How to Choose Toys for Babies 6 Months & Older

As vision and motor skills continue to develop in babies 6 months and older, playing becomes a primary means by which a child learns. By this age, babies are reaching out and grasping for objects, rolling over and beginning to push up on their hands and knees. So how do you know which toys are appropriate for a child this age?

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Board books
• <br>Colorful blocks
• <br>Stuffed animals
• <br>Nesting cups
• <br>Stacking rings

1. Choose soft dolls and plush animals, as babies this age begin to form attachments to toys that are soft and cuddly. Dolls and other stuffed toys with stitched-on features are good choices, but avoid those with plastic eyes, noses and mouths, or those that have buttons, ribbons or anything else that a baby may be able to pull off and put into his mouth. Any small and removable object is a potential chocking hazard.

2. Introduce your baby to books. It is never too soon to begin reading to your baby. Cloth, vinyl and board books can withstand a lot of wear and tear from young explorers who like to direct most everything toward the mouth. Listening to your voice as you read will help your baby distinguish between different sounds, the first step toward developing an ear for language.

3. Offer toys that will stimulate your baby. At this age children continue to be drawn to different colors, shapes and patterns. Even household objects like wooden spoons and plastic cups or containers can stimulate your child’s curiosity. Colorful blocks with pictures and nesting cups or stacking rings are other favorites.

4. Make some noise. Musical toy instruments and busy boxes that make noises when children manipulate them are other practical choices.

Tips & Warnings

• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends reading to a child beginning at about 6 months of age.
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• <br>Remember that each child develops at his or her own pace. Read package labels carefully, but use your own common sense as well. After all, no one knows your child better than you do.
• Remove activity gyms and mobiles from cribs and playpens once a child begins to push up on hands and knees, typically at about 5 or 6 months of age.