9 Things To Keep an 11 Month Old Busy (Tried & Tested by Us!) • A Moment With Franca

Sienna is now 11 months old and becoming more active and curious by the day. She loves to explore, mimic what we do, and get involved in everything around her. As she becomes more aware of her environment, we’ve been trying different toys and activities that keep her engaged while also helping her learn new skills.

Here are 9 of the things we’ve found most helpful in keeping her busy, happy, and growing with confidence. These are all things we use, plus I’ve added links to similar toys you can find on Amazon to make it easy for you to try them, too.

You can also browse my complete, curated list of Amazon toy picks for 11-month-olds.

Table of Contents

9 Things To Keep An 11 Month Old Busy

Pop-Up Ball Pit

A top favourite of Sienna’s at this stage! She loves crawling in and out, sitting among the colourful balls, and joyfully tossing them across the room. It consistently keeps her entertained for long stretches—exactly what busy parents need.

These ball pits are excellent for indoor play and offer great developmental benefits:

Develops gross motor skills: crawling, sitting, and reaching
Enhances hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness
Provides sensory stimulation through tactile and visual engagement

Shop similar idea:

Pop-Up Ball Pit with Balls

Drum Set

We introduced a baby drum set to Sienna around this age, and she instantly took to it. She loves tapping, banging, and experimenting with different sounds—and to our surprise, she even managed to use the wind instruments quite well for her age.

Musical toys are excellent for sensory development and offer more than just fun. They help babies make connections between cause and effect, improve their coordination, and stimulate both sides of the brain.

Why it’s worth trying:

Encourages sensory exploration through sound and movement
Develops fine motor skills and rhythm
Sparks early musical interest and auditory learning

Shop similar idea:

Toddler Sensory Instruments Set

Soft/Indoor Balls

This was one of Sienna’s most surprising favourites. At around 11 months, she started playing with her older sister’s deflated softball and loved it. Because it was lightweight and easy to grip, she carried it around everywhere—and even began kicking it, which felt like a significant milestone!

These types of balls are perfect for indoor play, encouraging babies to move, explore, and interact in a fun and safe way.

Why softballs work so well:

Encourage physical activity and exploration
Develop hand-eye coordination and early motor skills
Gentle and safe for indoor use

Shop similar idea:

Soft Sensory Balls for Babies

Zip Bag full of small toys

Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the most effective. We created a little treasure bag for Sienna by filling a large, clear zip bag with small toys—mostly hand-me-downs from her older sister. She loves opening the bag, pulling the toys out one by one, and exploring them at her own pace.

It’s an easy way to rotate toys without overwhelming your baby with too many options at once—and it helps with cleanup, too!

Why this works so well:

Encourages independent exploration
Great for building fine motor control
It helps contain toy clutter and keeps things tidy

Shop similar idea:

Toy Storage Bags, Clear PVC Toy Storage-Bags with Zipper

Foldable box with small toys

This has been part of our daily routine for months. We originally filled a small storage box with soft, baby-safe toys when Sienna was around 4 months old. Now, at 11 months, she’s become much more interactive—grabbing the box, tipping it over, and exploring all the toys on her own.

It’s an easy, tidy way to keep a rotating selection of toys available and exciting. Plus, it encourages independent play and decision-making.

Why this setup works:

- Encourages independent exploration and curiosity
- Builds motor skills as babies lift, reach, and explore
- It makes toy rotation organised and straightforward

Shop similar idea:

Foldable Toy Storage Box with Handles

Big foldable box with bigger soft toys

This storage box had been in the living room for months, but it wasn’t until recently that Sienna took an interest in it. Now, she opens it up regularly, picks out her favourite soft toys, and carries them from room to room—hugging, playing, and even organising them in her little way.

It’s become a lovely part of her day, offering comfort and creative interaction. Larger soft toys also tend to feel more cuddly and reassuring, which is just what many babies need at this age.

Why it’s a great addition:

Encourages imaginative and nurturing play
It helps develop emotional connections
It makes toy rotation and storage easy and accessible

Shop similar idea:

Large Linen Style Toy Storage Box

Books

Although most of our books were initially intended for Bella, Sienna has developed a genuine love for them as well. At 11 months old, she doesn’t always sit still for a full story—but she’s pleased pulling the books off the shelf, flipping through the pages, and carrying them around the house.

Books are an excellent way to introduce your baby to early literacy, textures, and images—even if it’s just through touch and play at this stage.

Why books are perfect for this age:

Boost early language and literacy skills
Encourage fine motor coordination
Help establish positive associations with reading

Shop similar idea:

My First Library Board Book Set for Babies

Books with sounds

Sound books are a brilliant way to capture a baby’s attention—Sienna loves hers. At 11 months, she’s fascinated by the noises and loves turning the pages to make the book play different sounds. It keeps her engaged much longer than a regular book and adds an extra sensory element to storytime.

It’s also a gentle way to introduce cause and effect as she begins to realise that pressing buttons makes something happen.

Why they’re so engaging:

Great for sensory development
Reinforce early learning through repetition and sound
Ideal for independent exploration

Shop similar idea:

Noisy Farm (Usborne Noisy Books)

Pet toy with sound and movements

This interactive toy quickly became one of Sienna’s favourites. At first, she was a little hesitant—it moves and makes noise on its own—but that quickly turned into fascination. Now, she loves watching it wiggle, trying to follow it around, and interacting with it in her own curious way.

Toys like this are not only entertaining but also encourage babies to explore movement, sound, and cause-and-effect in a fun and engaging way.

Why it’s a great pick:

Supports gross motor development
Encourages interactive, independent play
Sparks curiosity with lifelike movements and sounds

Shop similar idea:

Interactive Walking and Barking Puppy Toy for Babies

Final Thoughts

Entertaining an 11-month-old can be a challenge, but with the right toys and activities, you can keep your little one happily engaged while also supporting their development. From sensory books to soft play, interactive pets to simple household toy boxes—these ideas have all worked wonders with Sienna and brought lots of joy into our day-to-day routine.

Every baby is unique, but I hope this list provides you with inspiration and practical options to try at home.

Explore More Baby Toy Ideas

Looking for even more inspiration? I’ve curated a dedicated Amazon Idea List with toys that are perfect for this age group. These are items we’ve personally used or that closely align with the types of activities that worked for us.

View my complete Amazon list of toys for 11 month olds here

If you have a slightly older child, you may be interested in checking out my other blog post, “10 Toys to Entertain a 1 Year Old.“

What do you do to entertain your baby? What other toys have you used, or what sort of activities have you done?

*Affiliate Disclosure:
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission if you purchase through these links — at no additional cost to you. This helps support my blog and allows me to continue sharing helpful content. I appreciate your support!

Thanks for stopping by,

Love you all ❤️

Franca 💋

Comments

Annabel Greaves says

10 January 2021 at

Lots of lovely useful ideas for entertaining

Nolene O'neill says

10 January 2021 at

Haha with32 Nephews & Nieces and then 3 kids of my own i think i’ve covered most listed here and some like the drum set was never re-visited lol

Rich Tyler says

10 January 2021 at

Lovely ideas

sandy lynn ralph says

11 January 2021 at

great ideas here , my youngest grandson loves any toys that play sounds or music at the moment

Nadia Josephine says

11 January 2021 at

I don’t have children yet, but my niece and nephew love books and anything that makes a noise! I am very impressed at how tidy and neat all your toys look! My nephew is a little dark destroyer!

julie irving says

11 January 2021 at

Having teenagers, I had forgotten how challenging this can be

Laura Corrall says

12 January 2021 at

Ball pool is the best! My girls loved having ball pools when they were this age. I remember the balls going everywhere! Like absolutely everywhere. My eldest second word she learnt was ‘throw’ because of throwing balls in a ball pit.

Lyndsey cooksey says

16 January 2021 at

Lots of lovely ideas here! My children are all grown up but I do have nieces and nephews of age.

Rebecca Walker says

16 January 2021 at

the pop up ball pit looks great