Essential toys for 5 - 12 months

[JamieJay]

DD will be 4 1/2 months at Christmas and DH's huge family (who like buying presents so money or practical things are no go) are starting to ask what they should buy her for Christmas.

Given we have a tiny house I want to try and limit the amount of unnecessary toys we're given so was hoping for some suggestions as to what are the key toys that got a lot of use when your DC's where that age.

She's already getting stacking cups, a set of "That's not my" books and one of those octopus toys with different textured/noisey legs.

Thanks

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Hello, this thread is quite old and some of the suggestions are a little out of date. Take a look at our round up of the best toys for babies who are 6-12 months old for the latest Mumsnet user recommendations.

Thanks!

TBH she won't really be into anything much for a while... I'd go for stuff that will be useful maybe a bit later in the year. Things like a toddle cart with wooden bricks, wooden xylophone, shape sorter...or how about asking them to club together for baby swimming classes or something if you fancy that?

Fabric cubes for stacking, ring stacker, shape sorter. Fully sympathize with the small house!

Thanks both, had thought about them clubbing together for a big thing but however expensive it is DH's parents will want to buy it!

Will definately go with the stuff for the future approach as money is going to be non existant after the new year so won't be able to buy her toys very often........

x-posted maryz, thanks - sadly DD already loves noisey musical things at 12 weeks (takes after her father) so think noise is going to be inevitable

How about a door bouncer (or jumperoo type thing if you have the space)?

Those boxes of junk are a brilliant idea (we had loads of different textured things in ours, wooden spoon, leather bookmark, spikey ball etc (all new and not really christmas present thing - but a brillaint idea for littles.

They don't need much at 4 1/2 months so agree, maybe ask for money towards swimming or Tumble Tots (which I think they can start at 6 months).

First Christmas is so exciting :)

How about some lovely storage for the toys?

But yes! Clubbing together for classes is a great idea. My mum paid for DS to go to sing and sign for his first Christmas IIRC.

Also maybe open her a savings account and ask them to contribute?

My DS (13 months) loves books - story books and tactile/touchy feely books with different textures etc. He's had them for months and always comes back to them.
He also likes balls - football, smaller ball pool type ones for rolling games and throwing. Again has done since he was about 6 months old.

He has that octopus toy thing (Lamaze?) but didn't really take to it!

The boxes of junk are called Treasure Baskets. They are for babies from about 6 months. There are lots of books and info available about the thinking behind them and good ideas for what to put in. The person who originally came up with the idea is called Elinor Goldschmeid. I have 3 DCs the youngest is 3.5. If I could buy for my babies again I would definitely do them some Treasure Baskets. Trust me it is not long before your house is full of toys and tbh at this age they really do not need commercial toys.

Google Treasure Baskets you'll gets loads of info.

Thanks all, lots of great ideas there.

Think we're going to have to wait until her birthday to start on the garden toys as the garden is currently inaccesible and won't be sorted until next March. Love the idea of presents that build over the years though.

maddylou definately need the storage.

Lift-the-flap books have been popular here at that age (e.g Dear Zoo, Where's Spot?, Oh Dear). Also got a lot of use out of a door bouncer and a sit in activity station.

DS loves these which the childminder has - he's so excited to go to her house just to play with them, as are the other 2 babies she has (DS 13 months, a 15 month old, and a 8 month old). not sure why, but think they'll be our 'must buy' for christmas!!

Door bouncer could be a good for grandparents, should be substantial enough for them.

Just need to think how to sell the treasure basket idea to people.....

Wow, kveta, those have eggcellent reviews. (geddit? Sorry)

Thanks for the link, have ordered some.

My DS loves his rubber ducks, maracas, bell, vtech moosical cow, stacking cups... Everything else just sits in baskets. Does he have a nice playmat (not a gym, they bore of them quickly, just a mat).

My DD is 8 months, will be 10 months at Christmas. She's getting a little ride-on and a Vtech walker off each of the grandparents.
We've got her some books with noisy buttons down the sides, a tambourine and a drum (we must be mad) and a Fisher Price tea set.

The last few months, the things she's loved playing with most are shakey noisey rattley toys (Lamaze etc), Cookie Jar with shapes, and just lately some simple wooden jigsaws.

If money is no object, I'd love a wooden rocking thing from Mamas and Papas, think it's called Lottie - she always goes on it at baby group and loves it.

My DS is 12mo and has loved his Vtech walker thingy since he was 4mo - it does make noise but you can switch it off and they don't seem to mind! He loves pushing it around - it means they can walk earlier (ie before they learn to do it unaided). We even take it to the park so he can run around pushing it, knackers him out nicely

Maman JoJo Bebe does lovely giant storage bags for toys

Pop up tunnel? Your DD will not get the benefit of it until she's crawling, but it'll have a lot of long-term play value after that. Ditto pop up tent. Both can be folded away when not in use.

My DS (2.4) still plays every day with this Laugh and Learn table he got when he was around 5 1/2 months. It's noisy, but not too loud iyswim. It can be used without the legs once they're sitting up and you can attach the legs once they're cruising.

I think the Vtech walker linked to earlier is a great buy. We had both that and a wooden toddle truck and the Vtech walker was much easier for my DS to navigate.

Thanks all, plenty to be thinking about there. Now just need to work out what we're buying them all......

My DS has that too, MistressP. It's still going despite being left in the rain more than once.