East Toledo Family Center

Six Months Old Activities

Help your child
learn and grow!

Try these fun and easy activities with your 6-month-old.
These are a great way to have fun together and encourage your child’s healthy development.
  • While sitting on the floor, place your baby in a sitting position inside your legs. Use your legs and chest to provide only as much support as your baby needs. This allows you to play with your baby while encouraging independent sitting.
  • Common household items such as measuring spoons and measuring cups make toys with interesting sounds and shapes. Gently dangle and shake a set of measuring spoons or measuring cups where your baby can reach or kick at them. Let your baby hold them to explore and shake, too.
  • Gently rub your baby with a soft cloth, a paper towel, or nylon. Talk about how things feel (soft, rough, slippery). Lotion feels good, too.
  • With your baby lying on their back, place a toy within sight but out of reach, or move a toy across your baby’s visual range. Encourage them to roll to get the toy.
  • Play voice games. Talk with a high or low voice. Click your tongue. Whisper. Take turns with your baby. Repeat any sounds made by them. Place your baby so that you are face to face-your baby will watch as you make sounds.
  • Place your baby in a chair or car seat to watch everyday activities. Tell your baby what you are doing. Let your baby see, hear, and touch common objects. You can give your baby attention while getting things done.
  • Your baby will like to throw toys to the floor. Take a little time to play this “go and fetch” game. It helps your baby to learn to release objects. Give baby a box or pan to practice dropping toys into.
  • Place your baby facing you. Your baby can watch you change facial expressions (big smile, poking out tongue, widening eyes, raising eyebrows, puffing or blowing). Give your baby a turn. Do what your baby does.

Fun & easy social-emotional activities

Try these activities with your 6-month-old.
These are a great way to have fun together and support your child’s social-emotional development.
Learn your baby’s special rhythms, and try to settle into a regular routine for eating, sleeping, and diapering. Talk to your baby about their routines. This will help your baby feel secure and content.
When your baby cries, respond to them. Whisper in their ear to quite her. Hold them close and make soft sounds. This will help them know that you are always there and that you love them.
Bring your baby to new places to see new things. Go on a walk to a park or in the mall, or just bring them shopping. They will love to see new things while you keep them safe.
Bath time* is a wonderful time to have fun and be close with your baby. Sponges, plastic cups, and washcloths make simple, inexpensive tub toys.
*Be sure to review safety guidelines with your health care provider.
Get down on the floor with your baby and play with them on their level. Look at toys, books, or objects together. Have fun, laugh, and enjoy your time together.
Let your baby begin to feed themselves bits of food and use a spoon and a cup. They will begin to enjoy doing things themselves.
Use your baby’s name when you dress, feed, and diaper them. Say, “Here is Riley’s finger. Here is Riley’s foot.”
Visit a friend who has a baby or young child. Stay close to your baby and let them know that these new people are okay. It takes a little time to warm up.