The Best Five Products to Buy for Your Six-Month-Old
The newborn days are long gone. Here’s what you need when you’re halfway to one!
By Babylist Team
Six months is a sweet spot for lots of parents. The newborn days have long passed, but you’re not spending your days chasing your little one around your house quite yet. You’re starting to find your parenting groove, and your little one is full of curiosity, energy and giggles.
While you probably spent a decent amount of time figuring out what to register for and buy for those first few months of your baby’s life, you may not have given a lot of thought to what comes next. Now your baby’s rolling over, sitting up and ready for a whole new set of adventures—and you need the gear to go with them.
These are the Babylist experts’ top picks just right for six-month-old babies.
A Slip-Stopper
Why You Need It
Because trying to bathe a six-month-old should be an Olympic sport.
Why We Love It
If you’ve never bathed a baby around six months old, you’re in for a real treat. Close your eyes and picture a bucket filled with water and a big, slippery fish. Now try to give that fish a bath. You get the idea.
By six months, most babies have outgrown their infant tub and are ready to take on the adult version. They love to splash and play, and bath time may quickly become one of their favorite times of the day. But six-month-olds are new to sitting up, not too stable and looking to do just about anything other than sit still. Add some soap to the equation and things can get really dicey really quickly.
That’s where this ingenious bath seat comes in. It has three sturdy arms that secure it to your tub, a deep seat with a high back and a front bar that provides a safe, supportive spot for your baby to sit while you bathe them. While you’ll still need to keep an eye on them at all times, it does allow you to have your hands free to wash and scrub instead of playing defense as your baby tries to nosedive into the water. The seat is easy to set up, remove and store and is sure to become an essential part of your bath time routine.
An Adventure Buddy
Why You Need It
Because it’s time for an adventure, and sometimes it’s easier to leave your full-size stroller behind.
Why We Love It
A stroller is a must-have item of baby gear for getting out and about with your little one in tow. While it’s totally doable to own just one stroller, lots of parents find that adding a second, lighter-weight option when their baby gets a little older is super useful for travel or for when they don’t want to lug around their full size stroller.
Colugo’s Compact Stroller is one of the best compact, lightweight stroller options on the market. Unlike lots of travel strollers, it features a smooth ride and great maneuverability. It folds in two seconds flat with one hand and fits almost anywhere, even in the overhead bin of most airplanes. It’s easy to sling over your shoulder using the attached strap and has a full recline (perfect for on-the-go naps) and a large canopy. There’s also a roomy storage basket underneath to stow everything you need for a day out with your little one.
One of the most fun features—and one of our favorites—is the swappable (and washable) seat and canopy fabric. Wild child or camo, anyone?
A Solids Staple
Why You Need It
Because your new little foodie can’t be trusted with the grownup plates just yet.
Why We Love It
Starting solids is one of the most fun—and one of the messiest—milestones during your baby’s first year. And by around six months old, most babies are ready to expand their palettes and dig in at the family table. But don’t break out the fancy dinner plates just yet.
Ezpz gear is by far our favorite when it comes to tiny tableware. This set comes with everything you need to start solids: a divided plate/placemat combo, two spoons and an open cup. Everything is made from soft, food-grade silicone, and each innovative piece is smartly designed with new eaters in mind. The placemat suctions to a tray or table to keep messes in check and features a bowl with a rounded lip to help tiny fingers scoop food more easily. The spoons have an arc to help develop lip closure and sensory bumps to decrease gagging, and the open cup has a non-slip grip, a weighted base and tactile bumps for stability.
With seven fun colors to choose from, there’s something for every hungry new eater here.
A Safe Spot to Explore
Why You Need It
Because you’ve got a curious kiddo who needs a safe, stimulating place to play.
Why We Love It
Six-month-olds are nothing if not super curious. They’re hitting major developmental milestones around this time and building stronger head control and better hand-eye coordination and are primed to explore the world around them. An activity center is an awesome addition to your playroom right around this time, and the Explore and More checks all the right boxes.
The clean, modern aesthetic is the first thing that stands out about the Explore and More—that’s not the norm with most activity centers, and we appreciate that this one won’t stick out like a sore thumb in our living room. We also love that it’s packed with things to do yet not overwhelming for most babies. There are over 25 developmentally appropriate activities for your little one including things like a musical, light-up piano, a peek-a-boo owl, and a bead and spinner toy. And the seat bounces and swivels for added fun.
The icing on the cake? The Explore and More converts from a self-contained place to play for babies to a play station for cruisers and finally to a toddler table. It’s a great investment that will go the distance as your little one grows.
A Diaper Changing Hero
Why You Need It
Because a distraction during diaper changes can save your sanity.
Why We Love It
Remember when your newborn used to lie peacefully cooing on the changing table while you put on a fresh diaper? Those sure were the days.
Changing a six-month-old’s diaper is akin to winning a wrestling match with a puppy. With all of the wriggling, squirming, sitting up and flipping over, you need a distraction and you need one fast. This musical toy from Sassy is super affordable and gets the job done in a major way.
The Do-Re-Mi features everything six-month-olds love: something to look at, something to chew on, something to press on and something to listen to. There are bright colors, varied textures, click-clack rings and tons of music and silly sounds to capture your baby’s attention. Keep this and a few other similar toys in a small basket near your changing table and in your diaper bag to distract your little one during diaper changes so you can get the job done.
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