The key for infant activities is a lot of communication and a lot of repetition. Research has shown that the nerve pathways in the brains of infants light up when they hear familiar phrases! Make those brains shine by utilizing these activities for infants designed to help keep you actively engaged together at home.
This list of activities are all created with simple supplies and will take minutes to set up. There is no need to be fussy and complicated to set up activities for babies. Simple is best. I have done these activities with all four of my children when they were infants.
Infant Activities
Sensory Play for Babies
- Sensory bin exploring shapes with sand
- Cloth Napkin Sensory Bin
- Ice and Muffin Tin for Sensory Play
- Sensory Crawl for Babies
- DIY Sensory Bottles
- Painting with babies
- Simple Kitchen ingredients sensory bin
- DIY Sticky Ball
- Indoor Water Play Ideas for Babies
Fine Motor Activities
- Fine Motor Play with Cotton Balls
- Peek a Boo Boxes DIY Toy for Babies
- Fine Motor Play with Ice
- Finger Painting Tips
- Make Your Own Personalized Book
- Cloth Napkin Grab Bin
- Rainbow Ice Painting for Kids
Gross Motor Activities
- Floor exploration with animal pictures
- Crawling sensory activity
- Indoor “snow ball” toss game
- Build and Play with DIY photo blocks
- Outdoor Play Ideas for babies
Visual Stimulation
- DIY Contrast Cards
- Beach Towel Visual Stim Activity
- Infant Stimulation Activities
- DIY Photo Blocks from Milk Cartons
- DIY Books for Infants
- DIY Photo Peek a Boo Box Toy
Development Tips for Babies
- Favorite Books for Babies
- The benefits of reading to your baby
- Language Development Tips for Babies
- Infant Activities App
- Infant Development Overview
Favorite DIY Activities for Babies
You can find even more activities for infants HERE!
For more developmental information on Infants, check out:
Crash Course in Child Development: Infants.
These infant activities are featured in A Complete Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms: Kids Activities.
View all of the simple activities to do at home with infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
This page was included by Healthline.com on their list of the
Top Sites for Toddler Activities!
This is one of the best blogs for stay-at-home moms. Tons of very useful information for my sister, and her baby.
Thank You.
Thank you so much!! I appreciate your kind words.
Thanks so much!
Creative piece of artwork. Nice idea to keep kid busy. Keep it up your good work. We have similar content on kids songs. We hope you also like our content to give preschool lessons to other preschool kids. Thank You.
Thanks so much!
Having this good article for the tips and thoughts of the moms that giving more ideas in this article. Thank you for the thoughts, keep up the good work!
Sometimes we forget to use the most basic things as toys! (or I do anyways). I think the photo blocks are going to be a big hit in our household! THanks!
Thank you so much for this list. It’s been two years since my husband has been gone. So glad I discovered your blog. I’ve used most of your suggestions for anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day and for just any day that I choose. All of the suggestions have really helped me to get through each day. I always forward your blog to others who are grieving or helping those who are grieving. Thank you.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I pray you will continue to find peace.
I just want to thank you for the work that you do and your willingness to share. You have created outstanding materials and we all benefit from your generosity.
Thanks so much! I love being able to share these ideas.
I LOVE that idea. I will deffently have to try some of them out here soon.
Great, Tahna. I hope you enjoy them with your little one. 🙂
Thanks so much for such an AMAZING array of ideas Jaimi! Where do I start 🙂 Love the idea of the Wipes Pull Out Box, such a simple idea but one that my boy will definitely have so much fun with. Cheers, Julia
Thanks, Julia! I appreciate that. I am in the process of revamping this page so it will be more user-friendly and will be adding new ideas along the way. Thanks for stopping by!
Love these great ideas. I'm forwarding this to my cousin for her little one.
Awesome, Anne! I hope it will be helpful for her.
This is so much fun! My wife and I decided to stay home and work so we could raise our baby. We married a little later in life and my wife was 40 when she got pregnant. It's been a wonderful journey! And many wipies have been pulled out all over the floor many a days! We decide to help other parents stay home and work so we started a little internet company called Work Online Academy. There they can learn and be mentored how to do without lost in the internet void. Big thumbs up to stay-at-home parents and their incredible babies!
What a great thing you are doing for your own baby and other parents! Thanks for sharing that. All the best to you and your family.
This is great! Thank you for sharing! I think babies are so fun to be with!
Thanks, Daniela! Babies are fun. 🙂
Thanks so much for blogging and giving me some good ideas! I find myself feeling bored and totally not creative staying at home all day, so I'm looking foward to trying these out! They'll be fun for both me and for baby!
Well, thank you for such a nice comment! This page is getting revamped a bit, so stop back to check out new activities as I post them. I wish you well!
So fun! I think I want to do these with my own kids this summer ! I'm your newest follower !
Great! I am so glad you are following along and are going to try out a few activities. Let me know how it goes!
Fantastic ideas! Look forward to trying them today.
Excellent! I hope it all is going well.
Wow. Great ideas. Wish I had come across this page earlier.
Awe, thanks! 🙂
Hey! I did a slightly modified version of the egg carton for my 8mo. I took a bunch of pictures and shared the activity on the blog, where I also linked back to you. Just FYI!
Thanks for linking to this page, Bethany. I am glad that you are having fun exploring with your infant. All the best to you!!
Hi Jaimi,
I tried the 'what is inside the box' with my 12 month old son yesterday and he basically just shook the box. He wasn't curious as to what was inside at all! Is this a concern? I showed him at first ie I shook the box, then asked him what is inside the box, opened it, showed it to him and put the toy back in the box and gave it to him. He was only interested in shaking the box. What can I do to get him more curious about what is inside the box ?
Good question! If it was the first time you presented this activity to him, it may take a few tries before he plays along. You could try putting a toy that makes noise-like something with a bell in it or even a rattle. Don't show him the toy going into the box; just place one or a few toys in it when he is not looking and then present the box as you did and shake it so he can hear the sound. Ask, "What is in the box? Try to get it!" I hope that can help. Let me know how it goes!
Thanks for the ideas…my son has just turned 1 and I have done the different footprint pics etc and was looking for stuff that was more educational…he is currently playing "whats in the box" 😛 Anyways, if anyone is looking for something to do with kids that are a wee bit older Shadow Puppets go down a treat and take up ZERO space in the home 🙂 xx
Great idea about shadow puppets. Definitely check out my other activity pages for older kids in case the ideas can be useful to your other children. Thanks for sharing here and I hope you enjoy your time with your child.
What a lovely piece! I am always looking for creative ideas to entertain my 8mo without having to buy lots of toys. I had started making photo books of my family (since I live in India and my family is in UK) but now I have loads of ideas to keep us both busy! Thank you!
I am glad you found this page and that you can use these ideas with your child! Enjoy your time together and thanks for letting me know the ideas are helpful.
Thank you I cant wait to get started on these with my 5 month old so many good ideas 🙂
I am glad to see that you are excited to try some of these with your child! All the best to you and thanks for sharing here.
Great tips, I am very happy to visit to your blog. Here are some important information for me.
I am glad that you did visit! Come back again. 🙂
Thank you. I have an extremely active 1 year old and I have been dealing with post natal depression so aside from all the practical stuff and cuddles I have not been great at interacting with her and that is something I have desperatly wanted to change. I love her so much and she is my world and I feel this is going to really help. Thank you!!!
I hope it will be helpful for you! You are doing so much just by being available to cuddle and show her how to do all the practical stuff that needs doing in a day, so any extra activity is just icing on the cake! I wish you well and am so glad you took a moment to share here. All the best!
Hi, I'm a new Mom to a 4 month old boy. He is starting to get difficult to entertain and I'm find myself plopping him in front of the dreaded boob tube, which I really want to get away from myself. What activities are safe to do with him? I don't have money to spend even on things like construction paper so I really need creative around the house objects to keep him busy.
Thanks for stopping by! I would not recommend that a child as young as 4 months even watch television unless it is on while you are watching it. Children that young need much slower, calmer inputs and interactions. Start saving any paper that comes in the mail that has a blank side-we keep this in a bin of scrap paper for drawing, and although you have a child too young to draw yet, you can start to accumulate some paper this way for when he gets older. Also, I read through this list of activities and jotted down a few that you can do in your home with no store-bought supplies other than items that you can find in your home, Here are the ones I would try: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (use scrap paper for this), 8, 14, 16, 20. I hope that can help a bit. There are so many cooking utensils (wooden spoons, whisks, bowls, etc, that children can handle and "play" with that you probably already have at home. Just use common sense-nothing sharp or hazardous-and always supervise. Let me know how it goes!
Thank you I will try some of the activities!
Thank you for sharing this Jaimi! I'm a SAHM of a 10month boy. He is super active and I was running out of options to entertain him and interact with him. The boredom has kicked in BADD!! This has definitely provided me with various channels of communication and interaction with my baby. I'm looking forward to starting these activities with my son 🙂
I am so glad to read this, Kiran! You will be chasing him around very soon when he starts moving all over. Enjoy the calm now! I wish you the best and am glad to know you can use these activities in your home. Take care!
Gracias por compartir!
de nada!
Thanks so much I was looking for crafty activities for my 5 month old lil girl but most of the fun activities I've found are for kids a bit older. These ideas are simple and cheap too which is just wonderful!
I am glad that you stumbled across this site then! It's nice to know you can use them in your home.
Wow, what a wonderful collection of ideas! Such a great resource for keeping those babes occupied. We've done lots of them and have some new ideas now too! Thank you for sharing at our Pinning for Playlink party!
Thanks, Lauren. I appreciate that! I love the opportunity to share with moms.
i have a boy who is almost 1. its hard kepping him entertained. i tried the sticky tape on the ball and he loved it! he touched it and wasnt sure, touched it again a laughed 😀 thanks for all the tips x
That is great! I am glad that he had fun with it and that it worked for you too. Stop back again and take care!
I love this stage with my children! We play the game, "noses, eyes…" When you say "noses," you touch noses. When you say, "eyes," you touch eye to eye. When you say "forehead," you gently rub forehead to forehead and so on. We do ears, hair, thumbs, elbows, and knees, toes (being specific is fun too, like, big toe), etc. My kids enjoy this game from infant stage to ten years of age, to older.
Ha ha! The simple games are often the best, in my opinion. Sounds great!
Just found this on Pinterest I'm a full time babysitter to a 7 month old boy and am looking for new ways to engage him! He crawls around and is just starting to get into everything! These are so great! Thank you!
Renise, I am so glad to hear that you can use many while you care for that little boy. Thanks for letting me know that you found this list helpful! All the best to you!
I have a 15 month old baby girl and I sooo wish I'd done research a whole year earlier.. coming across your site has been so enlightening and exciting for me. At the same time, I fear I'm also very far behind.
My baby doesn't say any words yet (though she babbles A LOT, complete with expressions and tones). She's sensitive, very affectionate and just wonderful.. it breaks my heart to realise that I've let so many months just go by (she's growing up so fast) and I've done nothing to help her develop. I play with her sometimes but I know its nowhere near how much I should've.
Maya, go easy on yourself! There are so many ways that we can interact with infants that do not need to involve specific activities like the ones listed here. It is not unusual for a child less than 2-2-1/2 to not be talking yet. One easy way that I tried to expose my children to language when they were infants was just to think out loud. I would just talk as I did the laundry, or made dinner, etc. I explained what I was doing, why I was doing it, and responded to my child when he/she made any noise or motion back. This is early development of conversational skills. It really is simple to interact with infants and you don't need to feel that you lost time. She is so young, just interact when you can and she will learn as time moves on. Take care!
Will be spending the afternoon with my 1yr old grandson…will be prepared now to keep him busy…wish I'd known some of this when his mom was a baby
I hope you have a great afternoon with him! I am so glad that this list could provide some ideas.
Im new to being a stay at home mom and your blog has really made me feel confident I can teach and help my daughter learn and grow!
Ashley, there is nothing better than hearing that you feel more confident in your abilities. That is so awesome! I wish you all the best and, no matter the challenges, keep your head up and know you are the best for your daughter. She is a blessed girl to have you.
Thanks for this list! This has given me so many ideas for my 13 month old.
On a side note, I didn't read the other comments so if I'm repeating someone, sorry, but this font is kinda hard to read on my iPad. Just FYI! 🙂
Thanks for the feedback and I hope you have fun trying out the activities! Take care!
Angie, we interact with our children in so many ways that don't involve activities that I bet you are doing more than you think! Just talking to your baby while you change him, singing a song as he tries out "tummy time" and reading short books to him in between his naps and feedings are great ways to interact. I talked to my babies a lot-when I was doing laundry I described what I was doing, and the same while cooking. On this page, #1 and #6 can definitely be tried with your baby now. You will be amazed how quickly he will be ready for some of the other ideas listed here. Enjoy your little one!
I enjoyed reading this post! As a brand new mom (my son is one month old), I often feel as though I'm not interacting with him enough. What age did you find most of these activities to be most beneficial?
Thank you for the great ideas, i look forward to trying them all
I am so glad to hear that! I wish you all the best and thank you for the nice comment.
Hi! I found you blog through Pintrest a couple weeks ago. I have already tried a few things you mentioned and my kids think I am amazing! lol My toddler loved the shape book more than my infant but still, at least it was successful somewhere right? My 7 month old especially loves the water play. He used to be a little nervous about water, but this activity got him really exploring it. Now bath times are fun for him. Thank you so much for this list.
Dory, thanks for sharing that! I love hearing how the activities are working in your home. I am glad to hear that they are helping out and keeping your children engaged in learning. You are a busy mom with two young ones. Thanks for stopping by to let me know how you found this page and how things were going. Take care a have fun with your children!
Thank you so much for these ideas. They are awesome! I have a nine month old and she would love these.
Your ideas are ingenious and your blog has inpsired me to become a better mom!! Thanks you so much for choosing to post this information… you are an inspiration for all Moms!!
That is very kind of you to say. I am glad that you find some motivation from the posts. Take care!
I teach at a daycare, and a lot of these ideas are things we do in the classroom. I'm not a Mommy yet, but pinterest directed me here and I took a look. I plan on being a stay-at-home mom when I get there, and I have to say it's nice to see the homemade toy approach and to know I don't have to run to the store to provide my baby with everything I want to give them. But that ball-pit idea, I've never thought of that. I love it! I'm definitely keeping that in my repertoire. Thank you for the fantastic mommy plans!
Great, Kelsey! Yes, the homemade toy approach is definitely a focus in our house and my two children get excited when they have a new "learning game" to explore. I wish you the best in your work with little ones and in the future when you are able to have babies of your own. I appreciate you taking the time to share here!
Thank you for sharing all these superb child development activities!
You are very welcome.
What an awesome site with great tips. I have been looking for this!
Awesome, Kelly Ann! I am so glad that they look interesting to you and that you found it. I try to update this list about once a month, so stop back and check again. take care!
Great ideas. I have two months old baby.boy. When will ur ideas works on my baby?
With a two month old, there is still a lot of feeding, and (hopefully)sleeping going on, but there are a few activities on this list that you can try: #1, 5, 6,11 & 12 are ones you could do with supervision. I don't know your infant personally, so I can only take a guess based on general infant development. While holding him, read a book. He will hear your voice, the structure of language, and may catch some high contrast images here and there depending on which book you are reading. Small moments of interaction are what you can expect at this young age, but it's a start! Take care and thanks so much for the nice comment.
Hai jaimi,
Thanks for the reply.
Ur response is so nice.
My name is sudha purnima n am the first time mum.And ur ideas wolud become very greatful to my baby's development in future. Thankyou.
You are very welcome. Enjoy your child and thanks for the comment.
Thank you for posting this! You are a gem! I had no idea what I was going to do for my daughters first birthday until late, late the night before when I remembered reading this post off Pinterest a while back. I found it quickly and made notes of what we would do the following day. We went through several activities and we did them all TOGETHER. The day was perfect and a day I will never forget. Thank you for providing such great inspiration and for reminding me that we can keep things simple and still bless our children in great ways!
I wrote about her birthday here: http://www.carriesimple.blogspot.com/2013/01/7-activities-for-first-birthday.html
Thank you again!
Carrie, I am so glad to read this and your post was very heartwarming. I am so glad to know that these activities and the time spent sharing them is beneficial to others. Makes it all worthwhile! It looks like you had a wonderful time. Simplicity really is too easy to not try, isn't it? Savor this time that you have with your daughter-what a wonderful foundation she will have for her life. Take care and thank you so much for sharing this.
Thankx alot ur ideas are great u really enriched me with ur great ideas , one question , shall i put schedual for the activities such as focusing everyday at specific skill and activity or what ? Am a mom of twins who are almost one year old , they differs in their skills and abilities since one of them went uder open heart
Thank you,Sama. I am glad that they will be helpful. Obviously, you know that children are going to develop at different paces. At such a young age, I don't set a schedule of activities, because the skills they are working on are so few and require a lot of repetition. Go with their interest. If there are a few toys they really enjoy, keep those out and put others away. When they are not very interested in the first toys, then switch them for the ones you put away to change it up and reignite their interest. I do the same with the activities listed here. A few at a time and switch them when the skill has been learned or their interest has faded. Much of what you are teaching them is just to feel secure in the world because of your presence. Lots of reading, lots of cuddles and conversation-even if it is just you talking to them-I think are the most important for infants. Follow them as they develop-their skills and weaknesses will guide you. All the best to you and your children. How wonderful for them to have you!
Thank you so much for posting these! I just laid out some pillows for my 16 month old son. He loved running back and forth, back and forth!
I am so glad to hear that! Thank you for sharing. All the best!
Great ideas! However, like baby powder, flour can be a hazard and can cake up in breathing airways.
Thanks for the concern. Flour as an inhalation risk is linked more to workers in a plant that processes flour on a regular and constant basis. I think with the exposure to it that most young children have-when baking with their families-the risk is very minimal. There was no flour dust flying around when my daughter was exploring it, and I made sure to only put about a tablespoon on her tray. As with all activities on websites that are geared towards children, you as the parent need to assess the risk involved-if there is any-and judge whether it is worth the exploration experience that could be gained.
I am a new mom and am fortunate to stay at home with my newborn. I came across your blog and want you to know that it is very influential. What great ideas you share! I am looking forward to trying them out, especially the kiddie pool filled with activity balls. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much! I am glad that you have found some ideas that you can try with your child. Enjoy your new baby!
You could also put the plastic balls in a pack n' play for a mini ball pit. takes up less space than a blow up pool.
Yes, it could work. I don't use the pool and balls until the child is capable of crawling, so the pool offers more interest and mobility where the pack'n'play would not allow a child to climb in and out. Thanks for the suggestion!
There are some great ideas here. My eight-month-old wants my attention all the time. I'm constantly looking for new ideas for things I can do with her, but especially things that will teach her to play by herself. It gets REALLY hard to get anything done when she cries every time I walk away from her. I will definitely be using some of your ideas. Thank you!
Thanks for the nice comment! An 8-month old is still in a stage of not really understanding that when you leave you still exist. It can be hard at times to even use the restroom alone since she will think you have disappeared! She will grow out of it with time and understanding that you are there for her when she needs you. It is important for children to get time with us and also learn to entertain themselves. I know that is so helpful for getting time to just get things done that you need or want to do. I hope that you can find a few of these activities that will allow her to occupy herself for a few minutes here-and-there. You probably won't get a huge chunk of time all at once while she is still an infant, but slowly she will learn to play on her own when you can not be there with her one-on-one all of the time. Take care and all the best to you!
I'm going to try some if these with my almost 10month old I am a stay at home mom and needed ideas to keep us more entertained!!
Glad to hear it Anna! Infants can be challenging to our patience, but repetition is so good for their learning. You may even want to check out the Toddler Activities page since your child is closing in on toddler-age. Enjoy your time with your child!
I Love this page! I want to do it all! 🙂 Thanks!
Well, better get right to it then! I wish you all the best as you work your way down this list. Have fun!
This is really great! I am currently at home on maternity leave with my son. It's hard to think of things, especially when sleep deprivation takes away from thinking creatively. Thanks for sharing.
I know how that goes, Stephanie. Hang in there and definitely utilize the simple activities to keep you both enjoying your time together. Enjoy!
This is awesome! I am due in March and can't wait to refer back to your blogs, they are so inspiring and home friendly 🙂
Thank you so much Amanda. Congrats on your little one coming in a few months! Very exciting. I am so glad that you will be visiting this site for ideas as you engage your own child very soon in great activities and time with you. Take care!
Wonderful post! Thank you! We are expecting our first in December and my husband keeps asking me what we do with an infant – I will definitely tell him to read this. I also love all of your ideas for simple toys as I don't want to spend a lot of money on them.
Julia, thanks so much for the kind words. I am so glad that you have found some inspiration for teaching your soon-to-be infant! Congratulations and absolutely share some ideas with your husband. The stages when children are less interactive can be challenging for some, but they are really wonderful, simple times that set a foundation of love and security. All the best as you enter your final weeks of pregnancy!
ur amazing why have i not thought of this ive goot a 1 year old and 2 and my 1year old is always into trouble thankyou
One year-olds like to explore. My 18-month old is still very much like this too and she keeps me and my husband on our toes all the time. I can relate to how you feel. I am glad that the activities seem simple enough that any one can create them. I hope it will allow you to view things in your home for all the teaching that they can simply inspire. Thanks for the comment.
I plan on trying out the high contrast sheets with my littlest. Thank you for all of the great advice! Something my mom did with me and that I now do with my oldest is buy three ring binder rings and page protectors….cut out interesting pics of babies animals foods etc from various magazines and glue them onto computer paper. Place the sheets of pics in the page protector sleeves and have a big book of picture to discuss. I usually give a theme to each page. My oldest daughter still likes adding to it and discussing it. Now that she's almost three I've added a picture explanation of the"Roman Road to Salvation". It's amazing how much she has learned from our homemade book! 🙂
Great news! I am so glad you found an idea you can use in your home. The binder book is a great idea! I love that. What a nice project to carry over many years and a wonderful family tradition. I may have to try it with my 18 month old. Sounds like a great tool for language development, communication, word use, vocab growth…thanks for sharing that!
These are great! I just wrote a blog post about transitioning to part-time, working from home on my daughter's first birthday, and what do I do with her? Someone commented with this – it's great! Thanks!
I am so glad that you have found this page! It's pretty cool that someone commented directing you here. It's nice to know when readers find the activities creative and useful. I really appreciate you commenting. All the best to you as you balance working at home. I am sure that extra time with your daughter will be so beneficial to both of you. Enjoy!
Where was this when I needed it two years ago? Definitely bookmarking for future use. (btw, my 2yr old still loves playing with the pull out wipes container… I just bought the cheap .99 washcloths from Walmart, they were perfect!). Great ideas!
I am glad you found it now. Check out the 'Toddler Activities' tab for activities that may be helpful for you now. It really is true that no matter what age our children are, they have favorite toys or activities that seem to stay with them. Thank you for your kind comment. All the best to you!
Great ideas. It is not easy to find creative activities for younger children.
Eryn, I am glad to hear that this site can be a great resource since activities for infants can be hard to find. I will be updating this page in the coming days, so that is more incentive for me to get moving with it! Thanks for the kind comment. All the best to you!
These are fantastic ideas… I've bookmarked your site already! My only suggestion is to not let anyone, child or otherwise, put raw flour into their mouths &/or ingest it. I was always told there can be microscopic eggs of bugs in flour that will die when cooked… they'd still alive if the flour is raw.
I am so glad you will be visiting again! Thanks for the kind comment. As far as the flour, I store our flour in an airtight container and my daughter did not put her fingers in her mouth when she was exploring. I grew up 'licking the bowl' when my mom made cookies, but have never had a problem. I appreciate the heads up-probably the same for any dry goods: they can become infested if not stored properly or used within a reasonable amount of time. Good tip! Take care.
Another tip with flour, we're not allowed to use it at the daycare because the kids can breathe it in and it clumps when coming in contact with moisture, creating a choking hazard. But you said you only gave her a few teaspoons, I wouldn't worry about it with that small amount. Just thought it should be mentioned for future reference. Glitter does the same thing. We give that to our kids in salt shakers so it comes out in small amounts. Something that she could play with-every age group loves it, even I love it is ooblik. It's one part water, one part corn starch. Mix it all together and throw in food coloring when it sits it hardens, when it's moved it's liquid.
Ooblik is great! I love it for learning to use a knife to spread. Thanks for adding that Kelsey.
Im first time mum and sometimes i have no clue how to entertain my 5 month old.. Thanks a lot for ur tips.. I will try them..
Sangeetha, that is wonderful that you have found a few you can try at your home! I wish you the best with your baby.
I love that all your ideas are low-cost. I'm thoroughly sick of spending money ($$$) on toys which 'encourage exploration and learning', I get the same experiences for my little one by using your ideas and am also alot more involved in her experiences as well. Thank you.
Yes! I have found that the newest toys often are so complicated for children to figure out that the lessons they are supposed to teach get missed anyway. Many have so many functions and gadgets that it just encourages the nerves in the brain to fire quickly and often rather than develop in a nice methodical, calm way. Saving money is very important and I am so glad that you have found the ideas listed here to be helpful and engaging. I am sure your child appreciates the time spent with you while learning as well. Take care!
This is such a wonderful post. Thanks for taking the time to put all of these together! I will be doing a lot of these with my baby. Thanks again!
I am so glad to read that you have found a few of the ideas will work for your infant. That is great news! I appreciate you sharing that with me as well as the nice comment. All the best to you!
I really love the homemade book out of ziplock baggies! That's brilliant & will save me a ton of money on board books! 🙂
The money-saving will be huge! That is for sure. I love that it can be changed and adapted to the child's interests or learning needs so easily…and cheaply. Even for toddlers it can be adapted with single words and a descriptive picture on each page. Enjoy all of the possibilities! Thank you for you nice comment.
Hi there! I was wondering if you might be able to tell me what brand the toy is pictured in number 18? I have been looking for one for a while now but it seems everything now makes sounds, has batteries, etc. I have seen them at daycares and play centers but can't find one in a toy store. Thanks! Erin
Perfect! Just what I was looking for. I have 5 kids 15yrs to 1 and I homeschool. The baby was a surprise and I am so out of the baby stage. I need to find activities for her to do while we are doing school. These are great ideas! Thanks so much for taking the time to post them.
Tara, I am so glad that you can use some of these in your home! What a great amount of experience and knowledge you have to share as well! I appreciate your kind comment.
What fantastic ideas!! I seem to find lots of good 2+ year old activity ideas, but it's harder to find under 2 things to do. I love how simple they all are, though clearly will have a big impact on learning and coordination development.
Thanks!
Thank you so much! I agree that there are not many really creative ideas for interacting and playing with infants. They like a lot of repetition, so having just a few easy to create activities can be so helpful. I am glad that you have found a few here that you can use! I appreciate you sharing your comments.
This is great! I need some new activities to try with my almost 1 year old. I've been staying home with her since she was born and she will definitely enjoy these activities! The best part is that they are all things we can do with what we already have on hand. Oh we will be having some fun in the near future!
I am so glad to hear it! I really hope you and your daughter enjoy these activities. I definitely try my best to use what I have at home first so that we are living as frugally and yet creatively as we can. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment here.
These are great ideas. I'm not a stay at home mom yet, but have been thinking about it, especially if we have a second baby. My biggest worry was how to keep a baby entertained all day that doesn't involve the television. I am so glad I found this on pinterest. I know my son will love the pull out box toy. And I'm sure he'll like the shredded paper mystery bin too. I will definitely be trying a few of these over the weekend.
Sherry, I am so glad you are thinking about staying home. Between regular housework, errands and time with the kids and husband, it really fills up a day. I found with my first child that I was playing with him a lot while watching the news, so I got to work in my tv time. Now with two, there is so much activity that a bit of news in the morning sometimes happens as a luxury! I think you will find that you can be busy if you want or you can be less structured. We vary from day to day. I have not known infants to really sit and watch tv anyway especially if they have mom around to spend time with and learn from. Children benefit so much from one on one interaction. All the best to you whether you continue to work or decide to stay home.
Omg. I love this. Thank you so much. I have a 9 month old and I feel she is bored with her toys. This is going to be so much fun.
Thank you for the kind words. I hope some of these activities will be helpful. You could even try interacting with your child while he/he plays with the toys you have to include more exposure to language and vocabulary. If you do notice boredom, try switching out some toys so that not all are out at one so you can put some away for a couple of months and then bring a few items back out while putting some that have been out away. This may help maintain interest.
This is Great! Thanks a bunch! Wish I had more newborn ideas…. we're going to try these tomorrow!
I am so glad you found some ideas that will work in your home. Much of what newborns need is time on their bellies looking at simple toys and high contrast pictures and just being near you. They don't need entertainment, really, but you can use some of the ideas here already when you bring your child home from the hospital like the high contrast cards or the shape book. Repetition is key for the developing brains of infants. Read simple books-we started reading to our children from day 1! I appreciate your comment! Best to you!
I have used pudding before to let infants paint!! You can use two different colors so they can experiment with the colors. If they eat it..well they get their dessert for the day 🙂
I am glad pudding was a good experience. Interesting idea.
If you are nervous about paint with an infant, there are lots of ideas on pinterest for substitutions. There is one with shaing cream and glue that would be fun. And there is a way to color it too!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I have used the shaving cream and glue combo with preschoolers because it is a little tough to spread around for really young ones. It's a great exploration for older kids, though! I have seen shaving cream colored with food coloring and used in the bath tub, but my kids have enjoyed just plain shave cream enough that I haven't tried to change it up yet. Thanks so much!
There's also finger paint you can make at home.. I have seen it on Pinterest as well, no chemicals! I found it 🙂
These are great! I love the ziplock bag book idea, I will be trying that! Oh, I might even print out some family pictures on regular paper and stick those in there. Seriously, awesome!
Thank you for the nice feedback! I am so glad that the ideas will work for you. The family pictures idea sounds great!
I just came across your blog, and already used one of the tips this afternoon (the water play) and my 7 month old son was having a great time!
It's so nice to know I can teach and entertain my son without needing to buy fancy toys and materials. Thanks for sharing all your ideas..I'm looking forward to using more of your tips and tricks. 🙂
Kristine, I am so glad that you shared this with me! It is great to know that you have found some ideas that you can use with your son and that you are eager to read more. I will keep posting! All the best!
Wow!! Great ideas! I'm super impressed. Thanks for the inspiration!!!
Thank YOU for the kind comment. I am glad that they are inspirational and can be helpful for you in your home!
I am a mother of a 6-month-old baby and was encouraged to try your ideas! 🙂 Thank you so much. 🙂
Great! That is exactly the point-encouragement. We really can provide our children with great days at home as well as keep our interest especially during the infant stage where many moms-including myself-have said, "What do we do now?" I appreciate your comment and I hope you found some ideas you can use.
Thank you Mary! I am so glad that you can use them. Congrats on twins and all the best to you!
These are some really great ideas. I'm always looking for new thinks to do with my twins. I found your blog on top moms and I'm your newest follower!