10 EYFS-aligned activities for 0–18 months — each with learning outcomes, steps, and a parent take-home
Place the baby on a mat in front of a mirror — or hold a hand mirror for them while seated.
Make faces — smile, raise eyebrows, open mouth wide. Watch as the baby begins to copy.
Name what you see: "That's your nose! And your eyes. Look — you're smiling!"
Bring a favourite toy into the frame. "Can you see teddy? Where's teddy?"
We played with mirrors today! This helps your baby start to recognise themselves and copies your facial expressions — it's the beginning of social communication. Try it at home with any unbreakable mirror, or even a smooth baking tray. Pull funny faces and see what they do!
Place a sitting baby near the basket. Sit nearby but slightly back — do not guide.
Let them reach in independently. Observe what they choose and how long they hold each item.
Narrate gently: "That's rough — it's a pine cone. And this one is cold and smooth."
Swap objects regularly to maintain interest — seasonal items work well.
We explored a treasure basket today — a collection of everyday natural objects with different textures, weights, and smells. This builds your baby's brain through sensory exploration. Try your own at home: a wooden spoon, a clean sponge, a smooth stone, a lemon. No plastic — real materials work best.
Fill the bottle ¾ with water, add glitter or sequins, add food colouring and a tiny drop of washing-up liquid (slows the glitter). Seal tightly — glue the lid.
Present to the baby and watch them grab and shake. "Look — it's sparkling! Turn it over — whoosh!"
Make different bottles: one with rice (sound), one with feathers (light), one with water beads (colour).
We made and played with a sensory bottle today! It's a sealed, safe bottle with glitter and water inside. Your baby was practising visual tracking (following the movement) and learning cause and effect — "I shake it, it sparkles!" Make one at home with any clear plastic bottle and some craft supplies. Glue the lid so nothing can come out.
Place baby on their tummy on the mat, facing towards interesting items (mirror, high-contrast cards, toy).
Lie at their level — make eye contact. Sing or talk gently to encourage them to lift their head.
Move a toy slowly side to side — encourage tracking and turning the head.
Start with 2–3 minutes for very young babies; build up as strength develops. Never leave alone on tummy.
We did tummy time today! This is one of the most important things you can do for your baby's physical development. It strengthens their neck, shoulders, and core — all the muscles they need to roll, sit, crawl, and eventually walk. Try a few minutes of tummy time every day, building up slowly. Get down to their level and make faces — that's the best motivation for them to lift their head!
Float scarves through the air above the baby — watch them track the movement and reach for them.
Drape a scarf over your face: "Where have I gone? Peekaboo!" — builds object permanence.
Thread a scarf through a cardboard tube. Let the baby pull it out — then stuff it back in (they'll love the repetition).
Let them scrunch tissue paper — it's very satisfying and great for hand muscles.
We played with scarves and fabrics today! Simple, colourful fabric play helps babies develop grip strength, visual tracking, and early social games like peekaboo. Peekaboo is actually a really important developmental game — it teaches babies that things (and people!) still exist even when they can't see them. Try it at home with a muslin square.
Mix yoghurt with food colouring or use vegetable purees for natural colour. Spread some on a large sheet of paper.
Place the baby (in nappy or old clothes) on the paper and let them explore with hands, fingers, and feet.
Model what to do: press a hand print, drag a finger through. "Look — you made a mark!"
Keep a hand print for their learning journey — a lovely keepsake.
We did edible messy painting today using yoghurt mixed with food colouring. It's completely safe if it goes in the mouth! Messy play at this age is building your baby's earliest mark-making skills — the very first step towards writing. Try it at home: spread some yoghurt on the highchair tray and let them go for it. Save a hand print on paper!
Shake a container rhythmically and watch the baby focus. They'll soon want to grab it.
Give them a shaker and shake together in time to music. "Shake, shake, shake!"
Contrast sounds: loud/quiet, fast/slow. Pause and see if they anticipate the sound returning.
Sing simple songs ("If You're Happy and You Know It") and shake on the beat.
We made and played with shaker instruments today. Music and rhythm are brilliant for babies — they develop listening skills, coordination, and a sense of beat that supports language learning. Make a shaker at home: put some rice in a clean plastic bottle and seal it tightly. Shake along to your favourite songs together. Babies love it!
Fill a shallow tray with 2–3cm of lukewarm water. Place on a waterproof mat. Roll up sleeves.
Let the baby splash, pat, and feel the water. Stay very close — never leave unsupervised.
Add a sponge — show them how to squeeze water out. "Squeeze! It comes out — drip, drip, drip."
Pour water from a small cup — "Whoosh! Gone!" — and refill. They'll love the repetition.
We did water play today! A shallow tray of water is endlessly fascinating for babies. They're learning about temperature, flow, and cause and effect. Bath time is perfect for this at home — let them splash, hand them a small cup to pour, and give them a sponge to squeeze. Water play is one of the most naturally educational activities there is.
Simply go outside. The biggest benefit is your running commentary — narrate everything you see.
"Look — a big red bus! It's very loud. And look at that dog — wooof! And those trees are moving in the wind."
Pick up a leaf and hold it for them to touch. "It's dry and crinkly. It's orange because it's autumn."
Point to the sky, clouds, birds. Even very young babies look where you point — this is huge for language.
We went on a nature walk today and I talked constantly! Research shows that babies who hear a lot of varied language from carers develop stronger vocabulary later on. You don't need to do anything special — just narrate your walk. Point things out, describe what you see, name everything. It all goes in, even when they can't respond yet.
Classic peekaboo — cover your face with hands, count "1... 2... 3... Peekaboo!" Watch the anticipation build.
Hide a toy under a blanket. "Where's the bear? Gone! Oh wait... here it is!" For babies 8 months+, let them find it.
Let them hide under the cloth and you "find" them — this becomes their favourite game.
Gradually increase the pause before revealing — this builds their ability to wait and anticipate.
We played peekaboo today! This isn't just a cute game — it's one of the most important developmental games for babies. When a baby laughs at peekaboo, they're showing they understand that you still exist even when they can't see you. This is called object permanence and it's a big cognitive milestone. Play it as much as you like — they never get bored of it!