When babies start growing, time suddenly seems to fly by very quickly. One minute they are so tiny, helpless bundles staring back at you, the next minute they are this 10 month old, moving around, and pulling down everything within reach. Finding some engaging activities for a 10 month old baby can help improve their skills and also aids in their development.
Babies grow fast and start doing many things in no time. with a little help and guidance, they can do a lot more, a lot faster. Activities are a great way to introduce many concepts and ideas to your baby. Finding and doing the right ones can make all the difference in your baby’s development.
In This Article
- What Activities Can You Expect From A 10 Month Old Baby?
- Top Fun And Engaging Activities For A 10 Month Old Baby
What Activities Can You Expect From A 10 Month Old Baby?
When a baby reaches the 10 month mark, most of them can
- Sit up without much support and play well with toys and other random items from around the house
- Show interest in pulling themselves up to a standing position
- Some babies can stand up on their own, without any support
- Some babies might be trying to take their first steps. They will try and fail a few times before they can succeed
- Understand simple words, instructions, emotions, and expressions. Babies at this age can perceive when their mother or primary caregiver is upset or angry.
Top Fun And Engaging Activities For A 10 Month Old Baby
A 10 month old can be very active, breezing through one activity after the other. Here are some activities that can engage your baby for more than just a few minutes, and be very fun at the same time.
1. Imitating
Babies love to mimic us and try to speak or express themselves like us. They are learning to use their facial muscles and voice by imitating others around them.
What You Will Need?
- Yourself and your baby
Benefits of Imitating
| Skill Development | Benefits |
| Use Facial Muscles | When your baby tries to make funny faces or stick out their tongue like you, they will make their facial muscles work differently. It improves muscle elasticity and ability. This is very important for communication as facial expressions |
| Learn To Express | Imitating others opens doors to a variety of expressions. Babies also learn this is a fun way to play and will enjoy it. Babies learn a lot faster when you show them how to do it. |
a) Use Facial Muscles
When your baby tries to make funny faces or stick out their tongue like you, they will make their facial muscles work differently. It improves muscle elasticity and ability. This is very important for communication as facial expressions
b) Learn To Express
Imitating others opens doors to a variety of expressions. Babies also learn this is a fun way to play and will enjoy it. Babies learn a lot faster when you show them how to do it.
Tips For Parents
- Sit across from them and make funny faces
- Try saying simple words, and enunciate them well
- Show different gestures and help your baby to do the same with their tiny fingers and hands.
2. Stacking And Arranging
Babies can hold and stack items at this age. they can stack vertically and horizontally. They like to keep arranging their toys or various items in some particular order.
What You Will Need?
- Stacking toys
- Nesting toys
- Random items from around the house
- Your baby
Benefits of Stacking and Arranging
| Skill Development | Benefits |
| Motor Skill Development | Lifting the toys or items to stack them one on top of the other will require a good grip and balance. When your baby starts stacking vertically, they will lift their hands above their heads, which is a new movement for those muscles. |
| Improves Concentration | Getting those toys or items in a particular order or stacking them without the pieces falling off, requires a lot of focus. Your baby needs to concentrate and place the items properly for them to stay up. Every time the pieces fall, your baby will try again. |
a) Motor Skill Development
Lifting the toys or items to stack them one on top of the other will require a good grip and balance. When your baby starts stacking vertically, they will lift their hands above their heads, which is a new movement for those muscles.
b) Improves Concentration
Getting those toys or items in a particular order or stacking them without the pieces falling off, requires a lot of focus. Your baby needs to concentrate and place the items properly for them to stay up. Every time the pieces fall, your baby will try again.
These repetitive attempts will improve their concentration.
Tips For Parents
- Buy stacking toys that are big enough for your baby to hold comfortably
- Show them how to stack or arrange
- You can even use their soft toys for arranging.
3. Sorting
Babies love to sort and arrange at this age. by stacking and building they understand size differences and this leads to segregating items on various grounds.
What You Will Need?
- Sorting toys
- Various big-sized grains or lentils
- Cups for sorting
- Yourself, your baby, and some time
Benefits of Sorting
| Skill Development | Benefits |
| Teach Size / Shape Perception | Learning to sort according to height, shape, or size is an important part of cognitive development. Babies learn to perceive the size of the object first by comparison and eventually by sight. |
| Develops Organising Skills | Arranging items in a particular way or sorting them on some basis is very essential to keep things in order as your baby grows up. It will teach them to not throw things in one corner, but to arrange them neatly. |
a) Teach Size / Shape Perception
Learning to sort according to height, shape, or size is an important part of cognitive development. Babies learn to perceive the size of the object first by comparison and eventually by sight.
b) Develops Organising Skills
Arranging items in a particular way or sorting them on some basis is very essential to keep things in order as your baby grows up. It will teach them to not throw things in one corner, but to arrange them neatly.
Tips For Parents
- You can let your baby sort different colored lentils when you are busy in the kitchen
- They can sort items based on shapes too
- Give your baby two or more deep cups and items to sort the items into.
4. Chase Me
Start chasing your baby and then ask them to chase you, your baby will be beyond thrilled to play this simple game. It is an effective physical play that can be a lot of fun for both of you.
What You Will Need?
- You
- Your baby
- Some safe and clean space to move around it.
Benefits of Chase Me
| Skill Development | Benefits |
| Improves Physical Movement | Babies love to chase around and play. It will make them use their arms and legs to crawl fast and through gaps. It helps develop the movement and ability of both hands and legs. |
| Teaches Spatial Awareness | Through chasing and catching, the baby understands they are far away or close to you. They start understanding and gauging how much they have to move or how fast they have to crawl to get to you. |
a) Improves Physical Movement
Babies love to chase around and play. It will make them use their arms and legs to crawl fast and through gaps. It helps develop the movement and ability of both hands and legs.
c) Teaches Spatial Awareness
Through chasing and catching, the baby understands they are far away or close to you. They start understanding and gauging how much they have to move or how fast they have to crawl to get to you.
Tips For Parents
- Take turns chasing each other
- Be clear and loud about your commands, only then will they associate the word with the action
- Try getting on a stool to encourage your baby to pull up and stand on their own.
5. Walkers & Riding Toys
A really fun way to move around and put all those muscles to use. Many babies will love to use these toys more than they like to walk or run. The sheer speed and movement bring them joy.
What You Will Need?
- Walkers
- Riding toys
- Your baby
- A lot of free or open space
Benefits of Walkers & Riding Toys
| Skill Development | Benefits |
| Speeds Up Movement | It increases the rate at which your baby learns to move. Walkers and riding toys help teach your baby how to move forward and they tend to learn quickly this way. |
| Strengthen Muscles | As your baby uses their legs more to move around or balance and pull around the walker or toys, the leg muscles will work constantly. It will get stronger and more mobile, which is essential for better movement and sporting activities in the future. |
a) Speeds Up Movement
It increases the rate at which your baby learns to move. Walkers and riding toys help teach your baby how to move forward and they tend to learn quickly this way.
b) Strengthen Muscles
As your baby uses their legs more to move around or balance and pull around the walker or toys, the leg muscles will work constantly. It will get stronger and more mobile, which is essential for better movement and sporting activities in the future.
Tips For Parents
- Opt for a push-type walker as walkers with seats might delay your baby’s walking and crawling.
- Research well and pick the right size walker for your baby as sitting in a very wide walker can change the shape posture of their legs.
- Ensure you let them ride these in a space big enough and free of any clutter or objects.
6. Playing With Balloons
Balloons bring joy to all kids. Babies love the way they float around and bounce when they try to catch it. Just give them a balloon or two and relax, for balloons can engage them longer than toys.
What You Will Need?
- One or two colorful balloons
- Safe space for the baby to move around
- Your baby and yourself
Benefits of Playing With Balloons
| Skill Development | Benefits |
| Improves Mobility | The balloon will keep moving and so will your baby. They will not realize and move in different ways. Over time, their speed will also increase. These are very important for overall mobility. |
| Learn To Follow Objects | Your baby will learn to keep track of the balloon visually and go to it when it lands. This will improve their eye-tracking ability and teach them to move in that direction. It will improve their coordination, which is essential for movement. |
a) Improves Mobility
The balloon will keep moving and so will your baby. They will not realize and move in different ways. Over time, their speed will also increase. These are very important for overall mobility.
b) Learn To Follow Objects
Your baby will learn to keep track of the balloon visually and go to it when it lands. This will improve their eye-tracking ability and teach them to move in that direction. It will improve their coordination, which is essential for movement.
Tips For Parents
- Use colorful balloons that are not too big for your baby
- You can draw funny faces on the balloon and even give it a name
- Balloons tend to burst due to your baby’s nails or other sharp objects, so always stay close by to pacify a baby who might get scared or upset when the balloon bursts.
If you observe closely, you will notice your baby loves to move and explore things. Their cognitive and physical development is at one of its high points. Facilitating this spurt with the right activities for a 10 month old baby can do a lot of good.
