Your baby can now support some weight on his or her legs, and probably loves to bounce – something that can strengthen those muscles for walking later on. Hold your baby under his or her arms to help maintain the standing position on the floor or on your lap. You may need to help start the movement by lifting your baby off the ground (or your lap) but once he or she starts, there won't be any stopping! Be ready for lots of giggles.
Handy skills
Your baby's fine motor skills are coming along. By now he or she can probably scoop things up with one hand and transfer an object from one hand to the other fairly easily. Fine motor skills involve small, precise thumb, finger, hand, and wrist movements and are used for actions like picking up things between the thumb and finger.
Gross motor skills are required for activities like crawling, which use large muscles such as those in the arms, legs, or feet or the entire body. To encourage your baby's development of these skills, place a toy just out of your baby's reach and watch as he or she tries to get it. If your baby cries in frustration, offer some encouragement – but not the toy. Your baby will become more physically confident more quickly if you don't make everything easy.
Before long, your baby may be able to lean forward to grab a toy, rock back and forth on hands and knees, or scoot around on his or her belly.
Your baby's also showing an interest in small parts and the details of objects. Modes of exploring are developing beyond banging and gumming, although those are still part of every toy interaction. As your baby explores, be sure to keep buttons, coins, safety pins, balloons, rocks, and other choking hazards
out of reach.
Fun friends
At this age, babies tend to gravitate toward stuffed animals, big and small. One might even become your baby's favorite security object. If so, it'll soon be covered in drool and accompanying you everywhere. Don't worry: A "lovey" like this can be a sign of emerging independence as your little one learns to separate from you and depend on himself or herself – slowly but surely.
When adding new members to your plush family, look for soft, well-stitched toys. Other good playthings include balls, nesting cylinders, pop-up toys, and large dolls.
One way to tell if your baby has a favorite plaything or two is by trying to remove it. You may now encounter some loud protests when you take something away.
One caution: Don't let your baby sleep with a stuffed animal just yet. Though it may seem unlikely, there's a chance that a doll or stuffed toy could cover your baby's face and suffocate him or her. Experts say to wait until your baby's 12 months or older before allowing any soft objects (like stuffed animals and loose blankets and quilts) in the crib.