How to play with your baby, 10 months old

Holy moly, your little one is really on the move now! Even before those first steps happen, I bet your baby’s curiosity has led to some creative mobility hacks. Some roll, some bear crawl, and some scoot their way around. This is such a fun stage. There are so many memories to be made as your baby expands her horizon a bit more each day! With all the action going on, you may be finding yourself taking more videos than photos in order to capture all the cuteness. Go ahead, flood your Instagram with adorable snippets. Contagious baby giggles are extra welcome these days!

However, keeping your baby happily entertained may be another story. This age is so very cute…but also so very exhausting. And have you noticed that many toys on the market today simply sing and light up. There’s not much for children to actually  do , so they lose interest quickly. You need activities that spark curiosity and encourage your baby to fiddle, build, and play – activities that will help your child’s brain grow and give you time to catch your breath. I’ve got a few ideas for you.

But first, let’s take a look at the exciting developmental milestones for your 10-month-old. 

*Remember, babies develop at different rates. If your little one has not mastered this list yet, that’s normal! This simply serves a guide to help you know what to expect, and these are skills your baby might be developing this month – some skills may not fully emerge for another month or two. Always consult your pediatrician with any concerns.

This month, your baby is learning to get around and picking up speed! You’ll probably notice his hand-eye coordination improving rapidly – that means even more activities for you and Baby to do together! This month, your little one may learn to:

·      Sit without support

·      Creep, crawl, or cruise – getting ready for those first independent steps

·      Feed herself finger foods

·      Use the pincer grasp – grabbing food between his forefinger and thumb (watch out for choking hazards around the house)

·      Poke at things with her index finger

·      Take items in and out of containers

·      Use gestures body language to communicate – shaking and nodding head, waving, smiling and frowning, clapping, bobbing to music, taking on new inflections while babbling, 

·      Say his first words and develop new sounds – “uh oh,” “no,” “mama,” “dada,” etc.

·      Imitate complex actions – trying to brush her hair or teeth, trying to zip or button, trying to put on clothes, talking on the phone, stirring food, etc. 

Source:  Mayo Clinic

What your baby doesn’t have yet? – An attention span! Keeping that growing mind and wiggly body occupied for more than 10 seconds is tricky. Here are some interactive activities to enjoy that will pique your baby’s curiosity for longer engagement:

Your baby may not be quite ready for dress-up play – buttons and zippers will just cause frustration – but there are still plenty of ways to let your baby experiment with household items.

For instance, get out some small bowls with lids and show your baby how to take the lids on and off. Babies love to practice stirring with spatulas, whisks, and spoons – you might have a little chef on your hands! For high-chair entertainment (if you don’t mind a mess), let him stir the food inside small containers and try to match the lids.

And although dress-up clothes are too difficult, your baby may have fun trying on different hats and accessories that are large enough to easily take on and off. Bracelets/bangles are usually a big hit, too.

If your baby is always reaching for your purse or diaper bag, give your little one his or her own bag with some similar items – like a brush, comb, mirror, cup, toy, and diaper – so your baby can be like Mommy and Daddy.

Some babies begin to pretend with their own soft baby dolls at this stage. These super soft  Manhattan Toy Baby Dolls  (for both genders!) are adorable.

Although they’re not often sold as children’s toys, you can find lots of baby-friendly nesting dolls. The dolls silly faces are a bit more entertaining than plain blocks, and babies are often fascinated by the nesting concept. Putting them back together is a bit advanced for a 10-month-old, but see if your baby can fit them together as you hand her the next correct piece one-by-one. 

Here are some cute nesting doll sets we found:  puppies ,  colorful chickens ,  barns & animals ,  woodland animals , and many more at  Bits and Pieces .

Your baby may begin to understand the concept of matching shapes and colors. There are so many great options out there to get that little mind going. We love the high-quality (and very reasonably priced!) toys by  Fat Brain Toys  – you can even search by age.

For a 10-month-old, try this large  5-piece puzzle , a chunky  Pet Pals puzzle , or a  personalized name puzzle .

If you don’t want to buy a puzzle, you can make one yourself:

1.     Get a large square or rectangle piece of cardboard.

2.     Trace large shapes onto the cardboard – star, circle, square, triangle, rectangle. (Slightly smaller than your hand.) Then, cut out the traced shapes using scissors or a craft knife.

3.     Place different-colored sheets of cardstock underneath the cardboard and trace the shapes (one color per shape). These will be your puzzle pieces. 

*Tip: babies love sparkly cardstock!

4.     Cut out the cardstock shapes.

5.     Help your baby fit the paper pieces into the cardboard puzzle.

Let your little one paint away (and taste test), with easy frozen water colors. Simply fill an ice tray or popsicle molds with some water, add a few drops of food coloring, add popsicle sticks for the handles, and freeze. Once they’re hard, take them out and let your baby paint on paper with them as they melt (plus, they’re nontoxic if your baby tries to eat them).

This is a fan favorite! You might want to do this activity in the bathtub or in an under-the-bed storage container on hard floor (you could also do a small batch at the high chair).

Using a mixer, blend 2 parts water with 1 part tear-free bubble bath until stiff peaks form (think: beating egg whites). For rainbow foam, add a drop or 2 or food coloring to each batch. Give your baby some sponges, spoons, or toys to play with in the soft, foamy snow!