problem solving activities for 9 month old

Discovery Play with Littles

2:01 pm ·

15 Powerful Problem Solving Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

I looked over to her table and she’s crying. Again. While everyone else is happily working away, she sat there, unable to move, just crying. 

Not asking for help.

Not trying to solve her problem.

Just crying.

I took a deep breath before heading over. We’ve already been at this for several months…isn’t it about time the problem-solving has kicked in yet?

One glance and I could tell what her problem was. She didn’t have her pencil.

Know how I knew?

It laid on the floor beside her. In plain sight.

As a kindergarten teacher, I don’t jump right in and solve problems for kids. It’s good for them to try to solve the problem themselves. This is something she struggled with. 

I reminded myself of the need for patience and empathy as I walked up to her. “What’s wrong, Amanda?” 

“I…can’t…find…my…pencil….” she sputtered out between sobs. 

“Ok, that’s a problem we can solve. What have you tried?” 

“I don’t know.” 

After a long time trying to first, calm her down, and second, come up with some strategies she could try, she finally found her pencil. At that point, everyone else had finished the project. 

What is Problem Solving?

Problem-solving is the process of finding a solution to your problem . This can be quite tricky for some young children, especially those with little experience in finding more than one way to solve a problem.

Why is Problem Solving Important? 

Problem-solving skills are used throughout childhood into adulthood. As adults, we solve problems on a daily basis. Some problems we solve without thinking much- I wanted to make tacos for dinner but forgot to buy the ground beef. What are we going to have for dinner now?

Other problems are significantly more complicated. 

Problems for kiddos can be problems with friendships, the inability to find something that’s needed, or even what to do when things don’t go your way. 

Kids who lack problem-solving skills struggle to maintain friendships or even begin to attempt to solve their own problems. 

Children who lack problem-solving skills are at a higher risk for depression as well.

What Are Problem-Solving Skills?

Problem-solving skills are:

• Breaking Down a Problem into Smaller Parts
• Communication
• Decision-making
• Logical Reasoning
• Perseverance

That’s a big list to teach toddlers and preschoolers. Where do you begin?

The Problem-Solving Steps

Sometimes kids are so overwhelmed with frustration that it affects their ability to solve problems.

Kids feel safe in routines, and routines help them learn and grow. After a few times of repeating this routine, you’ll find your kiddo starts to do this on their own. 

It’s important not to skip straight to solving the problem , because your kiddo needs to be in a calm state of mind to solve the problem, and also they need to know their feelings are valid. 

• The first thing to do when your kiddo is struggling with problem-solving is to validate their emotions.

In doing this, they will feel more understood and learn that their emotions are okay. There are no bad feelings, and we must learn how to manage our emotions. 

This might sound something like “Oh, I can see you are really frustrated that the block won’t fit on there right. Let’s take some deep breaths to help us calm down before we think about what to do next.”

• Next, work through your calm-down process . This may be taking some deep breaths together, hugging a stuffie, or giving your kiddo some quiet time to calm down their heart and mind.
• Identify the problem . This sounds like something you may have already done (before the meltdown) but it’s important to be very clear on the problem you’re solving. Have the child tell you their problem out loud.
• Move on to solution-finding . When your kiddo is ready, talk about what the problem is and three possible solutions. When possible, let your kiddo do all of the talking. This allows him to practice his problem-solving skills. It’s important to remind him that the first thing he tries may not work, and that’s ok. There’s always another way to solve the problem. If he’s prepared for this, solutions that don’t work won’t be such a frustrating experience. 
• After you’ve done that, test your solutions one by one. See what works. If you haven’t found a solution yet, go back and think of different ways you might be able to solve your problem and try again.

Are you tired of hearing “It’s TOO HARD!” followed by a meltdown?

Using this one simple phrase you’ll get in this powerful lesson, you’ll not only be able to help your kiddo not give up but you’ll:

>Activate their superpower of perseverance so that they can turn around a meltdown and keep trying

>Inspire them to use perseverance …even when it’s hard

>Teach them to recognize the warning signs of giving up , and how to turn it around by taking control of their choices.

Grab your powerful FREE video lesson to teach your kiddo one of the most powerful keys to perseverance.

Powerful Activities that Teach Problem-Solving Skills to Toddlers & Preschoolers

These activities below may look simple, but don’t let that deter you from trying them. A lot happens in little developing brains and these powerful activities help toddlers and preschoolers make connections and develop {many} essential skills-more than just problem-solving.

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Puzzles are fun and a great way to encourage cognitive development in children. They are great for spacial reasoning and strengthening problem-solving skills. They also develop memory skills, critical thinking, and the ability to plan and execute the plan. Toddlers will enjoy the simple puzzles, and preschoolers will do great with floor puzzles with larger puzzle pieces.

Doing Simple Chores

Doing simple chores is a great way to teach children problem-solving skills, and it strengthens responsibility and perseverance as well. 

During the toddler years , you may start with just picking up their toys, or helping you put their dirty clothes in the hamper. 

Preschoolers can take their dirty dishes to the sink (or load them in the dishwasher), collect the trash, dust, wipe baseboards, and do their own personal care items like making their bed, taking care of their dirty clothes, and putting clean clothes away.

Stacking Rings

When watching a toddler play with stacking rings it doesn’t look like much is happening, but playing with these toys is full of ways to encourage development. It helps with visual and spacial perception and planning ahead, but it also with balance control, crossing the midline, creative play, and gross motor skills. Not to mention it’s a great opportunity to practice problem-solving. 

Playing Hide-and-Seek

Hide and seek has many surprising benefits for kids. Playing hide and seek is like a treasure hunt that helps develop gross motor skills and encourages physical development, as well as problem-solving skills. It also helps young children develop visual tracking, working memory, and social-emotional skills.

Imaginative Play

Imaginative play (also called role-play) builds important skills. Through pretending to be in different situations, kids develop social skills, emotional skills, better communication, and problem-solving skills. Imaginative play is a great idea for young toddlers all the way to older children.

Free Play 

Many young children don’t have {enough} time for free play. Free play is important for healthy brain development , not only developing imagination, cooperation, physical skills, and independence but also providing a great opportunity to strengthen problem-solving skills. 

Playing with Wooden Blocks

Building blocks are a fun way for children to develop creative thinking, imagination, problem-solving, fine motor skills, and if working with others, cooperation, communication, and friendship.

Playing Memory

Memory games improve attention, focus, visual recognition, and concentration. It helps children recognize details and of course, strengthens problem-solving skills. 

Ask Questions

When I see my son struggling with something, my first instinct is to give him choices or at least lead him in the right direction. The better thing to do is to ask very open-ended questions that lead his process, not his thoughts.

Questions like “What’s one way to solve your problem?” are much more effective in teaching problem-solving skills than “Well, where did you last see your stuffy?” 

Read Books and Social Stories

Reading books is one of my favorite ways to teach any skill. It’s extremely effective at teaching, and it’s also an amazing bonding time with kids.

When we read stories, our brain reacts as if we’re living in the story. This is why reading books about skills such as problem-solving is so effective. 

Kids of all ages learn from the people they love . (Yes, even those older kids who you don’t think are paying attention.) Often as adults, we’re too busy going through our daily routine to think about talking about the way we solved the problem at work that day.

Talking about how you use skills such as problem-solving, perseverance, and integrity is a great way to set an example, and an expectation that this is how we do things, and it will provide encouragement for your kiddo to do the same.

Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger hunts are a great group activity that can strengthen your child’s logical thinking and problem-solving skills.

When Your Kiddo is Ready, Add These Activities

Preschoolers would benefit from all of the fun activities on the list above and when they’re ready, feel free to add in the following activities.   

Mazes are great for problem-solving and perseverance, but your kiddo will need to have decent fine motor skills to do these activities. Mazes are one of our favorite activities. We love to take our activity book of mazes in the car with us for road trips. 

Board Games  

Board games are a good way to strengthen problem-solving, teamwork, planning skills, patience, sportsmanship, and communication skills. They also strengthen family relationships by providing some intentional time of connection .

Any board game can also be turned into an academic game with just a deck of cards for whatever skill you’re working on. If you’re working on the alphabet, put one letter on each card. Before each player’s turn, they draw a letter card and say the letter’s name. (You may accidentally forget the name of a letter every now and then to see if your kiddo is really paying attention!) 

Allow Opportunities for Hands-On Investigations

Kids are tactile. They love to touch and explore things with their hands. This is a good activity for toddlers also, as long as they are out of the putting everything in their mouth stage. Hands-on exploration is great for language development, sensory exploration, and problem-solving.

Allowing kids to investigate with their hands allows them to see how the world works up close. It also gives them time and space to try to make things work…and problem-solve when it doesn’t go as they think it should.

The Most Difficult Way (and Most Important Way) To Strengthen Problem-Solving Skills

Watching our kids struggle is hard ! We don’t want to see them having a hard time…and most of the time we don’t want to deal with the impending meltdown. Standing back and giving our kids time and space to work through even simple problems is hard to do. It’s also the most important way to strengthen problem-solving skills. 

As parents, we’re like frogs in boiling water. When our kids are infants, they need us to recognize their needs and solve them immediately. As they get older, they can point to what they want, but we still have a lot of interpreting and problem-solving to do on our own. If we aren’t careful, we stay in this stage and don’t teach our kiddos the steps to problem-solving for themselves. 

The next most difficult thing? Allowing natural consequences to happen. (As long as your child is safe of course.) If your child saves their money for a long time to buy a new toy, but walks down the toy aisle and picks up something you know they’ll be disappointed with, let it happen. It will teach a valuable lesson that will last for years to come.

Another Essential Part of Problem-Solving

Perseverance is a big part of problem-solving. We are rarely able to solve problems the first time, and it’s essential that kids can find more than one solution to a problem. Studies have found that perseverance is actually the biggest predictor of success, even more than aptitude or raw talent. 

An entire module is dedicated to perseverance in our course for kids, Super Kid Adventures . Your kiddo will get 25 teacher-led lessons on character traits (perseverance, empathy, friendship, responsibility, and wellness) and activities that take their learning further. 

Want a free preview? Grab a FREE Perseverance video lesson that teaches your kiddo one of the most important secrets that help them use perseverance.

Want More? 

If you like this, you’ll love: 

The Ultimate List of Books that Teach Perseverance

7 Simple Ways to Encourage Independence in Young Children

How to Help Your Child Develop Self-Help Skills

Your Turn 

What are your favorite ways to teach problem-solving skills?

About Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a mama of two boys, a former teacher, and the founder of Discovery Play with Littles. Her mission is to make raising kids with character simple and fun. Join us for our best learning through play ideas, character growth activities, and family connection ideas so you can watch your child thrive.

Reader Interactions

As a SLP trying to guide parents as I work with their child. I would like to know what toys to recommend to my parents as I assist in guiding their child’s development in cognition and expressive language.

Perseverance is the biggest predictor of success, even more than raw talent or aptitude.

Grab a FREE lesson to teach your kiddo one of the keys to perseverance...which is how we talk to our brains.

They'll learn what to say when they encounter something difficult, and why it's so important.

PLAY is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood. -Mr. Rogers

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Fun and Engaging Activities for Your 9-Month-Olds

It’s a world of wonder with your 9-month-old! In this post, we’ll explore a variety of fun and creative activities that are perfect for curious and active 9 month olds as they continue to reach exciting milestones in their development.

Welcome to the exciting stage of your baby’s development at 9 months old! Your little one is growing rapidly and becoming more curious about the world around them. As a parent, you play a crucial role in supporting their developmental milestones and fostering their curiosity through fun and engaging activities. In this article, we’ll explore what 9-month-old babies can typically do and provide you with 20 creative and easy activities to do at home that will delight and stimulate your baby’s senses and motor skills.

What Can a 9-Month-Old Baby Do?

At 9 months old, your baby is becoming more mobile and developing their motor skills. They may be sitting independently, crawling, or attempting to pull themselves up to stand. They are also starting to explore objects with their fingers and grasp items using their whole hand (palmar grasp). Additionally, their language development is progressing, and they may be babbling or responding to familiar words and sounds. Your baby’s personality is also emerging as they become more social and interactive, seeking attention and expressing their preferences.

9-Month-Old Baby Milestones

• Sitting independently for longer periods of time
• Crawling or attempting to crawl
• Pulling themselves up to stand with support
• Transferring objects from one hand to another
• Exploring objects with fingers and mouth
• Responding to their name or familiar sounds
• Babbling and imitating sounds
• Showing preferences and developing a sense of likes and dislikes

WANT TO TRY THESE ACTIVITIES LATER? PIN IT NOW SO YOU CAN FIND IT WHEN YOU NEED IT!

14 Fun and Easy Activities for 9 Month Olds at Home

• Edible Sensory Play: Create an edible sensory experience for your baby by offering them different types of safe and soft foods such as cooked pasta, mashed fruits or vegetables, or yogurt. Let them explore the textures, colors, and tastes with their hands and mouths.
• Painting with Food: Set up a safe painting activity by using baby-safe paint or pureed fruits and vegetables on a large sheet of paper or a high chair tray. Let your baby use their hands, fingers, or a brush to explore and create their own edible artwork.
• Bubble Wrap Stomp: Lay out a piece of bubble wrap on the floor and encourage your baby to stomp on it, promoting their gross motor skills and sensory exploration.
• Sorting Fun: Give your baby a set of colorful objects such as blocks, balls, or soft toys, and provide containers with different shapes or sizes for them to sort and drop the objects into. This activity promotes their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving skills.
• Sensory Bath Time: Make bath time a sensory experience by adding colorful bath toys, foam letters or shapes, or bubbles to the water. Let your baby explore the textures, colors, and sensations while having fun in the water.
• Water Play: Fill a shallow container with warm water and let your baby splash and play with their hands and toys. Add some bath toys or containers for pouring and scooping for extra fun and sensory stimulation.
• Musical Instruments: Introduce your baby to different musical instruments such as a mini keyboard, shaker, or drum, and let them experiment with making sounds and rhythms. This activity promotes their auditory development, fine motor skills, and creativity.
• Soft Obstacle Course: Create a soft and safe obstacle course using pillows, cushions, and soft toys for your baby to crawl or climb over. This activity promotes their gross motor skills, balance, and spatial awareness.

More Activities for 9 Month Olds at Home

• Bubble Play: Blow bubbles and watch your baby’s excitement as they try to catch or pop them. This activity promotes their visual tracking, hand-eye coordination, and sensory exploration.
• Homemade Sensory Bags: Create sensory bags by filling resealable plastic bags with various materials such as water, hair gel, or sand, and adding small toys or objects for your baby to squish and explore with their fingers.
• Nature Walk: Take your baby for a leisurely walk in a park or your backyard, and point out different natural elements such as flowers, leaves, or insects. This activity promotes their visual and sensory development and encourages a connection with nature.
• Treasure Hunt: Hide small objects or toys around a safe area and encourage your baby to search for and discover them. This activity promotes their fine motor skills, visual tracking, and problem-solving skills.
• Soft Toy Tower: Build a tower using soft toys or plush blocks and encourage your baby to knock it down, promoting their hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills.
• Ball Roll: Sit facing your baby and gently roll a soft ball back and forth, encouraging them to reach for and grasp the ball, promoting their hand-eye coordination and motor skills.

Final Thoughts

As always, ensure that all materials used are safe and age-appropriate, and closely supervise your baby during these activities. Follow your baby’s cues and interests, and let their natural curiosity guide the play. Enjoy the precious moments of discovery and exploration with your 9-month-old baby! Happy parenting!

Disclaimer: Please consult with your pediatrician or healthcare provider before starting any new activities with your baby to ensure their safety and well-being. Always follow appropriate safety guidelines and age recommendations for toys and activities.

Age Suitability

These at home activities are good for babies aged 9-months-olds and up.

The mess level for these activities for 9-month-olds varies.

Difficulty to Create Activities for 9-Month-Olds

Skills developed for activities for 9-month-olds.

Visual tracking, Body awareness, Reaching, grasping & eye hand coordination, fine motor skills, gross motor skills.

Toddler and Preschooler Curriculums, Books & TV Show!

Play2learn toddler & preschool programs for curious toddlers.

There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!

But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.

Play2Learn for Toddlers  includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.

Play2Learn Preschool  which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years.  That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again! 

These  toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities  will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!

Click here for more information: Play2Learn

Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.

Book:  Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids

Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information  Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids . Or grab your copy at  Amazon . 

Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.

Book:  Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids

Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more. 

Find out more and grab your copy  here .

Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.

Book:  Big Book of Riddles for Kids

Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast?  The Big Riddle Book for Kids , of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles that show them how to think outside the box.

• 350 riddles for kids —Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
• Level up their skills —Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
• Double-check their work —Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.

Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!

Designed for kids ages 6 years   old and up.

TV Show:  Curious Crafting

I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show  Curious Crafting  which launched in July 2022 on  TVOkids  and  TVOkids YouTube ! Season 2 airs in the summer of 2023! We were also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.

Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.

In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create. 

Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.

In season 2, we add new kinds of crafts like STEAM crafts and slime!

This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up. 

WILL YOU MAKE THESE ACTIVITIES FOR 9-MONTH-OLDS WITH YOUR KIDS? PIN IT FOR LATER!

Filed Under:

• Sensory Bins, Bottles and Bags

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Best Activities for a 9-Month-Old Baby

Medical review policy, latest update:, what skills is your child developing at 9 months , social and emotional skills, language and communication skills, cognitive skills, gross and fine motor skills, best activities for a 9-month-old baby, read this next, experiment with textures, play clapping and sing-along games, introduce utensils and practice open-cup drinking, play music together, tunnel time.

But while you should aim to factor playtime into your baby's daily routine, you also shouldn't be too hard on yourself or feel like you have to invest in tons of gear. Research shows that simple activities like talking, singing and reading are some of the most important things parents can do to engage with their children.

What to Expect the First Year , 3rd edition, Heidi Murkoff. WhatToExpect.com, Introducing a Cup , February 2019. American Academy of Pediatrics,  Infant Physical Activity , July 2021 American Academy of Pediatrics,  Movement: Babies 8 to 12 Months , April 2021. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association,  Birth to One Year , October, 2021. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  Important Milestones: Your Baby By Nine Months , July 2021. CHOC Children’s, Children’s Hospital of Orange County,  Developmental Milestones: Fine Motor Skills and Visual Motor Skills , 2021. KidsHealth From Nemours,  Movement, Coordination, and Your 8- to 12-Month-Old , June 2019. KidsHealth From Nemours,  Communication and Your 8- to 12-Month-Old , June 2019. KidsHealth From Nemours,  Smart Toys for Every Age , June 2018. Mayo Clinic,  Infant Development: Milestones from 7 to 9 Months , June 2020. Merck Manual,  Separation Anxiety and Stranger Anxiety , June 2020. National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine,  Developmental Milestones Record—9 Months , October 2020. Stanford Children’s Health,  The Growing Child: 7 to 9 Months , 2021. University of Michigan Health, Michigan Medicine,  Emotional and Social Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months , May 2020. Manasa Mantravadi, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician in Indianapolis, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Environmental Health. Elizabeth S. Norton, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Department of Medical Social Sciences, principal investigator at LEARN Lab at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.

Go to Your Baby's Age

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Important Milestones: Your Baby By Nine Months

CDC’s milestones and parent tips have been updated and new checklist ages have been added (15 and 30 months). For more information about the updates to CDC’s developmental milestones, please review the Pediatrics journal article  and these  important key points .

How your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves offers important clues about your child’s development. Developmental milestones are things most children (75% or more) can do by a certain age.

Check the milestones your child has reached by 9 months by completing a checklist with CDC’s free Milestone Tracker  mobile app, for  iOS  and  Android  devices, using the Digital Online Checklist , or by printing the checklist  [714 KB, 2 Pages, Print Only]  below.

“Learn the Signs. Act Early.” materials are not a substitute for standardized, validated developmental screening tools .

What most babies do by this age:

Social/emotional milestones.

Close video

Language/Communication Milestones

Cognitive milestones (learning, thinking, problem-solving), movement/physical development milestones, shows several facial expressions, like happy, sad, angry, and surprised.

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Moves things from one hand to her other hand

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Smiles or laughs when you play peek-a-boo

Sits without support

Other important things to share with the doctor…

• What are some things you and your baby do together?
• What are some things your baby likes to do?
• Is there anything your baby does or does not do that concerns you?
• Has your baby lost any skills he/she once had?
• Does your baby have any special healthcare needs or was he/she born prematurely?

Concerned About Your Child’s Development? Act Early.

You know your child best. Don’t wait. If your child is not meeting one or more milestones, has lost skills he or she once had, or you have other concerns, act early. Talk with your child’s doctor, share your concerns, and ask about developmental screening. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be screened for general development using standardized, validated tools at 9, 18, and 30 months and for autism at 18 and 24 months or whenever a parent or provider has a concern.

If you or the doctor are still concerned:

• Ask for a referral to a specialist who can evaluate your child more; and
• Call your state or territory’s early intervention program to find out if your child can get services to help. Learn more and find the number at cdc.gov/FindEI .

For more on how to help your child, visit cdc.gov/Concerned .

As your baby’s first teacher, you can help his or her learning and brain development. Try these simple tips and activities in a safe way. Talk with your baby’s doctor and teachers if you have questions or for more ideas on how to help your baby’s development.

• Repeat your baby’s sounds and say simple words using those sounds. For example, if your baby says “bababa,” repeat “bababa,” then say “book.”
• Place toys on the ground or on a play mat a little out of reach and encourage your baby to crawl, scoot, or roll to get them. Celebrate when she reaches them.
• Teach your baby to wave “bye-bye” or shake his head “no.” For example, wave and say “bye-bye” when you are leaving. You can also teach simple baby sign language to help your baby tell you what he wants before he can use words.

Click here for more tips and activities

• Play games, such as peek-a-boo. You can cover your head with a cloth and see if your baby pulls it off.
• Play with your baby by dumping blocks from a container and putting them back in together.
• Play games with your baby, such as my turn, your turn. Try this by passing a toy back and forth.
• “Read” to your baby. Reading can be talking about pictures. For example, while looking at books or magazines, name the pictures as you point to them.
• Limit screen time (TV, tablets, phones, etc.) to video calling with loved ones. Screen time is not recommended for children younger than 2 years of age. Babies learn by talking, playing, and interacting with others.
• Find out about choking risks and safe foods to feed your baby. Let him practice feeding himself with his fingers and using a cup with a small amount of water. Sit next to your baby and enjoy mealtime together. Expect spills. Learning is messy and fun!
• Ask for behaviors that you want. For example, instead of saying “don’t stand,” say “time to sit.”
• Help your baby get used to foods with different tastes and textures. Foods can be smooth, mashed, or finely chopped. Your baby might not like every food on the first try. Give her a chance to try foods again and again.
• Say a quick and cheerful goodbye instead of sneaking away so your baby knows you are leaving, even if he cries. He will learn to calm himself and what to expect. Let him know when you return by saying “Daddy’s back!”
• Have routines for sleeping and feeding. Babies do better when they know what to expect.
• Stay close by as your baby explores and moves around your home so she knows that you are near.
• Make sure your baby gets enough sleep: 4- to 12-month-olds need 12 to 16 hours of sleep a day (including naps). Consistent sleep times make it easier!
• Take care of yourself. Parenting can be hard work! It is easier to enjoy your growing baby and be a loving parent when you feel good yourself.
• Make it a game when your baby drops things. Hand the item back to her so she can drop it again.
• Pay attention to the way he reacts to new situations and people; try to continue to do things that make your baby happy and comfortable.
• Describe what your baby is looking at; for example, “red, round ball.”
• Play a game that teaches your baby to look for things she sees you hide, such as a toy under a blanket.
• Give your baby safe places to explore. Baby-proof your home. For example, move sharp or breakable things out of reach. Lock away medicines, chemicals, and cleaning products. Save the Poison Help Line number, 800-222-1222, in all phones.
• Use your words, facial expressions, and voice to show what you think your baby is feeling (sad, mad, happy). For example, tell him “You are sad, let’s see if we can make you feel better.”
• Put your baby close to things that she can pull up on safely.

Special acknowledgments to the subject matter experts and others who contributed to the review of data and selection of developmental milestones, especially Paul H. Lipkin, MD, Michelle M. Macias, MD, Julie F. Pajek, PhD, Judith S. Shaw, EdD, MPH, RN, Karnesha Slaughter, MPH, Jane K. Squires,  PhD, Toni M. Whitaker, MD, Lisa D. Wiggins, PhD, and Jennifer M. Zubler, MD.

Sincere gratitude to Natalia Benza, MD and José O. Rodríguez, MD, MBA for their thoughtful review of the Spanish-language translation of these milestones.

• Developmental Disabilities
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• National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
• Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 Month Olds

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Parenting in the First 3 Years: Listen to our latest episode!

7. Shake Shake Shake! 

Invite your baby to explore different sounds. Give your baby “big kid” rattles by putting different objects in tupperware containers (eliminate choking hazards by securely closing the container, possible even taping it closed). Some ideas to place inside the containers: rice, pasta, jingle bells, pompoms, small toys, etc.

8. Hats Off To You

As you’ve probably already discovered, your baby loves looking at his own image. Mirrors are powerful tools for the developing concept of self-recognition. Encourage development of this concept by playing with hats in front of the mirror. Have your baby try on different hats and notice his image. As the hats change and his face remains the same, his recognition of self will develop.

9. Hiding in Plain Sight

As your baby’s ability to find hidden objects increases, challenge your baby’s perception by “hiding” something under a transparent object, such as a clear container or transparent scarf.

10. Hi! Bye! 

In a few months your baby will soon verbalize a few words. ‘Hi’ and ‘bye’ are a few common first words because they are used frequently, especially with young children. Increase your child’s exposure to these words by popping in and saying “Hi!” then leaving and saying “Bye!” It’s like a verbal peekaboo!

11. Treasure Baskets

During this age, babies become fascinated with grabbing and dropping objects. Let you child explore this topic by creating baskets filled with interesting, grab-able (and safe!) objects for your child to investigate. The Train Driver’s Wife has a great  post on ideas for setting up these baskets .

12. Story Time

Reading truly is one of the most timeless activities for any child. If you’re wondering why it’s so important, check out our post on why  you should read to your baby .

13. Movie Star

Your baby is beginning to understand that he is a separate person (a concept that fully develops between 12-15 months). Invite exploration of this concept by recording your baby (video or just audio), then playing the recording back to him. He’ll love hearing himself!

14. Magic Show

As your baby develops the concept of object permanence, play with the concept through hiding games. A great example is to roll balls through a cardboard tube. As your baby follows the ball from entering the tube, disappearing, then reappearing on the other side of the tube, she’ll be delighted and intrigued.

15. Fill ‘er Up!

Give your baby a container with an extra wide mouth along with some small, age-appropriate toys. Show your baby how to fill the container up with toys (a transparent container is best because then she can track the object) and encourage her to try. This activity develops the concept of spatial relations (“How much stuff fits in here?”). After your baby has figured out how to put the toys in, show her how to take them out, which encourages problem solving.

16. Nature Walk

Nature is full of so many textures. Don’t be afraid to plop your amazing sitter down on the ground and take in all the outdoor textures. Yes, she might get a little dirty, but that’s why we have washing machines and bathtubs, right? Encourage your baby to feel grass, leaves, sticks, rocks, etc. Just make sure anything that winds up in her mouth is safe to be there!

17. Pots and Pans

One of the most cliche baby activities is sitting on the kitchen floor playing with pots and pans. But this activity is cliche for a reason–it’s fun! Let your baby explore sounds by offering spoons (wooden and metal) to play with your pots and pans.

18. Let There Be Light

Let your baby turn the lights on and off when you enter and leave the room by using the light switch. This activity encourages your baby to be a helpful and explore cause and effect. Depending on the type of switches in your home, it can also develop fine motor skills.

19. Three Hands?

Give your baby a toy for each hand. Once both hands are occupied, offer your baby a third toy. Does your baby try to hold the toy with her full hands? Does she drop everything? This activity encourages problem solving. Over time, your baby will put down one toy before grasping another.

20. Obstacle Course

Once your baby has mastered crawling, set up obstacle courses for him to try out! Obstacles could be made of piles of blankets, small cushions, or sheets draped over chairs to make tunnels. Crawling has so many vital benefits for your child. Mama OT has a great  post about why crawling matters .

Pin this list so you can reference it again later!

Happy playing!

I'm a child development specialist, parent coach and teacher trainer. I've cared for countless babies in child development programs, plus 3 kids, 3 grand babies and 5 foster babies! I LOVE babies and would come hold yours if I could. ❤️

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Problem-Solving Brain Games for Babies

January 30th, 2017 | 2 min. read

By Gryphon House

It can be daunting to come up with infant classroom ideas. There are so many ways babies learn, and so many things to teach them! One of the most universal things educators can work with is problem solving activities for infants. Problem solving strategies can be introduced to children pretty early, usually starting around 6 months. 

It can be daunting to come up with infant classroom ideas. There are so many ways babies learn, and so many things to teach them! One of the most universal things educators can work with is problem solving activities for infants. Problem solving strategies can be introduced to children pretty early, usually starting around 6 months. These activities can apply to universal problem solving—determining that individual actions can effect and fix problems—or specific problem solving like communicating with a caregiver. Cognitive activities for infants build these skills and pave the way for effective problem-solving abilities later in life.

There are several books that focus on puzzles for babies. One of them is Jackie Silberg ’s 125 Brain Games for Babies . This book serves as an excellent resource for parents and educators seeking advice on how best to engage with their children. Below are a few brain activities for babies that provide a foundation for problem-solving skills.

Pick Up, Throw Down

Infants are very observant. They notice when two things happen close together and strive to make a connection. When babies begin to hold and drop things, they notice if people stop to pick them up.

What to Do:

• Sit your baby in her high chair and give her several large toys to play with. Play with her and talk about the toy’s texture, what they are, and how they look
• After a while, drop one of the toys on the floor. Draw your baby’s attention to it by saying “Uh oh” or “Where did the rattle go?”
• Bend down and pick up the toy. Do this a few other times if your baby has not yet caught on
• When your baby drops or throws one of the toys on the ground, immediately pick it up and give it back to her. Over time, you can encourage her to point or vocalize to tell you where the toy is

Seek and Find

Once infants discover object permanence, a whole array of problem-solving opportunities open up. This activity facilitates that knowledge by encouraging babies to look for an object they can hear but not see.

• Find a wind-up clock that makes a ticking noise. Hold it up in front of your baby and say a little tick-tock rhyme, such as: “Tick tock, tick tock / Goes the clock / Tick tock”
• After a few moments, cover the clock with a scarf, blanket, or towel. Ask your baby where the tick-tock went
• Encourage your child to locate the clock using the sound it makes. When he pulls on the scarf, reveal the clock and say “Hooray!”
• Practice the game a bit more until your baby gets the hang of it. For an added challenge, move the clock to different places that your child can crawl towards

Quite Puzzling

One-piece puzzles help build motor skills as well as problem solving. Infants have to use trial and error as they attempt to figure out which way the piece fits inside the puzzle.

• Provide your baby with a simple one-piece puzzle with a wooden knob for them to grasp
• Talk to your baby as she tries to put the piece in its place. Ask her what she is doing and periodically turn the puzzle board slightly to help her put the piece in
• When your baby finally puts the piece in the puzzle, celebrate with clapping and praise

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Free, trusted resources for baby’s development.

Track important milestones, play games based on age, and learn about important development topics to make sure baby stays on track!

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Resources By Age

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Playing Critters in Motion!

It’s never too early to start playing games to help your child reach their sensory, communication, feeding, and motor milestones.

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Games to Play

• Sign Language: Use hand movements along with associated words to teach baby to communicate with gestures. Even if baby can’t speak yet, they can learn how to sign they want more or are all done! Helps baby develop early communication skills.
• Blow More Raspberries: Try blowing raspberries again. This time, baby may blow raspberries and bubbles back. Helps baby by setting a foundation for language, social skills and other skills such as eating and drinking from a cup.
• Board Book Fun: Finding books with interactive elements like fold outs or noises are fun surprises! Let baby take their time turning the pages. Helps baby develop language skills and interactive elements can excite baby's senses.

Games for Your 27 Week Old Baby

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• Moo and Baa: Use animal sounds when playing or reading to baby. Point out a picture of an animal then make the sound that animals make: “A cow goes moo,” “A sheep goes baa”. Helps baby learn to listen to different types of sounds.
• Name Game: Point to the different parts of your face and name them for baby. Point to your nose and say "mommy's nose." Continue to do this with other facial features and see how baby reacts. Helps baby develop communication skills.
• Baby in the Middle: Put baby’s favorite toys on the floor in a large circle. Place them in the middle – tummy down. Watch them reach and move around to play with toys. Helps baby develop a strong core and learn to coordinate multiple movements at once.

Games for Your 28 Week Old Baby

• Shadow-Puppet Play: Use your hands to make shadow puppets for baby. Talk and sing as you move your fingers up and down while baby watches the talking shadow! Helps baby develop visual tracking skills.
• Baby’s First Teacher: You are your baby’s first teacher. Show them how to use toys in different ways, such as banging blocks together or knocking over a stacked tower. Helps baby develop sensory and thinking experiences.
• Be Like Baby: Does baby bang blocks together or clap their hands? It’s your turn to copy them! When baby does an action, repeat it. Helps baby develop their joint attention and social connection with you.

Games for Your 29 Week Old Baby

• It's All in the Knees: Position baby to straddle your leg so their feet are flat on the floor and knees are bent. Gently push down on baby’s knees so they start to feel weight through their legs and feet. Helps baby practice sitting balance and get feet ready for standing.
• Wet Washcloth: Put a washcloth in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Before it's frozen and hard, give it to baby to bite on. Helps soothe baby's gums when teething.
• Roll and Pull: Take a thick piece of yarn at least 2 feet long. Tie a small object or toy on one end. Show baby how they can pull yarn to bring the object towards them. Helps baby develop gross motor skills.

Games for Your 30 Week Old Baby

• Creeping and Crawling: Baby may be rocking back and forth on tummy towards items of interest. Encourage movement by placing toys around baby where they must move to reach them. Helps baby learn to crawl.
• Sitting Up to Play: Since baby can sit independently, sit on the floor and roll a ball to baby. Encourage them to roll it back using both hands so they can't use them for support. Helps baby strengthen back, shoulder muscles and core.
• Little Explorer: Allow baby to grab and explore items within reach by giving him space to explore the environment. Stay close to supervise. Helps baby get new movement experiences.

Games for Your 31 Week Old Baby

• Command Excitement: Give baby a simple command like "roll the ball". Show baby how excited you are if they do it by smiling and clapping. Helps baby learn to follow directions.
• Swinging: If baby can sit up and hold up head with no problem, try pushing them gently on a swing at a park! Be sure baby is secure in the swing. Gently push them back and forth. Helps baby develop motor and sensory skills.
• Splish Splash: Take a small tub baby can reach into and fill it with water. Put floating objects like plastic cups and spoons in tub. Let them splash and push the objects underwater, then watch them come up to float. *Always stay nearby so baby isn’t alone. Helps baby develop motor and sensory skills.
• Independent Baby: Give baby a variety of objects to play with. Toys where baby has to put a ball or object into a container or activity table or tunnel allow baby to explore independently. Helps baby with motor and sensory skills.

Games for Your 32 Week Old Baby

• Toy Grasp Time: When baby is holding a toy in each hand, offer a third toy. Watch as baby figures out how to grasp the new toy without letting go of the other two. Helps baby develop fine motor skills and problem-solving skills.
• Baby Push-Ups: Encourage baby push-ups during Tummy Time by raising and lowering a rattle over baby’s head. Helps baby improve neck and head control and strengthen back, shoulder muscles and core.
• Backyard Fun: Let baby explore the backyard safely. Take baby outside and let them touch the leaves and grass. Helps to expose baby to new sights, smells, and sounds.

Games for Your 33 Week Old Baby

• Monkey See, Monkey Do: Use a mirror to practice silly faces and sounds with baby, e.g. kissing faces. Use a variety of facial expressions while you talk. Be silly! Baby will laugh and respond by trying to imitate you. Helps baby to practice making new language sounds.
• Raining in the Bath: Punch holes in the lid of empty food container and fill with water to make a fun bath time toy. Baby can make it rain on themselves or a toy! Helps baby develop play skills while using their senses.
• Bucket Time: Sit with baby on the floor facing a plastic bucket and have a toy handy. Show them how to drop it in the bucket and then let them take a turn. Helps baby build hand-eye coordination while learning how to copy your movements.
• Finger Follies: Unwrapping a present can be more exciting than what’s inside. It’s satisfying for them to use their fingers to accomplish things. You can even use newspaper to wrap up a toy they've played with before. Helps baby develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

Games for Your 34 Week Old Baby

• Baby-Proofing: As baby gains better control of movement, be sure to baby-proof your home. Keep breakable objects out of baby’s reach and place safety locks on appliances. Helps keep baby safe while they explore and gain independence.
• Toy Stacking: Baby is becoming more interested in how things work. Now is a great time to introduce stacking toys, such as blocks or stackable rings. You can stack and let them knock them down or guide their hands through the motions. Helps baby develop visual skills and thinking skills.
• Horsing Around: Have baby sit on your knees and hold onto their hips. Move your legs up and down so it looks like baby is riding a horse. Switch the direction baby faces. Facing you, you can talk to baby. Or baby can face away to look at the environment. Helps expose baby to new types of movement.
• Toy Tip: Give baby a new and different toy to play with rather than their favorite all the time. Helps expose baby to new things.

Games for Your 35 Week Old Baby

• Phone Talk: Play with a pretend phone; talk into phone as you would a regular call, then offer it to baby to do the same. Helps baby develop listening and communication skills while learning about the objects around the house.
• Tray Top Reach: Place new and safe foods within reach on baby's tray so they can begin to reach and explore. Helps expose baby to new foods and reaching skills.
• Clap and Kiss: Baby is learning new gestures, like pointing and waving. Practice a new gesture, like blowing a kiss or clapping hands. Helps baby learn how to use movements to express themselves.
• Figuring Out Food: When baby is seated in a highchair, give them food they normally eat and cut it into small pieces so they can try to pick it up with their fingers. They might not be able to pick up every piece yet but it's good practice. Helps baby develop fine motor skills.

Games for Your 36 Week Old Baby

• Story Time: Describe your actions throughout the day as you dress, feed, and bathe baby. Helps baby develop listening and communication skills.
• Music Time: Give a toy musical instrument to baby and show her how to use it. They will enjoy learning how to make different sounds. Try forming a family band and making music together! Helps baby develop sensory skills.
• Human Obstacle: Lie down on the floor and get baby to crawl over you! When they crawl over, put your arms around them for a hug. You can add another person so baby has to do some extra crawling! Helps baby develop gross motor skills, build upper body strength, and bond.
• Bucket O’Toys: Fill up a bucket with toys of different sizes, textures, and colors. Ensure that none are small enough to be swallowed if baby decides to explore them with their mouth. Allow baby to explore the toys with all of their senses. *Be sure none of the toys are small enough to be swallowed.  Helps baby develop sensory skills.

Games for Your 37 Week Old Baby

• Tray Time: Place pureed foods, like applesauce or yogurt, on baby’s tray and encourage play with a spoon. Helps baby develop feeding skills.
• Textures and Temps: Allow baby to experiment with textures and temperatures. Textured toys, like teething rings or a wet washcloth that is close to frozen are fun for baby to experience. Helps with sensory development.
• Move and Crawl: Help baby get into crawling position. Support their stomach and hips if needed. Once baby is crawling, hold a toy in front of them to get them to move. Helps baby develop motor skills.
• Train to Crawl: Create a tunnel with your legs and encourage baby to crawl through. "Catch" them by squeezing your legs together as they pass through. After getting caught a few times, they’ll speed up to try to get through. Helps baby develop gross motor skills.

Games for Your 38 Week Old Baby

• Pat-A-Cake: Play “Pat-A-Cake” with baby. First hold their hands to show the movements, then let them do it on their own. Helps baby learn to clap their hands.
• Rise to Stand: Hold baby's hands while they're sitting on the floor and slowly raise them to standing. Let them stand this way for 8 to 10 seconds, then slowly lower them back to the ground. Helps baby strengthen leg muscles to prepare for walking.
• Crawl Check: As baby is crawling watch to make sure both arms and both legs are pulling an equal amount of weight in movement. *If you feel concerned about how baby is crawling, talk to your baby's healthcare provider. Helps baby develop strength and coordination for other motor skills.

Games for Your 39 Week Old Baby

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14 Fun And Easy Activities For 9-Month-Olds

As your baby gets closer and closer to turning one year old, they start to take a little more interest in their surroundings. At 9-months-old, I’m sure your little one is beginning to realize that toys and activities are a bit more fun than they used to be!

That’s where these fun activities for 9-month-olds come in. Each activity on this list is simple while still being exciting and beneficial for your child. Even better, many of these activities are perfect for indoors or outdoors. 

It’s incredible to watch our babies grow and develop. As you read this list, keep in mind that your baby might not be ready for some of these activities, and that’s ok! Babies develop at different rates, and that’s perfectly normal. However, never hesitate to call your doctor with any questions you have.

Let’s Start With Some Developmental Milestones For 9-Month-Olds

At 9 months old, most babies will be able to….

• Sit without support
• Crawl. That can mean crawling on hands and knees or scooting around on their tummy; either way is excellent.
• Pull themselves up to standing.
• Play along in games of anticipation, like peekaboo.
• Uses both hands to play with toys.
• Turn head to track objects.

Keep these milestones in mind as you begin to choose fun 9-month-old activities to help challenge your baby.

Now, on to the list of activities for 9-month-olds:

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Reading is a great activity to do with babies of any age. When babies are younger, board books are the best option to go with. Board books can withstand baby hands pulling on the pages and the inevitable amounts of drool.

One thing that my son has always loved is touch and feel books. He especially loves the “Never Touch A…” series . These books have silly stories with plenty of cool textures to feel!

But really, any board book that has colorful, exciting pages to look at or something fun to feel will be a big hit. Another great option is lift-the-flap books ; you might need to help your child lift the flaps, but they are sure to keep your little one engaged.

Benefits of reading:

• Quiet bonding time
• Encourages communication
• Helps build vocabulary and listening skills

You’ll also love: The Best Board Books For Babies And Toddlers

2. Pots and Wooden Spoons

If you have an extra pot sitting in your kitchen cupboard and a wooden spoon that you can spare, your baby will be so excited when you set the two in front of them!

Show your baby how to tap or bang on the pot with the spoon, and they will love imitating you. Your kiddo will be so excited to make the noise on their own! Even if you don’t have a spoon, they will enjoy making noises by hitting the pot with their hands.

If you prefer something made for babies, this baby drum set is excellent! It has all the benefits of the pots and spoons, plus fun sounds. Not to mention, it isn’t too loud or obnoxious, and it has an auto shut off after a minute or so. 

Benefits of this 9-month-old activity:

• Teaches cause and effect
• Hand-eye coordination
• Musical creativity

3. Play Outside

Outside play is one of the more versatile activities for 9-month-olds. Playing outside with your baby could include going on a walk, stopping by a local park, or just hanging out in your backyard. Not to mention, there are so many indoor activities that you can also take outdoors!

When playing outside with your baby, they will love soaking in the world around them. It’s an excellent opportunity to teach them about things they usually don’t see inside the house.

Also, don’t be afraid of a bit of dirt! Obviously, don’t let your child sit there and eat dirt, but allowing your kiddo to experiment with textures like grass, dirt, or water is great sensory play!

One thing to keep in mind when planning outdoor activities for 9-month-olds is how the weather will be. If it’s a pretty hot day, try to go out early in the morning or maybe in the evening. Avoid direct sunlight, and invest in items like sun hats or shady umbrellas for your yard if you don’t have many trees around.

Benefits of playing outside:

• Different sensory experiences, like grass or water, for example.
• Ensures plenty of fresh air and sunlight 
• Opportunity to develop greater self-awareness
• More chances to be physically active

Blocks will provide some fun entertainment once your baby starts doing fantastic at tummy time or is sitting up completely.

A game that is always a hit is building a taller stack of blocks and having your baby knock it down. If you get excited when your baby knocks the tower over, they will think it’s so funny, and they will want to do it all over again.

Before my son was sitting up on his own, we would mostly play with these blocks . They are soft and have many different things to look at on each side.

After he started sitting up, we use these blocks for towers since they are more sturdy. (Plus, these more sturdy blocks are a hit to chew on during teething times .) Plus, these blocks are perfect starter blocks because they have different numbers, textures, and pictures on each side. 

Benefits of playing with blocks:

• Helps to develop hand-eye coordination
• Teach cause and effect
• Can help teach counting and colors
• Promotes fine motor skills and hand muscle development

Balls are another excellent toy for entertaining your 9-month-old, and you can do so many different things with them.

If your baby enjoys knocking down towers, as we talked about above, show them how to roll a ball into the tower to knock it down.

Another thing you can do is roll a colorful ball across the floor to help encourage your baby to crawl after it! We have these balls , and my kiddo loves them! They also have different textures for your child to feel, and they are each different sizes. 

Benefits of balls:

• Promotes hand-eye coordination
• Encourages crawling to chase after the ball
• Can help teach timing and spatial awareness

6. Peekaboo

You can start playing peekaboo when your child is a younger baby, but it’s also a perfect game for 9-month-olds.

Try using different things to hide behind, such as a blanket, a book, or a pillow. You can also have your baby’s favorite toys play peekaboo with them!

Benefits of playing peekaboo:

• Teaches object permanence
• Great bonding activity
• Promotes visual tracking

7. Practice Walking

If your baby can bear weight on their legs and shows interest in standing and walking, help them practice! Take their hands and guide them down a hallway or just around the room.

Another thing that can help babies practice walking is an activity walker like this one ! If you choose to get a walker, make sure your child is in a secure area and can’t push it down a set of stairs.

Benefits of practicing walking:

• Helps to prepare your baby to walk on their own
• Gross motor skill development
• Promotes balancing skills

8. Pillow Mountain

Pillow mountain was always such a big hit at my house, and for a good reason! It’s a wonderful gross motor skill activity for 9-month-olds.

To play pillow mountain, all you have to do is grab a bunch of pillows and cover them with a large blanket. The blanket will help stabilize the pillows and stay together more efficiently. I would typically set this activity up in the living room with all of the throw pillows on the couch.

Once the mountain is assembled, your baby can crawl over it (with your supervision), or you can hide on the other side and play peekaboo!

Benefits of pillow mountain:

• Crawling on uneven surfaces promotes balance
• Promotes spatial awareness
• Encourages hand and foot coordination

9. Stacking Objects

Stacking is another one of the activities for 9-month-olds that can have many different options. If you have stacking cups like these ones , you can use them in the bathtub or baby pool, spin them on the floor, put other little toys inside them, or make them into a tower. The list goes on and on!

We have these stacking cups , and not only are they budget-friendly, but they are of excellent quality. Plus, your kiddo will love playing with these cups for quite a while! My son is over two years old now and still enjoys playing with them.

Benefits of stacking cups:

• Fine motor skill development
• Develops hand-eye coordination
• Teaches cause and effect and balancing objects
• Promotes problem-solving

Related Articles:

• The Best Toys For 12-Month-Olds
• Fun Mold-Free Bath Toys For Babies and Toddlers

10. Singing and Dancing

Younger babies love when you sing to them, but as they get older and start comprehending more, it can be fun to sing songs like The Itsy Bitsy Spider.

I have also found that babies are very entertained if you dance around while they are watching you or while you’re holding them.

When my son was younger, he would hang out in his high chair while I made dinner. I would dance around while cooking to entertain my kiddo, and he always thought it was hilarious!

Benefits of singing and dancing:

• Helps develop language skills and vocabulary
• Promotes creativity and imagination

11. Masking Tape on the Floor, Wall, or Balls

Most babies like picking at things they find, like stickers, for example. That’s where the masking tape (or painter’s tape) comes in.

If your baby is sitting up, one thing you can do is put a piece of masking tape on the wall. Your baby will practice sitting while also practicing using their pincer grip to pull the tape off.

If you have the smaller ball pit-sized balls , take a muffin pan , put a ball in each tin, and put a piece of masking tape across the ball to keep it down. Your baby will love to pick at the tape to finally get the ball free.

Here is a little more advanced version; put masking tape on the ball itself. Your baby will have to work at holding the ball in one hand and picking the tape off with the other hand.

Remember: These two activities should always be supervised to ensure that baby doesn’t eat any tape.

• Helps develop pincer grip and fine motor skills
• Encourages problem-solving

12. Ball Drop in a Tube

While you have the masking tape out, grab an old paper towel tube and tape it to the wall low enough that your baby will be able to reach the top.

Then grab some balls that will fit in the tube. I have found that ping pong balls like these ones work the best. Some people suggest using those colorful, fuzzy pompoms, but in my opinion, those are too easy for your baby to pop into their mouth.

Next, your baby can drop the balls down the tube and watch them fall out the other side. If you have a few tubes, you can experiment with taping them to the wall at different angles. This can make it a little more interesting for your little one!

If you have hard floors and decide to use ping pong balls , they will go bouncing off the floor and make fun noises that I’m sure your baby will love.

Benefits of this activity for 9-month-olds:

• Teaches cause and effect, and hand-eye coordination
• Can help teach object permanence

13. Baby Sign Language

Baby sign language is one of the activities for 9-month-olds that will help encourage better communication. Better communication can mean less frustration for everyone!

You can start teaching your little one sign language earlier than 9-months-old, but it’s never too late to start.

If you are interested in learning more about baby sign language, I recommend this book . It’s helpful if you don’t have much background in sign language. It has pictures with each sign, and it’s so easy to follow.

Benefits of baby sign language:

• Improves communication and language skills
• Helps your child express themself and ease frustration

You’ll also love: The Best Things To Start Teaching Your 1-Year-Old

14. Mess-Free Finger Painting

Letting your baby experiment through art can be kind of tricky if you don’t want to end up with a mess. That’s why mess-free finger painting is one of the most fun activities for 9-month-olds!

When mess-free finger painting, your baby can still feel the squishy paint under their fingers and mix colors together, but the paint is contained in a bag and won’t get anywhere.

Check out this article for step-by-step instructions for mess-free finger painting!

Benefits of mess-free finger painting:

• Exciting sensory activity 

I hope you enjoyed these activities for 9-month-olds! Remember that even if you think your baby won’t like a particular activity, you could be pleasantly surprised when you find that they love it! Don’t be afraid to give them all a try. 

Before you go, check out these related articles:

• Simple Activities For 12-Month-Olds
• Easy Activities For 18-Month-Olds
• The Best Toys For 6-Month-Olds
• Fun Learning Toys For 18-Month-Olds
• How To (Effectively) Discipline 1-Year-Olds

What are some of your favorite activities for 9-month-olds? I would love to know in the comments below!

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11 Comments

Great article! My daughter LOVED stacking cups at that age!

Thanks, Sarah! Stacking cups are a big hit at my house also!

Great list. Love the painting in a baggie, mess-free anything is always welcomed at this age!

This is a great list! I love the masking tape and pillow mountains ideas. I have a 9 month old so I am seeing this list at just the right time. Thanks for the great ideas!

I’m glad you liked these ideas, and I hope your kiddo does too! 🙂

Great article and so many good ideas! I miss having a little one.

These are great ideas and they can go well beyond 9 months too! I have a 21-month old and he still loves to do so many of these things. Thanks for sharing!

I agree, Sally! My son is over two-years-old, and he still likes some of these activities, too!

Cool list! My son was also into water toys at that age. He loved rubber duckies, in all shapes, colors, and sizes. I liked the idea with the masking tape; never heard of this before. We had a Montessori activity board mounted to the wall for him to learn to press buttons, move and turn things, pull things, etc. He also had a little mirror with a beam (like for ballet dancers, just in baby height) on his wall to practice pulling himself up.

That Montessori board sounds fantastic! And I love the idea of a beam for babies to pull themselves up. Thanks for sharing those ideas, Chrissy!

When my boys were on that stage, they loved playing with rattles, musical toys and balls.

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Your 9-month-old’s sensory learning

By 9 months, many of your baby’s sensory systems are getting more sophisticated. For example, they can see distinctly across the room and tell the difference between people they have seen before and those that are new. They love looking at moving objects like animals, fans, balls, and flowing water . 

Over the next few months, your baby’s ability to distinguish sounds will improve as well. They already know that two objects (like blocks ) banged together make a sound. Soon, they will learn that many living things, (like people) make sounds on their own and that some objects (like a microwave or washing machine) can also make a specific sound.  

During the first 8 months of your baby’s life, they went through a period of sharpening their sensory skills —coordinating them with one another, learning how to use their hands and fingers, improving their balance, and tuning into language sounds and the common sights around them. 

Over the next year or so, your baby will learn to relate objects to events and establish more complex associations in their brain (such as cause-effect sequences). Your baby is on the verge of becoming a thinker who plans and makes decisions ❤️

Sensory skills practice for your baby

• Expose your baby to different sounds —the more “real life” the better. Show your baby each object as it makes the sound. Whistle, ring a doorbell, or turn on the dryer in front of your baby. 
• Put an object your baby is already familiar with—like a ball, block, or wooden ring—into a bag or sensory pouch when they aren’t watching. Encourage them to put their hand in the bag and touch the object. Say “What is it?” and when they pull it out, you can say with excitement, “It’s a ___!” 
• Let your child mouth safe objects as long as they want to. Helping them thoroughly work through a stage in development is far more valuable than trying to rush them to do something else with the object (like putting the ball in the hole or shaking the rattle). 
• While you are holding your baby, let them try to turn on the faucet so they can see what happens. Start with your hand over theirs, and then help them keep their grasp as you both push and pull. With these activities, your baby can see how specific objects around the house are activated .

The Thinker Play Kit

The Thinker Play Kit encourages your 11 – 12 month old baby’s curiosity as they start solving problems, working on hand strength and investigating everything in their path.

The Block Set

A brilliant set of 70 quality solid-wood blocks for building spatial, language, and problem-solving skills for more than 20 stage-based activities. See inside The Block Set by Lovevery.

Team Lovevery

Posted in: 9 - 10 Months , Sensory Play , Sensory Development , Hearing , Vision , Child Development , Learning & Cognitive Skills , Child Development

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11 Fun Activities for 9-Month-Old Babies

You’re three months shy of baby’s first birthday , and best believe those milestones are stacking up fast.

You know crawling may be their favorite hobby, but there’s so much more to your 9-month-old baby .

By now, they’re sitting up (unassisted, thank you very much), dabbling in some quality finger foods , and building the foundations of their emotional intelligence .

Baby’s busy!

So how can you help them continue their learning and growing streak through play while supporting their sleep schedule ?

We’re thrilled you asked!

We’ve put together a list of eleven fun 9-month-old baby development activities and games to sharpen their senses and get them well on their way to toddlerhood.

Some involve toys , but others only need common household objects or even just you and your baby (plus a little imagination).

What are sensory milestones for 9 month old?

What words should a 9-month-old be saying, what cognitive skills should a 9 month old have, what are creative activities for 9 month old.

Before we launch into unbridled playtime, let’s take a look at what other 9 month baby milestones your little one may be reaching this month. 🎉

Keep in mind every baby is unique and develops at a different pace, but here are some of the things your 9-month-old might be doing at this age:

• Crawling (and some babies may even be starting to walk )
• Pulling themselves up to stand while holding on to something for support
• Changing position more easily 🤸‍♀️
• Learning the “pincer grasp” (picking up an object with thumb and pointer finger)
• Recognizing faces 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦
• Understanding a few simple words, such as “bottle” 🍼
• Using gestures to communicate (for example, pointing at something they want)

Many babies take until 12 months old to say their first word .

But you’ll probably hear your 9-month-old making lots of different sounds as they practice communicating.

And you never know: you might hear a “mama,” “ball,” or “bye-bye” sooner than you expect…

But communication is more than words.

Another language skill your baby is picking up is understanding what you’re saying – things like “no” (rejoice!) and who you are (“where’s mama?”).

They may even start copying gestures and pointing toward people or things.

Not long now!

With baby fast picking up certain words and phrases, you can imagine their cognitive skills are developing fast.

You may begin seeing the first glimpses of problem-solving, thinking, and learning that will take your baby to exciting new heights. 🎓🚀📚⛰️

Cognitive and emotional milestones include:

• Responding to simple commands or their name
• Waving goodbye 👋🏽
• Looking for objects that fall 👀
• Showing signs of separation anxiety
• Exploring textures, shapes, and sizes of objects
• Has a favorite toy 🧸

With so many skills already under your baby’s belt, naturally, you want to indulge in entertainment that cultivates a curious little mind. 🧠

From an obstacle course to messy play and from nature rambles to sock puppets, these are 11 fun activities to do with a 9-month-old that you and your baby can both enjoy:

1. Toy trail

This is an excellent activity for crawling practice.

Lay out smaller toys (such as dolls and teddy bears) around the room, then encourage your baby to crawl to reach each of them.

You might want to jiggle the toy around or make funny noises to engage their interest.

If your baby is already moving on to walking, you can adapt this activity.

Support them to walk between the toys and give them lots of praise when they reach one.

2. Explorer in the making

If your baby is already a pro at crawling over flat surfaces, feel free to give them an extra challenge.

Make an obstacle course for them to explore, using safe and soft household items.

Pillows or an air mattress can provide a wobbly surface, and you could construct some “mountains” out of comforters and couch cushions. 🗻

As they navigate the obstacles, they’ll be strengthening the muscles in their shoulders and arms, and building coordination between the right and left sides of their body.

3. Grab practice

Making the “pincer movement” with their hand is another new skill your 9-month-old might be learning right now.

That is, they’re working out how to grab objects with their thumb and pointer finger.

So a great way to practice this skill is to give them a selection of finger foods to pick up and feed themselves.

Foods that work well include: different cooked pasta shapes, pieces of soft fruit (like banana), cubes of tofu or cheese, and chunks of avocado. 🥑

Exploring the food will be great for your baby’s sense of smell, taste, and touch too.

4. Beach ball

Looking for 9-month-old baby games that will get them interested in sports?

Try this simple ball game to get things kick-started (pun intended).

Sit a short distance away from your baby and roll a beach ball toward them. ⚽️

When they stop it, give them some praise and get them to roll it back to you.

If they roll it so it doesn’t quite reach you, still give them a “great job!”.

Then simply repeat this for a while. It’s a great way to introduce the concept of taking turns.

And it builds your baby’s gross motor skills, their understanding of the way objects move, and their mimicking skills.

5. Shape sorting

For this activity, you’ll need a baby shape sorter toy – often a box with different-shaped holes in, with different-shaped blocks to fit through the holes.

Get your baby to start with one shape and give them plenty of time to find the right hole.

As always, give them lots of praise when they succeed.

This is a handy toy for developing problem-solving and fine motor skills, as well as hand-eye coordination.

You can get the classic version with geometric shapes, or there are some fun animal-themed versions available.

6. What’s in the bag?

This is an easy one: grab a bag and throw in a few objects.

They can be totally random, or you might want to use, for example, a variety of kitchen items or your baby’s animal toys.

Bring out one item at a time, show it to your baby, and name it.

You might want to demonstrate how it’s used (stirring with a spoon) or what noise it makes (“squeak!” for a toy mouse).

This activity helps develop your baby’s understanding of language, and the objects (plus your sound effects) can provide great sensory stimulation too.

7. Storytime

Reading to your baby from colorful board books continues to be a great activity when they’re 9 months old.

They might even be starting to recognize particular stories or pictures and showing a preference for them.

They’ll be moving on to Austen and Hemingway in no time.

8. Messy play

Maybe not one for every day, but if you’re feeling chilled about creating a little more mess – go for it!

Put some flour on a tray or plastic sheet and set your baby free to explore the texture with their hands and feet.

It’s a small price to pay for building up those fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

9. Sock puppets

Pure joy and costs nothing.

Make a sock puppet by drawing a face on an old sock (you could also sew the face if you have some craft materials lying around).

Put your hand in the sock and create a character with a silly voice to entertain your baby.

This is a fun way to bond with your little one.

And you could make your sock puppet part of singing or nursery rhyme time as well.

10. Nature ramble

Outdoor activities for 9-month-old babies don’t have to be complicated.

Why not go for a nature ramble together?

This could be at your local park, the woods, or the beach. 🏖️

As you walk with your baby in their stroller or carrier , point out the different animals, plants, or other natural objects you can see.

Perhaps even pick up a fallen leaf or pine cone for them to touch. 🍁

11. Chatterbox

Whether you’re doing one of the activities above or simply going about your day, take the opportunity to have a conversation with your baby

Say something, wait for them to respond (with a word, a sound, a gesture), and then reply.

This way, they get to learn the rhythm of dialogue – of speaking and listening.

You could even enlist a play phone and “call” people baby knows, letting them listen to your conversation and copy along. 🤙🏽

A solid move for building social and communication skills alongside a rich imagination.

And the fun doesn’t stop there!

As your baby hurdles towards the ten-month line, have a look through our 9 fun activities for 10-month-old babies to give you both a headstart.

Besides, you’re never short of inspo in the Peanut community .

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• April 29, 2022

Play Activities for 12 to 24 Months

Whether you’re looking for games to build your toddler’s language skills, or games to keep the young ones busy, here are some great play ideas for your infant or toddler., action-oriented activities, squishy sponges.

Give the child some soaking wet sponges to play with outside. Let him wash his trike, the mailbox, or even stamp wet sponge-shapes onto the sidewalk. Show him how he can squeeze the sponge to make the water come out—this builds physical skills in his hands and fingers. “Important” jobs like washing a tricycle or baby doll help toddlers feel like confident and helpful members of the family. As with all water activities, it is critical to supervise children carefully as they play.

Leaf Collector

Give the child a small basket and take her on a walk around your neighborhood or a local park or school. See if she wants to pick up leaves and other “treasures” and put them in her basket. You might be surprised by how long your toddler will be happy to walk, snapping up leaf after leaf for her collection. This activity builds gross motor (large muscle) and fine motor (small muscle) skills as children walk, squat, and pick up their discoveries.

Freeze! Toddlers love freeze dancing

Play music and encourage the child to dance or move in whatever way he likes. Then instruct him to stop when the music ends. This kind of activity encourages listening skills and self-regulation as he practices stopping and starting. (This is a very useful skill for when he goes to school and has to follow a lot of directions!)

Pop Some Popcorn

Take a receiving blanket and have the child hold one side while you hold the other. Place some foam balls (“popcorn”) on the blanket and then shake the blanket so the balls bounce (or pop!) off. Your little one might like singing “POPCORN! POPCORN! POP, POP, POP!” while you shake. Once all the balls have “popped,” have your grandchild race to grab them and put them on the blanket to do it again.

Quiet Play Activities

Shadow play.

In a darkened room, shine a flashlight at your hand so that the shadow is reflected on the wall. Wave to the child and make silly shadow shapes with your hand. Does the child want to try to wave with his shadow hand too? He may also enjoy shining the flashlight on the wall all by himself.

Fill and Dump

Make 5-10 homemade balls (wad up waxed paper or newspaper and cover with masking tape). Put the balls in a shoebox or basket. Give the child another box and show her how she can move each ball from one box to the other. If the child is walking, place the baskets a few steps apart so they can toddle from one to the other. Games like this encourage toddlers to move their hands across their bodies as they transfer the balls, which helps them later on with many skills from athletics to handwriting. ##Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Starting at about 18 months, children are just beginning to play pretend. A good way to build these skills is by playing with a doll or stuffed animal. You might say, “Oh, Teddy fell down and got a boo-boo. He needs a hug.” Then give it a cuddle. See if the child also wants to give Teddy a hug. Next, you might use a “prop”—like a cup or a blanket—and suggest that the child “give Teddy a drink” or “put Teddy to sleep.”

Make a Homemade “Wagon”

Attach a 12–18 inch length of string or ribbon to a shoebox using sturdy tape. Show the child how she can pull the string to make the box move. If she is walking, give her a job to do using her “wagon,” such as pulling some clean dishtowels into the kitchen or delivering mail in another room. This kind of activity builds physical and problem-solving skills as the child learns how to use an object as a “tool” (pulling the string to move the box.) Be sure to supervise closely and put this toy away when you are done playing.

Activities That Build Thinking Skills

How does your garden grow.

Plant some seeds that grow in summer, such as grass or flower seeds, in a patch of dirt outside or in a pot to keep inside. This is a fun project for toddlers who love to shovel, pour water, and get messy! At the same time they’re building fine motor skills (as they use their fingers and hands) and learning important science concepts as they watch their plants grow.

Try the Classic Shell Game

You’ll need a plastic cup and a small toy. Show the child the toy, then set it down and cover it slowly with the cup. See if he picks up the cup to find the toy. Once the child has mastered this game with one cup, try it with two cups and later, with three cups. This is a very challenging concept for toddlers to master so it’s important to be patient. Soon enough, the child will have no trouble at all locating the toy. This kind of activity builds thinking skills and hand-eye coordination.

Take Out Some Tubes

Put those empty wrapping paper tubes to work. String a scarf through the tube and let your toddler pull it out. Or, show your toddler how to drop a ball or foam block down the tube and watch it fall on the floor. Roll the tube and race across the room to get it. Make music by banging the tube on the floor. Games like this build the child’s thinking and imaginative play skills.

Practice Pouring

Wash out an empty plastic spice container and show the child how you can drop a few pieces of cereal inside. Offer it to the child and watch as she tries to figure out how to get the cereal out. She may shake it or drop it, but eventually, she will pour them out onto the high chair tray, a plate, or her hand. This type of activity builds problem-solving skills.

Activities That Build the Senses

Take a peek.

Remove the label from several small water bottles. Fill each bottle with interesting objects—one might contain small shells, another can be filled with sparkly glitter, water, and mineral oil, and another with a few pennies. Securely glue the lid on each bottle. Give them to the child to look at, shake, and explore.

Water, Water Everywhere

Fill a dishpan with water and place it on a towel on the floor (or better, outside). Give the child plastic cups, spoons, bowls, and a funnel. Watch her pour, splash, and more. Add some food coloring to the water for a new twist on water play. As with any water activity, supervise carefully and pour all water out when you are done.

Band Together

Gather several objects that make different noises—rattles, bells, tambourines, etc. Start singing a song and pick up an instrument—offer one to the child too—and make some music together. Games like this nurture a child’s language, physical, and thinking skills.

Make a Bubble “Mound”

Fill a small bowl with some bubble liquid and then use a straw to blow a mound of bubbles. Let the child explore the bubbles with his hands—but watch to make sure he doesn’t eat any. He may also enjoy watching you blow bubbles for him to catch.

Activities That Build Language Skills

During diaper changes, take a moment to play “what’s this?” Lift up her foot and say, “What’s this? It’s a foot. And what are these? They are toes.” You can name belly, belly button, knee, leg, parts of the face, and more. Through repetition, young toddlers learn new words.

Picture This

Snap photos of the child during an activity with you, such as making cookies. Take a picture of the beginning of the activity (getting the ingredients), the middle (adding ingredients, stirring), and the end (eating cookies). Glue each photo to an index card. Show the photos to the child and talk about the steps you took for each activity. Activities like this help develop the child’s thinking and language skills.

Point It Out

As you read books with the child, ask him to “point to the cat” or “show me the moon” in his favorite stories. He may not be able to follow through yet (so you should go ahead and do the pointing), but as the child approaches 2 years, you may be surprised by how many words he seems to know. Reading activities like this help children understand the connection between words and pictures and build their vocabulary.

Hello, Good-Bye

Make a tunnel from a large cardboard box by opening both ends. The child can be at one end of the tunnel. You sit at the opposite end. Peek your face in the tunnel and say, “Hi!” Then lean away from the tunnel (so the child can’t see you) and say, “Bye!” Does the child try to communicate with you by crawling to find you, or by making sounds to copy your “hi” and “bye?” This activity encourages language, problem-solving, and physical skills as a child figures out how to locate you.

Browse our full suite of resources on early childhood development.