Do you often find yourself like me, googling something along the lines of “activities to do with a(n) ___ month/year old?” Being a stay at home mom is truly a dream come true for me but it does mean a lot of hours to fill throughout the day with a baby who doesn’t have the longest attention span yet. And of course I want to be sure I’m doing things each day that are fun but that will help him learn and develop. So I love when I find activities that are entertaining (ideally for more than 5 minutes) and also work on an important developmental skill. Here are three I’ve been loving lately!

1. Painter’s Tape

So the great thing about painter’s tape is that it sticks to a surface well but then can also be removed with no residue. It also will typically stick and come off, multiple times before it loses its stick. So a super easy option is pulling off a few pieces of tape and sticking it either to a wall or the floor. Then let your baby pull them off! You can restick them as they pull them off, that way there is a continuous stream of pieces for them to grab. For littler babies you might need to leave the edge of the tape up to give them something to grab onto but as your baby’s pincer grasp gets better they may be able to pull the edge up themselves. This activity will often keep my little one entertained for 15 or 20 minutes!

2. Pom Poms and a Whisk

This is another super simple activity that will bring smiles and get that baby working on their pincer grasp. Get some pompoms from your local craft store (or some grocery stores even have them!) Grab a whisk from your kitchen and push the pompoms through the openings in the whisk to fill it. Hand the whisk to your little one and show them how they can pull the pompoms out one by one. They may not get it right at first and may just shake the whisk around but with some modeling they should catch on. It’s so cute watching them concentrate on grabbing that little puff!

3. Paint with Water

This is a perfect one for summer! Head outside with a bucket, bowl or tray and fill it with water. Give your little one a paint brush or you could offer a variety of sizes for them. And let them practice dipping it in the water and painting the patio, driveway or sidewalk. This is great because the canvas is never ending as the water dries and makes more space for them. It might also help as you’re working on utensil use at meals encouraging that dipping/scooping motion for things like yogurt or oatmeal. If you have older kiddos, this is great for the whole family because while our little one is working on holding the paintbrush and dipping/painting, your older kiddos can practice painting letters, numbers, shapes or their name!

I hope these give you a few ways to fill your day as you watch your baby explore and learn new things!