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21 Best Activities for 9-Month-Olds at Home (2025)

Kingsley and Aurora playing
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After my daughter was born, finding ways to keep her entertained as she got older was an absolute necessity for both my sanity and productivity with working from home.
I didn’t want to just sit her in front of the TV, I wanted whatever she was doing to be fun, interactive, and incorporate learning. With these below activities for 9-month-olds, you can keep your baby entertained as they learn.

Also see our free activities for nine-month-olds listing down towards the end of the article which will give you some extra ideas that won’t cost a cent.

aurora on a balance bike
Our toddler, Aurora, practicing on her balance bike.

21 Engaging Activities for 9-Month-Olds

  • 1. Fisher-Price 3-in-1 Sit, Stride, & Ride Lion

    The Fisher Price 3-in-1 Lion is great for a number of reasons. It’s a toy that grows with your child and is something 9-month-olds can use to entertain themselves. For younger ones, it can be used as an activity station they can sit by, while pressing the light up numbers or nose or filling the mouth. As little ones begin to stand and test their ability to walk, the seat can be placed in the up position – it also has words of encouragement when they walk! The seat can be placed in the down position and allows them to ride on the lion (it’s more like scooting, but it’s very entertaining for them). My daughter absolutely loved this toy and it was something that occupied her while I made dinner or cleaned up the house.

    Ride Lion

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 2. Learn Counting

    When looking for fun toys for my little one, educational toys are always great. The Laugh and Learn Remote, gave my little one tons of fun, while also allowing her to learn. Not only did it help with her gross motor skills, but since this remote also counts, it helped her learn her numbers! My daughter loved playing with our TV remote, and this allowed her to have her own remote to play with so we didn’t have to hide ours.

    Learn Counting

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 3. Practice ABCs with Animals

    The Spin and Sing Alphabet Zoo was great when we began teaching our daughter animal sounds. With a wheel to spin, she never knew what animal we were going to get. This worked well for us to play with as a family and for her to play with alone. It offers 3 learning modes, however since my daughter loves animals, we rarely used anything other than the animal mode.

    Practice ABCs with Animals

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 4. Practice “Driving”

    The Turn and Learn Driver has a pretend steering wheel that allows the dog above it to move back and forth. The 5 buttons at the top provide a way to introduce different sounds, while the signal lever makes music and other sounds. It features 3 different modes: animal, driving, and music mode. This toy features over 60 songs and phrases, all of which are about different vehicles and animals. It even has a traffic light!

    Practice “Driving”

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 5. My First Word Book (Soft Activity Book)

    Soft books are probably one of the best things I’ve ever invested in. My nine-month-old chewed constantly (teething was always fun) and I’m pretty sure she ruined a couple of her books by doing so. She loved to read by herself, even though she was really just babbling and looking at pictures. Books like these were life savers! Chewing on them didn’t mess them up, so they held up for quite some time.

    My First Word Book Soft Activity Book

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 6. Fisher-Price Sit-to-Stand Activity Center

    Activity centers like this one are fantastic! They allow your little one to play, but keep them in one place if you need to accomplish something. The seat spins 360 degrees allowing little ones to explore everything on the table around them. It features musical keys, short tunes, or the option to play up to 20 minutes of music. The table also adjusts as your little one grows.

    Stand Activity Center

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 7. Explore Shapes

    One great thing about the Take-Along Shape Sorter is that you can take it with you. The storage container has a handle to allow for easy carry and features a zipper for easy access. Each shape has its own hole so your little one can begin to learn shapes and develop sensory, fine motor, and communication skills.

    Explore Shapes

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 8. Ball Pit

    Ball pits can allow mom and dad to free their hands for a bit. This can be beneficial for those working from home or those that just need to get a few things done around the house. This particular ball pit comes with 50 balls of various colors. With its compact size, it’s perfect for inside the home. My daughter would sit in her ball pit for hours; there were times she would be upset when we took her out!

    Ball Pit

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 9. Music Table

    Music tables can be a great way for 9-month-olds to entertain themselves, or mom and dad can jump in and play too! I’ve never met a baby that doesn’t love music, so music tables that have several different interactive parts are perfect. This particular table comes with 18 songs, a xylophone, drum set, and a piano. Music and dancing is always a fun time.

    Music Table

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 10. Vtech Laptop

    The Vtech laptop features over 115 songs, phrases, and sounds, so it’s equipped to help keep your little one entertained. My daughter used hers while I worked or studied, so not only did it allow me the time I needed, but it also made her feel like she was “working,” too! Because of this, it really became a game changer in our house.

    Vtech Laptop

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 11. Ball Popper

    The Fisher-Price Double Poppin’ Dino has 2 levels for balls to pop (one on the top and one below). It helps encourage your nine-month-old to move by popping the balls out of dino’s mouth, tail, or belly. My daughter crawled later than most (she was pretty content just sitting in one place), but once we purchased this for her, she was crawling after the balls shortly after!

    Ball Popper

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 12. Phone Calls with Their own Phone

    If you’re like me, your little one loves getting his/her hands on your cell phone. The Vtech Touch Baby Phone helps eliminate that! It has 12 “apps” and 15 different songs and phrases, which can help teach ABCs, counting, and first words. Once my daughter had her own phone, she didn’t try to take mine (at least not as often).

    Phone Calls with Their own Phone

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 13. Tummy Time Water Play Mat

    Tummy time has benefits for all babies; this mat is BPA free and is made with an odorless plastic. The mat helps with fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Inside the mat features colorful images of fish and other ocean scenes which will capture the attention of your baby. Tummy time can be hard on many, especially if your nine-month-old doesn’t like it, but this mat can help keep your little one entertained while on their tummy.

    Tummy Time Water Play Mat

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 14. Hammering

    Do you have a little one that loves to help build? The baby hammer is a perfect toy for that! It features 2 playing modes (entertaining mode and learning mode) and includes funny faces. The end of the hammer also features colorful balls and can act as a rattle when they shake or hammer.

    Hammering

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 15. Finger Painting

    Allowing your little one to finger paint sounds messy, however, if you put the finger paint into a sandwich bag, close it tightly, and let your little one have at it, there’s no mess! You can easily put your little one in the highchair while they do this. This used to be another one of my game changing work from home hacks when my daughter was younger.

    Finger Painting

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 16. Interactive Pop Up Animals

    Featuring 4 different pop up animals, this toy will allow little ones to learn about buttons, knobs, pushing, and pulling. My daughter used to laugh whenever the animals would pop up and play with it for extended periods of time, making it a great for her! Since it’s small and interactive, it’s perfect if you need some time to get things done.

    Interactive Pop Up Animals

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 17. Wiggle and Crawl Ball

    The Wiggle and Crawl Ball was a major game changer for us. My daughter always had a fascination with any type of ball, but that only intensified when she got this one. The ball is interactive, and wiggles and wobbles, encouraging your little one to chase it. It also features over 45 sounds, songs, and phrases and 6 interactive animals.

    Wiggle and Crawl Ball

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 18. Drop the Ball

    The 5 tier ball drop features 3 spinning activity balls that contain beads and shapes. You simply start by placing the ball in the top hole, watching them roll and fall through each tier. The ball drop teaches motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem solving in a safe and fun environment which is perfect for a baby at 9 months.

    Drop the Ball

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 19. Jumping!

    With little ones who love to be on the move, a door jumper is perfect. Although it is designed to keep them in one place, it still allows them to move and “jump,” giving parents peace of mind while their little one develops core muscles. The straps adjust making it easy to customize for your child’s height.

    Jumping!

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 20. Activity Cube

    With over 75 songs, phrases, and sounds, help your little one develop key skills, including fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. The cube features 5 different sides including music and nursery rhymes, animal spinner, and a shape sorter. Because of its durability, it’s absolutely perfect for little ones! In addition to music, the piano keys introduce colors and numbers.

    Activity Cube

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 21. Foam Play Set

    Although foam play sets can be pricey, they are a total game changer. We primarily used ours for outdoor fun but can be used inside as well. Complete with steps that can be climbed easily and a small slide, it is perfect for those little ones who are learning to crawl! There were several times I set it up next to my desk to get some work done and it was perfect!

    Foam Play Set

    View on Amazon.com ➜

7 Free Activities For Nine-Month-Olds

We’ve included a list of 7 great free activities to do at home while you’re waiting for your supplies to arrive. These fun activities will keep your toddler entertained all day long! Enjoy!

  • 1. Build a Reading Fort

    Blanket forts are things we all probably did as kids! They kept us entertained forever. Use your fort as a reading fort. Since my daughter was born, we read to her nightly, as she got more mobile and would sit for extended periods of time we’d curl up in a fort and read until she got bored.

  • 2. Water Play

    Water play is great! Put your 9-month-old in their highchair with just a little bit of water in the tray. This kept my daughter entertained for a while; I would suggest putting a beach towel under the chair to help keep some of the water off your floor – just in case!

  • 3. Stuffed Animal Sensory Play

    Most of us have stuffed animals for our little ones. Did you also know they all have different textures to them? When my daughter was learning to sit up, we would surround her with stuffed animals and just watch her play with all the different animals. Some she cuddled, some she would “pet,” and some she would just pick up.

  • 4. Make a Tunnel

    Have you ordered anything online recently? I’ve used the cardboard boxes to create a fun place for my little one to crawl. It gave her a chance to explore without having to worry about what she could possibly get into; I also incorporated some scraps of fabric into the tunnel for sensory play.

  • 5. Hide and Seek

    Let your little one watch you hide a toy under a blanket. This helps teach object permanence and is fun for your little one, too. When he/she finds the toy, celebrate! This can be done multiple times as long as they seem interested.

  • 6. Sing Along

    There are a couple of songs that have hand motions to go with them (“The Wheels on the Bus” and “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider”). Start singing them with your little and helping them with the hand motions. This was one of my daughter’s favorite things, plus she loves music.

  • 7. Peek-a-Boo

    We always did a variation of this. We would hide behind a blanket or pillow and play. My daughter seemed to find this funnier than simply using our hands, but some kids love both! Even just taking a few minutes to play is fun and beneficial.

Conclusion

Entertaining a little one, especially in these unprecedented times, can be difficult. With the right toys and activities, you can show your little one a whole new world, keeping them engaged while learning. As working parents, it can be difficult to find that perfect balance, but using these activities, your little one can entertain themselves or you can join in the fun. Even just a couple of these activities can be beneficial for your 9-month-old.