# Baby Games and Activities for 6 to 12 Months, Month by Month

> Simple games for 6 to 12 month olds, from peekaboo to roll the ball, that build object permanence, turn-taking and movement.

Stage: baby - Topic: Play and development - Page: https://www.askcladle.com/guides/baby/baby-games-by-age-6-to-12-months

Grounded in: AAP HealthyChildren guidance on play and the AAP clinical report on the power of play, CDC "Learn the Signs. Act Early." milestones, Harvard Center on the Developing Child material on serve-and-return interaction, and WHO 2019 activity guidelines for children under 5. Summarized in Cradle's own words; none of these sources endorse Cradle. General information, not medical advice.

Reviewed: 2026-11

## TLDR

- Simple games like peekaboo, hide the toy and roll the ball teach that hidden things still exist, cause and effect, and turn-taking.
- Follow your baby's lead and stop when they turn away. Songs from your own culture are perfect.
- Keep small objects away. Mention it if by 9 months there's no response to their name or babbling, or by 12 months no waving or simple games.

## Why simple games matter

- In the second half of the first year, babies learn that hidden things still exist, that their
  actions cause results, and that people take turns. Everyday games practice all three.
- Follow your baby's lead. Stop when they turn away, arch or fuss; that's their way of saying
  enough.

## 6 to 8 months

- **Peekaboo, version 1:** cover your face with your hands or a cloth and reappear. Then let them
  pull the cloth off your face.
- **Raspberries and copycat:** blow a raspberry, pause, and wait for them to try. Copy their
  babbles back.
- **Bouncing rhymes:** baby sitting on your knees, a gentle bounce with a dip at the end.
- **Drop and fetch:** sitting in the high chair, they drop the spoon; you hand it back. It's a
  physics lesson, not a test of your patience.
- **Shake and listen:** a sealed bottle of rice or a set of measuring cups to bang and shake.

## 8 to 10 months

- **Hide the toy:** let them watch you put a toy under a cloth or cup, then find it. Next, try
  two cups.
- **Fill and dump:** blocks or balls into a bowl, then tip them out. Over and over.
- **Cushion crawl:** pillows and couch cushions on the floor to climb over, with you spotting.
- **Chase:** crawl after them saying "I'm gonna get you." Then let them chase you.
- **Pat-a-cake and action songs:** clapping, waving, rolling hands. Babies start joining in.
- **Where's the baby?** Hide behind a door or chair and pop out. This helps with separation
  anxiety too.

## 10 to 12 months

- **Roll the ball:** sit facing each other with legs apart and roll a soft ball back and forth.
- **So big:** "How big is baby?" and lift their arms up.
- **Point and name:** point to pictures in a book, the dog, a light, and name them. Wait for them to
  point too.
- **Stacking cups and towers:** you build, they knock down, then they try.
- **Water play:** cups and a small amount of water in a tub, with an adult within arm's reach the
  whole time.

## Making it work for every family

- Games and songs from your own culture and home language are perfect. Grandparents often know the
  best ones.
- Older siblings can lead peekaboo, build towers and roll the ball (see the play by age guide).
- A parent with limited mobility can play many of these sitting or lying down; the baby comes to
  you.

## Safety

- Anything that fits through a toilet-paper tube is a choking risk. Seal shaker bottles with tape
  and check them often.
- Never leave a baby alone near water, even an inch or two.
- Screens aren't play at this age; the AAP advises none under 18 months other than video chats.

## When to check in

- Mention it at the next checkup if, by 9 months, your baby doesn't look when you call their name,
  doesn't babble, or doesn't look for a toy that's hidden; or if, by 12 months, they don't play
  simple games like pat-a-cake or wave.
- Bring up any loss of skills soon.