When I was choosing toys for my twins when they turned 9 months
old, I was looking for:
- toys that can be
pushed and pulled to encourage walking
- toys that can
pull-back and go forward to understand cause and effect
- toys that develop
motor skills and eye-hand coordination
- toys that have lights
and music and buttons to press
When I was choosing toys for my twins when they turned 1 year old,
I was looking for:
- toys that can be
stacked and nested to understand balance and sizes
- toys with magnets
- toys that can be
climbed onto or into or walked with
- toys that teach new
words and develop vocabulary
- toys that teach
colors, numbers, animals, shapes, alphabets, phonics for early education
Here’s the format of what you will see in the rest of this post:
1.
2. Manufacturer recommended age in brackets
3. What I like about it
Toys for 9-12 months+
- watch the ball rattle and roll down the ramp, stack it
higher for more fun
- lots of colors and nice activity for child to keep busy
2. Tomy Toys Quack Along Ducks (10
months+)
- watch duck waddle and quack along as child pulls the
cord to drag them around the house hence encouraging child to walk
3. Fisher-Price Laugh andLearn Smart Stages Activity Zoo (9 months - 3 years)
- I don't see a 3 year old enjoying this toy but a child
from 9 months to 18 months can enjoy the 50+ tunes and sounds, spinning,
opening and closing the zoo door, move the animals around, and have a
little pretend play.
4. VTech Spin and Learn Color Flashlight (12
months - 3 years)
- 70+ sounds, phrases, songs, and
teaches alphabets, colors and animals, also learn to spin and learn motor
skills, and use like a real flashlight
5. Early Learning Centre Toybox Musical Animal Train (12 months+)
- Musical train that moves. A child who
sits and crawls will enjoy and try to chase a toy that moves.
- My kids loved toys like these (not this exact train as in the picture) that we
had bought in Bangkok and India when they were 7 months to 11 months
old. After they turned a year old
and started walking, they were interested in other toys.
6. VTech Pull and Learn Car Carrier PullToy (12 months+)
- press buttons, load car and animals, listen to music,
learn colors, animals, and numbers
- pull-along toy good for child to take around and walk
- cars and radio (like walkie talkie) can encourage
pretend play
7. VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker (9months - 3
years)
- learn to walk, wheels are
smooth on hard floor as well as carpet
- pretend play with phone, lots
of lights, and buttons to press
- 70+ sing-along songs, music,
sound effects and fun phrases
OR
8. ALEX Jr. Jungle Fun Activity Cart (12
months+)
- lot of colors and illustrations for visual stimulation,
and activities to keep busy and develop motor skills, move cart to
encourage walking
9. Kid O Wobbles - Owl (12
months+)
Wiggles
and wobbles and rolls but always stands back up. I think a 9 month+ child who
can sit and crawl can also enjoy this.
Doesn't need batteries!
10. LeapFrog AlphaPup (12 months+)
- learn alphabets and phonics,
listen to sounds, hear songs, press buttons,
- pull string (leash) to drag the
puppy around
11. Crayola Fingerpaint Kit (12
months+)
- 3 tubes in red, blue, and yellow
colors of washable paint along with 10 glossy papers to keep a growing
toddler busy.
12. Mega Bloks Big Building Bag (12 months - 5
years)
- hands-on open-ended play for
kids to learn to stack blocks and build
- stimulates imagination and
creativity, easy to carry pieces in its bag
- can teach kids counting,
colors, and pretend-play with the blocks
13. Little Tikes Go and Grow Lil' Rollin' Giraffe Ride-on (12 months - 3 years)
This is like #14 but does not
have lights and music and no batteries required. These toys that involve movement are good for
a growing child to ride and stride and expend energy!
OR
14. Fisher-Price 3-in-1 Bounce, Stride and Ride Elephant (9months - 3years)
- use it as a walker: kid can
hold the bar to learn to walk, then learn to sit on it and learn to drag
forward using legs to ride: good exercise for legs
- there's songs and tunes and
lights too
- not much bouncing to do on
it--so don't buy primarily for this purpose
15. Hape Maple Blocks (12
months+)
- 50 piece wooden set for open-ended
imaginative play to build and get creative
16. ALEX Jr. My Busy Town Wooden Activity Cube (12 months+)
- curvy bead maze, peekaboo open and close doors,
alphabet tiles learn abc and objects, lot of visual stimulation
17. VTech Sit-To-Stand Ultimate Alphabet Train (12 months - 3
years)
- train in front can be used as a
walker, the seat at the back can go up and use it as a wagon
- when used together when you
insert the alphabet block in the slot it reads out the alphabet and
automatically pushes it down the chute smoothly into the wagon
- walkie-talkie and the number
pad are excellent for pretend-play
- lots of lights, colors, press
buttons, learn alphabets, words, numbers, and more
- 100+ songs and melodies
- great for building motor
skills, visual skills, sensory skills, stride and ride, good educational
toy
18. Fisher-Price Power Wheels Batman Lil' Quad (12
months - 3 years)
- Battery-operated ATV style ride on
toy. 6-volts of battery power and 2
mph maximum speed.
19. Pericross 3 in 1 Play Tunnel, BallPit, and Play Tent (12 months - 6 years)- open cubby as ball pit (holds almost 200 tennis-size
balls), teepee-style
- play tent, and tunnel can be mixed and match or put
altogether, can be used indoors and outdoors
- has basketball hoop, can keep kids busy for long time
and lot of exercise in crawling through the tent back and forth
20. Click N' Play Plastic Balls (12
months+)
Pack of 200 BPA-free
plastic balls in 6 bright colors, great for filling up a ball pit
Kiddieland Disney Winnie the Pooh Plush Rocker (12 months - 2 years)
This is the rocker my kids have but I don't like it because the seat is too smooth and there is no back support, neither is there a raised back for child to sit in the center, because of which my kids keep sliding off the pooh. I would have preferred a rocking horse or something else.
Tegu Magnetic Wooden Block Set (12
months+)
- Not all toys have to be
battery-operated or have lights and sound.
Some toys like these with open-ended play for curious kids who like
to be creative are fun too!
Boon Bath Toy Set (9
months+)
- Scrubble: scrub or fill water inside
and squirt out
- Water Bugs: 3 water bugs float and 1
net to catch them
- Boats: scoop and pour water or let the boats float
