9-12 Months Baby activity every day Interactions

9-12 Months Baby activity every day Interactions

Babies at this age watch others and then repeat the actions they see. They like to explore objects and actions and do things over and over again to understand how things work. Older babies also are beginning to remember things they’ve seen before and may copy something they’ve seen. They are starting to say basic words and understand many things they hear.

Milestones By end of 12 months

• Pulls off socks or hat
• Claps hands together
• Says at least one word
•  Puts objects incontainers and takes them out
• Enjoys imitating people
• Understands “no”
•  Identifies self in mirror
•  Uses pincher grip to pick up small objects
• Stands for 1-2 minutes without support

Let’s EAT!

Babies try new foods more willingly if they are allowed to feed
themselves. Put small pieces of a new food on the tray and give
your baby time to investigate it. Be prepared for the mess as your
baby becomes better at getting foods into his/her mouth. Take a
picture of your messy baby for the baby book!

Bring out the plastic food storage containers for stacking. Show
your baby how to put one on top of the other and then give your
baby time to try it.

Put on some lively music while cooking dinner.
Encourage your baby to bounce or move to the
music. Music is a great way to gain control over
body movements.

Let’s GET CLEAN!

Play “Name the Body Part” while bathing or dressing. Ask “Show
me your nose” or “Where are your hands?”

Help your baby get excited about bath time! Put a favorite toy
or rattle just out of your baby’s reach and encourage your baby
to reach for it. Keep moving it closer and closer to wherever you
bathe your baby.

Dip a kitchen spatula or spoon with holes into bubble solution
(dish detergent works great!) and blow bubbles for your baby to
watch. Encourage your baby to try to catch them.

Introduce art and painting to your baby by painting in the
bathtub. Give your baby a clean paintbrush and encourage him/
her to paint the walls with the water.

Let’s GO!

Keep your baby’s attention while driving in the car by chanting
your baby’s name or other familiar words. Then add words that
rhyme even if they are nonsense words. “car, car, far, far, har, har,
har.” “Beep, cheep, heap, sleep.”
Make a ramp by putting a toilet paper or paper towel roll under a
large book or flat object. Then, roll a small ball or object down the
ramp and watch what happens! Repeat over and over and clap
when the ball reaches the bottom.
Make a texture book by putting different objects on sheets of
paper and fasten the sheets together. Make a page with cotton,
another page with sandpaper, and another with felt or ridged
cardboard. Help your baby feel each page and talk about the way
the materials feel. Put this book in your diaper bag for touching
and reading while you wait at the doctor’s office.

Let’s SHARE WORDS and STORIES!

Take pictures of family members and paste each one on cardboard
to make a family album. Read the book, talk about each
family member. “There’s Grandma. She has a big smile in this
picture.” Read this book every day before bed or before leaving
for child care.
Tape down a large piece of sticky paper or Velcro on the floor. Put
objects on top of the sticky paper and then, with your baby, try
to pull them off. Use words that describe what’s happening. “That
sticks!” “The ball is hard to pull off.”
Give your baby a piece of paper and a thick, non-toxic crayon or
marker. Show your baby how to make marks on the paper and let
him/her scribble away. Beginning writing starts with scribbles!

Let’s SAY HELLO – GOODBYE!

Give your baby a chance to be part of the hello-good-bye routine
by letting her/him push the doorbell or the elevator button when
you enter child care or are visiting a friend or neighbor.
Make a set of shakers for the car or stroller. Fill small plastic containers
with safe materials like rice or dry lima beans. Put on the
lids and seal the containers with glue or heavy tape. Keep them
handy when you’re running errands.
Hold up each of your pointer fingers and make motions as you
say: Two Little Blue birds sitting on a hill. One named Jack (wiggle
one finger), One named Jill (wiggle the other finger). Fly away
Jack (Move finger behind back). Fly away Jill (Move other finger
behind back). Come back Jack (bring finger back in front of you).
Come back Jill (bring second finger back).

Let’s REST!

Fresh air before naptime helps babies become drowsy. Take a walk
around the block, talking about the scenery. “The leaves are starting
to turn green. I hear a dog barking. Listen to that loud truck.”
Sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star as a good night song. Move your
baby’s hands and arms to the motions: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
(wiggle fingers); How I wonder what you are. Up above the world
so high (hold hands above head); Like a diamond in the sky (make
a diamond shape); Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (wiggle fingers);
How I wonder what you are.
Count your baby’s toes as you take off his/her socks while getting
ready for rest time. Sing, “1-2-3-4-5, once I caught a toe alive. 6-7-8-
9-10. Then I let it go again.”