what are some fun and learning activities that I can do with my 9 month old baby?

Choo-Choo Training

Best when your baby has lots of energy and is raring to go, this activity is a blast for new crawlers who have clearly "left the station."

Skills developed: crawling, gross motor
What you’ll need: no equipment necessary

Stand with your legs a little wider apart than your shoulders. Tell your baby she’s the train and you’re the tunnel, then encouragehave her to crawl through your legs. Add a few "chug-a-chug-a’s" and train whistle sound effects as she passes through. After she’s done this a few times, suggest that now the train needs to go through the tunnel quickly, before it collapses. (She won’t fully understand your instructions, of course, but she’ll get the hang of this game as you play it together.) As she passes through, squeeze your legs together and try to catch her (giving her a head start, of course), or lower your body (bending your knees) as if you’re about to sit on her. Provided you don’t get her overly excited while playing, this is a great way to tucker out a pre-walker before bed.

Shower Power

Splish-splashing in the bath lets youra baby explore the thrill of making something happen — and because water is such fun to manipulate, he’s flexing those fine motor skills to boot. Here’s a game where he actually gets to make it "rain."

Skills developed: fine motor, sense of cause and effect
What you’ll need: a small plastic food container (like a tub of cottage cheese or yogurt) with a lid, something sharp to make holes in the container’s lid

Using a knife, fork, or scissors, punch small holes in the container’s lid. When your baby is in the bath, fill the container with water and snap the lid on, and show him how to turn it upside down and sprinkle water into the tub. A water toy like this has endless potential: As your child becomes more skillful, he can help a doll or rubber ducky take a "shower," he can take a shower himself like Mom and Dad, or he can make it "rain" over the water — and you can point out how the droplets make ripples on the surface.

Nursery rhymes! You would be surprised kids who don’t know nursery rhymes (I’m a 3rd grade teacher). Hand plays (the Itsy bitsy spider, patty cake). Stacking toys (like the ones with the different sized rings that go on the spool), nesting toys. Give her a box with small toys to put in the box and let her dump them out. Little things like that are great for their development.