Is your 9-12 month old baby keeping you on your toes? Are you in desperate need of games? Check out this list of activities for 9-12 month olds that you can play at home!
If your baby wasn’t very active before, this will change. And if your baby was already extremely active, like mine has been, then it’s just going to get even crazier!
(But soooo fun! Trust me.)
When my son hit the age of 6-8 months, he was like a little boy, not a baby. But once he hit 9-12 months, he wasn’t even a boy! He was basically a teenager, wearing shoes and jeans and stuff, flirting with all the girls he can see 🤦♀️ I can’t even handle it 😍
Between his limitless conversations full of babbles and newly developed walking abilities, this kid not only “talks” like he knows what’s going on, but he walks like it too, chest proud through his wobbles. And it’s constant. Constant sounds coming from his mouth and constant movement.
If you are in a similar boat with your baby, then we are in this together! Hah! Here are some games you can play to help match their energy and stay interactive with them.
Reminder! There’s a previous post that contains 33 activities, a previous post that contains 27, as well as a previous list of 40. Now add in this list of 22! Someone get me a calculator because that is too many awesome games for me to count!
(Pst. It’s 122 games. You’re welcome.)
This post is all about activities for 9-12 month olds.
22 PLAYFUL ACTIVITIES FOR 9-12 MONTHS OLD
1. Closing doors:
My baby started slamming the door in my face during this stage. I know. Rude. But it became a game!
For some reason, babies love closing doors. They close the door and you open it for them, back and forth, back and forth. You can even put something in the way so that the door doesn’t completely close. This allows your baby to somewhat close it, then open it again. You can use things like a pull-up bar in the door frame, or you can even buy a door pinch guard! Making a guard with a sponge or part of a pool noodle would work as well.
Closing doors is a simple activity that teaches your baby cause and effect, encourages memorization, and develops fine motor skills.
2. Let them feed you, then you spit it out:
One day, my baby grabbed my necklace and randomly tried putting it into my mouth. To play along, I opened my mouth and accepted the offering, pretending to eat my necklace. Then I would spit it out, make a face, and say, “EEEWWW”. My baby laughed and laughed! He thought it was the best thing. So he would do that over and over again.
For this game, you can use any toy or object that you feel is safe for your baby to handle. I prefer to use objects instead of food. Whether it’s real food or even toy food, I still don’t like to use it. To me, it makes sense to teach them that objects are “yucky” and are not supposed to be eaten, whereas food is “yummy” and is supposed to be eaten. It probably doesn’t matter though as this is really just my opinion, not a science-based theory 😂
3. Toys in a wipes container:
When you use all the wipes in the container, don’t throw it away. You can use this container as part of a game with your little one to work on fine motor skills.
Fill the container with any toys that will fit. You can also put pieces of cloth inside. Show your baby that there are objects within the container. Then show them how to pull them out. Give your baby a turn!
This game can keep them occupied for quite some time, however, my baby can get pretty frustrated with this one when he can’t pull something out easily, so be available to help them.
4. basket web:
For this activity, you can either use a laundry basket, an organizing basket, or something similar. You want to take rubber bands and wrap them around the basket in a web-like fashion. Then you place objects inside the basket, maneuvering around the rubber bands.
Give this to your baby and show them how to put their hand through the rubber bands to reach the objects. Make sure the objects are visible through the bands so your baby can see what’s inside! They will be more motivated to keep trying to grab things when they can see it!
Basically, you are re-creating something like this shape sorter toy, which you can also buy if you prefer. The ages say 12-18 months, but my baby was using this before then, which is why I included it in the activities for 9-12 month olds list. Give it a try! If your baby isn’t quite ready for this game, try again in a few months.
5. Water and ice:
This is exactly as it sounds. Create a space where your baby can play with water, whether it’s in a small dish, tray, or bowl. Lay down some towels to keep the mess to a minimum. Then add ice cubes to the water to let your baby experiment not only with the cold water, but also the presence of the ice mixed with the water.
Keep an eye on your little one during this activity to make sure they aren’t trying to put the ice in their mouth if it isn’t safe for them to do so. If you don’t feel like this is something that works as an activities for 9-12 month olds, then save it until they get older 🙂
6. Sit and practice walking:
When your baby is showing signs of wanting to walk or is taking their first steps, this is a great way to practice. Have at least one other person sit down on the ground with you and baby, then have your baby practice walking between the two of you. You can start by sitting closer together, so your baby only has a short distance to go. As they progress, sit farther and farther apart until they are walking all the way across the room!
If there is more family or friends around, you can make a bigger circle and encourage your baby to walk to different people around the room.
7. Objects through Tubes and in containers:
Play with objects in a different way by letting them drop through tubes, disappearing for a few moments and then ending up dropping out the bottom. You can use PVC pipe or a paper towel roll.
You can also play with objects and containers. Fill containers up with toys/household items and lett your baby empty them. Or try to cover objects with an upside down tupperware. This allows your baby to see an object inside/underneath the container, and they will go investigate.
8. Ringing Bells:
Give your baby a hand bell to ring and watch them either pound it on the ground or ring it gracefully! This might be a good insight to their musical abilities 😉
9. Taking objects in and out of basket:
When babies are between 6-9 months, they have fun taking objects out of places. But now that your baby is between 9-12 months, explore the idea of them putting the objects back where they got them, or just into a basket of some sort. They will need some direction. You can do this with different toys, balls, kitchen appliances, laundry, etc. You can even make it a throwing game, where they try to make it into the basket to score a point!
10. Throwing things on the floor game:
So, you know how babies start to throw things on the ground, and whenever you pick it up for them, they just throw it back down again? I know! Annoying. Well, instead of being annoyed by this, I added it to the list of activities for 9-12 month olds. You can make it into a game during the appropriate times!
Of course, I understand if you don’t want to tolerate behavior like this, but I choose to make it lighthearted instead of making it an unpleasant task. Next time your baby throws something on the floor, you can make a crazy sound, do a weird dance, or say something like, “Uh oh!” Then hand it back to them. It might help with your sanity.
11. bed sheet Cover:
Before you make the bed in the morning, lay your baby in the middle of it on their back. Take the bed sheet, keeping hold of a side, and whip it above so that it gently settles over your baby. Once it touches them, whip it again so it rises and falls once more. Your baby will lay there and watch the sheet up in the air slowly get towards them. It’s fun to watch them kick their arms and legs, giggling and trying to grab the sheet before you whip it away!
This is even more fun with your spouse. Both of you can hold onto the sheet, or one of you can join your baby underneath the sheet and enjoy the experience with them!
12. arms and Legs swing:
There are two ways to play this game.
One is while baby is standing. Dad grabs one baby hand, Mom grabs the other. Then you all do the classic walk together and swiiiiiiing the baby between the two of you!
Another version is while baby is laying down. Mom grabs baby’s arms, Dad grabs the legs, or vice versa. Lift baby off of the ground a few inches and gently swing back and forth to get smiles and giggles!
*Caution while pulling on baby’s arms. You don’t want to accidentally pull something out of the socket, so be gentle. You can also hold your baby under the armpits instead of the hands.
13. High fives:
Maybe your baby learned how to give high fives earlier than mine (that might’ve been a mom mistake). I didn’t teach him how to high five until about 10 months old. Hah! So, you are welcome to teach your baby earlier, but know it’s not too late 😉 My baby thinks that high fives are hilarious for some reason 🤷♀️
14. Fridge magnets:
Pop some baby friendly magnets on the lower part of your fridge and let your baby practice taking them off and putting them back on. This is a great distraction if you need to cook dinner or get the dishes done. We have these animal magnets and we like them a lot!
There are some really cute magnets, too! There are alphabet ones, animals, cars, etc. You just want to make sure the magnet covers the entire back of the piece. If you buy the ones that have small round magnets on the back, they can fall off and get swallowed! There are also certain magnets that are safer for your baby, because they aren’t as strong as others.
15. Ball pit:
This ball pit from Amazon is a bunch of fun! It can be easily stored as well so if you don’t have much space then this might be a great game for your baby! It’s a little pop up that comes with small plastic balls. You can also choose to keep the balls in their case and play with other toys in the pit. I have taken it outside as well, which is nice if your baby’s skin gets irritated by the grass or if they don’t like the texture.
There are other versions that include a tunnel and a little tent if you want something larger!
16. Scare game with dad:
This game was one that my husband randomly started doing, and my little boy has had a hay day with it! I’m not sure if it would be a popular game among most babies, but I’ll throw it in here because it’s unique.
My husband sat our boy on his lap facing him. He would yell “Ahhhhh!” And lift up his hands like he was scaring our son, shake his head with his tongue out. Our baby would yell back, “Ahhhh!” and my husband would throw his head back and act like our son scared him. Then my husband would yell again and repeat. We did this with our little boy. I’m not sure how a little girl would respond.
17. Tunnels:
If you are able to, these pop-up tunnels can add some more adventures for your baby, especially if they are able to crawl and/or walk. They can explore the way the fabric on the tunnel feels, look at the colors, and of course, crawl from one end to the other!
You can put other toys in the tunnel for your baby to play with or place small pillows inside for them to crawl over (don’t leave your baby unattended in case they get stuck under a pillow). You can play peekaboo or read books or throw a ball inside for them to go and get. Or you can turn the tunnel vertically and place the opening over your baby while they are sitting or standing to create a new experience!
18. Kaboom towers:
Build some towers using building blocks and show your baby how to knock them over! At our house, we call it “kabooming”, and it’s so fun! My baby boy likes it more when we knock them over on a hard surface, like a table or on the tile floor. This just creates more of a sound that he can hear when the blocks crash down, which is more interesting than on carpet.
19. Stacking:
Instead of “kabooming” the towers, you can show your little one how to stack the blocks on top of each other in different ways. You can create a tall tower, a pyramid, or a rectangle. You can use other objects too, like cups, plastic containers, small boxes, books, and more!
20. Jellllllooo:
For this fun little game, you can leave your little one in their diaper if it’s warm enough, or you can leave them in their clothes if you don’t mind them getting dirty. Either way, this activity is probably best to do before bath time.
Place some jello on a mat or tray in front of your baby and let them explore the texture! They will use their little hands and maybe even their toes!
Whether or not you allow them to put it in their mouth is up to you (some people say it’s fine once a baby turns 6 months old, others suggest 12 months. Some say it’s too sugary, some say it’s not). Do your own research to decide what you are comfortable with.
But in the meantime, they can squish it between their fingers! You can also give your baby utensils or straws, etc., which can allow them to poke at the jello in a different way. This definitely belongs in the list of fun activities for 9-12 month olds!
21. Ziplock painting:
This is a great way to show a small child how to be artistic without them realizing it!
Put some paint inside of a ziplock bag. Make sure to use a few different colors! You don’t need too much. Tape it down to any flat surface, like on the floor or a tray. Make sure it is taped well enough that the paint won’t spill out. Then let your baby squish the bag and poke at the colors through the plastic. They will be able to play around with mixing the colors!
You can also make your own edible paint if you are concerned about your baby accidentally eating it. Just get some plain Greek yogurt and add food coloring to it! Then you don’t have to worry! And if you use yogurt, you can even ditch the plastic bag if you’d like to, and let your baby get messy!
22. Balloons:
Blow up a balloon, tie it off, and let your baby have a mini party! They can throw the balloon, bounce it, and squish it!
I like to blow up a few balloons that are different sizes for my baby to explore with. The small ones are easier for him to grab, but it’s fun for him to try to play with the larger ones.
If your baby is walking, maybe show them how to kick the balloon! My baby also likes to put his open mouth on the balloon and make sounds into it because it makes his voice sound different hahaha.
You can even blow up the balloon without tying it off, and let go of it so it goes flying around the room making that “pffflttttlllltttpfttl” sound! It might be too fast for your baby to keep track of, but it can be exciting as well.
Aaaand we are done!
Before you know it, your baby will be having their first birthday! Time will just fly by because you’re having so much fun playing all these activities for 9-12 month olds. 🤗
Hopefully these ideas spark other creative games that your little one enjoys. Just remember: as a mom, don’t stop playing! Stay active with your child and stay engaged. It really doesn’t matter what you play with them, they just want your love, affection, and attention. That’s honestly the best game.
Let us know what games your baby loved during 9-12 months!
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