Greatest Play-Based Learning Activities for 8-Month-Olds

Parents and educators often wonder how to play with an 8-month-old baby. These are 18 of my favorite play-based ideas that I use in developmental therapy sessions.

Discover interactive and sensory-rich learning experiences to promote babies’ cognitive, language, social, emotional, and physical development skills.

Activities by Learning Domain

Gross Motor: Lumpy Bumpy Obstacle Course

Create a cozy, engaging space on the floor with layers of blankets and pillows.

Babies who are starting to crawl will use gross motor skills to move around the lumps of pillows. Crawling babies may be able to master moving over cushions or large blanket piles.

Babies who are sitting or learning to sit can tug and pull at pillows and blankets. The small bumps and lumps of the blankets and pillows also create a mini obstacle course for babies who are rolling.

Adjust the space to fit the developmental level of your baby.

Skills + Behaviors:

• Moving into a sitting position
• Sitting without support
• Crawling
• Pulling-to-stand

Fine Motor: Treasure Baskets

Treasure baskets are small collections of interesting toys or objects children can explore. For an 8-month-old baby, most items are still novel and exciting. Curious babies will instinctually want to hold and investigate any new items.

Infant Treasure Basket Themes:

• Bangle Bracelets
• Textured Blocks
• Monochrome Objects
• Variety of Balls
• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Link Toys

Skills + Behaviors:

• Using hands to explore and manipulate objects
• Banging toys together
• Passing toys from one hand to the other

Check out our Ultimate Guide to Loose Parts for more ideas.

Language: Think Out Loud

While completing chores or daily tasks, talk through what you are doing out loud for your baby to hear. The more language your baby hears, the greater the benefit to their language development skills.

If your baby begins to babble while you talk, pause and listen to them. Then verbally respond in a way that feels natural. If it feels entirely unnatural, keep practicing with it. Soon your baby will be a toddler with more language to add to the conversation.

This back-and-forth exchange (often called serve-and-return in early childhood education) teaches babies the cadence and rhythm of conversation.

Skills + Behaviors:

• Babbling
• Saying consonant-vowel sounds like “baba,” “mama,” “dada”

Literacy: Bathtime Books

Soapy, floating books add an extra sensory element to exploring books. Your baby is still figuring out books will be familiar objects with specific purposes. For now, babies are building interest in books and are enjoying the experience of reading with a caregiver.

Skills + Behaviors:

• Gazing at pages of a book while reading together
• Holding and exploring books as objects

Discover dozens of easy literacy ideas for babies.

Cognitive: Block Play

I adore wood blocks. A quality wooden block set can grow up with your child. For babies, blocks are a chance to explore textures, sounds, and weight. 

• Place blocks into a basket, and your baby can enjoy tipping it over, spilling the blocks out.
• Place a small stack of blocks just out of reach to entice your baby to knock them over.

Explore our series on block play including an introduction to block play, block activities, and the benefits of block play.

Skills + Behaviors:

• Banging toys together
• Looking for things out of view

Emotional: Baby says No!

Around 8-months-old, a baby will be learning how to shake their head no. Caregivers can show respect and reinforce the importance of consent by being considerate when a baby communicates no.

Shaking the head no is a huge step in learning how to communicate. Babies need plenty of practice because sometimes, naturally, they will not be able to share what they want and feel with this gesture.

Create opportunities for your baby to communicate by “saying” no. Some things like diaper changes or bedtimes have to happen. 

Other things are chances for your baby to express what they want and have their requests met.

• Can your sister hold you?
• Can I have this toy?
• Are you all done eating?

Skills + Behaviors:

• Learning to shake head no

Self-Identity: Exploring Mirrors

Babies absolutely love exploring mirrors. At 8-months-old, babies will start responding to their own name.

Use a mirror to play with reflections. Sit in front of the mirror with your baby. Then look at them while saying their name. They may turn to see you or look at you through the mirror.
“I see you looking at me in the mirror!”

Ask your baby, “Where is [baby’s name]?” Observe out loud where they look.
“You can see yourself right here, can’t you?”

Gently continue to invite your baby to find themselves in the mirror. Each time, point out something about them.
“There is [baby’s name] wearing his blue shirt.”
“I see [baby’s name]. She is kicking her feet.”

Skills + Behaviors:

• Responding to own name

Social: Photos of Loved Ones

Post photos of loved ones at child eye level. Choose a place where your baby can see the photos, such as at eye level while sitting on the floor or a place where they often pull to stand. You can even create a photo collage on the floor or a playmat. 

You can use pictures of family members, family friends, pets, or other people personally close to your baby. Adding labels with each person’s name can expose your baby to printed words.

From experience, the best way to post photos is first to tape them to the surface. Then seal the photos to the surface using a large piece of clear contact paper. 

Alternative: use two pieces of clear contact paper to “laminate” photos for your baby to hold.

Skills + Behaviors:

• Recognize familiar faces
• Learning to wave hello

Art: Touch & Explore

At 8-months-old, babies are still learning about objects and how to use their hands to manipulate them. To help them prepare for more complex art experiences, you can start introducing art materials.

Babies can explore art objects by:

• Crumbling, shaking different types of paper
• Exploring capped markers or paintbrushes
• Investigating materials like felt, tissue paper, ribbons

Music: Routines with Rhythm

Connect a song or nursery rhyme to a daily task. Each time you and your baby participate in the routine, sing the song or even play it from your phone.

Ideas could be:

• good morning song
• toothbrushing song
• bedtime lullaby
• getting dressed
• diaper changing

Music can help soothe your baby during tough transitions too. 

Sensory Activities for 8-month-olds

Let’s explore 7 easy, low-mess DIY sensory learning activities. Learn about the benefits of sensory play for babies.

Vestibular: Hula Hoops

A hula hoop is a perfectly versatile toy that can grow with your baby. For an 8-month-old, a small, light-weight hula hoop is a chance to develop and stimulate the vestibular sense. While sitting or crawling, babies can reach for, lift, and shake the toy. The thin hula hoop ring makes it the perfect size for tiny hands.

Babies will test their balance while trying to pull the hula hoop towards them or lifting it above their heads.

For babies still spending time on their tummy and rolling, caregivers can attach ribbons, toys, or plastic loofahs to the hula hoop. A baby can play inside the ring, reaching and pulling on toys.

After some research, I’d recommend a small 26-28″ hoop if you are ordering online. A larger hula hoop could be better for creating a tummy time sensory ring.

Skills + Behaviors:

• Shifting weight to balance body while sitting, crawling, or pulling-to-stand
• Learning what it feels like to move body at different speeds

Proprioceptive: Weighted Sensory Bottles

Parents and educators can create sensory bottles for babies to explore. Sensory bottles are made by filling an empty plastic bottle with different materials. Almost any type of plastic bottle will work, but the small globe-shaped apple juice bottles are great for small hands. 

To create weighted sensory bottles, choose materials to make a noticeable weight difference between the bottles. Babies can practice how much strength they need to use to manipulate objects of different weights.

Possible materials for heavy bottle:

• Sand
• Stones
• Water (can add food dye or liquid watercolor)
• Coins

Possible materials for light bottle:

• Cotton balls
• Ribbons
• Leaves
• Flowers
• Twigs
• Corks

An alternative option is to create sensory bottles out of 2-liter pop bottles.

You can hot glue or superglue the lid on for extra security.

Skills + Behaviors:

• Understanding where a body part is without being able to see it
• Knowing how close or far away an obstacle is
• Learning own strength

Taste: Tasty Talks

Babies spend plenty of time each day eating and mouthing toys. You can easily turn it into a more intentional learning activity.

If your baby has started trying new foods, you should talk about the textures and flavors of what they are eating. Pick a particular snack or food and make a point to focus on the sensory-rich experience of eating.

• “The applesauce feels cold in your mouth. It was in the fridge.”
• “That cracker is salty and crunchy. It feels different than your applesauce, doesn’t it?”

Because smell is so intertwined with the sense of taste, you can also talk about the flavors of the foods you are eating near your baby. They will be able to smell your food and begin making connections between food on their senses.

• “Can you smell the orange I’m peeling? It smells citrusy and might taste sour. Let’s find out.”

If your baby is not tasting new foods yet, talk about the flavor of the toothpaste you use to brush their teeth. You can point out the textures of their favorite toys.

• “Your toothpaste tastes cool and minty, just like the one I use.”
• “You put the pokey corner of your block in your mouth. It could poke your tongue. Be careful.”

Tactile/Touch: Wet + Dry Sponges

This super versatile activity gives your baby a chance to explore many different sensations. Simply adjust the activity to what materials or setting you are in.

Options:

• wet vs. dry sponges
• damp vs. soaking wet
• scratch sponges vs. soft sponges
• warm water vs. cold water

Control how messy you want this activity to be by controlling how much water you soak into the sponges.

Caregivers can introduce this activity to babies indoors or outdoors. For less mess, try the activity in the bathtub or a highchair at the end of mealtime.

Sight: Colorful Sunbeams

Choose a window in your home to create a colorful collage. You will need a roll or two of cellophane wrapping paper (the transparent wrapping paper you accidentally bought last minute when trying to get gift wrap).

First, cut out shapes, squares, or strips of the wrapping paper. Then tape the cutouts onto a particularly sunny window. As sunbeams come through the window, your baby will be treated to a colorful sensory play experience. The floor, the furniture, the ceiling, and the walls will temporarily transform into a multi-color light show.

Hearing: Sound Treasure Baskets

Treasure baskets are small collections of compelling toys or objects children can explore. You can create a sound-themed treasure basket to encourage your baby to explore noises.

• Metal Measuring Cups or Spoons on a Ring
• Toy Rattles
• Spice Bottle Shakers
• Bell Sensory Bottles
• Toy Instruments
• Metal Lids
• DIY Rain Sticks

Talk to your baby about the sounds they are making.

• “That clanged so loud when you hit it.”
• “I hear something rattling when you shake this.”
• “We can make a loud sound or a quiet sound. Let’s try.”

Smell: Scented Nature Walk

Exploring smells with your baby is super simple. While outdoors, begin to point out each new and interesting scent.

• Pick up your baby and step outside after a summer rain shower.
• Literally, stop and smell the flowers while out on a walk.
• Point out how the sunscreen smells while getting ready to play outside.
• Talk about the smell of fresh air when you play outside.
• Point out the unique scents while visiting a pool or beach.

Concerns about Development

At 8-months-old, babies are reaching many developmental milestones such as sitting, crawling, and babbling. They begin to refine their fine motor skills and use their fingers to explore objects. At this age, there is a wide range of what is “normal.” 

If you’re worried about your baby’s development, you can check out the CDC Milestone tracker PDFs or phone app. Reach out to your child’s pediatrician or contact your local early intervention service for a free evaluation.