If your baby is happy, don’t worry! They don’t have any preconceptions. Doing lots of different things is only for the sake of your sanity, all experiences are learning experiences at that age. Think how long they can be entertained by just their own hands and feet.
Things I did with my DD (and hope to shortly do with my twins!) after afternoon nap:
- food. Weaning takes up a big part of the day once it gets into full swing! Your 6 month old probably isn’t awake for more than 10 hours in total (and maybe a fair bit less). Each “meal” takes about 20-30 minutes, maybe longer. So can be 1.5 hours of your day once they’re on 3 meals. Snacks that they feed themselves are a great learning experience, it really helps them with pincer grip, plus you have lots of sensory learning.
- “messy” play - personally, I don’t like things that take a lot of prep time or make much mess that I have to clean up. So I have a massive plastic tray to do all messy play in, and we only did it if the weather was nice so I could just hose it down in the garden. Baby in nappy, or in something you don’t mind wrecking if it’s not warm enough for that (mine was 6 months in a very hot April). Week 1 (we did it once or twice a week, and would repeat the sensory play if we did it again the same week) = Chuck some jelly cubes onto it and encourage baby to squish them. Week 2 = water play. Couple of plastic jugs of different sizes filled with water. Some warm, some cold. You can stick ice cubes in one if you like. You can put food dye in them if you want. Week 3 = cornflour gloop. Only do this on a hot day so you can sponge baby off before you bring them inside! Etc etc. Great sensory experiences, almost no prep or clean up time. Doesn’t matter if it goes in their mouths. You can do coloured rice when their bigger, and give them spades, put small toys in it....
Tummy time - my DD hated it. So I had to come up with a way of trying to make it bearable.... you can get sensory mats e.g. ones filled with water and plastic fish. You can also get a plastic wallet, squirt something into it with some food dye and tape it up so baby can squish it round. Hair gel works well. So does shaving foam. Baby enjoys squishing it and watching colours mix. Chuck it out when done (I always found they leaked....). Or make a “sensory bottle” - some sequins and beads in an old plastic bottle and glue the top on. Do one with pasta, one with rice, a liquid one with water and oil.... whatever you can prepare in under 5 mins. I made about 5 I think and gave DD a different one each day to keep them fresh to her.
Basically one or two activities from that would pass the time between afternoon and evening nap. In the morning, we would go out to a group. Some that we enjoyed include:
Baby sensory (up to 13 months, bit pricey)
Hartbeeps (up to 4 years old depending on class, again, you have to pay)
Musical bumps (up to 4 years, you have to pay)
Sing and sign (you have to pay)
There were also various baby groups run by the local sure start centre - don’t know if/when these will reopen. There were two libraries within walking distance that had bounce and rhyme, and one centre that did stay and play. All their activities are free and you get lots of time to chat to local mums.
After evening nap we used to do a quick trip to the local playgroup as the swings were usually free then. We’d only stay 10 mins or so, but with the walk that was the half hour I wanted her to be outside for before dinner.
Then after dinner was bath, stories and bedtime!
So basically day went:
Up and ready for the day, including breakfast (she got changed afterwards)
Nap time.
Out to an activity, by walking if possible.
Back for snack.
Nap time
Lunchtime
Afternoon play at home (one or two of the ideas I’ve given above, plus mat time while I did bits and bobs).
Nap time
Playground or 30 mins of television if it was too soggy
Dinner time
Bathtime, stories and bedtime.
The days went pretty quickly!