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Baby Play Ideas and Activities: 6-18 Months

June 4, 2012 by Anna Ranson

Looking for ideas for baby play? Tired of everything being geared towards preschoolers? Here are 20 fantastic ways to play with your 6-18 month old baby, all rich in sensory exploration and promoting developing thinking skills!

Baby Play activities for 6 to 18 month olds

Why not try:
Making a baby play area with interesting objects to explore:
baby+play+area+collage
Creating Treasure Baskets for 6-18 month olds
Exploring a new Treasure Basket 

Emptying and Filling a Material Box
Playing with mirrors and reflection
Sorting and Stacking Nesting Bowls

Dropping and Posting Objects
Sorting and Arranging in a Muffin Tin
Rolling a Discovery Bottle
Crawling through a Sensory Tunnel
Shaking and Listening to Baby Size Rain Sticks
Painting and Investigating with Edible Finger Paint
 Exploring and Creating With Stickers
Creating Pictures with Giant Felt Shapes
Celebrating a 1st Birthday with a Creative, Colourful Party
Filling, Emptying and Stacking Egg Cartons

 Sticking Scraps onto a Contact Paper Window Collage
  Making Murals on the Window and Bath tub from Foam 
Exploring Colours and Scents in a Multi-Sensory Bath
Using all the Senses to Investigate Rainbow Spaghetti

Squishing and Tasting a Big Bowl of Jelly
I hope you have been inspired with some new ways to play with your baby!
*Please remember to NEVER leave a baby unattended with any of these play items and to supervise them carefully during play. Common sense always needs to be applied! *
Since writing this post we have created MANY more Baby Play Ideas so please browse the archives for more inspiration!
Here is a collection of Baby Sensory Play activities to try too!
A-great-collection-of-sensory-play-activities-for-babies-and-toddlers-678x1000
Come and join us  for daily play ideas on The Imagination Tree Facebook page!



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  • Baby Sensory Play: Exploring OutdoorsBaby Sensory Play: Exploring Outdoors
  • Baby Sensory Play: Bubbles!
  • Taste Safe Digger Sensory Bin for ToddlersTaste Safe Digger Sensory Bin for Toddlers

Filed Under: Baby, Discovery Boxes, Heuristic Play, Play Collections, Sensory, Toys, Toys & Games, Treasure Baskets Tagged With: 6-18 months, Baby Play, Sensory Play

« Glowing Activities for Kids!
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Comments

  1. JDaniel4's Mom says

    June 4, 2012 at 11:54 am

    I think even my four year old would love these ideas! What fun!

    • Anna @ The Imagination Tree says

      June 4, 2012 at 12:11 pm

      thank you! I know my 2 and 3 year old still love all of these things. It’s hard to categorise ideas by age isn’t it?! 🙂

    • Growing a Jeweled Rose says

      June 4, 2012 at 10:18 pm

      Yes it is! 😉

  2. Audrey says

    June 4, 2012 at 1:40 pm

    Oh my, a sensory tunnel….I LOVE that idea. Intend to try that out with my 10 month old….I know she will go nuts for it. Thanks for the great idea!

  3. Growing a Jeweled Rose says

    June 4, 2012 at 10:19 pm

    Fantastic post Anna! I LOVE the sensory tunnel. My 10 month old would have a ball with that 🙂

    • Anna @ The Imagination Tree says

      June 6, 2012 at 9:53 pm

      thanks Crystal!

  4. Anonymous says

    June 5, 2012 at 12:26 am

    Thank you for these great Ideas. I will deffently have to try some of them out here soon.

  5. School Sparks Renee says

    June 5, 2012 at 2:45 am

    Fabulous ideas. I love watching babies explore! Is the edible finger paint colored vanilla pudding? Renee

    • Anna @ The Imagination Tree says

      June 6, 2012 at 9:52 pm

      thank you! No, take a look at the post- there’s a recipe!

  6. Anonymous says

    June 5, 2012 at 2:47 am

    Saw alot of sharp edged items here.

    • Anonymous says

      June 5, 2012 at 2:48 am

      …and things that could cause choking – use caution with some of these things

    • Anna @ The Imagination Tree says

      June 6, 2012 at 9:48 pm

      you need to read the posts! none of these are sharp and all are safe to touch under ADULT SUPERVISION.

  7. Rebecca says

    June 5, 2012 at 4:36 am

    I have been obsessed with your blog for a few weeks. Im pretty sure my followers on Pinterest are sick of my posting from your blog all the time haha. This post alone i pinned like 6 ideas.

    • Anna @ The Imagination Tree says

      June 6, 2012 at 9:49 pm

      thank you!

  8. Anonymous says

    June 6, 2012 at 2:15 pm

    Completely agree that some of these items are dangerous! A basket full of metal objects, long ribbons they can get tangled in, and small items they can choke on do not sound like safe baby fun!

    • Anna @ The Imagination Tree says

      June 6, 2012 at 9:51 pm

      Did you read the posts or just look at the pictures? I’m CLEARLY not advocating leaving a baby alone with a basket of objects (nor I hope would anyone ever leave their baby alone.) Please read the post first and you will see exactly what I wrote about how to play safely. Thanks

  9. Anonymous says

    June 6, 2012 at 5:01 pm

    Is it alright if I use some of your ideas and pictures for my resource file? It’s a college project. You have a lot of great ideas that I would love to use! 🙂

    • Anna @ The Imagination Tree says

      June 6, 2012 at 9:52 pm

      You may use one or two images but please will you source me as your reference, thanks!

  10. http://mylittlehappies.blogspot.com says

    June 7, 2012 at 1:29 am

    I love the sensory tunnel idea!! So creative!! I’m ALWAYS inspired whenever I visit your blog. 🙂

  11. Lisa says

    June 13, 2012 at 2:35 am

    Thank you so much for the creative ideas! Very inspiring 🙂

  12. New Baby Gifts says

    June 22, 2012 at 12:59 pm

    I do so wish I had come across your website when my little boy was younger. I would have saved a fortune buying endless plastic toys.

  13. Ramshackle Mama says

    July 13, 2012 at 10:16 pm

    This post is lovely, thanks for the ideas, and the reassurance that play can be simple too! You inspired my blog post for today 🙂

  14. Casey says

    August 31, 2012 at 9:31 pm

    Is that a smock/ apron she is wearing in the last pic with the jelly? Where did you get that? We need something like that :]

  15. Norm says

    September 17, 2012 at 3:58 pm

    I am a teacher too, but I usually teach 7 and 8 years olds, so when I had my own baby I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t know what to do with him – but your blog is giving me lots of ideas! He’s only 3 months right now, but already enjoying exploring different textures and materials.

    Many thanks for the inspiration!

  16. Anonymous says

    September 30, 2012 at 7:49 am

    Love youR page,ideas,motivation and you kids. May God bless them for you. Thank you soo much, and keep up the GREAT work.

  17. Discountula says

    November 12, 2012 at 11:45 pm

    My daughter likes playing with uncooked penne pasta and you have some other great suggestions here.

  18. Lisa Rusczyk says

    January 21, 2013 at 6:23 am

    This is a great list! Please add it to the linky tool to keep more Moms informed.

    http://charlie-the-cavalier.blogspot.com/2013/01/50-thing-you-should-know-before-having.html

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About The Imagination Tree Hello and welcome! I'm Anna, Mama of 4, early years teacher and play enthusiast from the UK! Click here to read more about me.

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