It’s pouring outdoors and the only thing your baby wants to do? Scramble out the front door lickety-split! Next time inclement weather hits, make the most of being indoors with your baby. Spend time playing together using these 25 rainy activities to do with 12-18 month-olds!
These playtime ideas also work great for 1st-time dads who have a hard time coming up with what to do with baby!
- Put baby in a blanket and pull them around the room.
- Make a “snake” out of clothespins by clipping one to another.
- Roll a ball back and forth.
- Sing “The Wheels on the Bus” using animated gestures
- Play in the bath together.
- Sing “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” complete with tickles!
- Have a tactile snack. Let baby eat with his fingers
- Create a drumset with pots, pans, and spatulas for baby to whack.
- Blow bubbles together. Here’s a great recipe for giant bubbles baby will love!
- Hold baby’s hands and “walk” him if he’s still learning.
- Write a letter together for your spouse. Baby can scribble the artwork!
- Show baby how to put things into a tissue box and then how to pull them out.
- Sing a song about baby.
- Take a walk together. Show baby the flowers and let him touch the petals.
- Read a book together. This is one of our favorite children’s books.
- Sit baby in his highchair and let him bang plastic cups to make noise.
- Play baby a song on any instrument you play. Tambourine, anyone?!
- Place 3 toys in a box and ask baby to take out each toy by name.
- Play peek-a-boo.
- Sing a song about your family with choreography!
- Make baby a shampoo mohawk and show him in the mirror.
- Show baby how to work light switches. On. Off. On. Off.
- Pass baby a toy and have him pass it back to you or give it to a sibling.
- Using a shape sorting toy, practice naming shapes and placing them into their respective slots.
- Flip through a family album of baby’s photos. Tell him the stories behind each photograph.
What are your favorite rainy day activities for babies? Please share your child’s faves in the comments below!
Definitely saving this one! I’m sure we’re going to need them once it starts snowing and baby boy can’t go outside!
Consider this bookmarked! Here in Ireland, it gets pretty wet – and I can see myself and my wife coming back to this article time and time again! Particularly liked the mohawk idea \m/(>.<)\m/