Activities for 9mnth old

[polkadotgirl]

My LO is almost 9 months old and generally seems like a happy little man, but sometimes I wonder if he's getting enough stimulation/ interaction. We usually try and get out at least once a day and go to a group, see friends or just go for a walk, but at home he seems quite happy just crawling around and practising standing up and cruising.

I talk to him loads, sing silly songs, dance around like a prat and get down on the floor and play with him, but I reckon he gets bored silly of me because he often seems to enjoy just playing on his own. What would he be doing activity-wise if he were at nursery or at a childminders? What do you do with babies of a similar age when you're stuck at home on rainy days like today? :rain2:

xxx

[goldilocks]

Sounds like you are giving him plenty of stimulation already.

I'm a childminder and some of the activities I do with little babies are:

music/ finger rhymes
messy play ( finger painting, playing with cold cooked spaghetti or jelly etc- very messy but great fun!, gloop, water play)
stories
toddler groups/ soft play etc
instruments
treasure baskets ( basically a wicker basket filled with natural materials from around the house that they can explore- chains, wooden spoons, fabrics, shells, brushes etc)

hope thats given you some ideas!

[polkadotgirl]

Thanks goldilocks. I'm feeling pretty unimaginative at the moment and on days when we're stuck at home I get a bit bored and wonder if he's bored too. Then I start feeling like a crap mum :sigh:

I really like the messy play idea and it's something we've haven't really tried yet. Thanks lots again for the ideas.

xxx

[Pancake01]

I think you do loads already. My HV was talking about a treasure basket today. She says she's going to bring a list to the M&B group I go to tomorrow, so I can post that if she does.

[polkadotgirl]

A treasure basket list would be great if you get one pancake. Like I said before, I'm lacking in imagination a bit at the mo. Thanks lots.

[goldilocks]

There is a book you can get called 'the little book of treasure baskets'. Its got loads of ideas in it for different themed baskets. Well worth a look. they may have it in your library-mine do. If not its about £6.99 to buy ( amazon should do it)