Baby's Play & Growth: Activities for Months 7-12 - Episode 41

What's Up Wednesdays!

Join us in this episode as we explore the critical developmental milestones for babies aged 7 to 12 months and how parents can use engaging games and activities to enhance their child's learning journey. We’ll discuss the importance of play. You'll Learn how to support your child's growth through fun and interactive experiences that will nurture their curiosity and creativity.

Want to take a deeper dive? Head over to my website and tune into my other podcasts in this series on using play to help support your child's learning through milestones, games and activities.

Episode 38 - Boost Baby's Growth with Playtime Magic Now!
Episode 39 - Transform Baby's Play with Tummy Time Fun
Episode 40 - Engage Your Baby's Mind: Games for 4-6 Months

Please feel free to also visit my website for more information on baby's milestone.

Contact:
For The Love of Parenting Podcast - Sponsored by Pregnancy Concepts LLC

DM us on IG @pregnacyconcepts

Email us at askus@pregnancyconcepts.com

Remember, as parents, do your best—there are no perfect parents, but countless ways to be loving and supportive. Signing off from the For Love of Parenting podcast. Thanks for listening. Until next time.

Transcript

Intro Summary

Join us in this episode as we explore the critical developmental milestones for babies aged 7 to 12 months and how parents can use engaging games and activities to enhance their child's learning journey. We’ll discuss the importance of play. Learn how to support your child's growth through fun and interactive experiences that will nurture their curiosity and creativity.

Podcast

Welcome back for my love of parenting parents. As your baby approaches the exciting stages of 7 to 12 months, you’ll witness a whirlwind of development and exploration. This period is filled with significant milestones that shape your child’s physical, emotional, and cognitive growth. On today’s podcast, we’ll wrap-up our discussion on developmental milestones for your baby from 7-12 months. And I’ll provide engaging games and activities that can enhance your child’s learning experience. We’ll explore how playtime fosters important skills setting the foundation for lifelong learning.

So, my last three episodes, episode 38: Boost Baby’s Growth with Playtime Magic Now!, episode 39: Transform Baby’s Play with Tummy Time, episode 40: Engage Your Baby’s Mind: Games for 4-6 months, we discussed developmental milestones and activity for babies from 0-3 and 4-6 months.

So now, at 7 months, your baby is likely sitting independently and may be starting to crawl, eager to explore her surroundings. As I mentioned all throughout this series, play is essential for growth and is your baby’s primary way to learn and interact with their world.

Play teaches them

• Social and Emotional Skills
• Language and Communication Skills
• Cognitive Skills: 
• Gross and Fine Motor Skills

Through those skills your baby can recognizes familiar faces, engages in play, enjoys looking at her reflection, and responds to emotional expressions. Reacts to sounds, combines vowels in babbling, responds to her name, and uses a variety of consonant sounds. Locates partially hidden objects, explores objects using both hands and mouth, and attempts to retrieve items out of reach. Sits independently, sometimes using hands for support.

For your 7-month these fun activities to encourage development:

1. Peekaboo with a Mirror: Enhances understanding of object permanence.
2. Place Items Just Out of Reach: Encourages crawling and reaching.
3. Blow Bubbles: Stimulates senses and promotes hand-eye coordination.
4. Ball Bath: Teaches cause and effect with floating balls.
5. Baby in the Middle: Strengthens core muscles with favorite toys.

By 8 months, your baby becomes more alert and engaged with her environment, requiring increased attention and stimulation from parents and caregivers. Your baby is still building through these skills.

• Social and Emotional Skills
• Language and Communication Skills
• Cognitive Skills: 
• Gross and Fine Motor Skills

Through these skills your baby continues to recognize familiar faces and now enjoys social play. Responds to sounds and mimics them, produces longer babbling, and combines consonant and vowel sounds. Transfers objects between hands and bangs toys to explore sound. Rolls in both directions and may sit unsupported.

Activities to Encourage Development:

1. Build a Tower: Stack blocks for cause-and-effect learning.
2. Create Sensory Bags: Explore different textures without mess.
3. Make Everyday Objects into Shakers: Use containers filled with rice or beans.
4. Designate a Safe Cabinet: Babyproof for exploration.
5. Tissue Box Play: Enhances fine motor skills and exploration.

As your baby approaches her 9-month milestone, she evolves into a more interactive and curious individual. Again, building on those same skills. Through these skills, your baby is hesitant around strangers and clingy with familiar adults. Understands simple commands and recognizes “no.” Observes objects falling and grasps object permanence. Pulls up to stand and sits unsupported longer.

Activities to Promote Development:

1. Experiment with Textures: Provide textured toys.
2. Interactive Play with Blocks: Stack and knock down blocks.
3. Play with Push Toys: Encourage walking practice.
4. Read Together: Build language skills and bond.
5. Create an Obstacle Course: Set up soft items for crawling.

At 10-Months your baby is engaging in more playtime

Your baby is well on her way to toddlerhood, exploring her surroundings and beginning to communicate with you. With these same skills you is still building on their 

• Social and Emotional Skills: Hesitant with strangers and shows preferences for toys.
• Language and Communication Skills: Begins to understand “no” and makes repetitive sounds.
• Cognitive Skills: Observes falling objects and develops pincer grasp. And the pincer grasp is your baby’s ability to hold an object between the thumb and index finger and is a key milestone in a child’s fine motor skills development.
• Gross and Fine Motor Skills: Pulls up and stands with support.

The best activities for your 10-Month-Old are

1. Set Up a Kitchen Orchestra: Explore sound with pots and spoons.
2. Count Dry Cereal: Develop fine motor skills through play.
3. Hide an Everyday Object Under a Cup: Teach object permanence.
4. Play Catch: Strengthen coordination with a soft ball.
5. Inside Surprise: Unwrap toys to enhance fine motor skills.

At 11 Months: Your baby is almost a toddler

As your baby nears her first year, she becomes more active, with playtime appearing more deliberate. Under those same developmental milestones your baby is clingy with familiar adults. Uses simple gestures and repetitive sounds. Watches objects fall and develops pincer grasp. Pulls to standing and cruises around furniture.

Best Activities for an 11-Month-Old:

1. Play “I Spy”: Engage her in finding familiar objects.
2. “Clean Up” the Play Area: Narrate clean-up for language learning.
3. Build a Farm: Introduce animal sounds and figurines.
4. Fill a Basket with Colorful Socks: Explore colors and textures.
5. Hide and Find: Enhance object permanence with games.

You made it! At12 Months Celebrating those milestones!

If your baby is 12-months, congratulations on making it through the first year! Your little one is beginning to explore more and communicate with an expanding vocabulary. You may find that your baby may be shy with strangers and cries when a parent leaves. Responds to requests and uses simple gestures. Watches the path of falling objects and uses a pincer grasp. Begins to walk and stands independently.

So, Engage in activities with your 12-month old, like Sharing books, exploring new words, and encouraging play that fosters learning.

Supporting Your Child's Learning Through Milestones, Games, and Activities and witnessing your child's growth and development. Is one of the most rewarding aspects of parenting.

I really hope that you enjoyed this series on using games/activities through to help support your child’s/baby’s learning. If you haven’t listened to the previous episodes, I encourage you to go back and listen. Also, I have curated lots of toys through Amazon that can be used when engaging in playing with your child.

Thank you for joining me today. Until next time.

For more information on developmental milestones visit Pregnancy Concepts and select the milestones tab.