DIY Sensory Activities For 8 Month Old

I’m a parent of two little ones, and someone who’s spent a lot of time thinking, planning, and happily creating play for little ones. When my youngest child was around eight months old, I found myself excited about all the new ways we could engage her, and I want to share some of the fun, simple, DIY sensory activities for 8-month-old kids that turned out to be a great way to build new skills, support development and just have a lot of fun together.

DIY Sensory Activities For 8 Month Old

If you notice, when babies are this age, their curiosity is off the charts. They’re exploring everything with those little hands and mouths. Well, in fact, their whole bodies. They may be rolling, sitting or even perhaps starting to crawl. It’s amazing to watch.

As a parent who loves setting up fun activities, I found myself digging into how to give them different textures, materials, and simple sensory experiences that aren’t hard to set up. So if you’re looking for some fresh ideas, whether you have your first baby or your second or third, I hope you’ll find my blog post useful.

I’ll share the why, the how, and some of my favourite go-to activities that use household items, plus a sprinkle of creativity, in my post all about DIY sensory activities for 8 month old children.

Why Sensory Play Matters at Eight Months

You might be wondering why sensory play is important. Why not just let your baby play with whatever toys they have?

Well, at around eight months old, there’s a magic window where they are moving more, reaching more and simply just exploring more.

At 8 months, you might see your little one picking up small items with their thumb and the side of their index finger. Watch them for a bit and see if they do. Also, they are starting to manipulate and move things with more intention, and they are ready for those next steps in cognitive development. That’s everything from language development, sensory development, and gross motor skills. That’s why they are grabbing, exploring and mouthing everything.

Sensory play is more than just fun, although it is a lot of fun! It’s actually a great way for you to support your baby’s brain development. Sensory play literally helps build neural pathways.

When we set up simple sensory activities with different textures, different objects and fun, new ways to explore, we help our babies practise lots of their skills. These include their –

Fine motor skills. These are the ones they use for reaching, grasping and transferring.

Hand-eye coordination. This includes eye tracking and their hand response.

Gross motor skills. These are the bigger movements like rolling, sitting, crawling and pulling up. Don’t worry if your little one can’t do all (or any) of these yet. These activities will help to encourage them.

Cognitive skills. Things like cause & effect, problem-solving and object permanence.

Language skills. This includes us as parents or caregivers talking about what they are doing, feeling and hearing.

Social interaction. Being present, talking and responding, mirroring and smiling.

So when I set aside 15-20 minutes every day for a sensory activity with my baby, I was really allowing her to grow in many areas, while we had a lot of fun together. That’s a parenting win-win.

Setting Up DIY Sensory Activities For 8 Month Old Children

Before starting any activity, here are a few of my top tips.

Safety First

Because most babies at this age put everything in their mouths, any different items, small toys or new textures must be checked for choking hazards, loose bits, and unsafe materials.

Supervision

Always stay near your baby, especially when you use water play, ice cubes, zip-lock bags, and textured materials. I keep a towel or mat underneath for quicker cleanup.

Go At Your Baby’s Pace

If they’re sleepy, fussy, or less engaged, it’s okay. You can simply skip or shorten the activity. Often, a sensory activity might help distract a fussy baby, but not always. Read your baby’s cues.

Keep It Simple

You don’t need expensive sensory toys, just a few household items, different materials, new things, simple activities and some simple DIY setups work brilliantly.

Let Your Baby Lead

I set up the activity and I watch, comment and participate, but I let my baby explore in their own way. Their little hands and their senses will guide them.

With that in mind, let’s get into some of the favourite DIY sensory activities we used when our baby was eight months old.

Activity 1: Treasure Basket of Different Textures – DIY Sensory Activities For 8 Month Old

One of my go-to setups is what I call the treasure basket. This is simply a basket filled with different objects, each with different textures, sizes, and materials. This is a classic and simple activity that babies love.

What I do: I pick a shallow basket (or box) and fill it with 4-5 safe items. For example: a wooden spoon, a silicone baster, a soft hair-brush (no loose bristles), a small rattly ball, a ribbon loop. I change the items weekly so the treasure basket stays fresh and interesting. This works with 8-month-old babies because they are reaching, grasping and mouthing. They love exploring the items in the treasure basket.

What’s Happening?

Your baby is working on their fine motor skills as they pick up items and inspect them. They are using their hand-eye coordination as they reach, grab, bring items to their mouth or hold different objects.

There’s a fantastic sensory development going on as they explore the different textures (wood, silicone, metal, ribbon) and materials.

If you talk to your baby, you’ll also encourage their cognitive development. “What is this? Describe it for your baby. How does it feel/sound?” Go into detail so they know what soft feels like.

My Top Tips

I’d suggest using items large enough that they cannot be swallowed. The activity is best if you stay beside your little one and narrate: “This spoon is smooth. This ribbon feels soft.”

You could introduce a surprise item each time for extra interest.

If you are doing this as part of tummy time, you can place the basket nearby to encourage reaching.

Activity 2: Water Play with Ice Cubes – DIY Sensory Activities For 8 Month Old

Our next favourite is water and ice cubes, alongside cups/spoons. It’s a true sensory delight. Water is a wonderful medium for exploration. You can add a twist with a temperature change by using ice, and you’ve got an extra layer of sensory input.

What I do: On a warm day, or inside with a towel underneath, I use a shallow tray or a baking tray. Fill it with a little water, just enough to splash safely and add a few large ice cubes. I sit with my baby and give them a cup, a spoon, maybe a plastic measuring scoop. We splash, drip, feel the cold ice, watch it melt and splash the water. It’s a lovely experience.

What’s Happening?

Your baby is working on their gross motor skills as they lean and swipe at the water. They’ll also be working their hand-eye coordination with all that scooping, splashing and pouring.

They are working on their sensory development as the water is warm and then cold. They will also hear the sounds that the water makes as it splashes.

It’s great for their cognitive development, as there is cause & effect involved. They dropped the cup, so the water moved, as well as problem-solving for them in the form of how to scoop the water and ice.

If you talk to your baby about the activity, you will help them develop their language. You could say things like. Brrr! That water is cold. Can you feel the ice cube? Look at the water splashing about.

It’s always important to stay with your baby and supervise them closely. Water is dangerous, no matter how shallow it is. I’d also suggest using large ice cubes, so your little one can’t put them in their mouth and choke on them. It would be a good idea to use a mat or towel underneath or nearby so that no one slips on the water.

Activity 3: Sensory Bottles – DIY Sensory Activities For 8 Month Old

This one is such a fun make-and-play activity and perfect for little fingers. The idea is simple. You make sensory bottles, which are essentially see-through plastic bottles filled with a variety of materials, sealed, and offered for baby exploration.

What I do: I take an empty small plastic bottle, like an apple juice bottle, rinse and fill it with safe materials. Water and a few drops of food colouring, some glitter or small pom-poms. You can also fill with cotton balls, bells, sand or ribbons, with no water to contrast with a water version. I seal the lid well; you could even hot-glue it so it can’t come off.

Hand the bottles to your baby and teach them how to shake it, tip it, roll it, etc. They watch the glitter swirl, feel the bottle in their hand and hear the sound. Then they hold it, turn it and most likely mouth the lid. They become objects of fascination.

What’s Happening?

Your baby is working their fine motor skills by holding, shaking and tipping the bottles. They are again using their hand-eye coordination by tracking the movement inside the bottle.

They are developing their cause & effect by watching what happens when they move the bottles. The bottles are great for sensory development. Visually, the bottles offer a lot with the different colours and the glitter. They are also quite tactile.

Problem-solving skills are enhanced as they explore how the different bottles behave. You can enhance their language skills by talking to them about what they are seeing.

You’ll want to ensure that the bottle lid is closed and fixed securely. You should choose materials that are safe to use. You can create multiple bottles and rotate the bottle’s contents every few days to keep your baby interested. It would be interesting to show your baby the difference between the weights of the bottles. Have one that is heavier and one that is lighter.

Activity 4: Mess-Free Finger Painting in ZipLock Bag – DIY Sensory Activities For 8 Month Old

You may think that messy play may sound daunting with an 8-month-old, but you can make it very manageable and still fun, using a simple zip-lock bag. Put some paint into a Ziplock bag and have the baby squish and squeeze the paint that’s in the bag.

What I do: I fill a large zip-lock freezer bag with a little non-toxic, taste-safe paint, or if you don’t have any, you can use thick yoghurt mixed with food colouring. I then press out most of the air, seal it, and tape it to a high-chair tray or low table. Then your little one can use their fingers to squish, spread and press the colour around inside the bag.

What’s Happening?

Their little fingers can explore paint texture without direct mess on their clothes, which is a win for both you and your baby. This activity creates a tactile experience and allows them to explore new textures.

It’s a great one for their fine motor skills – all that pressing, manipulating and exploring the paint inside the bag.

Say things like “Look at the yellow. Now you press, it goes squish. What about the red?” and your baby will start to develop better language and understanding.

It’s also good for their understanding of trial & error. Things like what happens when they press, when they move the paint, when they fold the bag.

My Top Tips

I’d suggest using a thick zip-lock and taping the edges to a table so your baby can’t pull it off. Use taste-safe materials, since mouthing may still happen, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. You must always supervise your baby closely.

Activity 5: Tummy Time with Textures – DIY Sensory Activities For 8 Month Old

While tummy time might feel like a necessary activity, it can absolutely be turned into a fun sensory experience for your 8-month-old. Strengthening neck, back and shoulders while giving opportunities for sensory play is great for your little one.

What I do: I lay down a soft blanket on the floor, place a textured mat or a towel with different fabrics (maybe a soft plush square, a mesh square, a crisp cotton square). I place a few safe items just within reach. Things like ribbons, a soft ball and a small textured book. My baby lies on her tummy and reaches, turns her head and grabs at things. We talk about the items and how they feel and behave as she is using them.

What’s Happening?

This one is great for your baby’s gross motor skills. Tummy time is good for supporting the tummy, pushing up and shifting weight around.

This also works your baby’s fine motor skills and improves their hand-eye coordination as they are reaching for items and grasping them.

The tactile nature of the items is ideal for sensory development, as is the cause-and-effect of grabbing and moving the items.

If you can talk your baby through what they are doing, this is good for their language development. Tell them what things are, how they feel and encourage them along.

My Top Tips

I’d suggest keeping tummy time manageable, short and fun. If your baby isn’t keen on tummy time, just do a short session and build up. Make the area comfortable and offer different items in different sessions to make it more fun and interesting. As your baby gets bigger, you can combine it with ‘reach-for-me’ games. You can do this with either them reaching for you or a toy. This will help to get them moving.

Activity 6: Reading & Sound Exploration – DIY Sensory Activities For 8 Month Old

While this might feel less DIY than the other hands-on activities, reading and sound play are absolutely part of sensory and language development for an 8-month-old.

What I do: I choose a low shelf with a selection of board books. Ones with textures, flaps and sounds are perfect. I sit facing my baby, maybe lying on the floor or in my lap, and we explore the selection of books. I invite them to touch the pages, feel the textures, hear me change my voice and if they can, turn the pages. Your baby may try to interact with buttons or the flap on the books.

What’s Happening?

This activity is particularly beneficial for language development. It’s all about hearing words and connecting words to textures/sounds.

You will also find that reading books together is good for fine motor skills as your baby practices turning the pages or touching textures. The textures in the books are good from a sensory point of view. Reading books is important from a social aspect, and it’s a lovely bonding experience.

My Top Tips:

I’d suggest choosing books with texture or flaps which are suited to your baby’s age. There are so many out there to choose from. If you don’t want to buy any, head to your local library and borrow a few.

It’s a good idea to keep sessions short but frequent. Babies at eight months will engage briefly but will want to do this often.