What games to do you play with your baby?

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I have a lovely 11 month old daughter who is very cruisy. When we're at home she happily spends time alone playing with her box of toys or books (she's not yet crawling) while I potter around the house. We also spend time together either reading, singing nursery rhymes, bit of rough and tumble etc. But there are times when she gets a bit bored and I feel a bit 'ummmmmm what now?'

What sort of games do you play with your baby other than the aforementioned? Or what sort of activities to they enjoying doing? Do you know of any good books for activity ideas? I need some inspiration!

DS is only nine months but as well as what you already mentioned we do spend a bit of time doing the following:
out in the garden - same toys as indoors but he gets a whole new perspective on them somehow. Set up a golf umbrella for shade.

Going to the swings

Making random chalk marks on paper (though you do have to stop him eating the chalk)

Going to soft play. One near me is only 50p for under ones.

Play guitar (I can't but my DP does and when he's out I have been known to randomly strum along to songs)

when all else fails, a rusk keeps him amused for about 20 mins!
hope that is of some help

When i have done all of the above i leave the house! We go on the bus to a park/stately home/farm place and we go round farm which he loves, then have a walk, picnic, then he hopefully goes to sleep while i have tea and a cake!

Or baby groups? Different toys, other babies to look at?

Sometimes even a trip to the shops entertains him!

Not exactly a game, but a thought. If she can cruise, she can dance. Put some music on (anything, MTV, house music, rock, jazz, musicals, strauss waltzes - really she won't care) Don't forget to show her how it's done - as the mother of an 11 month old, you can afford to lose your inhibitions a bit even within the comfort of your own home. Burns off a few cals too

It was the desire to dance that got my DD to let go of the furniture and now she literally dances herself dizzy

Sorry I forgot to mention, we're living in NZ at the moment and winter is setting in (as I type I'm looking out at the pouring rain) so outdoorsy things are a bit of a no go at the moment.

We're generally quite busy with mum's and baby groups most mornings, but I guess its just those occasional afternoons when its miserable outside and you have a bored baby and a flummoxed mum. I got desperate the other day when I had to finish the dinner and turned on the telly. I came back 10 mins later and dd hadn't moved. Her zombie stare alone freaked me out enough to turn the TV off, lol!

DS is 11mo. As well as all of the above, he spends lots of time emptying things (bookshelves /drawers / laundry baskets) and occasionally putting things back. Chasing balls (big beach ball / bouncy football) around our apartment also keeps him busy and tires him out. Our best value toys are stacking cups and a shape sorter, which keep him occupied for ages (quite often whilst I get on and do something else).

Oh, meant to mention as well that the babycentre.co.uk website lists 2 games you can play with your baby for each week (ie 2 games for 10 months 2 weeks, 2 games for 10 months 3 weeks etc). Might be worth having a look to get inspiration.

Ah stacking cups- best toy! My ds likes emptying out boxes, cupboards etc. I fill a plastic box with random things and he happily empties it out, examining everything.

To be honest if he is getting grouchy i still stick him pushchair on, put my waterproof on and go on a walk!

ds is only 6mo but he loves a version of grandmother's footsteps, where he lies or sits on the floor and I walk away from him and suddenly turn around. Cue gales of laughter.

Great, thanks for those ideas. Yes she is definitely at the stage of stacking, opening/closing and emptying things so I think I'll have a mooch around the house and try and be creative. When all else fails, we have a mall up the road with indoor parking, all babies love a touch of shopping don't they??