Gift ideas for a 6-12 month old that won't annoy you
So like every mom I will admit that I kind of dread the holiday season knowing that a bunch of clutter-sorry- toys are about to enter my house.
My baby was born in July so he was right around 6 months old for his first christmas. When I went to make his christmas list I was purposely looking for toys that would entertain him and theoretically enhance his development-without annoying the crap out of me.
Some food for thought:
When I go about researching toys I try to find things that are a little developmentally advanced for him. I have found this to be the best- he can't necessarily fully play with them right when he gets the toys but over time he learns how to play with them. My mother in law got him some toys for christmas that were marked 3-5 months old and while he could play with them on christmas he quickly became bored with them and we moved onto the "bigger kid toys".
Also- I want to be 100% real. My child totally has toys that make noise and drive me crazy. I think it's kind of inevitable but I don't actively seek them out or ask for them for birthday/christmas. First of all I don't like toys that make a ton of noise because they overstimulate me and drive me crazy. Second I've learned from a pediatric speech language pathologist that you will naturally speak more words to your child while playing with toys that don't make artificial noise. The more words you speak to them the better it is for their language development. When we do get "noisy toys" I will admit that I try to donate them or only bring them out if I'm desperate. I will admit he has a great noisy toy that is a perfect distraction during poopy diaper changes.
For christmas and birthdays I have found that an amazon wishlist is the best way to ask for what you would like. Yes this seems a little snooty but only you really know what you have at your house and what you "need".
1. Saucer toy
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Pichoi-Montessori-Silicone-Teething-Toddlers/dp/B0B8PH2HDC/ref=sr_1_19_sspa?crid=3USUCBW44QTY&keywords=saucer+toy&qid=1695414877&sprefix=saucer+toy%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-19-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1
This toy has really continued to grow with him. When we first got it for it in the beginning he was entertained by us pulling the cords back and forth and he liked to chew on the cords. We found it was a great toy if he was kind of crabby and just wanted to be held and entertained. Before he started crawling we would sit on the couch and he would play with this. As he got older he eventually figured out how to push the buttons and pull the cords himself. It's a toy that we continue to keep in our rotation and is small enough to put in the diaper bag and pull out if you need some noise free entertainment.
*** unfortunately this has since been recalled- but something similar to it would also still be a lot of fun
2. Ring toy
This thing I actually bought while I was pregnant but wanted to include it in this- they go on sale on amazon all the time and are pretty cheap. Again this is another toy that we have used past 12 months. From 6-9 months he mostly liked chewing on all the different rings and having the different textures in his mouth. Then as he got older he loves having some one stack all the rings and then he dumps them over. He also likes banging the rings together and hearing the different noises. At some point I know he will learn how to stack the rings himself.
3. Atom Ball
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-Toy-Teether-Grasping-Activity/dp/B06WWR2RQ7/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1KT7U1H2WJJ6P&keywords=Atom+ball+toy&qid=1695414957&sprefix=atom+ball+toy%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-3
This one too we technically didn't get for Christmas but was a HUGE hit. He's not as interested in it now but will still get it out from time to time. He loved putting all the parts in his mouth and listening to the rattle. Again it's an easy toy to throw in the diaper bag and take with you on trips.
4. Play tunnel
Link:https://www.amazon.com/Tunnel-Toddlers-Outdoor-Backyard-Playset/dp/B08CX8CSHS/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3MDG14R7NB4V&keywords=play+tunnel&qid=1695415001&sprefix=play+tunnel%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
This one we actually ended up getting right before he turned one but I wish we would've gotten it for Christmas. We asked my mother in law for it for christmas and she refused to get it then because "he wasn't old enough". You probably won't get much use out of it as a 6 month old but you can for sure use it once they start crawling. One thing I like about this toy is that it compresses down and cleans up quickly and you can take it outside if you want to.
Note: for some reason a lot of the play tunnels featured on Amazon have plastic balls pictured with them which I DID NOT want. The one in the link doesn't come with balls.
5. Activity center
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Tunnel-Toddlers-Outdoor-Backyard-Playset/dp/B08CX8CSHS/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3MDG14R7NB4V&keywords=play+tunnel&qid=1695415001&sprefix=play+tunnel%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
I love the skip hop activity center. While he did spend a lot of time on the floor exploring it was nice to have him sometimes in a safe contained area. Not gonna lie totally put him in this to quickly make breakfast or do something that I needed to be hands free for. Sometimes it could buy me 15 minutes which is golden in this age range. Two things I really like about this activity center is 1. It has a foot rest so their hips aren't being strained while in it like other toys like this 2. It grows with you- the middle part comes out and can be used as a little kid table- this is how we are currently using it. Plus none of the toys on the table make artificial noise
6. Outdoor Swing
This one I will admit is weather dependent and based on where you live. We got an outdoor swing set up up for him around 9 months old. While this technically isn't a "toy" I found this very handy during the time when they start crawling and you want to take them outside but without them crawling around in the dirt. I will fully admit that I've put him in this when I wanted to get some yard work done and would just come and push him for a bit and then run and do some yard work. As long as he could watch me he was fine and enjoyed it.
7. Lift the flap books
We found that during this time he LOVED "lift the flap" or "peek-a-boo" books. These are a great way to read to your kid and keep them engaged. They are also an inexpensive gift if someone is looking to get them something small or a good stocking stuffer. I would recommend felt lift the flaps rather than paper for longevity reasons.
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