At nine months old, your baby is old enough to understand silly fun and games, and probably loves stuffed animal pals, too. This game puts that all together!

Using one of her favorite bears, I set up a “seesaw” for teddy. Place a long rectangular book over an empty paper towel tube as a fulcrum and place teddy on one side.

Press down on the book sharply so that – whee! – Teddy flies through the air.

Veronika was delighted with the game in so many ways. Mostly she just wanted to grab for all the materials; a book, and bear, and a paper towel tube were equally delightful to her.

But I also helped her rock the book up and down on the tube, and made a big show of it every time teddy flew through the air or just toppled backwards. This is a simple way to get lots of giggles.

Following the bear’s movements is great for eye tracking development, too.