Fun Activities for 4 Month Old Babies

Now that the newborn phase is over these easy activities for 4 month olds are perfect for curious little ones.

At this stage your baby will be awake for much longer spells during the day and be learning some exciting new skills such as reaching and grabbing objects and rolling over.

So what can you do with your 4 month old baby all day? Even just chatting to your baby is a great game for them!

But if you’re looking for inspiration, these easy ideas will help you – and your baby – enjoy playtime to the fullest.

You may also like: Activities for 3 month old babies

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Things to do with your 4 month old baby

Here are some amazing activities that are perfect for babies in their fourth month.

It’s important to supervise babies at all times, especially with toys. These are all fun activities you can enjoy together with your baby.

They don’t just help with baby’s development at 4 months but are also amazing for deepening your bond.

You may also like these activities to do with your baby at home.

Play copy cat

Sit with your baby in your lap, facing you. You could lay down on the sofa with your knees up so you’re in a W position and prop baby up on your legs facing you.

Now copy their noises, expressions and movements. See what they do. At this stage your baby may copycat back to you, mimicking the sounds you make.

Even though it may make no sense, try to hold a conversation with your baby, taking it in turns to speak. Say something to them about what you’re doing together, and see if they try to mimic your sounds back, and then reply to them.

This is great practice for learning to talk for your baby!

Tummy time

At this stage your baby may be getting used to tummy time, which is great because it’s important to do a little every day.

Tummy time helps your baby to develop skills such as rolling over and crawling, as it builds strength in their neck, arms and back.

If your baby still does not like tummy time, then try these tips for babies who hate tummy time.

So you can make tummy time fun with these activities:

A mirror to gaze at
Ball or rolling toy you can pull or push in front of them
Tummy time mat – a colourful mat that keeps your baby engaged while in their tummy is great. Also one with lots to explore to encourage them to attempt to move around a little. This is a perfect baby play mat.
Tummy tummy time water mat – you can get really cool mats with water, colourful fabrics and textures to engage baby with time on their tummy while exploring with their hands and eyes. This water mat for babies is perfect.
Tray of water – place a shallow tray, like a baking tray, with some water in the bottom and let baby splash and push toys around in the water.
Lay them on your tummy – lay down on the floor and place your baby on their tummy on your tummy. It’s a good excuse for a cuddle!

Sit them up

Your baby won’t be ready to sit up unaided just yet but you can help them start to learn how they might do it by pulling them into a sitting up position.

Lay your baby on their back, either on the floor or on your lap, and then pull them up to a sitting position gently either by grasping under their armpits or holding their wrists/forearms.

If you’re worried your baby doesn’t have enough neck strength to do this just yet then just sit them up on your lap with their head supported against your arm or chest.

You could also prop them up in a seated position on their play mat using a feeding cushion (remember to always supervise them).

Help baby stand

Most babies can start to bear some weight on their legs by around four months.

That doesn’t mean they will be standing up! It just means if you hold them up just above the floor or your lap, then they can extend their legs and hold some of their weight on them.

Sit with your baby standing on your lap, support most of his weight by holding him.

Rolling practice

Some babies are rolling at four months – though others may not do so for another few weeks.

You can help your baby to practice rolling from tummy to back on a firm surface – mattresses may be a bit too squishy. A carpeted floor is a good place to start.

4 month old baby activity learning to roll over

Tummy time is the best activity you can do to help your baby learn how to roll over.

You can also help them practice by putting them on their side, so they are already halfway there.

Peek-a-boo

Baby may not be able to do peek-a-boo back just yet but they will find it fascinating when you do it!

Hide behind a scarf, cloth, muslin or item of furniture. You could also hide behind your hands.

You could also hide them under a blanket or muslin for a few seconds then whip it off and act surprised to see them. It may even make them laugh!

Reaching for toys

At four months old your baby will be starting to reach out towards a toy with one hand and maybe grabbing it.

Help them practice this important physical skill by placing some toys around them for your baby to explore.

This could be during tummy time, or just on their back on a play mat.

Try placing a variety of toys around them, such as rattles, soft toys, a soft book and a ball. Tap the toys one at a time and see if your baby can reach out and grab them.

If they are still perfecting the move, then help by handing the toys to them one at a time, then start again, holding the toy a little further away each time to see if they reach for it.

Pass the ball

Using a ball or a toy play pass with your baby.

Place it in their hand and then take it back from them.

You could also lay them down on the floor and roll the toy towards them and then take it back.

They won’t have the co-ordination to hand the ball or toy back to you just yet, but this is showing them the ideas behind taking it in turns with a game.

Put together an exploration/treasure box

An exploration box or treasure box is something you can put together featuring their toys or a combination of themed objects.

There are really no rules. You can sit baby up in your lap and take things out one at a time to show them.

For example if you put together a seaside themed box then you may add some seashells of different shapes and sizes and toy fish.

Take a look in the mirror

Hold your baby in your arms, facing away from you, and stand in front of a mirror.

Point out features on their face and name them out loud – “nose”, “eyes”, “mouth” – and also point to the corresponding features of your own face.

You could also pull faces and smile at them.

Kick a balloon

This activity is something my two babies absolutely loved!

It works best with a balloon filled with helium, but one you’ve blown up works fine too.

Tie it very loosely around their ankle so that it’s not too tight on their skin.

Your baby will love to see the balloon move and bounce as they kick their legs. It’s a good lesson in cause and effect for them.

Read simple stories

Reading as much as possible from an early age is absolutely full of benefits for your baby.

You’re helping them learn new words and getting them interested in books from an early age.

At this age it doesn’t matter too much what you read them – we sometimes read out loud from the paper when our babies were tiny.

Sing

You don’t have to have the voice of an angel to entertain your baby with a few songs.

Sing nursery rhymes, your favourite tunes or songs that have sentimental value to you.

Your baby will love to hear the sound of your voice.

Dance

Hold your baby in your arms and have a dance party for two around your living room.

Play music they will love – there is tons of kid friendly music on YouTube such as ABCs, different colours and more. Or play music you like, they’re bound to enjoy the sounds and actions of dancing around in your arms.

Sensory play

Help and encourage your baby to check out different textures, scents and sounds.

I love toys like the Lamaze range, which feature crinkling, squidgy, noisy and soft parts for them to explore.

Try showing them different things from around the house, such as wooden spoons, metal spoons, or ribbons, and raid the garden for herbs to show them different scents.

If you want to create a new toy for your baby then try adding a little rice or dried pasta to an empty plastic bottle. Screw the lid on tight and you have a makeshift rattle!

Blow bubbles

Bubbles are fascinating to children of all ages! Take them outside and lay your baby down on a blanket. Then blow bubbles over them so they can track them with their sight.

Blow them a little closer – being careful not to get any bubble mix on their face – so baby can try to catch a few bubbles with their hands.

Baby developmental milestones at 4 months

Here are a few things you can expect from your baby that they may be doing at around 4 months:

Smiling spontaneously
Copying your movements and facial expressions
Reaches for toys with one hand
Shakes a toy they are holding
Can hold their head up without support
May be rolling over
Bring hands to their mouth
Can push up on their elbows when lying on their tummy
Will push down on their legs when feet are on the ground or your lap – will still need your help to support their weight
Recognises objects and people they are familiar with

How long is playtime for a 4 month old?

Your 4 month old may be able to stay awake for 90 minutes, or as much as two hours, before needing their next nap!

At four months your baby’s day may involve three naps of around one to three hours each.

During their wake time your baby will probably have a milk feed and a nappy change. Then you can play with them until it’s time for their next nap!

What should I do with a 4 month old all day?

Remember that you don’t have to fill every minute of your baby’s wake window – the amount of time they can happily stay awake before needing a nap.

It is OK just to let baby have a kick about on their play mat while you read a book or catch up on the news. Or to let them bounce in their bouncy chair for a while.

Of course your baby should be supervised at all times, but my point is you don’t have to constantly be actively engaged with playing with them.

Even a walk to the supermarket is a great engaging activity for a learning baby!

And even simple activities like chatting to your baby as you cook dinner while they watch is beneficial for them.

Talk to your baby whenever they are awake, show and engage them with what you are up to around the house, and help them explore their toys. Simply holding up their toys and showing them different ways to hold them or make them make noise will be fascinating for your 4 month old.