At this age group, your baby is quickly becoming a full-fledged toddler! It is very important to give them toys to help develop sensory perceptions, motor skills, and an emotional range.

Education & Motivation

By nine to twelve months, your baby manages to get around quite well and sometimes quicker than you would like! Scooting, crawling and walking around the room holding on to furniture and sometimes even walking, baby is pretty much always on the go. Finding things and activities that keep them occupied and continuing to learn new skills is a priority. Knowing what your child needs next depends on the child's abilities and interest as you watch them play. You want various types of activities and toys that will keep them interested and learning while having a good time.

Books

From the time they were infants, books have always been a good investment and the cloth and board books still are. At this age they like the pop out, pop up, and textured books with the words being associated with a texture such as a bunny picture accompanied by a piece of bunny fur. They will actually sit and "read" their books to themselves, fun to watch and listen to! Of course, you still need your reading time together to enhance their vocabulary and your one-on-one time, which is so important to you both.

Roll + Bounce

At this age a ball takes on a whole new meaning for them. Before it would just be to hold in their hands and it would occasionally get away from them, rolling across the floor, causing a few tears of frustration.  Now, they can go after it and get it! Standing up gives it a whole new perspective – if they drop it, it bounces!

Reach Out and Touch Someone!

Communication is becoming more of an issue now and they can usually say a few more words than mama and dada, and are trying to mimic what they hear. This is the perfect time to get a realistic child-safe phone for them. Pretend to talk on the phone, then give it to them and listen while they babble away like they have seen you do. Making some calls on their own during play time will definitely push them in the right direction while learning new words.

Give it a Push

Push toys are suitable at this age, making sure to select one that’s heavily weighted to bear baby's weight safely. Leaning into it and walking around their play area helps improve their strength and coordination while mastering the technique of walking alone. Babies will enjoy pushing and pulling toys for the months to come, long after they have mastered walking.

Selecting educational, motivational and fun to learn toys for your child should be a rewarding experience for you, knowing your child is growing and blossoming in your care. Your interaction with them, whether it be reading, stacking blocks, dumping toys in and out of containers or talking on the phone, motivates them more than the toys themselves. Watching them be able to absorb themselves in a book or sit quietly playing with a push car on the floor, amusing themselves under your supervision, should invoke a sense of peace and contentment.