Top Activities For a 11 Month Old Baby – Benefits and Tips For Parents

• Babble as a way of communication and sometimes say a word or two. Some babies can say words like mamma, papa, and a few other mono-syllable words.
• Crawl well with balance and speed, and pull themselves up to stand with balance, or help. Some babies can be taking their first steps with or without help.
• Sort a few toys based on shape or color. They can put a toy or a ball into holes or openings
• Arrange toys both vertically and horizontally
• Sit without support and play for a long time

Top Fun And Engaging Activities For A 11 Month Old Baby

An 11 month old is full of energy and curiosity. Activities can engage them for hours on end and teach them several skills and concepts. Learning is easier and more effective when done through activities. If you are looking for some fun and interesting activities for your baby, here are a few you can try.

1. Tiny Trampoline

Babies love to jump up and down. Many babies will bounce on the bed and sometimes even on the floor, on their bottoms. Your baby is still too young and will require support to bounce on a trampoline. It could be the sides or your hands, but they need to hold on to something when they bounce.

What You Will Need?

• A trampoline
• Few pillows around
• Yourself and your baby

Benefits of Trampoline Activity

Skill Development	Benefits
Improves Balance	When your baby jumps, they will fall initially but eventually, they learn to land properly. They learn to balance, which is an important skill they will need for various physical activities and sports in the future.
Introduces New Movement	We all walk, run and even roll. Jumping on a trampoline allows you to bounce continuously without hurting any joints. This is a new movement that we can’t do anywhere else. Your baby will learn this movement and scream with joy every time their feet take off from the surface.

a)  Improves Balance

When your baby jumps, they will fall initially but eventually, they learn to land properly. They learn to balance, which an important skill they will need for various physical activities and sports in the future.

b) Introduces New Movement

We all walk, run and even roll. Jumping on a trampoline allows you to bounce continuously without hurting any joints. This is a new movement that we can’t do anywhere else. Your baby will learn this movement and scream with joy every time their feet take off from the surface.

Tips For Parents

• Always be around and watch your bouncing baby very closely
• Invest in a small trampoline. Bigger trampolines will be too wide and the bounce will also be higher, which is not safe for small babies.
• A closed trampoline (with a safety net all around) is safer than an open trampoline
• Use pillows and cushions on the floor around the trampoline to break a bad fall

2. Climb Cushions

Climbing is an important milestone for a baby to cross. Babies at this age will love to climb just about anything. If you sit down on the floor, they will climb all over you to reach something you have kept further away.

What You Will Need?

• Cushions
• Yourself and your baby
• A safe space free of clutter or objects that can hurt your baby.

Benefits of Climbing Cushions

Skill Development	Benefits
Improves Mobility	Babies learn to use all muscles in various ways when they climb. It is very different from running and jumping. They need balance and strength to carry their body weight, which improves overall mobility. Climbing is an important life skill your baby has to learn.
Better Understanding Of Own Body Abilities	Climbing a cushion that can slip or move requires a lot of concentration and balance. A baby will test their ability and push the body’s capabilities. With this activity, they learn what their body can do with a little effort.

a) Improves Mobility

Babies learn to use all muscles in various ways when they climb. It is very different from running and jumping. They need balance and strength to carry their body weight, which improves overall mobility. Climbing is an important life skill your baby has to learn.

b) Better Understanding Of Own Body Abilities

Climbing a cushion that can slip or move requires a lot of concentration and balance. A baby will test their ability and push the body’s capabilities. With this activity, they learn what their body can do with a little effort.

Tips For Parents

• Always stay around your baby to prevent or catch them during a bad fall
• Don’t place cushions near a wall or furniture as your baby might hit against such surfaces
• Keep some interesting toys or items at some height. It will encourage your baby to climb up.

3. Water Coloring

Babies love colors and watercolors are something new. They are just exploring this option.

What You Will Need?

• Non-toxic watercolors
• Brushes and sponges
• Messy mat
• Your baby and yourself

Benefits of Water Coloring

Skill Development	Benefits
Improves Creativity	Colors bring out creativity in everyone. Your baby will try different strokes, and color combinations and just explore. Stimulating the creative part of the brain is very essential for its overall development.
Open-Ended Play	There is no right or wrong way with colors. They can paint, pour, spray or just create a mess. Such open-ended play stimulates and expands a child’s cognitive abilities to new angles. It keeps them busy and their curiosity can be satiated to an extent.

a) Improves Creativity

Colors bring out creativity in everyone. Your baby will try different strokes, and color combinations and just explore. Stimulating the creative part of the brain is very essential for its overall development.

b) Open-Ended Play

There is no right or wrong way with colors. They can paint, pour, spray or just create a mess. Such open-ended play stimulates and expands a child’s cognitive abilities to new angles. It keeps them busy and their curiosity can be satiated to an extent.

Tips For Parents

• Let your child create a mess. It is how they learn. Do not panic and restrict what they can do with colors
• Use old clothes or a smock to protect clothes from paint
• You can even leave your baby in their diaper or underwear and wash off all the paint once they finish
• Let them use paint brushes, their hands, and shaped sponges to paint or explore
• Use newspapers or a plastic mess-free mat to protect your floors.

4. Reach The Toy

We tend to keep things away from the baby’s reach and it is their ultimate motive to reach for them. Once you move something away from their reach, they start putting in all efforts to grab that particular item. Reaching for toys can be a great way to make them move.

What You Will Need?

• Few toys
• Your baby and yourself

Benefits of Reach The Toy Activity

Skill Development	Benefits
Improves Spatial Awareness	Babies learn how far the toy is from them and understand how much they need to move, to reach that item.
Increases Mobility	It makes the baby climb, reach out, stretch and move in new ways. It increases the overall mobility of the body which is very essential for physical development and strengthening.

a) Improves Spatial Awareness

Babies learn how far the toy is from them and understand how much they need to move, to reach that item.

b) Increases Mobility

It makes the baby climb, reach out, stretch and move in new ways. It increases the overall mobility of the body which is very essential for physical development and strengthening.

Tips For Parents

• Keep a handful of their favorite toys to place in different spots around them
• Slowly increase the distance at which you keep the toys

5. Home-Made Playdough

Babies love to work with play dough. The chemicals used in the commercials may not be safe for a young baby. This is why the age recommendation is 3+ years on those boxes. Making this dough at home opens up play opportunities for your baby.

What You Will Need?

• Simple instructions and ingredients to make your own playdough
• Some food colors
• Some space free of tiny items
• Your baby and yourself

Benefits of Home-Made Playdough Activity

Skill Development	Benefits
Strengthen Fingers	Working with play dough can work the fingers and strengthen them. It improves the way the fingers work, which is very essential to help them hold a pencil or write. It also improves the ability to play with small items or even pick things off a surface.
Sensory Development	Using their hands to explore, experience and play will improve their senses. They can feel the texture, and experience how it stretches and sticks to their hands.

a) Strengthen Fingers

Working with play dough can work the fingers and strengthen them. It improves the way the fingers work, which is very essential to help them hold a pencil or write. It also improves the ability to play with small items or even pick things off a surface.

b) Sensory Development

Using their hands to explore, experience and play will improve their senses. They can feel the texture, and experience how it stretches and sticks to their hands.

Since it is made at home, it is free of any harmful chemicals and you need not worry if your baby spends a lot of time working with it.

Tips For Parents

• Use food coloring to make the dough colorful
• Use edible ingredients to make the dough as babies mouth everything at this age
• Stay close to them to ensure they don’t stuff their mouth or nose with the dough.

6. Story Time

Telling stories to babies has been an age-old way to engage young minds. It can be stories from books, from real life, or just your imagination. Your baby won’t know the difference but will just listen to you no matter what.

What You Will Need?

• Your baby, yourself, and some imagination

Benefits of Story Time

Skill Development	Benefits
Language Development	Listening to words in different tones, with expressions and gestures will not only improve communication skills but will improve their language too. Babies pick words and phrases from what they hear regularly.
Improves Concentration	When you keep narrating stories to your baby, they will ignore everything else around them and listen to you with full attention. As your baby focuses and follows the story as you tell or read it, their concentration improves.

a) Language Development

Listening to words in different tones, with expressions and gestures will not only improve communication skills but will improve their language too. Babies pick words and phrases from what they hear regularly.

b) Improves Concentration

When you keep narrating stories to your baby, they will ignore everything else around them and listen to you with full attention. As your baby focuses and follows the story as you tell or read it, their concentration improves.

Tips For Parents

• Tell them stories about animals, birds, and characters they can understand. It helps them relate more
• Use your hands and expressions to make the story interesting
• You can use props too.

When you do age0-appropriate activities with your baby. It stimulates the brain in many ways. These activities facilitate development without making them do anything specifically. It can be a fun way to introduce and teach your baby about many things.