Activities to do with your 8 Month Old
Can you believe that your baby is already eight months old? At eight months, your baby is likely to be on the move and crawling from room to room. No matter what they’re doing, they are always moving and finding new ways to explore the world around them. This is the perfect time to find some activities for your baby that can keep them busy. Here are some fun and simple activities to do with your 8-month-old.
Activities to do with your 8-Month-Old Baby
Although I have said that your baby is likely on the move and crawling this is just an average according to the books. In my own experience I had one baby that at 8-months-old didn’t move off the spot and was content to chatter away developing language skills and as we sung plenty of counting rhymes it also turned out number skills as well. The other at 8-months-old was well on the way to walking and I would frequently find them standing in the middle of a room!
If you are worried about your child’s development then please speak to a professional who will be able to advise you. If some of the activities suggested here are a little advanced for your child at this moment then why not look at some of our suggestions of ideas to play with your 7-month-old baby or head over to our activities for baby page and find ideas from birth upwards there.
Looking for ideas and simple activities to do month by month for your baby? Then check out our Baby Activity Ideas from Birth to 12 months.
Crawling Games to Play with Baby
If your baby wasn’t already crawling by 7-months, they may well be on the move by 8!
Find fun ways to keep your baby entertained by creating a few crawling games such as chasing after things, crawling through your legs, and even playing hide and seek with toys around your room.
Playing with nesting toys
Toys that nest together are great for 8-month-old and can help them start learning about different shapes and sizes of objects around them.
Stacking cups, eggs, and other toys are perfect for your eight-month-old and will keep them entertained for hours. You could also try some of the posting games these will help spacial awareness and hand-eye coordination.
Sit together on the floor and play these. We loved the stacking cups and would count the cups as we built the tower and then knocked it down and count them back together again.
Word recognition games
By now your baby will start to know and may even be saying words that they know.
They will try to talk about the items that they know and will start to recognize them when you say them.
Pick up objects around the house and have your baby tell you what that item is. You can even do this with family members as well!
Why not create a Friends Book that includes family members, friends you see regularly and even the family pet. That way you can read together with a book that is all their own.
Make bath time playtime with your baby
Make bath time a little more fun for your child this month by introducing water play activities to them. By now your baby is probably grabbing and splashing, and it’s no secret that babies love to make a mess. Add some bathroom toys to your baby’s bath and help them try to grab the toys as they float closer.
Don’t forget that you can add in some fun and silly bath songs as well – how about using those squirting frog toys and singing along with one of them!
Dance and sing with your baby
This isn’t going to be a karaoke session, but it will be a fun time for your baby!
Introduce them to fun songs and watch as they bounce and try to dance to the music. They may even start to try to sing some of the songs and you can start to learn your baby’s favorite songs too.
Nursery rhymes are a great way to introduce your baby to music and make playtime more fun. Don’t worry if you have forgotten the words we have you covered. Head on over to discover the words to these 10 Classic Nursery Rhymes and Songs for Babies perfect for dancing and singing along too.
Support you Baby Learning to Walk
If your baby is starting to stand on their own at this point, hold their hand and encourage them to start taking a few first steps.
Your baby will likely be able to stand on their own, but not move anywhere once they’re on their two feet.
Hold their hand and allow them to move slowly around the room while being able to hold onto you.
If your baby is still crawling, but not standing, then encourage them to stand by holding them up and using your hands to keep them steady.
As your baby starts to approach the 9-month mark, they will be developing new skills every single day. It may start to feel like your baby is growing faster every single day, and you’ll be looking for even more ways to keep them entertained.
More Ideas for Activities to do with your Baby
Try some of our favourite books with your baby. It’s right about the time to start introducing longer books that you can sit together and read. Check out these Recommended Books to Read Aloud that we have enjoyed with our own kids.