The 15 Best Baby Toys for 6- to 12-Month-Olds to Hit, Kick, Stack, and Stick in Their Mouths
by Kat de Naoum
Image Credits: Amazon
Learning colors, sounds, numbers, and even the periodic table (it’s never too early) has never been so fun.
After that initial newborn phase, toys for babies become more than just a visually fascinating distraction. Curiosity kicks in with full force in babies from 6 to 12 months old as they start to recognize faces and items, and that’s when the real interaction begins. Toys targeted for this age group can aid development, help babies start to get in tune with their senses, and teach them via sound, colors, and different textures. We’ve found 15 of the best toys for 6-month-olds through 12-month-olds to thrill your baby and keep them busy for at least a little while.
The Best Toys for Babies 6 to 12 Months Old
Best Toy for 6- to 12-Month-Olds: iPlay, iLearn Musical Turtle
Best Toy for 6-Month-Olds: Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick and Play Piano Gym
Best Toy for 12-Month-Olds: VTech Count and Chomp Dinosaur Learning Toy
Best Toy for Baby Development: Baby Einstein Around We Grow Activity Center
Best Educational Baby Toy: LeapFrog Spin and Sing Alphabet Zoo
Best Toy for Teething and Reading: ToBe ReadyForLife Crinkly Cloth Books
Best Wooden Baby Toy: Melissa and Doug Chomp and Clack Alligator Push Toy
Best Sensory Toy for Baby: Mixi Baby Blocks
Best Baby Bath Toy: iPlay, iLearn Baby Bath Toys
Best Baby Genius Toy: Periodic Table Building Blocks
Best Musical Toy for 6-Month-Olds: Baby Einstein Magic Touch Wooden Piano
Best Baby Nursery Toy: Pottery Barn Kids Sherpa Bunny Plush Rocker
Best Outdoor Baby Toy: Bahom 3-in-1 Playset
Best Baby Pool Toys: KarberDark Fishing Floating Toys
Best Budget Baby Toy: Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack Classic
How to Choose Toys for Babies
The CDC’s Milestone Moments brochure explains that at around 6 months old, babies will try to grab things that interest them, put things in their mouths, begin to pass items from one hand to the other, and respond to sounds by making sounds. Easy-to-grab, colorful toys that are made from safe materials for little mouths and make some sort of noise are perfect for this age group. Grownups can also point out and describe the item that has caught the baby’s attention, such as its color, texture, and shape, to engage them further.
Within the next six months, babies start to have favorite toys, point to things they recognize, learn how to play and share, and even know the names of their toys, as well as the names of colors and shapes. They also learn the important concept of cause and effect through toys: what happens when they drop a ball, push a cart, press a button on a toy, put blocks in a container, or stack them up.
Whether you like to have an array of toys for your little one to play with, or just one or two good multipurpose toys that they can really go to town on, you’re sure to find something from our below selection of the best toys for the first 6–12 months of your baby’s life.
Image Credits: Amazon
Best Toy for 6- to 12-Month-Olds: iPlay, iLearn Musical Turtle
Music, lights, bright colors, and an array of buttons—this musical turtle has it all. This wonderful toy will teach your little one numbers and the alphabet, and it will even crawl so your baby can chase it. It has volume control, and can “speak” in English and Spanish. One happy parent explained, “The music is sweet—definitely not something that will drive a parent crazy within a few minutes, which is good because my daughter could watch her new little turtle all afternoon.”
Image Credits: Amazon
Best Toy for 6-Month-Olds: Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick & Play Piano Gym
For little mites that haven’t quite started crawling around yet, this Fisher-Price Deluxe piano gym is just the ticket. They can lay on their back and reach out for the overhead toys, while their little legs kick the piano to make music. It’s also good for tummy time and tilts up so they can sit and play when they’re ready. The toy easily packs away so you can take it with you to grandma’s.
Image Credits: Walmart
Best Toy for 12-Month-Olds: VTech Count and Chomp Dinosaur Learning Toy
This toy from VTech will provide hours of dino learning fun. Baby will be able to “feed” the dinosaur eight healthy treats that come in the form of brightly colored discs, and the dinosaur will respond differently to each one by singing songs and naming the foods, colors, and shapes. Their new prehistoric friend will also ask questions encouraging interactive play. “Great toy,” wrote one buyer. “Teaches colors, counting, all the basics, plus foods and healthy eating.”
Image Credits: Amazon
Best Baby Toy for Teething and Reading: ToBe ReadyForLife Crinkly Cloth Books (Set of 2)
This is an unconventional choice here, because, yes, you can go for those plastic rings for pure teething relief. But why not multitask? These cloth books are satisfying to chew on, while they also make crinkly sounds and introduce your baby to the concept of a book as early as possible. While no one’s going to be giving Just Like … the Animals or Just Like … the Farmers any literary prizes, these are cuddlier than almost anything else on your bookshelves, and they’ll stand up to all that adorable baby slobber. Save 15 percent when you use the code 15PARENTS.
Image Credits: Amazon
Best Toy for Baby Development: Baby Einstein Around We Grow Activity Center
Teaching them to use their hands and feet, this Baby Einstein activity center is the ideal toy to keep baby occupied and safely confined at the same time, so you can enjoy a cup of tea in peace. Its assisted wheels allow them to walk around the play table which is chock-full of activities and toys, and there’s even a light-up piano. It is height-adjustable to accommodate your growing tot, the cover is machine-washable, and assembly is simple and quick.
Image Credits: Amazon
Best Educational BabyToy: LeapFrog Spin and Sing Alphabet Zoo
They’re never too young to start learning the alphabet, and this LeapFrog teaching toy will make it enjoyable for them in a Wheel of Fortune type manner. By giving it a little spin, they’ll also learn the names of animals and what sound each animal makes. They also get to shake their groove thang with the installed nursery rhymes. “This is a wonderful toy for my 1-year-old,” wrote one mom. “Teaches ABCs and motor functioning skills. I love the lights. You can turn it to low, so the colors and music or talking aren’t as loud—which is a plus if you’re a mother.”
Image Credits: Amazon
Best Wooden Baby Toy: Melissa and Doug Chomp and Clack Alligator Push Toy
As babies start to pull themselves up to standing and make their first steps, toys like this super simple and cute wooden alligator push buggy from Melissa and Doug can help them find their balance, learn how to push and pull, and develop coordination. As they push, the wooden alligators chomp their chops, rewarding your child’s effort and encouraging further play. One parent wrote, “All the edges [are] rounded and smooth, colors are bright and crisp. … My 8.5-month-old daughter is able to grab the top handle with her arms at shoulder height. … Assembly was easy, and I really appreciate simple joys without batteries or annoying lights and songs.”
Image Credits: Amazon
Best Sensory Baby Toy: Mixi Baby Blocks
In gorgeous pastel shades that are just right—not too bright, and not too dim — these building blocks are just as pleasant to look at for parents as they are for kids. Soft, squishy, and squeaky, these toys will provide hours of learning fun for babies of 6 months and up. Every side of these 12 square blocks has a different embossed pattern, fruit, number, and animal, and baby will soon learn to stack them up and fit each piece into each other like a jigsaw. They double up as great teething toys and can also be used in the bath.
Image Credits: Amazon
Best Baby Bath Toys: iPlay, iLearn Baby Bath Toys
This seven-piece bath toy play set will make bath time your child’s favorite time of day. With brightly colored toys including a spraying fish, a wind-up swimming turtle, a spinning fish rattle, a rotating octopus with a water spout, and four stacking cups—all in a convenient storage basket—the only problem we foresee is convincing your baby that it’s time to get out of the bath.
Image Credits: Uncommon Goods
Best Baby Genius Toy: Periodic Table Building Blocks
If we’ve learned anything from watching Ellen, it’s that little geniuses are among us, and all you have to do to bring out the Nobel Prize winner in them is provide them with a few handy props, like this set of periodic table building blocks from Uncommon Goods. There are 20 blocks in the set, and one enthusiastic parent wrote, “These blocks fit great in the tiny human’s hands and don’t have sharp edges to worry about should she try out her brand-new chompers on them… I never thought I would be so excited for my offspring to play with Cesium. These will be excellent as she gets bigger and I can tell her useful things about the elements while we play.”
Image Credits: Amazon
Best Musical Toy for 6-Month-Olds: Baby Einstein Magic Touch Wooden Piano
We’ve covered the future Einsteins; now it’s time to cater to those little Mozarts. This darling piano by Baby Einstein plays notes as soon as it senses little mitts on the keys, and even comes with three color-coded music sheets. This thing won’t give you a headache either, as the volume turns way down if needed. “I love that it is wooden and looks so nice compared to cheap plastic toys,” raved one buyer. “It is fun to play and touch the keys. It has a bunch of features, and it comes with six songs that you put into the slot and it plays the song or accompanying music. … It’s even fun for adults.”
Image Credits: Pottery Barn Kids
Best Nursery Toy: Pottery Barn Kids Sherpa Bunny Plush Rocker
For a nursery toy that will not only thrill your child but also add to the aesthetic of your Insta-worthy baby room, this plush sherpa bunny rocker at Pottery Barn Kids is just the ticket. Assist them to get on and off in preparation for playground life, and watch them develop important motor skills as they learn how to pull themselves up to a standing position. They’ll get plenty of use out of this thing as they grow, and, if bunnies aren’t your (or your baby’s) thing, there are other animals to choose from like a lamb, elephant, tiger, giraffe, and unicorn.
Image Credits: Amazon
Best Outdoor Baby Toy: Bahom 3-in-1 Playset
No matter the weather, with a restless baby you’ll want to spend more time outside using this 3-in-1 playset that comes in five different colors and has many activities—a ladder and slide, a swing, and a basketball hoop—to keep the little one happy while soaking up some all-important Vitamin D. It has a well-made and durable HDPE construction, and buyers describe it as “extremely easy to assemble,” “very sturdy,” and a “good value for money.”
Image Credits: Amazon
Best Baby Pool Toys: KarberDark Fishing Floating Toys
As Amazon’s choice for best baby pool toys, these amusing floating playthings provide the most fun your baby can have while in their floaty chair. Also suitable for bath time, this set of eight pool toys includes a fishing rod and a fishing net, as well as five catchable sea creatures, and a net carry bag so you can store them all away neatly, ready for the next day at the pool.
Image Credits: Amazon
Best Budget Baby Toy: Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack Classic
It’s certainly not a new toy, or a complex one for that matter, but this classic Rock-a-Stack ring set by Fisher-Price has been keeping babies amused for decades. With five brightly-colored stackable rings (one of which is a rattle) now made from plant-based material, a mounting post that rocks back and forth, and a low price of $11.50, what more could you ask for?
