Find a list of developmentally appropriate activities here sorted by age ranges:

Age 6-12 months Activities

mirrors
practice grasping-bean bag
use own spoon
busy box
hide and seek w/blanket and toy
ball-rolling
wooden puzzle
crib gym
peek-a-boo games
move toys up, down and around in front of baby’s eyes
rub baby’s arms w/different kinds of cloth
hang mobile
“Follow the Leader”-imitation game (blink eyes, clap hands, fingerplays: Thumkin, pat-a-cake, This little piggy and others…..
nursery rhymes
blocks
arm exercises
leg exercises
rhythm instruments
let baby crawl after a soft ball or bean bag
Puppets
Talk a lot to baby–use his/her name
make happy, sad, mad, etc faces
telephone game
pretend tea party w/baby and bear

Ages 12-18 months Activities

blocks-try building towers
drawing-large paper and crayons
picture books
puppets
pull toys
throw a nerf ball
pretend grocery shopping
blowing and catching bubbles
painting with water
simple singing games and fingerplays
dancing with long scarves to music
toys that rock
work bench-hammer, etc drum
point to body parts
feel different textures-flannel, silk, cotton, wool, tree bark, etc
see n say

Age 18-24 months Activities

spontaneous scribbling
large pop beads
simple puzzles
playdough
bead stringing
ball bouncing
sandbox
water play

Age 24-30 months Activities

fold paper
trace shapes
crayons and paper
play dough
nesting blocks
puzzles
sorting boxes
fingerplays-working on counting -ten little indians..One two buckle my shoe, etc
Follow the leader
music
teach colors
bristle blocks
large legos
books with tapes
pegboard

Age 3-5 years Activities

legos
books
colorforms
candyland
rainbow brite
chutes and ladders
hi ho cheery o!
memory old maid
books w/ tapes
lacing cards
pegboard
puzzles
beads
painting
fingerpainting

Age 6-8 years Activities

books
memory
sorry
connect 4
scrabble for jrs
dominos
parchisi
checkers
pegboard
legos
puzzles
lincoln logs
tinker toys
operation
Uno

Age 8 and up Activities

sorry
Clue
Monopoly
Scrabble
Checkers
Parchisi
Operation
Uno
Chinese Checkers
Tri-ominos
Quad-ominos
Concentration
puzzles
lincoln logs

 

 

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