11 fun things to do with an 11-month old baby

You’re going to have to hang up your “rookie mom” title as you round the bend to the end of your first year. JUST KIDDING! Unless you raise children through their teenage years and then start over again with a new baby, you’ll always be a rookie at whatever stage you’re in.

Having an 11-month old is totally awesome. You can wear or carry your baby around; you’re in the know about sleep habits, even if you are not the boss of them; and your baby reacts to you almost like a little buddy. Still, it’s all on the adults to make the fun happen. Your baby would sitÂ there and bang your hairbrush on the floor all day long if you didn’t think of something better to do.

Here’s a list of activities for moms with 11Â month-olds:

Document baby’s birthplace. What location captures the essence of the city where she was born? The Liberty Bell? Puget Sound? Santa Monica Pier? Go there.

Do a free trial class of Music Together or some other baby music or movement activity. In fact, why not be a trial class pimp? Wrangle some friends and make the rounds to Gymboree, Little Gym, or whatever you’ve got in your town. Check your local independent gymnastics studios, too.

Capture the relationship between your child and her security blanket. Set up a photo shoot while she’s sleeping. In other words, clear away all the clutter and pretend your child sleeps in a sparsely decorated Land of Nod oasis where she and her paci or lovey are the only two beings on the planet. Here’s how.

Visit a playground and use the equipment. Slide? He can go down on his tummy. Swings? Totally!

Cook something new, like this easy Trader Joe’s lentil stew, that you can both eat.

Teach your baby a party trick beyond “Where’s your nose?” I taught my son to spit out his pacifier when I said “Patooey!” How about something more inappropriate that will make your partner laugh?

Personalize a book for a first birthday gift. A company like ISeeMe.com has tons to choose from.

Build a fort and hide in it.

Get your baby a job. Look for the psychology department of your local university — or the child development lab. They are often seeking subjects for tests. We’ve loved watching our kids respond to the scenario the researchers set up. More baby-friendly job ideas here >

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Whitney

RookieMoms.com co-founder Whitney lives with her husband, son, and daughter in the San Francisco Bay Area where she writes about parenting, crafts, and activities that moms can do with babies in tow. She and Heather also publish 510Families.com, a site for East Bay parents.