Support Your Baby’s Development: Activities for Your 6-Month-Old

Activities for Your 6-Month-Old Baby: Thinking

• Saying their name. When you call out to your baby’s name just before you enter a room, your sweetie will look around to see where your voice is coming from now that they know their own name.
• Playing pickup. If you hand your 6-month-old a toy when they drop it, they learn about cause and effect. You may grow tired by the seventh or eighth time of picking it up, but to your baby this is hilarious and educational.
• Swapping toys. By regularly swapping out your baby’s toys there’s always something new for them to explore. Of course, they don’t need to be brand-new goodies—you’re a little busy anyway. It’s perfectly fine to rotate your current selection. Soft toys, like stuffed animals, are easy to grab. Other ideas include infant-safe musical toys, cube-shaped toys, and ones with varied textures. Blocks and infant rings are good too.
• Making mirror connections. When you hold your baby in front of a mirror and make a funny face, they might try to touch your reflection. Or maybe by now they realize that the reflection is of you! Either way, holding your baby in front of mirrors is a simple 6-month-old activity that helps teach them about spatial relationships.

Activities for Your 6-Month-Old Baby: Moving

• Floor time. Daily floor time can be a fun way for your baby to get some action in. There, they can sit, lie, or roll around on the floor and play with toys or with you. Or, if you’re busy, you can use a playpen for safe exploration and a little mommy peace of mind.
• Reaching. Intriguing toys placed slightly out of reach beside your baby while they’re on their tummy give them something to stretch for. They may roll over or even try to creep toward it. Another fun way to encourage them is by placing a toy in front of your baby while they’re sitting. You can support them in a tripod position or if they’re able to sit up alone, that’s great. They may try to reach for the toy with one hand, which improves balance. Just make sure you’re nearby for moral and physical support. It’s always a good idea to place pillows around for protection in case of a topple.
• Bath time. Bath time helps develop sensory, cause-effect, and social skills. It can also be a fun time to flex those sitting muscles. If your baby can sit independently, try placing them in a bathtub with a few inches of water, with you right there with them, of course. 

Activities for Your 6-Month-Old Baby: Communicating

• Naming objects and actions. Dog, spoon, bath, driving, eating. Your baby’s beginning to associate certain sounds and words with people, objects, and events. Even if they can’t say the actual words yet, this can be an exciting development.
• Baby babbles. By using the real words your baby already tries to say through babbles, you can help them learn the proper words. For instance, if they say, “ba ba,” you might show them a picture of a baby and say, “Baby.”
• Reading. Board books with colorful, simple illustrations can be a fun way to spend time with your little one and help them build their vocabulary.
• Sign Language. Although babies often use pointing as an effective communication tool, you can use baby sign language to encourage conversation and ease some frustration.

Activities for Your 6-Month-Old Baby: Understanding

• Self-soothing. You may notice your baby sucking on their fingers, thumb, or a pacifier. Not only is this adorable, it’s a natural way for them to comfort themselves when they’re in unfamiliar situations or separated from you.
• Bedtime ritual. Help teach your baby to settle down on their own by softly singing to them at bedtime more quietly than when they go down for naps. If you place them in a darkened room on their back while they’re still awake—but drowsy—you encourage them to calmly fall asleep.

From activities for their vocabulary to creating an all-important bedtime ritual, your 6-month-old’s developing in every way. Let’s also help ensure they get the daily nutrients they need like those found in Enfamil^® Enspire™ infant formula as they continue to learn and grow.