Looking for things to do with an 8-month-old baby? Look no further. We’ve got a list of ten developmental activities for 8-month-olds, perfect for this curious and crawly stage.
All you need is a few everyday items, a sense of fun and adventure, a little imagination, and a lot of energy. Get ready to laugh, play, and bond, mama — you’ve got your hands full now!
But before we share our favorite 8-month-old baby activities, let’s take a quick look at the milestones your little mover and shaker might be hitting around this point.
In this article: 📝
- What should I expect at 8 months?
- How do I stimulate my 8-month-old?
What should I expect at 8 months?
It goes without saying that every baby is different, and 8-month-old developmental milestones should only ever be used as a rough guide for your own child’s development. That said, some of the things they may be doing at this age include:
- Rocking, crawling, or pulling themselves up to standing (with support)
- Picking things up, moving them from hand to hand, and banging them together
- Spotting things they want from across the room thanks to ever-improving vision
- Touching (and tasting) everything they can get their inquisitive little hands-on
How do I stimulate my 8-month-old?
There are all sorts of activities and games you can use to engage and entertain your 8-month-old baby.
From stacking blocks and storytime to singing, dancing, and messy play, here are some of our faves to inspire you.
10 super-fun activities for 8-month-old babies
1. Play with building blocks
Building blocks are timeless toys.
Babies have used them to have fun and learn new skills for generations. And while an 8-month-old baby may be too young to stack them successfully, they’ll enjoy figuring out how to put them together.
Playing with building blocks can improve their fine motor skills, improve their attention span, and help them learn to cooperate with others.
2. Hide and go seek
As your baby grows from a tiny newborn into a curious infant, they’ll begin to reach out and explore their surroundings.
As such, 8 months is a great time to introduce hide and seek. The classic game can help test and develop your baby’s understanding of object permanence.
Hide a toy while they’re watching you, firstly partly hidden and then concealed completely. Then watch them have fun trying to find it.
3. Learn sign language
More and more parents are teaching their babies sign language, and with good reason. This means of communication is extremely helpful for allowing little ones to express their needs before they’ve learned to talk.
8-month-old babies who know how to sign are usually less frustrated since they can express themselves more clearly to their caregivers.
Sign language helps them to communicate crucial information, such as if they’re hungry or hurt.
4. Reading
Reading is an activity parents should encourage long before their babies turn one. At 8 months old, babies love to immerse themselves in the sound and rhythms of speech, which can improve their language development. Rhyming books are ideal for children of this age.
Babies can learn how vowel and consonant sounds come together to form words.
5. Messy play
Messy play is a term that’s gained great popularity over the years.
Also referred to as sensory play since it encourages babies to use all five senses, it’s one of the best fun activities for 8-month-olds.
Messy play often involves babies using their hands to explore ingredients such as water, paint, sand, mud, slime, and clay.
This activity not only promotes fine motor skills but also improves hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.
6. Sensory bins
Exploring sensory bins, bottles, and bags is one of the best developmental activities for 8-month-old babies.
Allowing them to discover, create, imagine and learn while engaging their senses, sensory bins can be filled with an almost endless variety of different materials, including water, sand, and shredded paper.
For younger babies, oatmeal is recommended as a filler since it won’t harm them if it finds its way into their mouths.
7. Finger painting
Finger painting is a lot of fun for 8-month-old babies. Not only will they enjoy getting creative using vibrant colors, but the activity can also promote their development.
In particular, it can improve those all-important fine motor skills by strengthening finger and hand muscles.
If you’re concerned about your little one putting their paint-covered hands into their mouths, consider using homemade edible finger paint.
Made using flour, salt, water, and coloring, it can be an excellent alternative to normal paint for babies.
8. Crawling games
Since most babies start crawling between 7 and 10 months, activities that promote this skill are ideal for 8-month-olds.
Make a game out of crawling by setting up pillows or toys to maneuver around or over.
You could also play “follow the leader” by crawling in front of your baby and encouraging them to follow you.
Make sure you give your baby plenty of tummy time since this activity strengthens the muscles they’ll need to learn to crawl.
9. Singing and dancing
Don’t assume your 8-month-old is too young for singing and dancing games and activities.
They don’t need to be walking or even crawling to enjoy moving along to music. Babies start kicking to music from the first few months of their lives.
You could start by teaching your baby fun action songs such as “This Little Piggy” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” Babies love to watch, listen, and anticipate the accompanying movements, and you’ll have fun singing and dancing too.
10. Hit the splash pad
When temperatures start to climb, entertaining your baby can become more difficult. One idea is to invest in a splash pad.
Much safer than a paddling pool since it only has a tiny amount of water in the bottom, a splash pad lets your little one have fun while cooling off on a hot day.
And the best bit? You’ve got the perfect excuse to join them under the sprinkler for some splashy playtime!
Did we miss any? Share your favorites with the mamas on Peanut!
👶 Read next: 11 Fun Activities for 9-Month-Old Babies