Best High Chair-Friendly Fall Activities for Infants
You probably already know that a high chair is an essential piece of gear to keep your family connected at mealtime. But did you know that you can use a high chair for so much more? Your baby’s easy to clean high chair is the perfect, safe spot to teach and play with your little one—from reading books, playing with toys and even doing arts and crafts activities (and we’re not talking about the mashed banana finger painting masterpiece from yesterday’s breakfast).
The same features that make a high chair a secure spot for meals makes it ideal for play: the harness and crotch post keep baby securely in their seat and in the right position, so if you have to step away for a moment to grab something, you know your baby will be safe. And of course, you should only use a sturdy high chair that’s approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) so you’re sure it meets the latest safety standards.
6 Fun Fall Crafts for Infants
It’s never too early to start doing arts and crafts with your baby—not only do crafts build creativity, but they also help your baby develop important physical and mental skills. We’ve rounded up six fun fall projects for infants to inspire you.
Before you pull out the high chair to get started on these fall activities for babies, get together age-appropriate and safe craft supplies. Avoid items that are smaller than 1-3/4” in diameter or 2-1/4” inches in length, which can pose a choking hazard. And because little kids put everything in their mouth, stick with edible, taste-safe craft supplies whenever possible.
Finger Paint with Food
This great idea from KidsActivies.com lets your pint-size Picasso experiment with a brand-new medium: yogurt! Start by sketching or drawing pumpkin or leaf outlines, and taping the images to the tray of your baby’s high chair. Next, mix plain yogurt with fall-hued purees (think carrots, pomegranate and avocado) to make baby-safe “finger paint” that they can smear and spread on the picture to create their own one-of-a-kind abstract masterpiece—without any worry if some of the “paint” gets tasted.
DIY Flip-Top Peek-a-Boo Toy
Want a fall project for infants that’s a little less messy? Check out this great one from Happy Toddle Playtime. Upcycle the flip top of an empty baby wipe container to create an interactive toy that entertains your baby while helping develop their fine motor skills. Here’s how: Carefully cut the flip top from a soft-sided baby wipe container, leaving about an inch of plastic overhang on all sides so you can tape the flip top to your baby’s high chair tray. Place a colorful sticker on the lid and let your baby play “peek-a-boo” by opening and closing the lid. They’ll be strengthening their fine motor skills while keeping busy, making it a win-win for you both!
Fun is in the Bag
Babies learn about the world through play, and sensory play is an important part of development: it encourages motor skill and language development, teaches your baby to solve problems, and helps build nerve connections in the brain. Create these leaf sensory bags from Kids Craft Room to foster all these skills by filling a zipper lock bag with fake leaves, glitter, sequins, cooking oil, and water colors, then seal the bag and secure it to the tray of your baby’s high chair with duct tape for an engaging, tactile activity that will delight your baby (with no mess!).
Rice, Rice, Baby
One of the best sensory toys for older babies is probably hiding out in the back of your pantry: dried rice. You can use plain dried rice or make it extra fun by dyeing the rice in pretty fall colors, using these instructions from Laughing Kids Learn. Just put rice in a zipper lock bag with a few drops of food coloring and a squirt of hand sanitizer and shake; open the bag and let it sit for 24 hours to let the rice absorb the dye and dry thoroughly. Pour the rice into an even layer on the tray of your baby’s high chair, then hide leaves, acorns, mini pine cones and other fall items in the rice to create a fall-themed “I Spy” game for your baby—or just hand them a plastic spoon and let them play.
Fridge-Worthy Fall Art
Want an art project you can display with pride? Check out this painting sensory bag from Active Littles. If you’ve got a zipper lock bag, some cardstock, a Sharpie, and acrylic or tempera paint, you’ve got everything you need to create an easy (and pretty!) fall art activity for infants. Start by drawing the outline of a tree on a piece of cardstock, cut it out and stick it in the bag (stick a piece of tape on the back of the tree to keep it from moving around in the bag). Grab your Sharpie and trace the shape of the tree on the front of the bag. Squirt blobs of red, yellow and brown paint into the bag, then seal it and tape it to your baby’s high chair tray so it doesn’t move around. Then just sit back while your baby happily squishes and squeezes the paint all over the cardstock and—voila! You’ve got your baby’s first work of art.
These activities should keep your baby busy all season. And here’s a pro tip to make arts and crafts time easier for you: make sure you have a high chair with an easily detachable tray—bonus points if it glides into place and connects with magnets—and a removable tray liner you can pop into the dishwasher so you can focus on the fun, not the clean up.
