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 out 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.