1. Ramp Race

You’ll need: a cushion, a piece of cardboard or thin board, 3 to 4 toy cars, a small tray to catch them

2. Knock the Foam Tower

Stack the blocks loosely on the tray and place your child’s hand near the tower: “can you knock it?” Their reach, bat or lean, not your hands, is what topples it, so the win genuinely belongs to them. Rebuild it four or five times, leaning one block precariously for an easier knock on the rounds where their reach is tired.

You’ll need: 3 to 4 soft foam blocks

3. Cup and Object Memory

Turn the cups upside down and hide a different object under each while your child watches, naming the colour as you go. Swap two cups round slowly and ask “where’s the car now?” Once they’ve had a few goes finding your hidden objects, let them hide one for you, and get one wrong on purpose so they can correct you.

You’ll need: 3 to 4 coloured cups, small household objects in matching colours

4. Press and Pop

Roll the dough flat on the tray and hand over a large cutter: “push it down as hard as you can”. The pressing motion builds hand strength without needing a strong pincer grip, and lifting the cutter to reveal the shape is a satisfying moment worth pausing on each time. Five or six presses across different cutters is a good session.

You’ll need: playdough, 3 to 4 large cookie cutters, a rolling pin

5. Splash and Slap

Slap the water with your whole hand so it sprays, saying “splash, look, water flies”, then wait and watch to see if your baby reaches or bats at the surface themselves. Every splash they make is proof that their own hand caused something to happen, which is exactly the kind of agency seated play needs to build in deliberately.

You’ll need: a shallow pan, an inch or two of water, a towel

6. Lap Drum

Sit the drum securely on their lap and tap it once: “listen, tap, your turn!” Let your child set the pace entirely, fast, slow or random, and sit back to enjoy it rather than directing the rhythm. There’s no wrong way to play a drum they’re in full control of.

You’ll need: a metal pot, wooden bowl or plastic bucket, a wooden spoon or soft mallet

7. Spoon and Pot Music

Place the pot on the floor or tray in front of them and hand over the spoon: “hit the pot, make a sound!” Each tap rings out immediately, and the surprise of that first “did you hear that?” often turns into minutes of happy, repeated tapping. Clap along at their pace rather than trying to set your own.

You’ll need: a wooden spoon, an upturned metal pot

8. Felt Story Swap

Stick a few animals loosely on the board and start a simple story, giving one a voice: “hello, friends!” Then stop and ask “who talks next? Point to one!” Your child directs the story from their tray, choosing the speaker while you supply the voices, which puts them fully in charge of where the story goes.

You’ll need: a felt board or velcro-backed fabric, 3 to 4 felt animal shapes

9. Roll It Back

Sit facing your child and roll the ball gently towards them, waiting patiently for them to reach, bat or push it back at their own pace. Celebrate any contact at all, “you touched it, you pushed it back”, rather than waiting for a clean catch. If you use a balloon, stop and clear up the moment it looks worn, since burst balloon pieces are a choking risk.

You’ll need: a soft ball or balloon

10. Clap and Wait

Clap once, slowly, then hold a proper pause and wait for any sound or movement back from your baby, a coo, a babble, a hand movement. Clap again the moment they respond: “yes, your turn, I heard you.” This is a seated stand-in for the back-and-forth chasing games a mobile toddler might play, built entirely from turn-taking rather than movement.

You’ll need: nothing but your hands