Activities for an 8-12 Month Old

When I first had Squishy there wasn't much she could do other than sleep and eat obviously.  Now that she's 9 months we finally have stuff that we can do.   I know that sometimes I struggle with new things we can do so I thought I'd share what we do together and hopefully if you do something different with your little one you could share it in the comments!

• Lately Squishy seems really into music.  It helps her to stop fussing.  Sometimes I catch her hitting things in rhythm even.  So the other day she got a hold of a metal spoon and thought banging it on the wooden furniture was an acceptable life choice (for the record, it's not).  Instead I gave her a large, light pot and a spatula with a wooden handle and rubber top to hit it with.  She spent a decent amount of time rocking out.  Plus she did some experimenting to see what other things she could hit on the pot to make noise (apparently Little People, hands, and dolls are all good drum sticks).
• She's big enough now that occasionally we take her to the park and try out the baby swings.  So far she loves them.  As evidenced by her ginormous open mouth.  She'll even go down the slide with me.

• Going along with her love of music, we also like to have dance parties.  I blast some music on the record player and I either dance around with her in my arms or I hold her hands while she bounces about (which helps to work on leg strength).
•  It's still cold out but we still like to go outside.  I like to bundle Squishy up and then let her explore the grass in the front yard for a bit.  It allows for new sensory experiences, helps her get some fresh air, and allows her to get some vitamin D.
• We read books.  We read lots of books.  I also make sure there are books that she can explore so that she can get used to turning pages and enjoying. 
• Squishy also loves to try new food.  Little tastes of lots of different stuff.  Always a good time.
• When it's gross outside we can normally get a good 10-15 minutes out of laundry basket rides.  I put her in a laundry basket and carefully push it around the floor.  It seems to be hilarious. 
• Walks and hikes.  I either strap her on my back for a hike or take her for a walk in the stroller.  She loves both and is always looking around to scope everything out.  
• BOXES!  Babies love boxes.  Whenever I have a spare box I give it to her and let me tell you, it provides a lot of fun.  
• I put on puppet shows with her stuffed animals.  Her interest may not last long; but, she finds it hilarious for that little bit.  

What do you like to do with your little one?