14 Simple Games And Activities For 6-Month-Olds

At 6-months-old, your baby is starting to show you a little bit more of their personality. Therefore, you are probably getting more smiles during playtime than puzzled stares. In addition, your child is also learning and developing every single day. 

With all of these changes happening, there’s no better time to start adding some activities for 6-month-olds to your daily routine! This list will give you some activity and game ideas to help you expand your baby’s learning opportunities.

It’s truly incredible to watch our babies grow and develop. As you read this list, remember that your baby might not be ready for some of these activities, and that’s ok! All babies develop at different rates, and that’s perfectly normal. However, never hesitate to call your doctor with any questions you have.

Let’s Start With Some Developmental Milestones

At 6 months old, most babies will be able to…

• Work to grab a toy that’s out of reach
• Smile and makes sounds to let you know when they are happy
• Pass objects between their hands
• Brings items to their mouths
• Roll over from back to front, and front to back
• Starts to sit without support

Keep these milestones in mind as you think about fun 6-month-old activities that will help challenge your baby.

Now, on to the list of activities for 6-month-olds:

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1. Reading

Reading is an excellent activity for babies of any age. It creates a fantastic opportunity for bonding, and it shows your child that reading is fun! You will be setting the stage for a future bookworm.

Soft books and high contrast board books are terrific options for younger babies. Remember, whatever books you let your baby play with will likely end up covered in drool. 

You’ll also love: The Best Board Books For Babies

2. Play Outside

As long as the weather is reasonable, take your baby outside to play! Playing outside has benefits for both you and your baby. Some of those benefits include improved sleep quality, enhanced immune system, lowered stress, and more learning opportunities for your little one.

There are many different things that you can do with your child outside, even if they are only six months old! You can grab your stroller or a baby carrier and go for a walk, or you can also lay a blanket in the shade to play or read.

If you have some bubbles at home, blow some bubbles for your baby to watch! I’m sure your little one will love to watch the bubbles float down, and they will probably try to pop some, too!

Another great reason to play outdoors is that there are many sensory aspects that your child doesn’t get while playing inside. When outdoors, your child can feel the grass and dirt, hear sounds like birds, cars, or wind, and get some fresh air!

3. Peekaboo

Peekaboo is a great game to start playing with your 6-month-old. It will teach your baby object permanence, amongst many other things. Object permanence means that even though your baby can’t see something, it still exists.

Aside from making your baby laugh, peekaboo also helps develop your baby’s visual tracking skills. Also, your baby will be learning some social skills from interacting with you. You will be showing them how to take turns and make eye contact, which are both crucial skills for communication.

My favorite way to play peekaboo is with a smaller blanket, but you can use your hands or even a toy like a stuffed animal.

4. Tummy Time

Tummy time is crucial for your baby. It helps strengthen your baby’s neck and back muscles, which are needed as they start to scoot and crawl around.

You can start doing tummy time when your baby is a newborn, but it gets to be more fun as your baby gets older.

You can do many activities on this list during tummy time, but you can also do things like baby massage to help your baby relax. Simply lay down a blanket, a fun mat, or an activity gym to get started; any way is great!

You’ll also love: The Ultimate List Of Tummy Time Activities By Age

5. Hanging Toys

If you have an activity gym with hanging toys, now is the perfect time to put them to use. Once you lay your baby under the toys, they can practice swatting and grab at them. 

We have this activity gym, and our son loved it. It comes with balls, hanging toys, and a baby-safe mirror. Plus, it has many fun things to look at, providing great entertainment while doing tummy time!

You’ll also love: The Best Toys For 6-Month-Olds

6. Sensory Bottles

Sensory bottles are great activities for 6-month-olds. Your baby will love to explore and discover what’s inside each bottle. The neat thing about making your own sensory bottles is that there are endless possibilities for what’s inside.

Here is what you need to make sensory bottles out of everyday household items:

• Clear plastic bottles, preferably with a wide opening
• Small toys, glitter, or water beads
• Water to fill the bottle

Once you have all of your supplies, the first step is to put the objects in the bottle. Then, you fill the bottle with water. The last step will be to glue the lid shut to ensure it can’t get opened by your baby. You can use a glue gun or super glue to glue it closed.

There are a ton of other ways you can make your sensory bottle. For example, you can use oil or glue inside the bottle to give it a different consistency. There are many fantastic ideas on Pinterest if you want to try out more complex options.

7. Blocks

Playing with blocks is an activity that your child will only love more as time goes on. When using blocks for 6-month-old activities, it’s best to start with soft blocks that your baby can easily chew on or knock around.

Our favorite first blocks for 6-month-olds are these soft ones by Baby Einstein. These blocks have black and white sides and sides with pictures and different colors and patterns. They also have more exciting things like baby-safe mirrors and other textures/noises. 

When introducing blocks to your baby, show them how to stack them into a simple tower. You can also give the blocks a little toss to show your baby how they go bouncing away.

8. Balls

Balls are such a versatile toy; there are many different activities your 6-month-old will love to do! If you choose ones that are bright and can be easily rolled, you’ll be set.

For example, if you have a large ball like this one, your 6-month-old will love to push it back and forth with you. 

As for smaller balls, we like these from Infantino. They are sensory balls, meaning each ball has a different texture, and they are all different sizes. They will be fun for your little one to chew on or encourage your baby to scoot and crawl after them.

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9. Circle of Toys

When it comes to easy activities for 6-month-olds, the circles of toys activity is at the top! All you have to do is take your baby’s favorite toys and arrange them in a circle around your baby. This will encourage your little one to explore and try to grab the toys surrounding them.

Another terrific option you can do is to stand board books up around your baby. This will give them so many things to look at! Also, just like with the circle of toys, it will encourage them to scoot towards the books. 

The circle of toys was always my kiddo’s favorite on this list of 6-month-old activities. It’s especially great if your little one is learning to scoot around.

10. Singing And Dancing

There’s no doubt that your baby loves the sound of your voice. What better to do than sing to them! (P.S, they won’t care if you aren’t the greatest singer 😉)

You can sing lullabies to your baby, or you can start singing songs like the Itsy Bitsy Spider. Your baby will be mesmerized when you add movements to fun songs!

Another great activity for 6-month-olds is dancing in front of a mirror. If you have a full-length mirror, it will be perfect for this activity! All you have to do is turn on some fun music, hold your baby under their armpits in front of the mirror, and gently bounce them on their feet. 

Having your baby bounce on their feet can help strengthen their leg muscles, plus they will get so excited to see their reflection in the mirror!

11. Teething Toys

Teething toys are great for many reasons. The first reason is that they will give your baby relief from the teething pain that typically appears around this age. 

The second reason teething toys are ideal is that they will keep your baby entertained. Usually, teething toys have different textures for your baby to feel, and they are typically colorful, which your baby will love.

My kiddo’s favorite teething toy was this one, and he still loved it as a one-year-old! When he got his first tooth, he would sit and chew on that toy for so long. It really helped to calm him down.

A fun activity to try with teething toys is to throw an assortment of different kinds in a small bin and let your baby explore them all. You can add teething toys with different textures and refrigerated ones, and your child will have a blast picking out their favorite.

12. Baby Sign Language

Baby sign language is one of the activities for 6-month-olds that can help encourage better communication. Better communication means less frustration for everyone!

One thing to keep in mind when starting sign language at 6-months-old is that your baby might not sign back to you for a couple (or more) months. But, by beginning to teach your child sign now, your baby will have plenty of repetition to solidify what they are learning.

If you are interested in learning more about baby sign language, I highly recommend this book. It’s beneficial if you don’t have much background in sign language. It has helpful pictures with each sign, and it’s so easy to follow.

You’ll also love: What To Teach Your 1-Year-Old

13. Splash In Water

When looking for activities for 6-month-olds, know that sensory activities are always a hit! That’s why splashing in the water is a great activity idea for your baby.

Also, there are many ways to let your little one splash away. If your baby is sitting up on their own, one popular option is to fill your bathtub or a baby pool with a bit of water. As always, never leave your baby unattended while playing with water. 

Another option is to fill a little plastic bin with water and let your child splash from the outside of the container. If you’d prefer a mess-free option, a water mat like this one is perfect! This allows your child to play with water and little floaty toys while staying dry!

14. Sensory Fun With Food

Last on this list of activities for 6-month-olds is sensory play with food. At 6 months, most parents get the go-ahead to start introducing solids to their baby. If that’s the case for you, don’t be afraid to let your baby explore the textures of their new foods!

This fun idea works whether you feed your baby purees or do baby-led weaning. Let your child get messy while learning what foods they like or don’t like. 

If you are worried about the mess, you can take precautions by using a floor mat like this one and putting your baby in their high chair while only wearing a diaper. Taking these steps can help ease mess-related stress and allow you to enjoy this new phase with your baby.

You’ll also love: The Top Baby Essentials For Starting Solids

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The great thing about these activities for 6-month-olds is that you can continue to do most of these things as your baby gets older. For example, reading and going outside are two things that are always great for your kiddo.

And remember, even if you think your baby won’t like a specific activity, you might be surprised when you find that they love it! Don’t be afraid to give them all a try. 

Before you go, check out these related articles:

• Simple Activities For 9-Month-Olds
• Fun and Easy Activities For 12-Month-Olds
• The Best Toys For 6-12-Month-Olds
• How To Clean Baby Toys (The Right Way)
• How To Teach Your 1-Year-Old Discipline

What are your favorite activities for 6-month-olds? I would love to know in the comments below!

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