Top toys 6m to a year+

[Miffster]

DS is 7.5m and doesn't have many toys. We are going to get some more today, but don't live in the UK. There is an array of plastic things that need batteries available from the local US style shop, all quite expensive. We are going back to the UK for a holiday in August so can get stuff. Would like some tips from those in the know. What toys are/were loved by your DC? What should we be looking for?

He has: various soft toys given at birth that he is not that fussed about, terrors and what have you.
Some lovely wooden puzzles where you put animals etc back in the animal shaped hole.
An activity centre triangle thing which is brilliant because he sits still and plays with it.
A largish plastic truck
A soft ball
Rattles
A thing where you post various soft shapes through holes into a box
Some large legoish blocks that are a bit advanced for him at the mo.

He also likes wooden spoons, metal bowls, toilet rolls, empty water bottles, cardboard boxes and cushions to scramble over.

He is crawling and zipping around everywhere, trying to pull up and putting everything in his mouth.

Thank you!

[Miffster]

Terrors? Teddies! Stupid iPad predictive thing going on...

[Woodlands]

Stacking cups are an all time favourite here. Plus wooden and fabric bricks. Anything with buttons to press to make a noise, or those toys where there are four different types of buttons/switches (mechanical, not electronic) and each one makes a different thing happen.

[monkoray]

Activity tables are good for babies who are starting to pull up, because they can practice standing and cruising while playing with toys.
ELC do some really nice music sets with rattles and bells and tambourines - any toy where a child can make it make a noise seems to be good at that age. DS also liked soft books - especially the ones with crinckly pages. He had stacking cups - he loved me stacking them up so he could knock them down and he also did that with his wooden blocks. And he liked his plastic ring stacker (you know one of those spikes that you put ever increasing sized rings on - you can actually get some lovely wooden ones but we bought a very cheap plastic one because DS liked chewing on the rings when teething). In the summer DS loved going in the paddling pool.

[CatL]

I was also going to say stacking cups - my 18 month year old has been using them since about 6months and still does - started banging them together and now builds towers, uses them for water play etc. nice and small to take places with your too. Also the stackingrings. Books that have flaps to open, touch adn feel etc also good.

[Miffster]

• makes notes-
  

Thank you!

[CatL]

Thought of some others - instruments like bells and drums to make some noise with! And little activity cubes with different things to pull, press, make noise with etc. Can't find the one we have on internet as is second hand, but something like this: www.marksandspencer.com/My-First-Activity-Cube-Toy/dp/B002HLSKPW. If he is already pulling up, may soon be ready for a toddle truck / push along toy - mine was slow in that respect so not until much more recently, but I know some do at about 9 months.

[moaningminniewhingesagain]

Tomy Hide and squeak eggs. They are the most played with, and one of the cheapest, toys my children have had. No batteries needed either.

these are the ones

[swash]

Stacking cups top toy here - we had strong plastic ones and they are still being played with by dd2 (aged 4.5). Thy double up as bath toys too.

Another perfect older-baby toy is a rainmaker.

[PotterWatch]

Yes to hide and squeak eggs! My DS loved them! and the stacking cups, in fact he is 3.5 and still uses them as bath toys now.

He also loved the plastic musical nursery rhyme book he had, a cot toy from Toys R Us that had lots of buttons and fiddly bits for him to play with. I am also going to get DD (5 months) the fisher price ball thing that has a face and rolls around the floor, I think she will really like that.

[Miffster]

Fab, that's a great list! Thank you

[babymutha]

wooden spoon
DD couldn't get enough