Once your baby hits the 6-month mark, milestones happen fast. The period between your baby's sixth and ninth month will see your baby's first attempts to sit, stand, crawl, talk and play with real toys. Participating in developmental activities with your 6-month-old baby can help your baby on his way toward reaching these exciting milestones.
Peek-a-Boo
Six-month-old babies love playing peek-a-boo. Interacting with their parents is one of the best ways for babies to build skills, and peek-a-boo also helps them improve their growing ability to remember and anticipate. When you duck behind a pillow or hide behind the door and peek out again, your baby is learning about object permanence and the back-and-forth of language. As your baby masters the art of playing peek-a-boo with you, take the idea to the next level by partially hiding one of her toys under a blanket and playing an easy game of hide-and-seek.
Tummy Time
Spending time on her tummy helps your baby hone the muscles he'll need to crawl, stand and walk. By 6 months, your baby should be able to roll over from his tummy to his back and back again by himself. Encourage him to spend time on his tummy by putting small toys in front of him with one or two just beyond his reach so that he needs to scoot or crawl to reach them. You can also encourage your 6-month-old to spend time on his tummy by getting on the ground with him: Lay on your tummy facing your baby on his tummy and sing or play with toys together.
Rolling
Help your baby sit up on a baby seat or by propping her up with pillows. Roll a soft ball in her direction and encourage her to roll if back. Rolling a ball helps your baby develop a more complete understanding of cause and effect and improves her gross motor skills.
Clapping Games
Six-month-olds can sharpen their manual dexterity and learn about rhythm and communication playing clapping games like pat-a-cake. Your baby can clap with her hands or you can show her how to bang two cups or pots together to make even more noise. Try playing music and clapping or banging on pots and pans together.
