The Ferber Method, as it is known, involves putting your baby into the crib while shes still awake. It’s messy, fun and definitely frustrating for both of you at times, especially considering that introducing solids into her diet can also cause some issues in that tiny tummy. The development of cognition, recognition, vision, and memory, also provides an opportunity for the baby to do further explorations by getting involved in games. We have has compiled a list of 15 activities and games for a six-month-old baby to aid their overall development. The parents should encourage the baby by tempting her with a favorite toy placed just a few feet out of reach, enticing the baby to pursue it. The baby might take a midmorning nap and a midafternoon nap. If the family has a pet dog or cat, the baby will certainly have shown recognition of the animal by now. It is also a phase when the infant acquires cognitive and physical skills. Must Knows. Book a babysitter. It is time to bounce and exercise those baby legs! The newborn is estimated to have a daily sleep time of eighteen hours at maximum scale. This, however, is expected to happen, with no need to worry. The baby’s legs are far from holding body weight, so hold the infant while you gently spring them up and down. The baby may not get the stacking right, but the sight of enticing, colorful blocks will lure them to grasp one block after the other. The 4-6 months motor milestones video provides parents and caregivers 6 examples of motor milestones baby should reach by 6 months old. Of course, the baby is not giving up on breastfeeding or formula just yet, but she should be starting to receive soft foods. Start singing a nursery rhyme (even a song will do) and rhythmically move your hands. Respond to own name. If your baby cries, wait for a progressively longer period of time each night before going in to provide comfort. The first step including babbling and pronouncing simple prefixes and vowels such as “ma”, “ba” and “ga.” These vocals give rise to clear words with practice and time. Hold the hands of the baby and gently pull their torso towards you at a full 90o. The process of the baby’s growth is divided in sequential stages throughout its early life. Having reached the sixth month, the baby is about to progress further into the second half of its first year with the aid of a number of skills acquired successfully by that time. All rights reserved. Skills developed: Cause and effect, Understanding sound and motion relation. Words are included within the details mentioned previously. A one day old baby is quite different than a baby after a year. Share: An exciting milestone in your baby’s development is the switch to solids. Solids and Constipation in Your 6 Month Old Baby. Sit beside your little one and prompt them to look at the floating bubbles. It is also recommended to check on the food appropriate for the baby. Place the baby on their back on a soft surface and gently lift both the legs. Of course, not all games are compatible with its brain, but even the simplest types can assist in affirming its talents. Actually, the skills of using hands and feeling different textures would not evolve with the absence of the recognizing skill; the baby notices a small toy, a flower, or a teddy bear for instance, and expresses its interest to approach the object with its hand to grab or at least have a touch. The ability to grasp objects develops around the age of six months and playing with colorful blocks is a nice way to exercise that. At this age babies sleep about 14 to 17 hours a day — including about five naps during the day. It is usually recommended to focus on food with healthy content and vital elements necessary for the baby’s growth. Hold the spoon close to his lips, and let him smell and taste the food. Sixth Month Baby Milestones Growth. 3 After Miscarriage, World Cancer Day: How To Explain & Celebrate It With Your Toddler, 10 Creative Ideas For How To Announce Your Pregnancy On Valentine's Day, 8 Fun Ways To Usher In The New Year With Your Little Ones: DIY Party Ideas, Shawn Johnson & Andrew East Expecting Second Child Together, 5 Money-Saving Habits All New Parents Should Be Doing In The New Year, Big Brother’s Nicole Franzel Expecting First Child With Victor Arroyo, Nikki Bella Hired A Life Coach To Help Transition To Being A New Mom. If these happen, seek immediate medical help. With some luck, your baby might start to sleep for longer stretches at night from about 6 weeks of age. This method works well for some families, but you may need to experiment with several different sleep … Now, the baby is able to use its hands in new ways other than holding people’s fingers. Around 6 months old, some babies begin transitioning from three or four daily naps to two. The act of rolling over can be fun for the baby, but may get on the nerve of its parents due to the higher possibility of the baby rolling off the sofa or bed, which until that point, was a relatively safe place to lay the baby down. Words may evade your six-month-old baby’s understanding, but they will love colorful illustrations. The 6 Best Ways to Make Your Baby Tired (and 3 Things NOT to Do) From rocking to lullabies to a ride in the car, here are the best ways to make your baby … How Much Sleep Does a 1-Month-Old Baby Need? Hold the baby vertically, between their arms, on a soft surface like a mattress. The moving toy helps in the development and also entertains the baby. Starting on solids much earlier may cause your baby to breastfeed less, … Point at the images while you read the story, and label the pictures with their name like “That is a Lion” while pointing at a lion’s illustration. Sing a song or a nursery rhyme to entertain the baby. Actually, it is believed that it is still early for the baby’s skills to settle on a specific hand, since these skills are still at their starting point. Actually, stuffed toys can be considered less dangerous than plastic ones or those that are likely to be swallowed and choked on. The process of the baby’s growth is divided in sequential stages throughout its early life. Bend them gently and move them in cyclic motion, as if the baby was pedaling a bicycle. Large, hard stools that pass easily are not considered constipation. String vowels together when babbling (“ah”, “eh”, “oh”) During the first few months of life, your baby was growing at a rate of about 1 ½ to 2 pounds a month. Skills developed: Muscle strength, improved range of motion, basic balancing skill, You will need: Food purees of different colors. The sound emanating from the box attracts the baby, and they will try grabbing it, and when they do, hold their hands and shake the box gently. However, at this age the baby may cry simply to get attention of the people around her, even when there is nothing to complain about. Lie down on the bed with your head inclined while the baby sits in your lap facing you. Featuring bright, playful … Babies innately enjoy playing with water, thus making this activity a great way to improve their lower back strength. When they do so, respond to them with a question or a few words of praise. This is pretty much something that every parent experiences and this problem is one of the disturbing obstacles of raising the child, and it is advised to put the baby in the crib while it is still awake. Yes, you can have a half-birthday cake. You can start to add a healthy snack, like mashed fruit, between meals. Slowly grab the baby’s hands and move them to the rhyme while also making some funny sound effects like “Whoosh!” or “Swish.”. The baby is no longer immobile, having acquiring a great amount of motor development and increased muscular capabilities. Skills developed: Listening skills, vision-hearing coordination, general curiosity, [ Read: 6-Month-Old Baby Development Milestones ]. This is an amazingly fun-filled activity that the entire family can play with the baby. The baby can develop reflexes towards textures, which guide it to be attracted to and accept pleasant ones, and on the other hand, avoid those that gave it negative feelings. Skills developed: Object tracking, overall muscle strength, You will need: String made from soft fibers, yourself. Prepare purees of varying colors from different fruits and vegetables that you usually give the infant. With these activities, you can keep your baby busy and promote healthy growth. 99 $18.98 $18.98 Remember, activities are important but they should not be exhausting for the baby. Make the infant sit in the bathtub and place some toys around them. Skills developed: Muscle control, muscle movement nimbleness, overall gross motor skills. You will need: A regular bed sheet or blanket. Make the baby sit with you while your partner hides behind an object like a sofa or curtain and says the baby’s name. If your 6-month-old cries when you leave the room, she might be suffering from a new fear known as baby separation anxiety. Wait until they seem to settle their feet a bit firmly on the surface. Her focus is turning outward, and she engages everyone around her with eye contact, gummy smiles, non-stop giggles and lots of delightful babbling. Play lots of music. See a medical professional for personalized consultation. At … This is a classic game to … In either case, they are flexing their muscles, making them stronger. After all, the main attention is still sought from the mother. Now is an excellent time to introduce your 6-month-old baby to solid foods. Or when the parent gives the baby a number of letters and it correctly picks the letters the parent pronounces. Repeat with the remaining purees to make handprints of different colors. Skills developed: Basic understanding of patterns, visual perception skills, listening skills. Held upright, your child can now practice standing and doing mini-squats. Each video clip shows how baby should be moving and what parents and caregivers should watch for. The best way to calm your baby is to leave, wait for a minute or two, and then return. The baby can also manifest different reactions and emotions in response to its perception of textures; for example, expressing delight when touching a soft pleasant surface, displeasure for a rough or prickly surface. Each activity nurtures a set of specific developmental skills, which we mention at the end. One note of caution – to reduce the risk of SIDS, don't let your baby sleep with stuffed animals or loose blankets before his first birthday. The vocalizing skills explained earlier, are of the methods often put in action. This stage is a … This can be intensified by suitable games proposed by the parents. Straining to pass stools – your baby may strain just for a few minutes, or he may strain for hours or days. It is true that the attention seeking attitude seems to be born simultaneously with the baby, being manifested by crying. At the age of six months, your baby would have reached several milestones. It can now take advantage of its extremities to move from one place to another, a fact which makes it very important for the parents to keep their baby away from places of different degrees of danger, so as to prevent any injuries or traumas. But it is important to keep some points in mind while you play these games so that the infants reap the maximum benefit. Breast milk will no longer be the one and only nutritive method. From around 6 months To start with, your baby only needs a small amount of solid food, once a day, at a time that suits you both. Many children form an emotional attachment to the item that gives them comfort. Peek-a-boo with a blanket: You will need: A regular bed sheet or blanket. Please read our Disclaimer. Visual centers are also involved, providing clear imaging of what the baby is seeing, and thereupon evoking different reactions. By now, she should have at least doubled her birth weight. ; Painful stools – if stooling seems to be hurting baby in any way, even if it does not appear unusually large. By 6 months, most babies: Know familiar faces. By this age, the baby should have developed stable control of its head, which will continue developing with further growth. They can also react to objects that may seem strange or scary for them. Blow one bubble within the baby’s line of sight so that they can track it till it floats away or bursts. At about the 6-month mark, you can begin introducing your baby to a sippy cup. The cognitive and visual brain centers of the baby do not limit its recognizing capabilities to people only, but also stimulate its ability to analyze the surroundings that have an attractive appearance. Skills developed: Auditory sense skills, identifying and locating sources of sound, You will need: A plastic box filled with baby cereal. As it grows in age, sleep duration starts to gradually decrease. Once they manage to lay their hand on the ball, they will try experimenting with the ball by moving it, hitting it or by simply lifting it. Dip your baby’s hands in the puree bowl and make a hand impression on the paper. Sometimes babies make attempts to babble the words they hear. Place them all in front of your baby on a plastic sheet (to prevent a mess!) The baby may initially let go, but you can prompt them to pull the string towards them, which they will eventually do. The development of its nervous system activity aids it to hold small objects for a period of time of a couple of seconds, and this duration will lengthen certainly with age and practice. Once the baby is intrigued, slowly pull down the blanket and look straight into the baby’s eyes and say “peek-a-boo!”. Prompt them to hold a block themselves and guide their hand to stack a block. Skills developed: Object tracking, vision development, muscle-sight coordination. Here is what you can do to ensure that your baby benefits the most from the above activities: While activity is important for a six-month-old baby, rest and adequate nutrition are also necessary to keep the baby healthy and active. The mum can use this skill to teach and help her baby use other skills, for example grabbing a toy or reaching the sofa. If baby has been crying more than usual, has been drooling and perhaps has swollen gums, a low fever or trouble sleeping, you may have a teething 6-month-old on your hands. They deserve considerable attention by the parents so that they can enjoy knowing that their child is develo. In this matter, the parents ought to cheer and encourage the baby to keep trying to make the sounds, even if they seem to hold no meaning initially. Do let us know by leaving a comment below. At 6 months old, babies can’t thank you for a well-considered gift, but they can make eye contact, grasp objects in their little hands, and smile back at you. Your baby can eat anything except honey, which she shouldn't eat until she is a year old. Play this activity anywhere – indoors or outdoors. Alternatively, offer 24-37 ounces of formula milk every day. With the start of solids (or more dedication to them) at six months, now is also the time to begin offering water in an open-top cup so that your baby can move from sucking to sipping at mealtimes. Bring things to mouth. In fact, the baby during the first half of its first year isn’t the same during the second half, and speaking more accurately, the baby can demonstrate noticeable differences in every single month, regarding numerous disciplines other than its appearance. With time, the baby will be able to sit with enough balance to not need support. For example, the mother can bring her baby a puzzle game and show how to place the parts correctly. Some babies are already able to pronounce some easy words at the age of six months, indicating intelligence of a somewhat higher level, as well as focused attention and training by the parents. Babies capable of recognizing words can also most probably recognize letters. Babies can sit without support by the age of six months, and you can strengthen those back muscles during bath time. Previously, crying was used instead of words to express the feelings of hunger, drowsiness, illness, thirst, pain, discomfort due to a dirty diaper, and so forth. Say something funny or sing a song while you pull them into the sitting position. Skills developed: Grip strength and resistance, muscle response to a force. Playing with a six-month-old is all the more joyful when you add nursery rhymes and dance to the equation. The spine also contributes to enabling the baby to sit, even if with support at the beginning. 6-month-old sleep problems By the 6-month mark, your baby is — let’s be honest — off-the-charts cute and so clever. 100 Fantastic And Unique Baby Names For Girls And Boys, 4 To 6 Months Baby's Sleep Schedule And How To Make Them Fall Asleep, 3 Types Of Rashes That Occur During Pregnancy - Symptoms & Treatments, 10 Tips On How To Deal With Teenage Attitude, 13 Cool House Crafts For Preschoolers And Kids, 6 Amazing Tips To Introduce Your Baby To Music, Associative Play: What Is It, Age, Examples And Benefits, 22 Learning Activities And Games For Your 7-Month-Old Baby, 25+ Best Baby TV Shows And Programs To Watch In 2021, 3 Learning Activities For Your 3 Month Old Baby. Have a game or activity to share? Sippy cups are fine for on-the-go, but only use them for water, not juice, as this can lead to babies and toddlers mindlessly consuming sugary drinks. The fact that the baby can roll over makes it a must for the mum to keep an eye on it when placed onto the bed or a high place on purpose, for example, diaper changing. A 6-month-old refusing the bottle can be a sign of teething too. This is like a basic art and craft session for your baby, and since the colors are edible, you need not worry about them putting their hands in their mouth. The cognitive abilities and memory centers of the brain start to exceed being primitive, enabling the baby to remember and recall certain events and people, and react to encountering them according to the situation and the people themselves. Your six-month-old can start consuming solid food now, so why not leverage it with a stimulating fun activity? Don’t continue if the child becomes extremely frustrated but gently encourage her. Support him in your lap or an infant seat and use a small spoon to feed him. This information is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional health services. Continue doing so a few more times, and the baby repeats the act. Website for moms seeking advice, community, and entertainment. This is attributed to the development of the baby’s hand skills, as well as the nervous system activity; the tactile senses of the hands, plus the cognitive brain abilities are intensifying and getting more advanced. Continue breast milk or formula for your baby as it is the main source of nutrition for babies until one year (1). Roll over in both directions. This support can be achieved by the mother’s body, the sofa, pillows, stuffed big toys, or any other objects that ensure no harm or discomfort to the baby’s back and head. One of the common ways that is often used to help baby make words is through linking them to animal sounds and linking a picture of the animal to the sound; such as ‘ba,’ “The sheep says ba.”. Parents may want to continue to lay the baby on the back however until the baby has mastered it and can avoid breathing problems from laying on their belly. From 6–8 months old, feed your baby half a cup of soft food two to three times a day. Skills developed: Basic voice and movement coordination, social skills, [ Read: Age-Appropriate Toys For 6 Month Old ], You will need: Bubble maker, your partner. They will bounce when you do so, and that exercises their leg muscles. So, if mum and dad haven’t already done so, it’s time to put the electric outlet sockets covers and childproof latches on. At six months, baby’s growth will slow to about 1 pound a month. The baby can be seen during this period to focus on special details of some objects, for example flowers or colorful patterns on the mum’s blouse. TEACHING: You can start showing your baby more books and flashcards. If your child isn't finishing his or her bottle at each feeding after you've introduced solid foods, it's fine to cut back slightly. Try grabbing one, and the baby soon extends their hand to try it out. ; Large, hard stools – this is a sign, but only if baby is straining or in pain. Attraction To Stuffed Toys. Hold a blanket and draw it over your head. 6-Month-Old Teething It’s common for babies to start teething around this age. They deserve considerable attention by the parents so that they can enjoy knowing that their child is developing and growing in front of them, as well as be aware of any complications and troubles that might crop up. This simple game helps to strengthen the baby’s grip and overall flexibility of their fingers. The baby may love to have the toy beside it during sleep, therefore, she has to be attentive to place them properly. She can also do the same by using the small plastic bricks and let her baby come out with any shape. Place the baby on their tummy and place a stringed toy in their field of vision. Doubtlessly, the parents are responsible for keeping harmful and small objects at an unreachable distance from their baby, to prevent any tragic consequences. 2. You can start weaning with single vegetables and fruits – try blended, mashed, or soft cooked sticks of parsnip, broccoli, potato, yam, sweet potato, carrot, apple or pear. Bring the box to the baby and shake it like a rattle. Prefer using a box with a transparent plastic cover so that the baby can see inside and get excited. Perhaps not all babies would be capable of successful performance, but most babies at least would give it an attempt. Find a time of day when your baby is not feeling tired and is a little hungry. The baby is expected to show interest in several food types that are easy to chew and swallow, even if teeth haven’t already started to rise. Sit on the bed with your legs stretched while the baby lies on them with their feet towards you. If your baby is under six months and breastfeeding, offering them only breast milk protects them from a range of infections and reduces their need for medical treatment or hospitalisation. The baby at six months old is frequently expected to sleep through the night for approximately six to eight hours and nap for 1 to 2 hours during the day with longer periods of wakefulness, in addition to the possibility of having sleep discomforts and troubles. The American Association of Pediatrics recommends delaying solids until 6 months old. By 6 months, baby is becoming stronger. Keep the development right on track with this crunches exercise for the baby. When babies at this age have trouble falling or staying asleep, some parents turn to a method developed by pediatrician Richard Ferber. Your baby may prefer other great toys for 6-month-olds like balls, nesting blocks, and music-makers. Your baby may seem perplexed initially, but repeat the act a couple of times, and they begin chuckling. However, the level of word recognition among babies of this age vary, and it is expected to find some who still cannot distinguish words until an older age. These games for your six-month-old aim at the holistic development of the baby. This is a stimulating activity for a six-month-old and can cement their name in their mind. Parents need to watch for signs of food allergy such as redness, hives, rash, and difficulty breathing. At 6 months old, formula fed babies will eat approximately six to eight ounces of formula at each feeding. Move it around a couple of times till your little one starts making attempts to grab the toy. A healthy and well-abled child can indicate proper child care and nurturing, and in the opposite case, can indicate negligence and disordered raising. HOMOFY Baby Toys Funny Changeable Hammer Toys 6 Months up,Multi-Function,Lights MusicToys for Infant Boys Girls 1 2 3 Years Old -Best Gifts 4.6 out of 5 stars 714 $15.99 $ 15 . Starting at this time means your baby may accept the cup more readily and it will give him plenty of time to master it before you need to completely wean him from the breast or bottle. This is a simple sensory play for the baby’s developing eyesight. The only place to satisfy all of your guilty pleasures. Try to keep your child’s room comfortably cool. On the other hand it is not purely a talent or an exceptional skill, and it depends on the cognitive development of the baby, as well as the way it is being raised.