Hi there! I’m Jasmine Roth, creator of this Blog, founder of Built Custom Homes, curator of my online retail store The Shop by Jasmine Roth and host of HGTV’s hit show Hidden Potential. I was also on HGTV’s Rock the Block, but I won’t spoil the winner for you 😉 Building custom homes in Huntington Beach, CA is my bread and butter. I love all aspects of the home building process and finding ways to make homes as personal, functional and beautiful as possible. Join me as we explore my projects, DIY’s, behind-the-scenes peeks, and tips on how you can design beautiful, functional spaces in your own home. Let’s build something together!
Today I’m sharing with you guys Hazel’s favorite 8-month-old activities, because I bet I’m not the only one out there trying to keep my increasingly-busy baby occupied! If you’re like me, you probably thought that babies were just little blobs that cooed and pooped and then one day they became toddlers and you had to chase them around. Well I’m here to tell you, that’s NOT TRUE! Since Hazel was about 3 months old, she’s loved to play and even for a very happy and content baby, has a pretty short attention span. Yes babies nap a lot, and eat a lot, and you have to change their diaper a lot – but there’s still a lot of time to fill! To anyone that’s had a baby, this might sound like the most “DUH” information ever, but I’m here to tell you that I honestly wasn’t aware of how much attention it takes to keep a baby occupied.
Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE playing with and entertaining Hazel. Her smile, her attentive looks, the fact that she learns something new every day – it all keeps me going. But I’m also super type-A and like to have things planned. So, as soon as I realized Hazel was going to need more than the little stuffed animal I had in her bassinet, I started searching for really engaging, timeless, and educational toys that she’d also like. I actually learned a lot along the way.
I’m showing you what a day in the life of Hazel might look like, along with some of her favorite toys and gear.
Hazel is 8 months old and she’s still not crawling. That means we’ve been doing tummy time for 8 months and still do it every single day. That’s a LOT of tummy time! Here’s what’s worked great for us.
After being closely supervised or held for a while, Hazel loves to have a little bit of independent play time. We only ever use a walker or bouncer for 10-15 minutes to give her a little break and let’s be honest, to give ourselves a little break. She has two walkers at our house (one upstairs and one downstairs) and one walker at my mom’s house. These are the ones she likes:
Skip, Hop & Explore More Bouncer
Just being real: at 8 months old, all toys are teething toys. Ha! But it’s also nice to have some things ready for when she really needs to chomp on something. Her favorite of all time is her pizza slice!
Teething Mit (Various Colors Available)
It’s amazing how quickly Hazel picks up on things. You can show her something once and she’s GOT IT down forever. I’m so excited for her to learn to read and count, but before all that we’re working on picking things up, pushing buttons, opening and closing, etc. Oh and don’t worry, she does her flashcards every day and loves them!
Educational Farm Animal Blocks
“World of Animals” See & Say Toy
I shouldn’t list any books other than “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” because Hazel wants me read this book to her 30 times a day. Hazel’s baby shower was a “book” theme and she received so many lovely books before she was even born. Another really cool gift was a book subscription from my literary agent to @elephantbooksforkids. Each month a new book arrives and they’re really fun, beautiful books.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Little Moose Finger Puppet Book
In my mom’s group @newmomschool, they taught us that there are two types of toys. The first type (and most of what Hazel owns) are simple toys that are timeless and make baby use their imagination and challenge them to develop new skills. Then there are the toys that simply distract them. These toys won’t necessarily keep them occupied for very long, but they can be VERY helpful when your baby is fussy, in the car, or when you just need a moment to look at your phone.
Extra Large Soft Baby Playmat
Play & Crawl Hedgehog Mirror
Plush Playmat
Stroll & Discover Walker
Pizza Slice Teether
Nuby Ice Gel Teether
Girafe Teething Toy
Baby’s First Blocks
Alphabet Puzzle
First 100 Words Picture Book
You Can Do It, Stinky Face!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Spiral Car Seat Activity Toy
Clutching Toy
Plush Tree House & Animals
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