Many of the baby toys we have for the 9 to 12 month age are ones that were favorites for my first two kids. I purged a bunch of toys and held onto the ones they both really loved, thinking that if the first two kids both loved them, our third child would most likely love them too. And I was right, for the most part. The 9 month age is such a sweet age, where they start to do something new every day. And I think 11 months might be my favorite age. So much exploring, and my baby loves to applaud herself when she figures out something new. It’s so fun for me to watch as a parent! Here are the toys that all three of my kids have really enjoyed for the 9 month to 12 month ages.
Favorite Baby Toys for 9 Month Olds to 12 Month Olds
The O-Ball and O-Ball Rattle are great toys for babies because they’re easy to hold onto. Those were always the first toy in my diaper bag starting around 5 months old, when babies start to look for something to hold onto. The rattle is fun because it has those little beads that shake in the middle. My 11 month old LOVES a good rattle shaking sound).
The little music toy is an electronic toy (and you know I try to stay away from anything that makes noise), but it doesn’t play annoying music. It has its own take on classical music. My three kids all loved this toy for in the car.
A working dump truck is always a hit. The one from Green Toys is a little large for the under-1-year old set, but it’s been a favorite for years. My kids always loved trucks with working parts, like a moving dumper, so this is perfect. The wheels move too which is a plus. And no small parts have come off of this truck for us, so it’s fine for little oens.
The Cube. IYKYK. Another electronic toy but it has elements they can play with when the sound is off. The kids all have LOVED this one.
The musical picnic basket has been another favorite for all 3 kids. It has a shape sorter, which is more a toy for 12 month old babies and older. But the younger ones love just opening and closing the basket and moving the handle up and down. It’s always good to introduce more advanced concepts earlier, like shapes and sorting!
Our favorite bath toys have been the standard alphabet bath toys, but also the fun tubes that suction to the side of the tub. You can put them together to make a little waterworks display or just use them one at a time. But my 3 year old, 6 year old, and 11 month old all love them equally. It’s a toy that will grow with your family.
Books that are just their size (like this Richard Scarry favorite that fits in a baby’s hands) and that have interactive elements (like the “If I were a ….” series) have been favorites of all three of my kids.
My daughter also loves what we call the “peekaboo elephant,” which sings when you push its foot. But I’ll say that this one is hit or miss: One of my kids was afraid of it and one loves it!
What I look for in baby toys
I’m not a huge fan of electronic baby toys (you’ll actually find my favorite toddler toys without screens here). I want something that is colorful, has different textures, or teaches something. I also want a toy that isn’t one-dimensional. By that I mean something that my baby can play with in many different ways. Think of a scarf – it can be used for peekaboo, waving around to music, pulling out of a tissue box, etc. Now think of one of any one of the many electronic toys on the market. Let’s take this one for example… it’s a toy X-box remote. What does it do? It makes noise. You push a button, it makes noise. You tap a button, it makes noise. That’s all it does. Toys for babies always get bonus points if they can be wiped down, thrown in the dishwasher or put in the washing machine.
Did I miss any baby toys that your babies loved? There are so many good baby toys for 9 month olds, 10 month olds, and 11 month olds. Tell me in the comments what your little ones loved to play with!
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