Activies wanted for babies

HI
can any one please help me i work in a private day care nursery and have just been moved into the baby room caring for children aged 6 to 18 months im bit unsure of resources i should be providing for the child. All the nursery seems to have is pop up , musical and rattle toys i tried painting with the babies yesterday all they did was eat the paint soo dread to try gluing (well could try it atleast they won't cry if they eat it they'll glue their lips together ha ha ha bless them) SORRY ONLY JOKING. i tried water play and 2 of them sreammmmmmed sand play they liked that.
also our support teacher was in nursery on yesterday and said i need to define the areas within the baby room
i have a book area, sand tray, rattle box, musical toys corner, blocks, eating area. what areas do you have?
also do you do any planning , individual planning or planning for the whole room
please help me i would really appricate your advice and guidedence

thanks in advance
ashley x x

[Chelltune]

Six months old is an ideal time to start baby signing.

[Kathie]

Try looking at the birth to three pack will give you areas you need. Mirrors are a good one to use with babies as long as they are safety ones there are some good ones with foam around them. Good luck let me know how u get on

hi i work with children 12-18 months old and they love any messy play like pasta, jelly, gloop play. they also love musical instruments and singing. they also love using colouring pencils and bingo dabbers. hope this helps

[DizzyDora]

How about treasure chests. Lots of different shapes and texture for them to investigate
Keys, spoons, textured cushions etc make sure nothing can be swallowed or hurt with. All in a box thet the child can sit by and investigate

could you make your own glue using florur and water so that it would not matter if the babies ate it and likewise make your own paint from food stuffs, I had a recipe somewhere.

Using tuff spot, mix up a bit of baby bath with a splash of water to make a mound of bubble and put them on the tuff spot next to the baby. THe children I work with love this activity splashing in the bubbles ad also its not to wet

[SomeoneSpecial]

puppets and soft toys, rockers and like foam slides and steps which you can change round and they crawl over, tunnel, maybe try doing painting with one child at a time, treasure baskets, music play, finger songs, big cars, garage, jigsaws etc with no little bits. a shallow water tray with ducks and other suitable toys, foam/material books the jigsaw mat for them to crawl on, pianno mat, mobiles-made by the setting hung from the ceeling, play mirrors and shiny things, material dominoes, dolls, big farm animal toys, big blocks, wooden blocks, tower cups, push a longs, sit and rides, shaving foam or jelly is sometimes put out for them to play in with their hands and feel, etc

areas:
mark making/messy
reading/quiet/song
water/sand
small world-i.e farm/cars
construction i.e bricks
sleeping room
center piece-e.g we put the foam stairs or catapillar tunnel or something out in the middle
eating area

hope this helps