50+ Ways for Babies to Play – Baby Activity Ideas

Oh so many baby activity ideas for your little one. Babies playing is one of the most rewarding parts of having a baby in the house. Babies learn about the world by touching, tasting and moving in their worlds. That’s why we gathered these great activities for infants that you don’t want to miss!

Baby Activity Ideas that We Love

Here are some baby activity ideas and ways that you can be intentional in engaging and purposeful play in interacting with your tot to help them develop and gain confidence and skills.

Related: More baby development activities

From games, to sensory play, we’ve gathered it all for babies playing! Let your infant play with sensory bottles, sensory bags, sensory bins, practice fine motor skills, and work on their cognitive skills all while playing with baby.

Engaging Activities of Babies

1. Treasure Baskets

Treasure Baskets are made by filling a basket with objects from around the house for your kids to explore and discover.

2. Coordinated Baskets Of Toys

Create color coordinated baskets of toys. Watch your kids discover the color similarities.

3. Montessori and Mirrors

Montessori and Mirrors is a great way to help your baby’s brain develop as they interact with a mirrored image of themselves.

4. Teething Necklaces

These Teething Necklaces are easy to make and your baby will enjoy having something to chew on – perfect for a diaper bag!

Ways Babies Play

5. Play With Ice

Play with Ice! Babies are enthralled with different textures and temperatures.

6. Ice In A Bucket

All you need is ice and a bucket!

7. Muffin Tin Play

Muffin Tins Play! Give your child objects for them to sort and put into muffin tin.

8. Sorting Colored Balls

Kids love sorting colored balls in muffin tins.

9. Colored Bottles Sensory Play Activities

Colored Bottles are so much fun! Seal colored water in bottles for your child to shake and explore.

Infant Activities that Teach Colors

10. Matching Colors

Matching Colors! Young children can begin to recognize similarities and differences in objects with this color activity.

11. Snack and Paint

Snack and paint uses baby food as finger paint with your new eater.

12. Practice Stacking

Practice stacking using chunks of food as building blocks with your baby. They can put food on top of each other while they eat.

13. Edible Sandbox

For older tots who are beginning to enjoy pretend play, consider creating an edible sandbox for them to explore.

14. Paint For Babies

Paint for babies to play. Be daring, watch the kids smear and create.

Baby Activities that Foster Independence in your Child

15. Fine Motor Bottle Toy

Fine Motor Bottle Toy for your tot can thread toothpicks or other small objects into a bottle.

16. Hand Eye Coordination Practice

Grab a pitcher! Practice hand-eye-coordination as your tot pours.   As soon as they are able to hold a container, they will love seeing/feeling water pouring.

17. Baby Obstacle Course

Baby Obstacle Course is a great idea. Use pillows and cushions to create an obstacle course for your child to navigate.

18. Bowl and Ball

Grab a Bowl and a Ball. Play a game of roly bowly as your kids swish the balls in the bowl.

19. Dumping Game

Dumping is a fun game. As soon as babies learn to drop objects, they will love placing objects into tins and in-time, pouring.

20. Outdoor Play

This summer, add some fun to your child’s outdoor play with ice. Add a shoestring to connect your ice cubes for more fun!

21. Stacking Up and Down

Stacking Up and Down. Stack blocks on top of each other and watch your baby topple them over.

Infants Play: Play Ideas for Youngest Babies

22. Finger Play

Finger Play – these are several different ways you can engage your baby, with only your fingers.

23. Sensory Mat

Explore Textures and Prints with a sensory mat made of a variety of animal themed fabrics.

24. Texture Wall

Create a Texture wall. Use embroidery hoops for a variety of textures – hang them low enough for your child to roll to and reach easily.

25. Create A Play Space

Create a Play Space. Use mirrors and other brightly colored toys for your child to roll to and reach.

Toys & Things for Babies You Can Make

26. Baby Buckets

Collection of Baby Buckets. These are simple toys you can make for your toddler from recycled items.

27. Tugging Toy

Tugging Toy. Make holes in a box and have strings with different textures and things tied to them for your child to pull.

28. Clipping Toy

Clipping Toy – toddlers love to clip buckles.

29. I Spy Bottle

I Spy Bottle. Talk to your baby about the objects they an see inside the bottle as they shake it.

30. Squishy Bag

Make a squishy bag. Tape it to the tray on their seat for your kids to explore.

31. Alphabet Matching Puzzle

Alphabet matching puzzle. Use foam letters to create a game for your young children.

32. Fabric Game

Create a fabric game for your child to pull and play with a variety of textures.

33. Download Baby’s First Coloring Pages

Start with our adorable free printable Baby Shark coloring pages that are big spaces perfect for baby fingers to explore fat crayons and make a colorful mess!

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Favorite Books For Babies

34. Who Do You See?

Who Do You See? is a sea animal fabric cloth book that is soft and full of different textures for your baby to explore.

35. Peek- A- Boo Forest

Peek A Boo Forest is a fun interactive baby book with stories, textures, and rhymes.

36. The Wonderful World Of Peekaboo

The Wonderful World Of Peekaboo is a Melissa and Doug book that is an animal-inspired educational cloth book for babies.

37. What Should I Wear?

What Should I Wear? is another Melissa and Doug book. It is a soft book that comes with a doll and activities. Perfect for babies.

38. Just Like The Animals

This soft baby book for infants not only has a cute dog on in, but Just Like The Animals also has crinkle pages.

39. Fisher Price Sit To Stand Giant Activity Book

This Fisher Price Sit To Stand Giant Activity Book is a 2-in-2 electronic learning toy and story book. Great for babies when they’re young, and even great when they’re older.

40. My First Activity Book

My First Activity Book is an 8 page soft book for babies. It includes things like: buttoning, buckling, peekaboo, counting, and more!

41. Soft Activity Cloth Book For Baby

Identify food and more in this soft activity cloth book for babies.

Bath Time Activities for Baby

42. Alphabet Soup

Make a splash using colored water, foam letters, bowls, and a spatula to make colorful alphabet soup.

43. Bath Water Wall

Use tubing and pvc connectors to create a fun water wall for the bath tub!

44. Bath Tub I-Spy

Hunt for toys that start with a letter or  you can do it by color, but this bath tub I-Spy game is a hoot!

45. Pool Noodle Bath Activity

Cut up 2 different color pool noodles and let your child stack them, splash them, and float them with this fun pool noodle bath activity.

46. Watercolors In The Bath 

Get messy by using water colors in the bath! They can get messy and have fun! Most water paints for kids are non-toxic and washable.

47. Frog Pond Bath

Turn your bath into a frog pond/sensory bin and let your little one explore the flowers, “frogs”, and more.

48. Color Bath Toddler Activity

Color your child’s bath water and add color coordinated toys to make it extra special.

49. Ball Pit Bath Tub

Fill your bath tub up with water, bubbles, and plastic balls. Your baby will have a blast!

50. Pirate Bath Tub

Promote pretend play by adding themed toys and telling a pirate story during bath time.

51. Bubble Foam Bath

Play with texture with this sensory activity, by letting your little one play with foam in the bath tub.

MORE RESOURCES FOR PARENTS/CARE GIVERS OF 1 YEAR OLDS

Activities by Age from Kids Activities Blog

Which activities for babies did you enjoy most? Let us know in the comments.