Best Toys for Babies 6-9 Months
Encourage baby to smile, babble and grow with these fun toys.
By Babylist Team
Although all ages and phases of a baby’s development are amazing, six to nine months old just might be one of the best.
Gone are the marathon feeding sessions and the seemingly endless stream of dirty diapers of those first few months. The fog of those early newborn days has lifted, and in its place is an alert and curious little babe who loves to smile, babble and, most of all, play!
Playing with your child is important at any age, but especially as your baby transitions from a tiny newborn to a slightly older baby. Babies around this age love nothing more than interacting with the world around them—it’s how they learn, reach milestones and develop their senses. Playing with them is not only fun but good for building physical and cognitive skills as well as social and emotional intelligence. While there are many ways to nurture play, baby toys make it easy to do, too.
Baby’s Development Milestones from 6 to 9 Months
There are so many developmental leaps to look forward to between six and nine months. Here are some of the milestones to keep an eye out for, according to the CDC, and how to incorporate play along the way. (And remember that all babies develop at their own individual pace, so this is only a broad guideline. If you ever have any questions about your child’s development, don’t hesitate to ask your pediatrician.)
Social and Emotional Milestones from 6 to 9 Months:
- Recognizing familiar faces (and unfamiliar ones!)
- Enjoying playing with others
- Responding to other people’s emotions
Try this: Use a baby-safe mirror to show your little one their own face. Smile, make funny faces and be silly, and show them how it reflects! There are even simple board books that focus on faces and emotions, and they can help your baby recognize different facial expressions.
Language and Communication Milestones from 6 to 9 Months:
- Responding to sounds by making sounds
- Stringing vowels together while babbling
- Making sounds to show joy and displeasure
- Responding to their name
Try this: Talk and sing with your baby throughout the day. Encourage communication by pointing at objects, talking about them and using books with common first words and household objects. Use musical toys to sing together, and practice reciprocal play by encouraging your little one to “sing back” to you. And when you get tired from singing all day, keep the music going with favorite children’s musicians like Raffi, Laurie Berkner, or Greg & Steve.
Cognitive Milestones from 6 to 9 Months:
- Showing curiosity about the world
- Trying to grab things that are out of reach
- Passing things from one hand to another
- Chewing on just about anything
Try this: Let your baby play with—and then drop or knock over—soft balls, toys and stacking cups, then pick them up and give them back; it’s a great way to start teaching the concept of cause and effect. And when they start chewing, give your little one a teether and watch them go to town!
Movement and Physical Development Milestones from 6 to 9 Months:
- Rolling in both directions
- Supporting their weight when standing
- Sitting without support
- Rocking back and forth in preparation for crawling
Try this: Use an an activity gym to encourage motor development—they allow your baby to move, explore and practice reaching for objects and sitting up. You can also position a soft ball just out of reach to encourage your little one to move toward it. You can even start rolling it back and forth to each other.
To help your growing baby achieve all those important milestones—and have fun doing it—we’ve curated a list of some parent favorites for developmental toys. And if you’re looking for a curated book or toy collection on the regular, be sure to check out these subscription boxes that you can sign up for that are specially designed by age and developmental stage.
Babylist’s Best Toys for 6 to 9 Months
Tummy Time
As baby gets stronger and more curious, give them an extra boost with these additions to tummy time.
Activity Centers
These all-in-one fun activity zones help with lots of different areas of development, from leg strength and balance to fine motor skills.
For Grabby Hands
These toys help develop baby’s fine motor skills as they grab, shake and drop everything they can get their hands on.
Inspiring Creativity
It’s never to early for baby to learn about art and music. These toys can help inspire their inner creative genius.
Teethers
Right around the six-to-nine month mark, you may start to see baby’s first teeth emerge. Stock up on teethers to keep sore gums soothed.
Social-Emotional Learning
Although your baby can’t talk yet, they’re learning all about emotions and socializing (mostly by watching you!).
Looking for more toys?
Check out our Toy Shelf in the Babylist Shop!
