My 9 Month Old’s Favorite Play Toys
My little one is 9 months old and a very busy little boy. He is moving and grooving and all about exploring his environment. In regards to child development, this is typically a time of exploration of space and body.
Babies get their first taste of independence as they are mobile and more able to make choices of what toys they are interested in playing with. I like to keep a basket of toys accessible for our little one to make that choice. It ends up making a crazy mess (even though we only offer a small amount of toys) but its great for his development and play skills.
It is also good to note that children go through phases of development in regards to what skills they are honing in on and perfecting at the moment. Right now, we are in a big gross motor phase – on the move, crawling, climbing, cruising, etc. Last month, he was content to sit and manipulate and explore with fine motor skills. But now, those moments are short. He is still interested in figuring out how the toys “work” – What sounds can they make? How far will they roll? He will sit and play with a puzzle or shape sorter or toy with more manipulatives for a short period of time, but is still eager to move on quickly. I am perfectly okay with that knowing that he is focusing on his gross motor skills right now. As we are in this new phase, our play looks a bit different and our little one has some new favorite toys. I’d like to share his top 8 favorite toys and a few simple play ideas for your little 9-10 month old baby explorer.
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1. Balls
Balls are great because they roll and are fun to crawl after. They mimic the properties of gross motor skills and encourage movement and exploration. Balls are also great for reciprocal play – simply rolling back and forth between two people. And they help with bilateral hand coordination with passing hand sized balls between two hands, banging them together and corralling a larger ball with a game of rolling back and forth.
2. Empty container with blocks
Empty containers are so versatile and classic. Babies think it is so much fun to open/close and put things in/out. We use an old puffs container with wooden blocks. Any container would work and any hand sized manipulative that isn’t a choking hazard (obviously). The blocks make a fun sound when you shake the container. It is also fun to crawl and retrieve the blocks when they fly out of the container also.
3. Shape sorter
This is another container concept, with baby enjoying taking the top off/on and shapes in/out. Or rolling the container and chasing after it. But it’s also a great opportunity for one on one teaching time working on inserting shapes in the correct holes. Sometimes its helpful to use your hand to cover the wrong holes for initially teaching how to insert shapes in the correct hole. (Little OT hack there)
4. Mixing bowl and wooden spoon
This is another simple classic game, but man is it a favorite!! Its especially great while mommy is cooking in the kitchen. I can get the bulk of a meal cooked while baby is entertained with a metal bowl and wooden spoon.
5. Stacker toys (bowls and ring stacker)
Stacker toys are great at this age. My little one is definitely more interested in the deconstruction aspect than construction aspect at this time. He loves to take the rings off of the stacker and toss them around. He also loves to knock down the stack of bowls I so nicely arranged, but he’s learning so many things about how the objects move, how they relate to each other, their properties (texture, color, hardness)
6. Oversized vehicles
My little one loves his big fire truck, especially since it has a movable ladder and wheels that turn. He loves making the “bbbbbbrrrrrr” raspberry sound, which is a great opportunity for pretend play. Its fun to inspect how the vehicle “works” and once again…it moves so its fun to chase. (All those toys that were frustrating before because they rolled away or out of reach are suddenly fun and motivating!)
7. Magnets
Babies on the move are wanting to explore more than just the toys in their toy basket. Its fun to put a few large magnets (that don’t have small pieces as possible choking hazards) on the fridge or dishwasher for them to crawl to.
8. Peg toys
Peg toys have been a favorite for several months now. The pegs we have are easy to hold and perfect for teething. Once again, they roll and are fun to chase after. My little one definitely enjoys taking them out more than putting them in right now, but that skill will come later. We have both the Galt pop up toy and stackable pegs with a foam board (which has several itty bitty teeth marks already).
My little one has other toys that he enjoys playing with too, but these are his favorites in this current stage of development and exploration. Just like with everything in the baby world…it changes so fast!
Disclaimer: I am a registered and licensed pediatric occupational therapist with specialized training in sensory integration and neurodevelopmental treatment. I am not providing any recommendations based on my expertise as an occupational therapist. I am providing this information and experience as a mother, however some of my knowledge, experience and expertise will overflow into the information I share as a mother.
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