12 Fun Activities for your 3-6 Month Old

Baby Development 3-6 Months

In our last post, we talked about playing with your 0-3 month old. Now, we can skip forward a few months and talk about how to play with your 3-6 month old and what is going on in their world.

Your baby isn’t quite so sleepy anymore and is more engaged with the world around him. Let’s look at what other accomplishments your baby makes in this time period, which affects how you play with them!

That’s a lot of things that are happening with your little one! Luckily, we’ve got 12 different activities for your 3-6 month old that are not only fun, but promote development too!

1. Varying Volumes

Introduce your baby to the idea of loud and quiet sounds by singing a song with different volumes. You might sing the verses loudly and the chorus softly or alternate every line. Your baby will be interested in the different ways you use your voice.

2. Exercise Engagement

With her developing neck and core strength (and lack of mobility), your baby is at the perfect age for joining you in some exercise. There are many “Baby and Me” classes available. If you’re looking for a cheaper more flexible option, check out YouTube for fun workouts you can do with your baby.

3. Beautiful Bubbles

Not only are bubbles a classic kid activity, but they can also benefit your 3-6 month old in lots of ways! Bubbles are a great incitement to practice reaching, which is something your baby is working on right now. They also develop your baby’s tracking abilities (including tracking diagonally, one of the more difficult tracking directions) and hand-eye coordination as they watch and attempt to grab the bubbles floating by.

4. Ice Ice Baby 

Let your baby explore the sensation of cold by allowing him to play with ice. Invite your baby to touch an ice cube (slightly melted so it won’t stick to his skin). You could also give him a cold, wet washcloth to explore this feeling too.

5. Watch the Big Kids

If your baby doesn’t have big kids around the house, take her to the playground. Your baby will love watching the big kids run around and play!

6. Swing

Once your baby can sit with some support, he’s ready to try sitting in a bucket swing! Swinging is a great way to give your child vestibular input (the vestibular system maintains balance and monitors the body’s movements) and is just downright fun.

7. Pillow Bolster

Now that your baby is working on reaching and grasping, encourage your baby to practice this during tummy time. By placing a pillow underneath your baby’s tummy, her hands won’t be needed to support herself and she’ll have more opportunity to grab some toys.

8. Fancy Footwork

Help your baby develop her foot coordination by holding up objects near her feet. Encourage her to kick at the object and celebrate when she does. Added bonus if you use an object that makes a noise when kicked.

9. Talk Talk Talk!

Talking is the baby activity that never goes out of style. The more language your child is exposed to, the more language he will have later on. Talk to your baby about what you’re doing, what he’s doing, what you’ll be doing later. He’s the perfect listening companion.

10. Water Play

Place your baby on his tummy with a small pan (like a jelly roll plan) of water in front of him. Put a few interesting objects in the pan like a spoon, plastic toy, etc. Watch as your baby enjoys the sensory experience of splashing water!

11. Tummy Time Together 

Tummy time is a critical activity for developing your baby’s strength. Your baby should do tummy time daily. Delight your baby by joining her in this experience. She’ll love seeing you so close by and you’ll get a good take on her perspective.

12. Super baby! 

One of my favorite twists on tummy time is to lay on your back and bring your knees toward your chest. Place your baby, tummy-down, on your shins. Support your baby with your hands as he balances on your legs. This activity develops his shoulder and neck strength and is a fun change of perspective.

Pin this list so you can reference it again later!

Your baby will be older soon! Check out our play ideas for 6-9 month olds or pin it for later!

And one more thing before you go… this course is great for anyone who cares for babies. It’s all about early brain development, SIDS and Shaken Baby Syndrome. Takes about 45 minutes and could save a life. Make sure everyone in your baby’s world is informed.

For more ideas, check out Davis and Hall’s book, 1001 Fun Ways to Play.