5 Essential Play Items for 6-12 Month Olds

Below are 5 essential play items for 6-12 month olds! These toys and items are great because we use them all the time and most of them can be used in many different ways, which reduces the number of toys you need to buy and reduces waste and clutter!

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Ball Pit Balls

If you follow my account you probably already know that I looove ball pit balls for baby. I bought a set on a whim and I am so glad that I did because they are our most-used toy! There is a reason they are a part of a lot of my hacks, balls are so versatile and these ball pit balls are a good size for babies. I also like that they are soft and lightweight.

Painter’s Tape

Painter’s tape is definitely runner-up because babies are drawn to it like moths to a light, and it can be a great tool for working on fine motor skills. Most of the time I just put some tape on the window and let baby go at it, but you can use it in conjunction with toys and balls as well. You can even use tape with the puzzles below to modify them for younger babies, just fold a piece of tape and tape it to the back side of the puzzle piece.

Puzzles

Every baby needs a good puzzle, and I love sound puzzles because they are so intriguing to baby. These wooden sound puzzles are great because they have small pegs perfect for developing baby’s pincer grasp. These sound puzzles are a huge favorite in our house and we use them allll the time.

Large Storage Bin

A storage bin is an essential tool for easy baby play because it is incredibly versatile. You can use a 100 liter bin for indoor or outdoor sensory play, as a ball pit, or as a spot for baby to practice standing (with supervision of course). Lately we have used our storage bin non-stop. And if we ever tire of it we will just actually use it for storage if you can believe that!

Stacking Toy

Stacking toys are great for this age range because they have bright pieces that are appealing to baby and that you can use in a few different ways, and because baby can work on removing pieces and eventually stacking them. I love this wooden stacking toy because it is so durable and the weight of the pieces is really nice. Sometimes we play by stacking and then baby knocking down, sometimes removing the pieces, and we baby is learning to stack them herself!