Enhance your babies physical, emotional, social , mental and Motor skills with these simple and no prep activities.
Hey Congratulations so now your baby is halfway through.
This is the time for physical, mental, and social and emotional changes in babies. They grow rapidly in this phase and many milestones are achieved.
Important Note:
Make sure to provide a safe environment and always keep a watch while doing these activities.
Never leave the baby unattended.
Related:
Ultimate Guide on Baby Proofing your home
Here are some Gross Motor and Fine Motor Changes in babies of 6 months to 12 months.
GROSS MOTOR SKILLS
Gross motor skills are things your baby does with their large muscles, including those in the legs, arms, torso, and neck. Some things your 6-month-old through 12-month-old baby would be doing include:
- Sits independently
- Reaches for feet and toes
- Sits up from from tummy time
- Stands with support
- Walks sideways while holding onto furniture (“cruising”)
- Stands briefly without support
- Takes steps while holding your hand
FINE MOTOR SKILLS
Fine motor skills use the small muscles in the hands and fingers. These include things like:
- Picks up small objects using hands and fingers
- Bangs two items together
- Transfers toys and objects between hands
- Points using the index finger
- Explores and examines toys by pulling, poking, tearing, etc.
- Drops objects into containers
Here are 20 No Prep Activities for 6 to 12 months old
These no prep activities for babies will not only enhance their motor and developmental skills but also help moms and dads bond with their babies in a special way.
1. Peekaboo
What we need
Hide the soft toys partially in a blanket or a box such that a bit of the object is visible.
Ask your baby where is the teddy?
You may also Use toys that make noise to grab their attention.
Learning Outcome
- Object permanence
- Gross Motor and Fine Motor Skills
- Visual discrimination (if using sound)
2. Sensory Activity with Edible Items
This is a great time to introduce sensory play and let your babies explore.
Some of the edible items that can be used are
- Colored Spaghetti
- Colored Pasta
- Yogurt
- Crushed Biscuits
- Rice or corn crispies
- Boiled peas
How to play
Use a big tray add any of edible item and let them explore.
Benefits
- Social and Emotional Skills
- Cognitive development
- Gross Motor Skills
- Hand eye coordination
- Fine motor skills
- Encourages self feeding
- Improves pincer grasp
- Exploring various textures
3. Baby Safe Sensory Bags
How to make a sensory Bag
Take a Ziploc Bag, add a quarter cup of oil and a quarter cup of water.
You may add colorful pompoms or food colors to making it look colourful.
Lastly tape it and tight and seal it to the floor surface.
As already mentioned above, this is the stage when most of the babies are mouthing.
Make sure to use baby safe fillers only and also tape it tight so that there isn’t any leakage.
Other fillers you can use are
- Shaving cream
- Dry pasta
- Pom poms
- Popcorn
- Dyed rice
- Dyed Sago Seeds (sabudana)
- Salt
- Drinking straws
- Beads
- Clear hair gel or shampoo
- Water beads
- Buttons
- Leaves
- Glitter and baby oil
- Cereal
- Chips
- Crumpled paper balls
- Oil and water
Benefits of Sensory Bags
- develop language skills.
- learn to explore.
- Stimulates sensory attributes (i.e. hot, cold, wet, dry, soft, hard),
- developing motor skills.
- Distinguishes between various Textures.
- develop focus.
4. Clap with me
Just take your baby in your lap and count and clap.
Sing songs and encourage Clapping with songs like Pat-a-Cake or Clap your Hands.
Learning Outcome
- Imitation
- Rhyming
- Strengthens hand muscles
5. Sing and Dance to the Songs
Sing Songs and dance along with your baby.
Benefits
- Auditory discrimination
- Improves Vocabulary
- Gross Motor Skills
- Imitation
6. Read to your Baby
Reading soft and board books is a great activity for 6 to 12 months.
Benefits
- Auditory discrimination
- Visual discrimination
- Improves Vocabulary
Related:
Books for 0 to 2 year olds
7. Ball Push
What we need?
- Soft ball
- Cardboard
- Toy Hammer
Make hole in a Cardboard so that the ball can easily enter.
Allow your baby to push the ball.
Learning Outcome
- Cause and Effect
- Gross Motor Skills
8. Come and Get me
Keep a colorful toy to entice your little one. A rattle that makes sound is even better to grab the attention of your baby.
Call your little one to get the toy.
Benefits
- Gross Motor Skills
- Strengthens core muscles
9. Water or Ice Play
Water Play
- Baby Tub
- Balls
- Toys
- Spoons and containers
Make your baby sit in a bath tub with balls and safe toys for oodles of fun and play.
Ice Play
- Ice trays
- Flowers
- Large Bin or tray
Freeze some flowers with water. When it freezes place it in a tray for exploration.
Learning Outcome
- Gross Motor and Fine Motor Skills
- Sensory play
- Tactile sense
10. Balloon Fun
Balloons are always a win win.
Just blow some balloons and let your baby have some safe spontaneous fun.
Safety tip:
- Make sure that the balloon string is not more than 7 inches (18cm)
- Remember to remove pieces of the broken balloon as it may cause choking in kids.
11. Drumming
Babies love drumming.
They can start beating the sofa surface to make some music.
Alternatively give them pots and pans and spoons for some great fun.
Learning Outcome
- Cause and effect
- Auditory discrimination as different surfaces makes different sounds.
12. Copy Cat
Blow raspberries or laugh or make silly faces.
Benefits
- Imitation
- Social Skills
- Attention span and focus
- Visual and Proprioception
13. Stacking and Breaking Towers
Stack blocks or rings. Initially your baby would be interested in breaking the tower you make.
This helps them in exploring and learning cause and effect.
14. Torch light Show
What we need?
- Torch light
- Colored Cellophane sheets
- Rubber band
Cover the torch light with colored cellophane sheets and let the babies explore.
Learning Outcome
- Visual Discrimination
- Learning about shadows
- Learning about light and dark
15. Shake the Bottle
Make music with sensory bottle.
Take a plastic bottle, fill it with rice or pulses. Shake shake to make music.
Learning Outcome
- Auditory discrimination
- Sensory play
16. Paint in a Bag
What we need?
- Zip pouch
- Paints
- Paper
- Tape
Place the paper in the ziploc bag. Spill a few drops of paint on the paper. Seal it tightly. Use some extra tape so that your toddler can’t open it.
Secure it tightly to a table with the help of tapes.
Let your baby squish the colors and enjoy the sensory art.
17. Sit ups
- Sit on the bed with your legs stretched while the baby lies on them with their feet towards you.
- Hold the hands of the baby and gently pull their torso towards you at a full 90 degree.
- Make a funny face or sing a song while you pull them into the sitting position.
- Hold them there for a few seconds before putting them on their back again.
Learning Outcome
- Gross Motor Skills
- Strengthens core
18. Mirror Game
Babies love staring their face in the mirror.
What we need?
Games to be played with the mirror
1. Initially let them gaze at the mirror.
2. Point towards their nose, eyes , mouth , hands , legs etc.
3. Imitation games like make silly faces in front of the mirror.
Learning Outcome
- Self Awareness
- Visual Discrimination
19. The Family Picture Game
Show a photo album with a single picture of every family member on each page. See how many they can recognise.
This is great game to introduce babies to their extended family especially if you are in a nuclear set up.
Learning Outcome
- Visual perception
- Face Recognition
20. Peel the tape and rescue the toys
Stick some toys on the baby’s highchair with tape.
Let them peel the tape and rescue the toys.
Learning Outcome
- Improves Pincer Grasp
- Fine motor Skills
- Social Skills
- Instills the sense of independence
Disclaimer
Each child develops at their own pace. Some children may take time to pick up some activities.
Make sure to provide a safe environment while carrying out these activities.
Supervise the baby at all intervals.
Most importantly have fun.
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