Playing with your 9-12 month old: encouraging curiosity, cruising, and first words

This 9-12 month window is an exciting, and often exhausting phase as your baby becomes a true explorer. This guide is about simple ways to channel their new curiosity, support their pre-walking moves, and encourage those amazing first words.

It is common to feel like your baby is suddenly "into everything", and it can be a challenge to keep up. You might also feel a new pressure for them to start walking or talking. At this age, play is not about performance, but about your baby's intense desire to figure out how the world works, with you as their safe "home base".

You can support their budding curiosity with very simple "problem-solving" games. Give them a few safe household items, like a plastic container and some soft blocks, and let them practice putting the blocks in and dumping them out. This simple, repetitive game is a baby's form of physics, teaching them about "in", "out", and cause-and-effect.

This is also the age of "cruising", when many babies start to pull themselves up on furniture and take shuffling steps while holding on. You can encourage this by arranging sturdy, safe furniture to create a little pathway for them to practice. The goal is not to rush them into walking, but to give them a safe environment to build strength and confidence at their own pace.

Your baby's language skills are also exploding, even if they are not saying many clear words yet. The best way to "play" with language is to be a narrator. You can simply name objects as your baby points to them ("Yes, that is the dog!"), or talk about what you are doing ("I am putting on your blue sock"). When they babble or point, respond as if you are having a real conversation. This back-and-forth shows them the power of communication.

It is so important to remember that all babies move and talk on their own timelines. Some babies focus on walking early and talk later, while others are chatterboxes who are content to crawl. This is not a race, and your baby is not behind. If you have genuine concerns that your baby is not bearing any weight on their legs, or is not making any babbling sounds, your pediatrician is the best person to talk to.

This period is all about exploration, and your main role is to be a curious and supportive partner. By letting them safely explore, you are giving them the perfect foundation for all the learning to come.

A gentle reminder: The content in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your pediatrician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you are facing a problem that feels sharp, persistent, or overwhelming, reaching out for professional help is a sign of strength.