best educational toys for babies

Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and none of these companies requested inclusion in this list of top baby toys for 6-12 months.

Thanks to having an abundance of nieces and nephews, as well as my own two little girls, I’ve been buying baby toys for almost 10 years now. And I have to tell you, I think buying for infants is the hardest! They don’t need all that much to entertain them, especially when they are newborns (mama will pretty much do!). But I do think that the needs of babies get a little more complex for the second half of their first year. With a bit of digging, you can actually find some pretty cool baby toys for ages 6-12 months. And to save you some time, I’ve done the digging for you so you can have a curated list of some of the top toys for babies in this age range.

1. B. Toulouse Magnetic Sketcher

You may be surprised by how babies can become interested in drawing at an early age. This sketch pad has a magnetic pencil and animal shaped stamps. Such a great way to work on grasping!

2. Baby Einstein Musical Activity Table

This is one of those classic toys that is great for little ones just learning to stand. And because it’s Baby Einstein, the music it plays is classical, and is more tolerable than what you will find with most other similar offerings. Trust me…the music matters, because you will be hearing A LOT of it!

3. Hide ‘n Squeak Eggs

This toy gets high praise for being entertaining to multiple ages. Little ones will have a good time exploring the objects, themselves, and toddlers will be able to use these as they begin to engage in pretend play.

4. Fisher Price Bright Beats Dance & Move BeatBo

Time to start learning some dance moves! Your baby will bob along to the beats played by this toy, and they can even record themselves singing or making noises. Super fun!

5. Step 2 Up & Down Roller Coaster

This toy is on the higher end, price-wise (which makes it a perfect group gift or grandparent gift!) but the fun factor here is HUGE. This item was in the room of the baby gym class I took my oldest to when she was a tiny thing, and it was by far her favorite thing. You will obviously need to assist younger ones with this, but once they are able to walk on their own, they can probably ride on their own! And this toy will last for a few years before being outgrown, too.

6. Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Rock-a-Stack

Another classic toys that entertains for a surprisingly long time. It’s so great to watch those babies get better at stacking as they get older! My youngest played with this from the time she was about 6 months old until she was 2 1/2.

7. VTech Touch and Swipe Baby Phone

There’s a lot of debate out there about how old kids should be when they get their first phone. I’m voting for before age 1, for sure! Babies notice how attached their parents are to their phones, so they want one, too. This is a MUCH more cost effective way to give your little one his/her first phone. 🙂

8. Playskool Elefun Ball Popper

I can still here the squeals of delight. This toys was a HUGE hit with both of my girls. You put balls in and a few second later they pop back out, causing little ones to crawl and toddle after them. It also makes fun sounds the delight.

9. Baby Einstein Rock Light Guitar

Every little rock-n-roll baby needs a guitar! Start them young with this fun find.

10.Fisher Price Crib Soother

At this age, your baby will be doing the hard work of learning how to self soothe and put him/herself to sleep. This device gives a drowsy but not-yet-ready-to-sleep baby some gentle entertainment; push the button and watch the light show and listen to some soothing music!

11. Infantino Textured Multi Ball Set

I know a little one who was absolutely obsessed with balls as a baby. This set is easy for a baby to grab, and it comes with different sizes an textures, which is ideal for those developing tactile senses.

12. VTech Bubbles the Learning Whale

Music and bubbles join forces to make bath time so very fun! The suction cups work great, too!

13. Hape Pound and Tap Bench

Wooden toys have such amazing lasting power, and this brand produces such great quality. This is a 2-in-1 find because it has a pound and tap section (babies LOVE that) and a xylophone section that babies will enjoy and toddlers will love to pieces.

14. Hohner Baby Band

These music toys are simple enough for babies to play with, and they make fun sounds for toddlers to shake along to as they start further exploring dance and movement.

15. BRICA Magical Firefly Light Up Car Backseat Mirror

Not only does this mirror allow you to see your rear-facing baby in his/her seat, but it also plays lights and music to keep them entertained. So many babies don’t like riding in the car, and this does a nice job of calming and soothing and/or entertaining. The parent gets a remote in the front so they can turn it on for baby. So cool!

16. Joovy Tricycoo

This is a PERFECT first birthday present! You can buy it for a younger age, too, as it has support arms to keep the baby in. Once they are ready, you can take those support arms off so they can ride on their own. The parent steering capabilty on this one is awesome, too!

17. Lamaze Clip and Go Animals

There are lots of different animals to choose from, and they tend to be universal favorites with babies. They are great sensory toys and for my kids, at least, were buddies in the car and the stroller.

18. Fisher Price Learn with Lights Piano

It’s a loud, crazy toy (fair warning) but the lights and music it plays sure do seem to be popular with the little ones. This is another toy that will be popular for quite some time before baby moves on. Since it’s small, it travels well, too.

19. Step 2 Whisper Ride Buggy

Here’s another toy that will be loved, not just for a season, but for years! This is actually a super fun alternative to a stroller if you are headed to a public event.

20. Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Click’n Remote

Similar to phones, babies also see their parents clutching to remote controls, so they want one, too! End all that channel changing by replacing the real remote with this one, as parents report it taking several months before babies realize they aren’t still controling the TV. 🙂

21. Munchkin Nursery Projector & Sound System

While this isn’t exactly a toy, it is a sound machine that your baby will adore. It has several settings with timers (you can even set it to stay on all night!). As babies get older, they will start to interact with the different sounds and songs that can be played. And the projector is such a fun treat, as it puts images on the wall or ceiling.

22. Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle and Teether

When they are in that “grabby” stage (starting right around 6 months) this toy is a winner. It’s easy to grab and it makes really fun rattle sounds. It’s also designed for chewing, which is important for a little teether!

23. My Busy Town

This is the PERFECT toy right for that time when your baby is learning how to stand unassisted. This toy entices them to stand up and play!

24. Nuby Teether Beads

Very affordable, and babies absolutely LOVE them. The 6-12 month span is very slobbery thanks to all those teeth coming in, and this soothes so well!

25. Little Tikes Swing

Last but certainly not least, this one is an absolute MUST, friends. There is nothing more precious than the giggles and laughs from a baby in a swing. We had ours installed on our front porch, which was a much easier distance than to the park!

I have stared at the Amazon screen many, MANY times trying to figure out which baby toys for 6-12 months to go for, so I hope this saves you some time, because everything on this list is vetted as a winner! Be sure to check out the list of best toys for 12-18 month olds, as well!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what to get my baby for Christmas. Of course, I want the day to bring her joy and laughter, but I know that it is completely unnecessary for me to overwhelm her with material objects in order to bring a smile to her face (and I pray that I never lose sight of that fact!). I’ve been thinking about finding just a few interactive toys for baby that are developmentally appropriate for her (looking for baby toys for 6-12 months), and that are affordable. If you’ve ever shopped for toys for babies, you know that you can certainly find cheap stuff out there, but that doesn’t mean that it will engage a child’s mind. You can also find some really engaging toys that hit your checking account awfully hard. In my opinion, Playskool is a brand that offers the toys that children can learn and grow with, minus the heavy price tag. If you have a baby or toddler on your Christmas list, I want to highlight a few really great affordable toys for babies from Playskool, all under $20.

For babies ages 6 months and up, the Tumble ‘N Twirl Top is an excellent option. Balls can be dropped into the chute, and then the button on top can be pressed to start twirling them around! A baby can also open the door to release the balls and enjoy crawling after them. This product retails for $19.99.

Another great option for a baby 9 months and older is the Blocksters Blockimals. These are stacking blocks with a twist! The outside of the blocks have different animal characters on them. The blocks also have an animal on the inside of the blocks for additional fun! The blocks come in sets of 3 and retail for $14.99.

If the baby in your life is 12 months or older, Playskool has a really cute and thrifty option for you. Wheel Pals are soft and squeezable animals on wheels! Your young toddler will really enjoy rolling these along the floor time and time again. The price also cannot be beat, as these retail for $3.99. These would be a terrific stocking stuffer, or put together a few of them (there are 12 varieties from which to choose) for a really fun gift.

For the kids ages 2 and up (and let’s be real, also for the grown ups), consider a Classic Themed Mr. Potato Head! If you never had a Mr. Potato Head growing up, I encourage you to indulge yourself and get one! They are SO MUCH FUN, and of course, they are even more fun when you get to introduce them to a child for the first time. Pretty much everyone is familiar with Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head figures, but did you know that Playskool also offers a Firefighter Spud that comes with an extinguisher and Captain Potato Chips, complete with a peg leg, eye patch and hooked hand? Imagine the fun to be had with these toys, and for the low price of $9.99!

I hope that this post gives you some ideas for truly fun toys for babies at a price point that won’t make you squeamish. The folks at Playskool do an excellent job of creating great toys that children will reach for again and again. They are definitely buy-worthy, in my book!

They are also win-worthy! Playskool is offering a Stuff Parents Need reader some of these excellent toys! One of you will win a Firefighter Spud AND 2 Wheel Pals! You will be giving hours and hours of fun to the little one in your life who will receive these, I guarantee it! This contest will run until December 15th at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be selected via random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email with requested information. Open to residents of the United States.

How to Enter

Mandatory entry: You must follow or subscribe to my blog! Options include following me through Google friend, subscribing through email, or subscribing via RSS. Let me know which one you use in your entry.

Additional Entries:
1. Follow HasbroNews on Twitter
2. Tell me another Playskool toy you really love!
3. Check out the For Parents section of the Playskool site, and tell me something you learned there!
4. Enter my giveaway for swaddling blankets (ends 12/12)
5. Enter my Delicae Gourmet giveaway (ends 12/13)

Disclosure: I received no form of compensation for this post. I just love Playskool! Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you.

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