Developmental activities for 10-month-olds

At 10 months, babies love to see the effect they have on their environment and the people in it 😉 These developmental activities recommended by child development experts help your child practice balance, experiment with gravity, try out their communication skills, and more.

Keep your baby crawling

Because crawling is such a powerful way to improve coordination, balance, motor control, and strength, experts want children to do it for as long as possible. But once your baby is standing and cruising, they may not be as eager.

RELATED: Everything to know about crawling

A play tunnel can be fun motivation.

1. Place your baby on all fours at one end of the tunnel.
2. Roll a ball into the tunnel.
3. Encourage your child to crawl after the ball.

Make a frame game

Create a fun game that teaches facial recognition and object permanence. All you need are some simple household items and photos of family and friends:

Materials:

1. Several wipe containers or cardboard and scissors
2. Large piece of cardboard
3. Glue
4. Photographs of family and friends

Description:

1. Collect several lids from wipe containers. Or, use cardboard to make flap-covered frames.
2. Glue three sides of each lid base or frame to a large piece of cardboard.
3. When the glue is dry, slide a picture through the open side of each frame.
4. Show your baby how to open a flap. Narrate with enthusiasm, “Who’s there? Oh! It’s Daddy!”
5. Let your baby try. Give them time to explore and discover how to open the flaps.
6. Change the pictures regularly to keep the surprises coming 🙂

Please be sure to supervise your baby at all times during this activity and put the game safely away when play is done.

Let it roll!

Give your baby an early science lesson by rolling an object down a ramp. Place a tower of blocks at the bottom for a dramatic end.

1. Place a Play Kit or other box on the floor and open up the top to create a ramp.
2. Stack three blocks on the tuck-in flap at the bottom of the ramp.
3. Hold a tube on its side at the top of the ramp, then release it so it rolls down and knocks down the blocks.
4. Stack the blocks and do it again. This time, you can help your baby send the tube down the ramp. You can try sitting your child inside the box to do this ❤️

RELATED: Everything to know about stacking

This activity teaches your baby about physics, gravity, and cause and effect. They’re also learning how to make predictions based on evidence.

Sensory play activates baby’s brain

Stimulate your child’s sense of sight, sound, and touch with a sensory bin and a small container. 

1. Fill a shallow bin with uncooked couscous or another dry grain.
2. Demonstrate how to use a or measuring cup to scoop and pour the couscous, then let your baby try. Don’t worry if they can’t do it by themselves quite yet; they can learn by watching you ❤️
3. Describe how the couscous feels in your baby’s fingers and the sound it makes when poured.

This sensory activity is great for building fine motor skills.

Please be sure to supervise your baby at all times and don’t let them eat the uncooked grains. Put materials safely away when play is done.

Lift your baby’s belly for crawling

If your baby hasn’t figured out how to lift their belly off the floor to crawl, try showing them what it feels like to be up on all fours 🙂

1. Roll up a quilt or blanket.
2. Place your baby in a crawling position with their belly resting on the quilt.
3. Put stacking rings or another favorite toy in front of them.
4. Encourage your baby to reach for a ring. Ideally, they’ll have one hand on the ground for support and one hand outstretched.
5. Help your baby reach with alternating arms so they develop muscles on both sides of their body.

When will your baby crawl?

Here are some typical age ranges for the progression toward crawling, but keep in mind that the process is different for every baby.

1. Scooting backward on belly: typically 7 to 8 months
2. Scooting forward on belly by pulling with arms and pushing with legs: typically 8 to 9½ months
3. Crawling with belly off the floor: typically 6 to 10 months

Validate your baby’s signals

Communication at 10 months doesn’t involve words or sometimes even sounds. It can come in the form of a simple glance or gesture.

1. Sit with your baby in front of a clear tube and balls.
2. Drop a ball into the tube, then pause to see if your baby tries to communicate with you. 
3. If they make eye contact, wave their hands, or utter a simple vocalization such as a coo, be sure to respond promptly. 

An immediate, warm, and encouraging response tells your baby that their thoughts and feelings are important and lays the foundation for a relationship built on trust ❤️

Crawlers take note

Challenge your crawler to follow a trail of sticky notes, picking them up one at a time. They’ll use their core muscles to balance and build fine motor skills as they retrieve the notes.

1. Place a trail of multi-colored sticky notes 6 to 8 inches apart on the floor.
2. Sit your baby at one end of the trail.
3. Model how to pick up a sticky note, then encourage your baby to do the same.
4. Sit at the other end of the trail and call their name to encourage them to move in your direction. 
5. As their skills and stamina increase, lengthen the trail with more sticky notes and veer it around a kitchen island or coffee table ❤️

Please supervise your baby at all times during this activity and ensure they do not mouth the sticky notes. Small items like these could become choking hazards. Put them safely away when play is done.

Track hidden sounds

Between 7 and 10 months, your baby may start to turn their head and shoulders to find distant sounds. When you’re outside, you can help them practice:

1. Pick out a sound, such as a chirping bird, for them to locate.
2. Get them interested by saying something like, “Oh, I hear a bird! [Listen.] Do you hear that tweet?”
3. Use gestures and an excited tone to inspire the same enthusiasm in your baby 🙂

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