As your baby grows, she needs stimulation tailored to each of her developmental stages. By providing toys that help her exercise the skills she is ready to practice, you set the stage for her to excel. In addition, selecting appropriate toys ensures her interest as well as her safety.
So, what skills is a six to nine month old working on? When your baby turns six months old, she is getting better at grabbing for things that excite her. She can feel, hold and move items around and often explores them with her mouth. In addition, she is interested in looking at toys and listening to them making sounds. As she grows into her eighth and ninth months, she becomes better at manipulating her toys; she can pass them from one hand to the other, squeeze them, pull them and even throw them. An eight or nine month old has also learned that things still exist even when she cannot see them, so toys with compartments are fascinating as well.
Try some of these toys for your six to nine month old infant:
Gyms and Playmats:
Several toy makers are selling great interactive playmates for babies. Baby gyms are usually padded mats that are topped by flexible bars designed to hold toys. The suspended toys can be batted, tugged, pushed and pulled for baby's entertainment. Unlike mobiles which are only for watching, these are meant for baby to handle. Playmats can also be used to encourage tummy time; most of them have bright pictures and designs and some have play elements built right into the mat.
For a great playmat, try one of the many offered in the Gymini line by manufacturer Tiny Love. Their complete line is well-made and sure to provide hours of fun and they offer add-on toys and replacements for sale.
Moving toys:
Your baby is learning to roll, scootch and crawl in these critical months. She is also becoming interested in toys that move. Look for chunky cars and other toys that can be pushed or pulled. Make sure any pull toys do not have long strings that could be strangulation hazards.
For a safe pull toy sure to provide hours of fun, try the Smart Start Pull 'n' Play Phone by VTech.
Activity toys and activity boxes:
Manipulative activity toys allow little fingers to explore the world. The best manipulative activity toys have several actions, for example parts that can be opened, moving parts, safe mirrors, handles to pull and things to chew. These toys provide sensory entertainment and teach cause and effect as your baby manipulates the parts. Plush manipulative toys have the added benefit of being soft buddies.
Lamaze offers several great soft manipulative toys for the six to nine month age range. Look for their "Spike the Dinosaur" or "Multi-sensory Clutch Cube."
Books:
Board books or books printed on cloth are perfect for babies of this age. It is never too young to read to your infant and allowing your baby to handle and play with books just makes the experience more fun.
Looking for some great board books for your baby? Try "Moo Baa La La La" by Sandra Boynton or the board book edition of "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown.
