What to do With an 11 Month Old All Day




 Entertaining a small child all day can be difficult. There is only so much sitting on the floor and playing with toys that you and your child can take. Here are some of the ways I entertain my daughter all day.  


Painting. I put paint on a piece of paper and slide it inside a Ziploc bag. That way she gets to paint with no mess. Another option with painting is getting washable paint and putting baby and paint in the bathtub. It's a contained mess and easy to clean up. Just run the bath. 


Laundry. I let Mary pull the clean clothes out of the washing machine. She loves it. I also let her help me fold it. It takes twice as long since she unfolds half of it, but we are sitting on the floor chatting so it's good bonding time. A game we play with the laundry is I will throw something like a t-shirt over her face and let her pull it off. It is a version of peekaboo and Mary adores it. 


Exercise. Mary loves watching me jump rope. If I am doing push-ups I'll often kiss or bite at her foot or other body parts as she giggles. For squats and overhead raises, I hold her. There are a lot of exercises you can do with your baby and a lot of it will make them giggle. My favorite source for workout videos is “Baby Fit by Amy” on youtube.  


Singing. Particularly singing that has motions or involves other noises. This is great for when you are trying to get something else done with a baby at your feet. I use it while hanging up laundry and cooking. 


Going on walks. Even just around the neighborhood. It's a good reset for children and babies. They love looking around and seeing the outdoors. 


Going on trips. Going to the park and the library are great. Our library here has a play area for children. I'll let Mary crawl on the floor while I'm picking out books and then we go to the back so she can play for a bit. 


In the summer, water play, either in a container or with a small amount of water in the bathtub. Great way to entertain and cool down at the same time. 


Sensory play, such as with chia seeds is well known for making a mess everywhere. I'll offer this at the end of a meal in her highchair. If she eats it, it's fine since it's edible and I was going to have to clean up a mess after the meal anyway. 


What is your favorite activity to do with your baby?


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