Infant Toys

[JayCeeGirl]

It's getting closer to Christmas, and I'm trying to decide what toys to get for Audrey, who will be about 7 months.

What toys do/did you all like for that age up to about a year?

 

[Birbitt]

At that age my boys both enjoyed toys that they could stack (like foam blocks, or nesting toys), toys they could bang to make noise (anything small enough to hold and plastic), and toys that had lights or music. Some of our favorites were a little shape sorting box that they loved to bang and make noise, as well as put the pieces in and then dump them out again, and we also had a plastic book that had a few nursery rhymes and it played music and talked.

 

[Neenie1]

Almost anything fisher price is good. I like the round-a-bouts, and the peek-a-blocks. What about a bike. My kids had one that had a seat in it you could put a baby in (as long as they are sitting up) and it had a stand so that the bike couldn't go anywhere (it was a rocking base) so you could baby in it and it would rock, it had bits at the top to play with, little fiddly things and what not.

Then when they are ready to use it as a ride on, you take the base and the extra bit at the top to stop them falling out and they can use it as a ride on. both my kids used it from 6 months to at least 2 1/2 years (when they went to a trike).

 

[Macx]

Beads - Stone beads strung just small enough not to fit over her head. Here is an Andalusite and Peace Jade I did for Keaira. The stones make clacking sounds and they are cool to the touch for teething. She hasn't shown any interest in swallowing them, though they are definitely a "with supervision" toy.

Animal pelts are good too. The cat values Keaira learning to be gentle on fir that isn't his.

 

[lovesbrightpink]

ball popper! thats a great toy! there is always the little pianos and peek a blocks are great too!

 

[Leanna]

Sorting block toy and a little bike with no pedals (more useful past 1 year, but there aren't that many interesting toys for 6-12 months IMO, except mommy's face and hair perhaps....). We have two of those little bikes in the house, the one that is more popular plays the muffin man song at the push of a button.

 

[lovesbrightpink]

Sorting block toy and a little bike with no pedals (more useful past 1 year, but there aren't that many interesting toys for 6-12 months IMO, except mommy's face and hair perhaps....). We have two of those little bikes in the house, the one that is more popular plays the muffin man song at the push of a button.

also sounds like the most annoying one one that I would let run out of batteries and opps forget to replace them!

 

[Leanna]

also sounds like the most annoying one one that I would let run out of batteries and opps forget to replace them!

That stuff doesn't annoy me. In fact I will sing along. That must be why I have 3 small children and am still not intimidated.

 

[peace in the vally]

My Dd Liked Anything That Moved Or Made Noise

 

[Hadassah]

Right now we're sticking with cloth and wood toys. We have a couple Fisher Price things, but I think when we can find suitable wooden replacements we will switch them out.

Haba and Hess Spielzeug and Kathy Kruse are my favorites at the moment. I'm looking again for the stacking cups I think I saw made by Hess Spielzeug for JD, and I think they had a wooden ring stacker also. I'm making him a felt book that he can touch/feel and work. It'll have 'pop ups' and elastic tabs, zipper, buttons and the like.

I'm also working on making a slew of sock monkeys. The plan is to give him a family of monkeys and we'll add one for each family member --- since I call him my little monkey and he seems attached to all things monkey as of late. He likes really soft and fuzzy right now, or hard (wood) that makes noise against each other.

I don't much like the noisy toys (poppers and such), except for the old-timey jack in the boxes. : I was considering getting a sock monkey one... (I don't know if it is the song or the suspense I like the best LOL)

 

[Linnis]

Chewie rings. They come in a pack of 8-10 with different bumps on them. DS loved them, we got 2 packs. Also great to hook toys to the stroller...

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4660431

They are on the lower right corner of the picture. Separately they are like $2 a pack.

blocks

a ball

a stacking ring set

the boxes the toys come in....

 

[Leanna]

Haba and Hess Spielzeug and Kathy Kruse are my favorites at the moment.

You forgot Plan! Plan toys are awesome! Check them out!

My toddler girl is getting a Plan dollhouse for Christmas.

 

[tiredwalker]

I love Haba too! I got my baby the cheese carriage with the little mousy inside. She can turn the wheels all by herself...hee hee.

I also just bought her the Baby Einstein Musical Motion Jumper. It's like a jumperoo and exersaucer combine. She's still way small for it, but she really likes to look at the toys for a good five minutes before she gets way over stimulated. It was spendy, but it is made well and should last through all of the kids...I just wish they made them big enough for me to jump in.

 

[JayCeeGirl]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far ladies!!

I also just bought her the Baby Einstein Musical Motion Jumper. It's like a jumperoo and exersaucer combine.

I have the baby einstein one at my parents house and the jumperoo at my house, and I like the jumperoo much better. The seat part on the baby einstein one is really big and Audrey ends up leaning toward the side instead of being upright. Also, the music doesn't go on when she jumps. She has to push one of four keys hard enough to get it to go. And then... it doesn't really last that long. I will say that the toys on the side seem like they will grow with her a little longer, though. Overall, I'd recommend the jumperoo. It fits her better, the music starts when she jumps and lasts if you want it to (there is an option), and she just seems to like it better.

 

[Neenie1]

Chewie rings. They come in a pack of 8-10 with different bumps on them. DS loved them, we got 2 packs. Also great to hook toys to the stroller...

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4660431

They are on the lower right corner of the picture. Separately they are like $2 a pack.

blocks

a ball

a stacking ring set

the boxes the toys come in....

I totally forgot about those. My dd loved those. Even my eldest (who at the time would have been around 4 years old) used to play with those. He used to try and find things they would link on to.

I have no idea where they are now though.



I have noticed that some babies like things that aren't "toys" things like empty plastic containers, empty bottles filled with rice and the lid glued/taped back on again to use as shakers. Also you can fill with coloured water and beads/glitter/anything that will look pretty inside them.

 

[Hadassah]

You forgot Plan! Plan toys are awesome! Check them out!

My toddler girl is getting a Plan dollhouse for Christmas.

I did forget them! We just started getting Plan toys here - I saw them in a recent "Kinderbutt" catalogue.

 

[Sign Of The Fish Burger]

http://www.fatbraintoys.com/toys/toys_by_ages/girls/top_picks_0.cfm

 

[tiredwalker]

http://www.fatbraintoys.com/toys/toys_by_ages/girls/top_picks_0.cfm

I'm all over 9 and 31. Too cool.

JayCeeGirl-She loves the jumper. She's still a little small for it, but she just goes bonkers for the little frog, and she likes to talk to the little sunshine. I looked at the Jumperoo too because it's very fun looking, but I've had several people tell me that their babies got their little fingers stuck in the toys on it; a couple of them got cuts while pulling their little fingers out. That made me nervous, but of course there are horror stories about almost all toys.