The journey from six to twelve months is a whirlwind of developmental milestones. Your baby is becoming more mobile, curious, and interactive, making playtime a crucial part of their growth. Choosing the right toys can support their burgeoning skills, from fine motor development and cause-and-effect understanding to sensory exploration and early problem-solving.
This is a period of rapid change, and the best toys are those that grow with your little one. We have curated a list of engaging picks that are not only fun but also designed to stimulate your baby’s senses and encourage their natural development. These toys focus on safety, durability, and providing a variety of play experiences to keep your infant entertained and learning.
Our Top Picks for Infant Play and Development
- Melissa & Doug Musical Farmyard Cube
- hahaland Baby Sensory Toys – 16 PCS Play Food
- Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy
- Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle & Sensory Teether
- Fisher-Price Glow and Grow Kick & Play Piano Gym
- Sassy Stacks of Circles Stacking Ring Toy
- Bright Starts Oball Shaker Rattle Toy
- Infantino Textured Multi Ball Set
- Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys
- Lamaze Freddie The Firefly
Melissa & Doug Musical Farmyard Cube
This soft activity cube is a multi-sensory adventure for your baby. It combines a variety of textures, sounds, and sights to keep little hands and minds busy. Features include crinkling fabric, a toddler-tough plastic mirror, knotted tags, and a sturdy textured ring for easy grabbing.
Beyond the tactile elements, the cube introduces cause and effect. By pressing the animals’ noses, babies are rewarded with authentic animal sounds and four lively melodies. This interactive element encourages repeated play, helping to develop fine motor skills and auditory recognition in an engaging farmyard theme.
hahaland Baby Sensory Toys – 16 PCS Play Food
This extensive set of 16 plush fruits and vegetables is designed to spark curiosity and engage the senses. Each piece incorporates different features like crinkly paper, gentle rattles, and varied textures to promote early sensory exploration. The bright colors and soft materials are perfect for little ones to investigate.
Inspired by Montessori principles, this set encourages hands-on play and independent learning. Babies can practice peeling, squeezing, and sorting the pieces into the included colorful baskets. These activities are excellent for strengthening fine motor skills, coordination, and early color recognition and sorting abilities.
Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy
This compact and portable musical toy is a classic for a reason. It introduces babies to the world of classical music with 10 masterpieces from composers like Mozart and Chopin. The large, easy-to-press button teaches cause and effect, rewarding your baby with beautiful melodies at the touch of a finger.
As the music plays, colorful lights dance to the melody, providing a captivating auditory and visual experience. This combination helps stimulate both sensory pathways. With a parent-friendly volume control, it’s a toy that can provide hours of entertainment at home or on the go.
Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle & Sensory Teether
With over 25 years of soothing babies, the Winkel is a time-tested classic. Its main feature is a mesmerizing maze of continuous, BPA-free tubes that are easy for little hands to grasp and manipulate. This design promotes clutching and two-handed play, which is great for motor skill development.
It serves a dual purpose as both a sensory toy and a teether. The tubes can be safely chilled in the refrigerator to provide cooling relief for sore gums. A quiet rattle is encased in the center cube, providing gentle auditory stimulus without being overwhelming for baby or parent.
Fisher-Price Glow and Grow Kick & Play Piano Gym
This activity gym offers four distinct ways to play as your baby grows from a newborn to an active infant. It starts as a place for tummy time and progresses to a seated play station, ensuring long-term use and value. The removable piano is the centerpiece, with five light-up keys that respond to your baby’s kicks and touches.
Featuring Smart Stages technology, the gym offers over 85 songs, sounds, and phrases that teach animals, colors, numbers, and shapes. The content adapts to your baby’s age and stage, including the popular “Maybe” song with the purple monkey, making learning fun and interactive.
Sassy Stacks of Circles Stacking Ring Toy
This classic stacking toy is designed with infant development in mind. The straight, simple post makes it easier for babies to successfully place the rings, building their confidence and hand-eye coordination. The rings are chunky and easy for small hands to grasp, which helps strengthen fine motor skills.
Each of the rings has a different texture and weight, providing a rich sensory experience. The textural variety is also ideal for mouthing, which is a primary way babies explore their world. This toy introduces early STEM concepts like size and order in a simple, accessible way.
Bright Starts Oball Shaker Rattle Toy
Oball’s unique, flexible design is a favorite for a reason—it’s incredibly easy for babies to pick up and hold. This shaker rattle features two mini Oballs connected, with colorful rattle beads inside that create a fun, engaging sound to capture your baby’s attention.
The textured, clear plastic allows your baby to see the beads moving as they shake the toy, reinforcing the concept of cause and effect. The flexible material is also gentle and teething-friendly, making it a versatile toy that combines motor skill development with sensory play.
Infantino Textured Multi Ball Set
This set of 10 balls provides a fantastic foundation for sensory and motor development. The balls come in a variety of bright colors, sizes, and, most importantly, textures. Each one offers a different tactile experience for your baby to feel, encouraging sensory exploration through touch.
The easy-to-grab designs are perfect for little hands to reach, bat, grab, and roll. This type of play helps develop coordination and gross motor skills. The soft, lightweight material ensures they are safe for indoor play, making them ideal for encouraging active, engaging fun.
Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys
Designed to look like a set of colorful keys, this teether is perfectly sized for little hands to hold and maneuver. The keyring design makes it easy for babies to grasp, allowing them to guide the soothing teethers to their gums independently, which can be very comforting.
The key feature is the ice gel-filled rings that can be chilled to provide extra relief for sore, teething gums. The silicone teething surfaces offer varied textures, and the gentle pressure can help comfort your baby during this uncomfortable stage of development.
Lamaze Freddie The Firefly
Lamaze toys are renowned for their high-contrast colors and developmental features, and Freddie the Firefly is a standout example. This soft, clip-on character is designed to engage multiple senses with a crinkly wing, a squeaker, a teether, a rattle, and a clip for attaching to strollers or car seats.
The bold patterns and colors are visually stimulating for developing eyesight. Each part of Freddie invites interaction, helping to develop grasping, batting, and fine motor skills. Its multi-sensory approach makes it a versatile companion that can keep your baby entertained and soothed during various activities.
Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Baby Toys for 6 to 12 Months
When I look for toys for a baby in this age group, I focus on items that match their rapid development. Between six and twelve months, babies are on the move! They go from sitting up to crawling, pulling up, and maybe even taking their first steps. Their play needs to support this physical growth as well as their cognitive and sensory skills. The best baby toys for 6 to 12 months are those that grow with them and offer multiple ways to play.
First, I always consider safety. Everything goes straight into a baby’s mouth at this stage, so toys need to be made from non-toxic materials, have no small parts that could be a choking hazard, and be sturdy enough to withstand being chewed on and thrown. I check for a solid construction without sharp edges.
Next, I think about the developmental benefits. I look for toys that encourage cause-and-effect. When a baby pushes a button and a light flashes or a song plays, they’re learning that their actions have consequences. This is a fundamental cognitive skill. Stacking rings, simple shape sorters, and pop-up toys are fantastic for this. They also help with fine motor skills as babies practice grasping, pinching, and releasing.
I also prioritize toys that promote movement. A baby who is starting to crawl will be motivated by a ball that rolls away from them or a push toy they can chase. For a baby pulling up to stand, an activity table they can hold onto is perfect. These toys make physical milestones feel like a fun game.
Textures and sounds are another big one. This age is all about sensory input. I look for toys with different fabrics, crinkly sections, bumpy surfaces, and soft teething edges. Books with high-contrast pictures and varied textures are always a hit in my experience. These elements help refine their sense of touch and sight.
Finally, I consider longevity. A toy that only does one thing might be interesting for a week. I prefer toys that can be used in different ways as the baby grows. A set of blocks can be chewed on at six months, banged together at eight months, and stacked at twelve months. That kind of versatility is what makes a toy a true winner and a smart purchase for any parent navigating the world of the best baby toys for 6 to 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of toys are best for helping my baby learn to crawl?
Toys that encourage movement are key. I often recommend balls that roll at a slow, predictable pace, or toys that have a little wobble to them. Push toys that move forward when batted can also motivate a baby to army-crawl or crawl after them. The goal is to have something just out of reach that makes them want to move their body to get it.
Are electronic toys with lights and sounds a good choice?
They can be, in moderation. Electronic toys are great for teaching cause-and-effect. The problem is when they are overstimulating or do all the work for the child. I look for ones where the baby’s physical action creates the result, like pressing a large button. I balance these with plenty of open-ended toys like blocks and stacking cups that don’t have a “right” way to play.
How many toys should I have available for my baby at one time?
In my experience, less is often more. Having a huge pile of toys can be overwhelming for a baby and can shorten their attention span. I suggest rotating a selection of 4-6 toys at a time. When you notice a loss of interest, put a few away and bring out the “new” ones from the rotation. This keeps things fresh and interesting without clutter.
What should I look for in a toy to help with teething?
Safety and texture are my top priorities. I make sure any teething toy is made from food-grade, BPA-free silicone or other safe materials. It should be easy for little hands to hold and have different textured surfaces to massage sore gums. Some can be chilled in the refrigerator (not the freezer) for added relief. Always check the manufacturer’s guidelines.
Are there specific features that make a toy engaging for the entire 6 to 12 month period?
Absolutely. The most engaging picks are those that offer multiple stages of play. A good activity cube, for example, might have a bead maze for a younger baby to visually track, and then later, they can use it to pull up to stand and practice fine motor skills on the different sides. Toys that adapt to a baby’s growing abilities are the ones that get the most use and provide the best value as you select the best baby toys for 6 to 12 months.