Things You'll Need:
- Floor space
- Items from your kitchen
- Colorful objects
- Books
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Step 1
Make sure the floor area is child-safe. If possible, move tables and anything with sharp edges away from the play spot. If there is anything small enough to fit through a toilet paper role center, remove it from the area. Anything small enough to fit through is a choking hazard for babies.
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Step 2
Play hand games with baby. 6 month olds are too young to control their fine motor muscles, but they love rhythm and movement. Babies especially love face-to-face interaction. Try "Patt-a-cake" and use baby's hands to clap and make rolling motions. Other interesting hand games for 6 month olds include "Head, shoulders, knees and toes," "Twinkle Twinkle little star," or "Itsy Bitsy Spider." Feel free to make up your own songs with hand motions.
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Step 3
Play Peek a Boo. 6 month olds don't yet have object permanence, so when you disapper from view, it's quite a surprise to them! You don't even have to leave the room- just hide your face with your hands, and you'll find your child starts looking around for you. Then open your hands and say "Peek a boo!" This almost always guarantees a laugh.
You can always vary the Peek a Boo game: hiding behind a table or pillow can be super fun for your little one. Try laying baby on his back, and crouching over him. Then move your body quickly to the left as you say "boo!" Then jump to the right, saying "boo!" Your child will be startled and amused by the sudden change. Keep going in different directions. You can do expected patterns of movement and watch your baby anticipate the next move you make. Then throw in a curveball and jump the opposite way! -
Step 4
When your baby gets tired of watching you jump around, they may be ready to play with toys. Colorful toys are great for babies. Placing them just out of arm's reach when a baby is on his back or stomach creates a problem for baby to solve. How is she going to get the toy? Some babies have mastered reaching and crawling at this age, and some are still learning. Let baby struggle with a challenge for a minute, and see if they can solve it on their own. That sense of accomplishment is something you just can't buy for your child.
If your baby has mastered moving horizontally, make an obstacle course for him with pillows in the way of the toy he wants. Or make a "bread crumb trail" with various toys, so that when he gets tired of playing with one, he sees the other out of reach and crawls over to it. Then he sees the next toy and so on. -
Step 5
Play Toy Peek a Boo. This is best played when there are no other distracting toys around. Take the toy of interest and place it in front of a sitting or prostrate baby. Then cover it with a blanket. Ask, "where's the toy?" Then take away the blanket and show baby the toy. Say, "There's the toy!" Repeat.
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Step 6
If you don't have an abundance of toys, turn on your creativity cap. Gather tupperware and let baby explore the shapes and textures of plastic plates and containers. Place things in and take them out of the containers. Use empty oatmeal cartons or coffee canisters to make drums or rolling toys. Just fill with beans, rice or other noisy things and seal shut with quality tape. (Make sure your child won't be able to pry or chew her way into the choking hazards inside the containers.)
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Step 7
Give your baby experiences with new textures and temperatures. Put an ice cube in a damp, clean cloth. Rubber band it so the cloth encases the ice cube. Let your baby chew on it and learn what wet-cold things feel like. Give him a cold, thick carrot to chew on.
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Step 8
Encourage your child to play by herself for several minutes while you take a break. Babies need quiet time too, so just lie down next to him and cuddle. If he doesn't want to rest, he'll find something on your body that interests him and you have created another favorite game with your favorite little person.
