13-18 Months Games

Games to Play

• Word Connections: Encourage language development by naming the items baby points to and asking questions. For example, if baby points to a toy, ask, “Would you like that toy?” Helps baby learn that gestures have meaning.
• Spoon Savvy: Work with baby to help them eat with a spoon independently. It’s ok if baby gets food on their face and hands. Place plastic, baby sized utensils on tray so baby can practice scooping food. Helps baby try new tastes and textures while learning how to use a spoon.

Games to Play

• Balloon Time: Blow up a balloon. Let baby chase it around the room. Baby may be able to sit and catch the balloon if tossed directly to them. Always stay with baby in case the balloon pops. Helps baby practice using balance while coordinating movements needed to catch and throw.
• Toy Offering: Offer toys for baby to hold while standing so they have to practice balancing without using their hands. Helps baby with balance and coordination.
• Sponge Fun: Add sponges to baby’s bath time. Sponges come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Let baby squeeze and soak the sponges. Helps baby strengthen their hands.

Games to Play

• Big Kid Cup: Work with baby on drinking water from an open cup. Give baby many opportunities to try drinking from non-breakable cups. Be patient and give baby a lot of time to practice learning new skills. Helps baby meet feeding milestones.
• Mom’s Purse: Fill a purse with items similar to those you carry. Include a toy cell phone, mirror, fake keys, and a wallet with photos of family and friends. Watch as baby takes items out of the purse and plays with them just like you! Helps baby develop fine motor skills and pretend play.

Games to Play

• Simple Directions: Baby is learning at a fast pace. Instead of using babble or baby words, speak simply to baby. They should understand simple directions like “Roll the ball” or “No, don’t touch that.” Helps baby develop communication skills.
• Shapes and Spaces: Use a shape sorter to talk baby about how to push shapes “in” the holes and dump them “out” of the container. Baby learns best by interacting with you and hearing the words you speak. Helps baby develop communication skills.

Games to Play

• Walk and Carry: As baby gets more confident walking, encourage them to carry objects from one place to another. Helps baby practice using motor and coordination skills they will need for everyday activities.
• Soccer Star: Encourage baby to kick a ball on the ground. Gradually build up to rolling ball to baby so they can kick it while in motion. Helps baby develop balance as well as gross motor skills.

Games to Play

• Shoe Shack: If baby is walking, it may be time to purchase shoes. Standing and walking barefoot around house is important, but shoes may be necessary when walking outside or places that could hurt baby’s bare feet. Helps baby stay safe while exploring their world.
• Push-Pull Toys: Try playing with push-pull toys at this age. Toy cars and trucks that roll are good toys for baby to push along floor. Make engine and horn noises: Vroom, Vroom! Encourage baby to do the same. Helps baby improve balance and coordination for walking.
• Bucket Baby: This is a great age for encouraging baby to practice the meaning of “in” and “out.” Try asking them to put toys in a bucket and then take them out again. Helps baby develop communication skills and learn how to grasp small objects.

Games to Play

• Dance Star: Put on some silly songs with lyrics that give instructions. Dance with baby while following the song directions! Helps baby develop listening skills while working on their dance moves.
• Pudding/Yogurt Painting: Instead of using regular paint, swap it out with pudding or yogurt. Let your toddler draw with these foods on a paper plate. This way, there’s no concern with your little one putting their fingers in their mouth. Helps baby build fine motor skills and sense of touch.

Games to Play

• Photo Book: Take photos of family members baby sees every day. Place photos in a small photo album and put them in your diaper bag. Go through the book with baby whenever you have free time. Point to every photo and say family members’ names. Helps baby build language skills.
• Curiosity Cupboard: Keep one cupboard door open for baby to explore while you are in the kitchen. Leave safe, small objects such as wooden spoons, cups, and saucers inside. Helps baby build curiosity and explore his environment to learn more about everyday objects.
• Stack City: Keep giving baby stackable toys like blocks and cups. Baby will enjoy playing with the different sized toys and creating a tall tower. Helps baby develop spatial reasoning skills by learning how different sized toys can fit together.

Games to Play

• Jam Session: Let baby make music by tapping a wooden spoon and cardboard box. They will love hearing sounds they make. Try tapping a simple rhythm and have baby copy you. Helps baby learn how to interact with others.
• Scent-sation: Keep baby in the kitchen while you cook to let them experience new types of smells. Place a small bit of food, baby lotion, or a flower in a small container and let baby smell (without inhaling) it. Helps baby develop sense of smell.

Games to Play

• Baby See, Baby Do: Sit across from baby, facing them. Say: “Do what I do!” Make a funny face, stick out your tongue. Clap when they copy you. Use other parts of your body as well – hands, arms – encouraging them to do what you do. Helps show baby that communication can go back and forth between two people.
• Cup in the Bath: Use some household items to make bath time more fun. Bring a cup in the tub and show baby how to fill it up and pour it out. Helps baby develop motor skills and experience new textures.

Games to Play

• Funny Hats: Dress baby up in funny hats. Show them their reflection in the mirror. Practice doing a little dance in the mirror while wearing the hat. Have baby copy you. Helps baby practice copying your movements.
• Level 2 Peek-A-Boo: Play peek-a-boo. Let baby hide their face in a blanket and allow them to pull blanket off of you for the big reveal. Helps baby develop memory and communication.
• Lone Rider: Let baby try toys that scoot or rock back and forth when they sit on them. Helps baby strengthen core and leg muscles and increase their independence.

Games to Play

• Follow the Leader: Let baby run the show! Try this anywhere: backyard, park, or playground. As you follow, talk to baby about what is going on by asking questions: “Wow, you’re running fast! Where are we going?” Helps baby build language skills by listening to you talk.
• Magic Chef: Set out pots, pans, bowls, spoons, and cups then suggest baby try mixing and serving an imaginary meal. If weather is okay, cook outside. Get a large bucket with water to pour and scoop. Add lemon juice or food coloring to keep it interesting. Helps baby learn to use imagination.

Games to Play

• Stop and Shop: Have baby push a mini plastic shopping cart or cardboard box and squat to pick up toys on the ground while pretending to go grocery shopping. Helps baby use imagination and leg muscles required for squatting and walking.
• Balance Tricks: Have baby hold on to your shoulders with their hands while they are standing. Encourage them to help put their pants on by picking up their foot and putting it in the leg hole. Helps baby improve balance.

Games to Play

• Double Date: Play dates help entertain baby and give parents social time. At this age, “playing” together can be letting baby and friend have their own items to play with while sitting next to each other. Helps baby feel comfortable spending time with new children.
• Sort and Separate: Gather 2-3 objects such as cups, socks, and spoons. Show baby how to group all of these similar items together. Then let baby have a turn. You can ask them to hand you certain objects by saying, “Can you give me the spoon?” Helps baby see similarities and differences.

Games to Play

• Sock Fun: Have baby push plastic eggs or balls through a sock with a hole cut out at the toe. This is a simple activity that baby will find very entertaining. Helps baby use fingers to build fine motor skills.
• Salon Ready: Turn the bath into a salon. Wash their hair and ‘style’ it. Try funky styles like a Mohawk! This can be great practice before baby’s first haircut. If baby does not like this – don’t force it. Helps baby develop sensory skills.

Games to Play

• Hand Painted: Cover the kitchen table with newspaper. Pour a bright color paint onto a plate. Help baby dip their hand in paint and press it onto a piece of paper. Talk to them while making handprints to explain what you are doing and how it feels. *Make sure baby doesn’t put the paint in their mouth. Helps expose baby to new sensory experiences.
• Mommy-quake: Lie on your back and bring your knees to your chest, making sure your shins are parallel to the ground. Place baby tummy down on your shins and gently swing baby side to side or bounce up and down. Make sure to hold onto baby for safety. Helps baby develop their sense of balance.
• Whip It: Wrap a table in plastic and spray shaving cream on top. Encourage baby to explore the shaving cream with hands, brushes, spatulas, or plastic spoons. Helps baby develop sensory skills.

Games to Play

• Baby-Proofed Explorations: Baby is on the go at this stage. Be sure to keep them safe while moving around, by watching out for obstacles at their level and keeping dangerous things out of reach. Helps provide a safe place for baby to explore so they can develop and practice new skills.
• Drum Time: Place a toy drum (or an upturned ice cream container) in front of you and baby. Use your hands or wooden spoons as drumsticks to show baby different sounds they can make. Helps baby develop fine motor skills, listening skills, and understanding of cause and effect and rhythm.
• Feeding Friends: During play, encourage baby to feed stuffed animals with baby utensils. Helps baby develop fine motor skills.

Games to Play

• Words and Rhythm: Listen to children’s music with simple rhythms and rhyming words. Baby will love the beat and tone of the music as well as learning new words and word combinations. Try this during car rides too. Helps baby build vocabulary.
• Bumpy Board Books: Try reading board books to baby with different colors and texture. Let them touch the different textures. Tell them words that are associated with what they’re feeling, e.g., “Rough, bumpy, soft,” etc. Helps baby learn what different textures feel like on their skin.
• Flower Float: Put water in a wide, shallow container. Float flowers in the water. Point to each of the flowers and say what color it is. Then tell baby to point to a flower and ask them to pick it up. Helps baby develop language to learn about different colors and promotes sensory play.

Games to Play

• Use Velcro: Peeling apart Velcro can be a fun experience for your child. Have your toddler use just two fingers to pull the Velcro apart to strengthen their fingers. Helps develop fine motor and sensory skills.
• Sandbox: Bring your toddler to the beach or sandbox and let them play in the sand. Bring a small shovel and bucket for your toddler to play with. Helps baby develop sense of touch, motor coordination, and strength if baby uses shovels.

Games to Play

• Clown Time: Baby will probably think it is funny if you act silly like a clown, pretending to fall down, walking silly, and jumping around. Try to get baby to imitate your silly motions. Helps baby learn play, imagination, and copy.
• Read and Respond: Read to baby every chance you get. Baby is old enough now to point out things in a story that interest them. Name the objects in pictures as you read about them and ask baby to point them out. Helps baby develop language skills.

Games to Play

• Pop the Bubbles: Blow bubbles to fall down in front of baby while standing. Encourage them to pop bubbles by clapping between hands or by poking with their finger. Helps baby develop hand-eye coordination and balance.
• Plastic Eggs: Filling plastic eggs with different food items can be lots of fun for kids this age. Fill the eggs with bite-sized snacks toddlers can eat. They’ll love opening the eggs and eating tasty snacks at the same time. Helps build baby’s fine motor skills by using their fingers to open and close small objects.
• Russian Nesting Dolls: Use the famous stacking dolls as a fun new activity. Have them open up, take out, and put back together each doll. Then they can line them up from biggest to smallest! Helps baby develop memory skills while using fine motor skills and using two hands together.

Games to Play

• Ride-On Toys: Grab a toy that your toddler can sit on top of as you bring them around your house or on the sidewalk. Your toddler has to stay on by holding a handle and using their legs. Helps baby learn to use their eyes and hands together and builds gross motor skills.
• Foot Paint: Did you know kids can paint with their feet too? Let them step in brightly colored paint and use their feet to create a masterpiece. This is best done outside, but if it’s a rainy day, you can put some plastic down on the floor for an easy cleanup. Helps with baby’s sensory development.

Games to Play

• Obstacle Courses: You can set up a mini obstacle course in your living room. Make pillow stacks to crawl over or lay a blanket over a table to make you toddler crawl under it. Helps baby develop gross motor skills and builds strength.
• Early Art: Make sure baby is somewhere they can make a mess. Give them crayons or finger paint. Tape paper down and let your little artist design a masterpiece. Talk to baby while they work: “Wow! You used lots of yellow. It looks like sunshine!” Helps baby develop fine motor skills while being creative.

Games to Play

• Identify Body Parts: Play with your toddler by naming different body parts and pointing to them. You can name the body part first and have your toddler point to it or you can point to a body part and have them name it. Helps your toddler develop his body awareness sense and communication skills.
• Playground Fun: Bring your toddler to the playground. Let them explore, go on a swing, or slide down a slide. They also get to interact with other kids and play outside. Helps with sensory development, and builds your little one’s motor skills and strength.

Games to Play

• Hide and Seek: Hide while your toddler tries to find you. Play in the house or in your backyard to get your little one outside. Helps baby build thinking and problem solving skills.
• Balloon Let Go: Balloons are fun when they’re inflated, but they’re even more fun when you let them fly around the room. Instead of tying the end of the balloon, let it go and see it whoosh around the room. Let your toddler go get it! Helps baby with motor skills, visual skills, and sensory processing.

Games to Play

• Float or Sink?: Grab a bin and fill it with water. Have your toddler get different objects and drop them into the bin of water to see which float and which sink. Helps build child’s vision skills, and thinking and problem solving.
• Box Car: Find a large cardboard box that baby can play in. Place baby in the box and pretend they are in a racecar. Make engine noises and pretend to turn the “steering wheel.” The more noises you make and actions you do the better. Helps baby develop their imagination. 

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