How to Play with a 6-Month-Old

As your baby gets to the halfway mark between birth and his first birthday, you're probably going to find he's become a lot more social than he was as a newborn. Six-month-old children are starting to see, hear and interact with the world around them more than they have in the months prior, and as a parent, that may have you worried about what you should be doing with your baby. If your instincts are simply to talk to him and to react to his budding social nature, you're on the right track.

Things You'll Need

  • Mirror
  • Books

Instructions

    • 1

      Lay your baby on her stomach and put a toy just out of her reach, either in front or at her sides. Babies of this age are just learning to roll over, and may be working to crawl, so this can be a helpful activity for her physical development. Stay near her and encourage her during this activity; you don't want her rolling into something dangerous.

    • 2

      Set your baby near a mirror and play peek-a-boo. Your baby's vision is greatly improving during this time, and he'll enjoy seeing himself in the mirror and interacting with you. Hiding a toy or hiding your face are good ways to work your baby's memory, suggests the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.

    • 3

      Talk to your baby and repeat key words often in your "conversation." Your baby is likely beginning to make sounds like "ga-ga" at this age, and may be very interested in the words you're saying. Try giving her commands such as "kiss daddy," suggests the What to Expect website, and then demonstrate what you want her to be doing so she learns how to follow your instructions.

    • 4

      Read to your baby as often as possible. Children of all ages get a lot of cognitive benefits from books, and even newborns should get some reading time every day. Since your baby is learning to reach out and grab things at this age, choose brightly-colored board books he can grab, touch or put in his mouth without damaging them. You might also choose ones with pop-out features or sounds. Repetition is important at this age, so you might also choose books with rhymes, or read the same five to 10 books over and over, KidsHealth recommends.

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