch her making sound "caught" and give her a smile.

In turn you also run and call her to chase you and catch you. See that your little one doesn't injure herself while playing. Play this in open area with no/least furniture.

This would give her enormous joy and physical exercise. Also she is getting ready to learn new games with you.

These fun time activities would also teach your baby new things everyday and in bonus she is going to love you more and more day by day.

Playing with babies, adding interactive activities not just develops skills but also minimize crankiness. They love being involved, so make sure to play different games each day so that they don't feel lonely.

Remember as they always say, " They will be little, for just a little while ". So spend quality time with your little ones mommies. Cherish the precious moments with your little love. I'm sure you would!

What all are the fun activities that you play with your baby? Which is your baby's favorite playtime idea? Share with me in the comments.