Toys provide an opportunity for babies to learn develop and to interact with their
environment. Even for a young baby, age appropriate toys, game and other play
activities can be fun too. Make sure that all toys used are marked appropriate
for small children and do not present any potential choking hazard(small pieces
that easily come off). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics the following
toys or play activities are recommended for babies aged 8 to 12 months:
Stacking toys or blocks
Pails, cups and other unbreakable containers
Mirrors(unbreakable of course) or all sizes
Bath or water toys
Large building blocks
Toy boxes that push open, move or make noise
Squeezable toys
Large dolls or puppets
Cars, trucks and other similar toys as long as they are made of flexible plastic
and have no sharp or removable parts
Large balls that a child can grasp or push yet not small enough to fit into the
mouth
Cardboard books with large diagrams or pictures
Push pull toys
Toy telephones
For safety's sake make sure your child is always supervised
when playing with these toys.
Parents should find our what their particular child likes, as some children prefer
one type of toy game or play activity over another. Experiment and have fun with
baby. Remember this is an opportunity to have some one-on-one time with baby even
at this age, it is never to early to get into the habit of one-on-one play time
with your child! If you have older children they can play along too.
