Here are 50+ super creative and engaging activities for babies you can easily create at home or in a daycare setting. From brain stimulating sensory bags to simple taste-safe sensory bins to fun contact paper baby sticky walls, you will find tons of ideas for you and your baby to enjoy and explore.
Playing with Your Baby
Playing with your baby may not feel the same as playing with a toddler or older child but babies are eager to explore and interact with their world around them. At this age they are often more interested in regular everyday objects than toys so let them explore them! They love moving objects or kicking them to see what sound they make so activities as simple as kicking tissue paper are wonderful at this age.
This collection ideas are all super easy to set up. In fact I did many of them with my own children when they were infants, from balloon kicking, to Easter egg water play! All of these ideas use materials that are easy to access and help babies grow and develop.
How to Use this List
I have organized the list according to age 3-6 months, 6-9 months and 9-15 months, however, many of the activities can be interchanged and older babies would definitely enjoy many of the ideas listed for younger babies.
Looking for more mess free sensory ideas? Check of this list of 45+ Sensory Bags for Babies & Toddlers
OK, so let’s get started!
Easy Activities for 3-6 Month Olds
Muffin Tin Vegetable Sorting by Happy Toddler Playtime
SIMPLE GRASPING PLAY FOR 3-6 MONTH OLDS by Cando Kiddos
Balloon Kicking by Laughing Kids Learn
Polka Dot Sensory Bag by Mama Papa Bubba
Yarn Activity Gym by Happy Toddler Playtime
Add colourful yarn to your baby’s activity gym.
Star Box Sensory Play for Infants by Where Imagination Grows
12 Sensory Baskets for Babies by Pastels and Macarons
Jumbo Pasta Tub by Life Mama Bear
SENSORY PLAY FOR BABIES WHO PUT EVERYTHING IN THE MOUTH by Cando Kiddos
Easter Eggs and Water Play by Happy Toddler Playtime
Place Easter eggs and a small amount of water in a shallow fishing. Place your baby on a pillow in front of the dish and allow them to touch the water with their fingers trying to move the colourful Easter eggs.
3 Learning Activities For Your 3 Month Old Baby by Mom Junction
Five Sensory Experiences for Babies 4-6 Months Old by The Paige Diaries
RELATED… 18+ Easy Sensory Bins for Babies
Easy Activities for 6-9 Month Old Babies
Bottle Sensory Bin for Babies by Happy Toddler Playtime
Baby Water Play by Pink Oatmeal
Baby Letter Grab by Happy Toddler Playtime
Mini Water Blob by Kids Activities Blog
Jello Dig Activity by Modern Homestead Mama
Puzzle Grab Baby Sticky Wall by Happy Toddler Playtime
Simple Ball Play by Simple Home Blessings
Tugging Lid for Baby Playtime By Busy Toddler
Baby Ring Grab Sticky Wall Activity by Happy Toddler Playtime
Sensory Forts for Babies by Messy Little Monsters
Baby Play: Circle Treasure Basket by The Imagination Tree
RAINBOW BOTTLES/MUSIC SHAKERS by Kids Craft Room
Star Box Sensory Play for Infants by Where Imagination Grows
Easy Activities for 9-15 Month Old Babies
Green Pea Sensory Bag by Happy Toddler Playtime
Mess Free Fall Painting by Happy Toddler Playtime
Bubble Wrap Art by Arty Crafty Kids
Flip Top Peekaboo by Happy Toddler Playtime
Spider’s Web Discovery Basket by A Train Driver’s Wife
Playdough Sensory by Happy Toddler Playtime
Mini Rainbow Sensory Bottles by The Kavanaugh Report
Corn Sensory Bin by Happy Toddler Playtime
Peeling Tape by Making Danish
Mushy Green Pea Sensory Bin by Happy Toddler Playtime
Open Ended Play with Wet Chalk by Lessons Learnt Journal
Puzzle Peek-a-Boo by Happy Toddler Playtime
Push Pull Q-Tips by Jannine Mackinnon
Two Ingredient Taste Safe Finger Paint by Happy Toddler Playtime
UNDER THE UMBRELLA SENSORY PLAY by Best Toys for Toddlers
Rubber Duck Pond Sensory Bag by Happy Toddler Playtime
Mess Free Easter Egg Painting by Happy Toddler Playtime
Exploring Hot and Cold by Mama Papa Bubba
Bubbles Sensory Bags by Happy Toddler Playtime
Taste Safe Sensory Bin by Happy Toddler Playtime
Fun Seasonal Activities for Babies
Valentines Ball Drop by Happy Toddler Playtime
Baby Valentines Sensory Bin by Happy Toddler Playtime
Turkey Sensory Bag by Happy Toddler Playtime
Turkey Sensory Bottle by Happy Toddler Playtime
Simple Christmas Sensory Bin for Babies by Happy Toddler Playtime
Jingle Bell Egg Shakers by Happy Toddler Playtime
Mess Free Snowman Painting by Happy Toddler Playtime
Snowflake Drop by Happy Toddler Playtime
Looking for more fun and easy things to do at home with your baby? Check out these fabulous resources:
- 27 Easy Things To Do At Home With Your 12 Month Old
- 18+ Easy Sensory Bins for Babies
- 45+ Sensory Bags for Babies & Toddlers
Age Suitability
This activity is good for babies aged 3 months and up. My kids are 5, 5 and 8 years old.
Mess Level
The mess level for this activity is medium.
Difficulty to Create
Low.
Skills Developed
Language development, shape recognition, color recognition, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, imaginative play, creativity.
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
WILL YOU TRY ANY OF THESE ACTIVITIES WITH YOUR BABY? LEAVE A COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW WHICH ONE AND HOW IT WENT?
