10 Fun Activities For 10-Month-Old

So, your kid recently turned ten months old. Are you trying to look for ways to direct their endless energy towards productive activities? Do you wish to engage them in activities that are fun yet educational? In that case, you have come to the right place.

I had to go through many obstacles when I was looking for activities for my kid to pursue. Ten-month-old children have minimal attention spans. Hence it is difficult to get them hooked onto any one thing. However, my kid helped me navigate all this by trying out everything listed- and I mean everything. From old wives’ tricks to modern blogs, I tried everything and noted all the pros and cons of these activities.

When your child is between 10 months and two years, it is crucial from the developmental perspective. During these months, the brain of a child acts like a sponge and thirsts for knowledge. So it can be an excellent idea to involve them in activities that fire up various creative regions of their brain while egging them on to utilize their (so far negligible) motor skills.

Activities for 10-month-old kids not only act as an outlet for their attention and energy but are also a learning experience. And the sooner you start, the better equipped your child will be when dealing with the outside world in the future.

So, here you go- a brief list of some (relatively?!) safe activities for 10-month-olds.

10 Activities For Your 10-Month-Old

1. Throwing Balls (or anything the kids can get their hands on)

Children love throwing things; this is a fact. And you can’t help but let them throw things to prevent them from throwing tantrums (pun intended) instead. I learned the true meaning of despair when my kid flushed my mobile phone down the toilet.

So, while you can’t control their habit of throwing things, what you can control is what they throw. Get them cotton or synthetic balls that are light and squishy. Keep your belongings away from their reach and wrap other things in bubble wrap. This brings me to another topic- bubble wrap. Bubble wrap is god’s gift to humankind. To get the most out of this activity, get a massive roll of bubble wrap and burst the bubbles with your child. This is one activity that supposedly appeals to our primate brain, making it go bonkers.

Wrapping things in bubble wrap also protects them from damage if they fall (provided the fall is within limits) and increases their life span. Wrapping your remotes, paperweights, and other small decorative items in bubble wrap would save you from a lot of trouble down the line.

2. Time For Some Shady Fun

The title might sound ominous, but the activity itself isn’t. All you need to do is introduce your child to his shadow or yours. This might seem like a trivial thing to you, but have faith in me. Shadows are so much more fun when you look at them from a child’s point of view.

However, be careful; introducing my kid to their shadow had some hilarious consequences. Long story short, they got spooked by their shadows following them everywhere and started screaming their head off.

Making shadow shapes with hands is an activity that will surely capture their attention and keep them occupied for hours on end. However, this activity can get pretty uninteresting once you run out of shapes to produce (and as far as statistics go, the chance of you being a master performer is relatively low). So for such an event, we have the next activity in store.

3. Copy-No-Jutsu

10-month old kids are still new to the race of life. As such, they are still inexperienced in all the ways of life. You can try and train your children to copy your actions. This will allow them to improve their hand-eye coordination and their creativity as well.

The best way to incorporate skills in your child is to make them copy your movements. Children are curious by nature, and they copy others’ actions all the time. The other day, I handed my kid a phone, and he put it to his ear and started babbling. It might seem funny, but beneath all the jest, you can see that he has learned to associate phones with talking.

Additionally, you can also try and instill some new habits in them. Are you tired of them making a mess of the room? Please clean up space in front of them, ever so slowly. After a few tries, they will automatically start giving you things to put back. And given enough time, they would start cleaning up themselves.

The permutations and combinations of this activity are endless. All you need is time and the patience of a sage. Equipped with these, you are well on your way to turning your child into your carbon copy.

4. I Am Speed

Yes, it seems like a well-known activity. Though you should keep in mind not to walk your children everywhere and all the time. Allow them to shuffle around. Instead of taking them on walks, keep their favorite things around the house. Watch them scramble after them. Or you could play hide and seek.

Whatever method you choose, be sure to make it fun and imaginative. I do not want your child to associate walking with crying. So make it a fun activity. Use a lot of peek-a-boos. Keep them laughing. All these strenuous activities for 10-month-olds will have the added benefit of tiring your child out. This will allow you to have a whole night’s sleep without your kid waking up. Unless he does, at which point, you might need to take evasive actions.

So make sure to keep enough energy in ‘your’ reservoir as a buffer to tackle any (un)foreseen, late-night event.

5. Stack Em’ Up

As humans, something about stacking things up has always tickled our minds. And look where that has brought us- in a world of numerous skyscrapers. So it stands to reason that your kid won’t be any different. Children love stacking things up.

Whether it is cups, or bowls, or even food particles, they can, and will, stack anything that they can. The rate at which my kid makes things using everyday things would put even master architects to shame (yes, I said that because I believe in my kid’s ability and not because they threatened to destroy my card pyramid).

It would be an excellent exercise to make them put things together and stack them up. For this, you would need some kid-proof plastic cups, bowls, etc., and an unbreakable (pun intended, yes) resolve. Kids are energetic creatures. They start multi-tasking even before they are taught how. Building upon this, they will begin to and combine activities that they find wondrous.

You might have understood where I’m going with this.
Kids are passionate about throwing things (*insert “It ain’t much, but it’s honest work” *). When they combine it with their stacking capabilities, the result is a tiny king kong. Believe me. They will build up the whole tower, piece by piece.

Then, in a moment of supreme rashness, destroy it by flailing around. After this, realizing that their beloved tower is no more, they will get angry and throw things around. And it doesn’t even matter what these things are.

So, be sure to go for lightweight and child-safe plastics for toys, as other types can be dangerous if not handled with care. And kids are anything but careful.

6. Boot Camp

One skill that you can nudge the kids to develop is thinking outside of the box. Keeping this in mind, you can create obstacle courses for your 10-month old kid. This activity might not have any visible effects, but it makes them try and adhere to a norm or think of new ways to get out.

My kid learned how to open closed doors and rummage through boxes sealed with tapes. This meant that I had to think of newer ways to keep things locked and safe. You can also ensure that your kid tries to find their way out of the labyrinth on their own. The activity combines cognitive abilities and physical prowess, through which your child can rapidly progress in both aspects.

You can utilize everyday things such as plastic cups, doors, stuffed toys, etc., for this activity. Just make sure to keep the kids away from high areas, stairs, and balconies. Apart from that, all you need to do is put the kid in the middle of the labyrinth (not unlike the minotaur) and allow them to find their way out.

7. (Egyptian) Wall Painting

According to my trusted sources (my 15-month-old kid), children are great artists- and I can(not) disagree. They should be allowed to express their creativity and artistry through crayons on the walls. I cannot stress this enough. It would help if you handed over the walls to the kids. End of discussion.

On a more serious note, this activity stimulates the brain’s right side, which is the center of imagination, holistic thinking, and rhythm. As kids draw and experiment, their drawing will start taking classic shapes. This can also be an excellent opportunity to take a peek into the way your kid thinks.

To prepare for this activity, you need to ensure that you can easily wash your walls. Then, buy a set of crayons that is safe for ten-month-olds. The last step is to hand over this paraphernalia to your children- and voila! You can sit back and enjoy your little Van Gogh at work.

8. Architecture Is My Passion

I still remember my days as a kid. I used to build massive castles and buildings using LEGO blocks. So I thought of carrying this activity forward with my kid. And, let me tell you, it has had some groundbreaking results.

Kids can create anything using LEGOs. From airplanes to model homes- you name it; they can do it. But one thing that you need to take care of is the size of the blocks they use. It would be best if you got the blocks that are at least the size of your hands. This will prevent them from putting it in their mouths and swallowing it.

Overall, this activity teaches creative thinking to your kid. It also improves hand-eye coordination. It propels them to think more than they usually would. Thus, they develop different ways to create and attach things.

9. Laze-R

Ever since laser lights were invented, humans and animals alike have been fascinated with them. But no one loves laser pointers more than babies. So, if you’ve returned home tired from the day’s work and want to keep your baby occupied so that you can laze around, this would be one of the best activities for your ten-month-old kids.

All you need is a laser pointer, and you’re good to go. Lounge in your favorite chair. Make yourself comfortable. Start playing. It is that easy. See if your kid can catch the laser pointer or not. Shine it on areas that are challenging to reach. Watch in awe as your child navigates obstacles to get the ever-elusive red beacon. I had loads of fun seeing my kid trying to catch the dot and then be bewildered when the dot “magically” teleported to the top of his hand.

But be careful. Children are incredibly cunning (again, from a trusted source). If you do not exercise enough caution, they will figure out that the thing in your hand is the one that creates the light. Instead of trying to catch the light, they will pester you for the torch.

The activity has twofold drawbacks. First, it will ultimately end your plans to have a wonderful and blissful night. Your kids will pester you until you give in. Secondly, a laser light would be dangerous for kids if they are left unattended. If shone directly on their eyes, it can cause long-lasting damage. So, you need to be careful and employ this activity in moderation.

10. Kindle The Reader Inside Them

We wrap up this list with an activity that ensures the well-rounded development of your child. Reading is an activity that you are never too young to start. Get them books with simple words and big pictures. Ideally, we should aim for a book that teaches them to associate various things with the words we call them. That is even if they are unpronounceable right now.

Point towards things and enunciate their names. Urge them to start referring to items using their made-up names. Kids have a basic understanding of different everyday objects. Once they start using words to refer to them, it is only a matter of time until they learn the proper pronunciation. My kids use big books as projectiles and weapons of war. So it is best if you get books that have rounded corners and are durable.

Additionally, ensure that your kid is exposed to a lot of playdates as well. Having other kids to talk to and read together will significantly boost their learning and reading capabilities. Because, after all, only a competitor can help you reach your limits.

Which Activities Should I Not Encourage My 10-Month-Old Kid To Engage In?

After thoughtful deliberations with my kid and many round table tea conferences, we have concluded that the following are not activities for 10-month-old:

1. Sand Architecture

This is one of the few go-to activities that parents rely on. But this activity can have several harmful health effects on your kids. As stated earlier, kids tend to put things in their mouths. Thus, if your kid were to swallow sand, it can have adverse effects on their health. So it is a terrible idea to allow such young kids to play with sand.

2. Glass Objects

Glass objects are fragile by their very nature. Once they break, they can damage both health and property. So, it is unwise to train your kid by giving them water in glasses. Opt for child-safe plastic until your kid can learn to handle fragile items carefully.

3. Sticky Things

Avoid giving your children things like slimes and sticky balls to play with. These objects have high adhesive powers and can stick around their eyes, noses, and hair. Most can cause even more significant harm if ingested.

It would help if you supervised a child’s playtime. Though putting so much strain on yourself can have harmful side effects. Therefore, try and stick to easily manageable, safe, and fun activities for your kid.