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Activities for babies and toddlers

This section provides ideas and activities for babies and toddlers, or those at the age or stage of 0-18 months.

Communicating with your baby or toddler through talking, singing, facial expression and gestures will help them to develop language and understanding. Please use the links below to access advice and resources to help you.

Communicating with your baby or toddler through talking, singing, facial expression and gestures will help them to develop language and understanding. Please use the links below to access advice and resources to help you.

Play

Babies and toddlers learn from play. Start with the basics and then build up as your child develops skills. None of these activities require special or expensive equipment, often you can use resources you already have. Please ensure that you do not leave your child unsupervised during any of these activities.

Expand the sections below for further information.

Balls - textured, wooden, pom poms, vibrating balls, light up balls

Start by rolling different sensory balls up and down your child’s legs or arms or roll them between your hands or shake them gently where your child can see them. This is great for non-mobile babies and toddlers.

Once your child can sit either supported or independently you can use the same balls to roll on the floor, put in and out of a bowl or basket using words to describe the balls, slowly building language. For example: ball in, ball out. Big ball in, big ball out. Big blue ball in, big blue ball out

Sorting balls into a muffin/cake tin is a game that babies and toddlers will love once they can sit. Give them a basket or bowl or balls of a similar size that will fit in the cake or muffin tin. Your child will love doing this over and over, tip them out and start again.

Ball game for toddlers | Words for Life

Balls - textured, wooden, pom poms, vibrating balls, light up balls

Start by rolling different sensory balls up and down your child’s legs or arms or roll them between your hands or shake them gently where your child can see them. This is great for non-mobile babies and toddlers.

Once your child can sit either supported or independently you can use the same balls to roll on the floor, put in and out of a bowl or basket using words to describe the balls, slowly building language. For example: ball in, ball out. Big ball in, big ball out. Big blue ball in, big blue ball out

Sorting balls into a muffin/cake tin is a game that babies and toddlers will love once they can sit. Give them a basket or bowl or balls of a similar size that will fit in the cake or muffin tin. Your child will love doing this over and over, tip them out and start again.

Ball game for toddlers | Words for Life

Hide a toy, ball or an object under a cover. Ensure that your baby or toddler watches as you do this. Use words to narrate the actions, for example “look here is teddy” cover teddy with a cloth “where is teddy” What does your child do? They may look away at something else but eventually they will start to look at the cloth or try to move it to look underneath. This can then become a “peek-a-boo” game.

You can play this in so many ways but putting objects under your hand, under the water in the bath, roll balls into a box there are so many options. Once your child starts to look for the object, they have object permanence.

How does a simple peekaboo game for baby help their development? - BBC Tiny Happy People

Hide a toy, ball or an object under a cover. Ensure that your baby or toddler watches as you do this. Use words to narrate the actions, for example “look here is teddy” cover teddy with a cloth “where is teddy” What does your child do? They may look away at something else but eventually they will start to look at the cloth or try to move it to look underneath. This can then become a “peek-a-boo” game.

You can play this in so many ways but putting objects under your hand, under the water in the bath, roll balls into a box there are so many options. Once your child starts to look for the object, they have object permanence.

How does a simple peekaboo game for baby help their development? - BBC Tiny Happy People

Babies and toddlers love lights. You can create a calming sensory den for your baby using a cardboard box (ensuring that it is safe by removing any sharp staples or tape). Place the box on its side and make small holes in the top. Push fairy lights (sets that change colour or have different modes are ideal) through the holes and a soft blanket in the bottom. Lay your baby inside looking up. Playing some soft sensory music can make this a calming activity. These are perfect:

This site has some good ideas: Carboard Box Creations for Kids to Play With - My Bored Toddler

Mobile babies and toddlers love a light show on the ceiling and can be enjoyed by laying on the floor together. It is a great way to relax.

Babies and toddlers love lights. You can create a calming sensory den for your baby using a cardboard box (ensuring that it is safe by removing any sharp staples or tape). Place the box on its side and make small holes in the top. Push fairy lights (sets that change colour or have different modes are ideal) through the holes and a soft blanket in the bottom. Lay your baby inside looking up. Playing some soft sensory music can make this a calming activity. These are perfect:

This site has some good ideas: Carboard Box Creations for Kids to Play With - My Bored Toddler

Mobile babies and toddlers love a light show on the ceiling and can be enjoyed by laying on the floor together. It is a great way to relax.

Start with rolling light up balls in the colander for your baby to watch. You can add noisy items like balls, spoons, pegs, coins for sound games.

When your baby is able to sit either supported or unaided you can turn the colander over and let your baby bang on it with their hands or spoons, brushes, beads (anything that will make a noise)

With the colander upturned you can also poke coloured pipe cleaners or cardboard straws through the holes and let your baby pull them out (they will want to repeat this over and over)

They will eventually start to push the straws or pipe cleaners through themselves. This is a good time to turn the colander back over so they can watch them go through the holes.

See more videos on activities you can do to help your child's development here.

Start with rolling light up balls in the colander for your baby to watch. You can add noisy items like balls, spoons, pegs, coins for sound games.

When your baby is able to sit either supported or unaided you can turn the colander over and let your baby bang on it with their hands or spoons, brushes, beads (anything that will make a noise)

With the colander upturned you can also poke coloured pipe cleaners or cardboard straws through the holes and let your baby pull them out (they will want to repeat this over and over)

They will eventually start to push the straws or pipe cleaners through themselves. This is a good time to turn the colander back over so they can watch them go through the holes.

See more videos on activities you can do to help your child's development here.

Fill a basket, box or bowl with similar items. It could be wooden one day (pegs, spoons, blocks, balls) and metal another (teaspoons, measuring spoons, keys) or a natural basket (pine cones, leaves, bark). A Heuristic play basket always has a theme. Your child can explore the items by touch, sound using a variety of senses whilst being supervised by an adult.

Examples and more information What Is Heuristic Play? The Essential Guide - Early Impact Learning

Fill a basket, box or bowl with similar items. It could be wooden one day (pegs, spoons, blocks, balls) and metal another (teaspoons, measuring spoons, keys) or a natural basket (pine cones, leaves, bark). A Heuristic play basket always has a theme. Your child can explore the items by touch, sound using a variety of senses whilst being supervised by an adult.

Examples and more information What Is Heuristic Play? The Essential Guide - Early Impact Learning

Once your baby or toddler starts to hold objects or reach up for objects, you can vary the objects by having a basket or box of items. Change these regularly so they don’t get bored. Allow them to safely explore.

Once your baby or toddler starts to sit you can build up to rolling, banging, shaking objects that have sound or lights, this can include toys with wheels or spinning toys.

Once you child starts to move the possibilities are endless.

Physical Activities for Babies and Toddlers – Active For Life

Once your baby or toddler starts to hold objects or reach up for objects, you can vary the objects by having a basket or box of items. Change these regularly so they don’t get bored. Allow them to safely explore.

Once your baby or toddler starts to sit you can build up to rolling, banging, shaking objects that have sound or lights, this can include toys with wheels or spinning toys.

Once you child starts to move the possibilities are endless.

Physical Activities for Babies and Toddlers – Active For Life

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