Activities To Do With a 9-12 Month Old

Play is so essential as your baby grows older. It can be a form of communication, self expression, and a huge time to just explore to learn!

However, as your baby grows older, his or her play styles will begin to change which often leaves the parents wondering what to do next.

Here are some wonderful play ideas for cognitive developement on a 9-12 month old:

1. Big Legos. We bought our son the big building blocks (otherwise known as "big legos") for Christmas when he was about 10 months old and boy did he love them. Honestly, I think my husband and I actually ended up enjoying them even more than he did! Each time my husband and I would build a tower, he would want to come knock it down. Legos for the win!

2. Peek-a-Boo. Also around 10 months or so, my son got into the habit of enjoying Peek-a-Boo. During diaper changes on our bed, he would pull the sheets over his head, with a huge grin, and then uncover his face-we would then say "PEEK-A-BOO!!" And boy would he do it over and over laughing and giggling.

3. Sensory Board or Mystery Box. At this age, their curiosity is peaking. I decided to make a sensory board that I had seen on Pinterest of all the things that my son loves to mess with in the house. Light switches, chains, swatches of carpeting, etc. A mystery box is also a great idea. You can put random objects inside of the box and let him or her dig around and explore.

4. Books. From the time my son was just a few weeks old, I began reading to him. Now, at almost one year old-he loves it. At this stage, he even helps to turn the pages. You can NEVER go wrong with reading-at any age.

5. Crawl & Chase. This has become a fun little habit after bathtime. My son will crawl away, glance behind him to make sure that I am coming after him, and then sprint out the door laughing. He loves to be chased as he is crawling!