Play/sensory ideas
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We have this book and it’s really good, it uses craft items or things you have around the house anyway 😊 https://amzn.eu/d/dk9wda3
You can use a lot of household “waste” like crisp packets and bottles, I just cleaned them before hand. And with the bottles you can put some pasta in one, some rice in another, to make different sounds, even balls of tinfoil from where it didn’t tear correctly 🤦♀️
I made a ‘treasure bucket’ for my daughter around this age, with a silicone pastry brush, wooden spoon, plastic egg cup, some measuring spoons, and other random baby safe bits from the kitchen. As others have said I also filled some small tubs with lentils/pasta/rice/dice to make shakers (securely taped shut). Mini metal tin I used to keep jewellery in, a wooden figurine of an armadillo I had. A spare remote with no batteries. I cut a tin foil blanket into squares and stuffed it into an empty cardboard tissue box for her to pull out, along with some sensory scarves (got dirt cheap off amazon). Christmas decorative beads are a massive hit with babies of all ages, and again can be pulled from a tissue box or hidden in a bottle to shake. Literally anything they can’t break or bite pieces off, that you’re happy for them to play with!
As above and another one I've used is bubble wrap ! And bubbles
I bought a bubble machine gun from B&M for £4, obviously I don’t spray it at her but she loves watching them fall x
Foil blanket from Amazon they are about £1.50
If you aren't against a bit of mess, mix corn flour and water, it makes a goop that when you touch it goes hard but will also pour... Google ooblek and you will see what I mean. Shredded newspaper is fun. Chuck a load of random stuff from the kitchen in a shoe box and let her pull it all out (wooden spoon, pasta, an orange etc).
Thank you everyone these are such good ideas! 🩷
At that age mine loved playing with things like crisp packets, boxes, plastic drinks bottles - anything that was a household object that made a noise he seemed to love - more than toys and I figured it was good sensory play 😂