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Indoor activities for 6–12 months

11 simple play ideas for little ones aged 6–12 months.

Always supervise play. These are play ideas, not developmental or medical advice.

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Scarf peekaboo

  • 3–12 months
  • 5 min
  • Indoors
  • Low mess

The classic game, with a light scarf to pull away.

  • Together time
  • Senses

You’ll need

  • Scarf or light cloth
How to play
  1. Drape a light scarf over your own head.
  2. Ask “Where did I go?” and pull it off with a smile.
  3. Older babies love to pull it off themselves.

Play safely: Use a light, see-through fabric and never leave a scarf with your baby.

Bubble chase

  • 6–36 months
  • 10 min
  • Outdoors
  • Indoors
  • Low mess

Blow bubbles for your little one to watch, reach and pop.

  • Moving
  • Senses

You’ll need

  • Bubbles
How to play
  1. Blow a few bubbles above your baby.
  2. Let them reach, clap or chase.
  3. Count the pops together.

Play safely: Keep the bubble mix out of reach.

Cup stacking towers

  • 9–30 months
  • 10 min
  • Indoors
  • Low mess

Build towers, knock them down, repeat.

  • Hands
  • Puzzling it out

You’ll need

  • Plastic cups
How to play
  1. Stack two or three cups and let them knock it down.
  2. Build again, one cup at a time.
  3. Older toddlers can try nesting cups by size.

Pots and pans band

  • 6–24 months
  • 10 min
  • Indoors
  • Some mess

A loud, happy drum session with kitchen basics.

  • Senses
  • Hands

You’ll need

  • Pot and wooden spoon
How to play
  1. Turn a pot upside down on the floor.
  2. Hand over a wooden spoon and show how to tap.
  3. Try loud and quiet, fast and slow.

Roll the ball

  • 6–18 months
  • 10 min
  • Indoors
  • Low mess

Rolling a ball back and forth is an early taking-turns game.

  • Moving
  • Together time

You’ll need

  • Soft ball
How to play
  1. Sit facing each other with legs apart.
  2. Roll the ball gently towards your baby.
  3. Cheer when it comes back — even by accident.

Shape sorting

  • 10–30 months
  • 10 min
  • Indoors
  • Low mess

Match shapes to holes — or just enjoy dropping things in.

  • Puzzling it out
  • Hands

You’ll need

Nothing but you

How to play
  1. Start with one or two easy shapes.
  2. Show how a shape fits, then let them try.
  3. Praise the trying, not just the getting it right.

Sing and sway

  • 0–12 months
  • 10 min
  • Indoors
  • Low mess

Gentle movement and songs — a calm way to share some time together.

  • Words & sounds
  • Together time

You’ll need

  • Music to play
How to play
  1. Put on a song you like, or sing your own.
  2. Hold your baby close and sway to the beat.
  3. Pause the music now and then and see how they react.

Story time snuggle

  • 0–36 months
  • 10 min
  • Indoors
  • Low mess

Share a board book — chewing it counts too.

  • Words & sounds

You’ll need

  • Board books
How to play
  1. Snuggle up with a board book.
  2. Point to pictures and name them.
  3. Let your baby turn the pages, even if it’s out of order.

Walker parade

  • 9–24 months
  • 10 min
  • Indoors
  • Low mess

Cruise around the living room behind a push toy.

  • Moving

You’ll need

  • Music to play
How to play
  1. Clear a path across the room.
  2. Put on marching music.
  3. Walk alongside as they push and steer.

Play safely: Keep stairs gated and the path clear.

Cardboard box tunnel

  • 8–24 months
  • 15 min
  • Indoors
  • Low mess

An open-ended box becomes a tunnel to crawl through.

  • Moving
  • Puzzling it out

You’ll need

  • Cardboard box
How to play
  1. Open both ends of a large box and lay it on its side.
  2. Peek through from the other end and call your baby.
  3. Celebrate when they make it through.

Play safely: Remove staples and tape before play.

Splashy water play

  • 6–36 months
  • 15 min
  • Indoors
  • Outdoors
  • Messy

Pouring and splashing with a few cups in shallow water.

  • Senses
  • Hands

You’ll need

  • Tub or bowl of water
  • Plastic cups
How to play
  1. Put a few centimetres of water in a tub or bowl.
  2. Add cups for pouring and scooping.
  3. Show how to fill and pour, then let them explore.

Play safely: Stay within arm’s reach around any water, and empty the tub straight after.

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