Gone are the days of nonstop dirty diapers and marathon feeding sessions. Those early days fog has cleared and now you have a curious little babe who loves to smile, discover the world around them and play!

A lot of the things you needed when you got home from the hospital with a newborn are no longer necessary and now you are faced with a whole new challenge of choosing toys that will not only entertain your 6-12 month old baby but also help them learn while being safe and age appropriate.

Don’t worry though. I’ve got you covered! Below is a list of baby toys and goodies that will entertain your little one and most will continue to be loved by baby even past their first birthday.

Click on images below to open up or scroll down to read more on why these baby toys are so good!

PLAY MAT

I tend to get baby a play mat really early on. Even before they turn two-months, early. Even if just for a few minutes at a time it helps get their curiosity going a bit and also helps them with learning to entertain themselves. This Tiny Love play mat is the one Axel has now and he still loves it.

SQUISHY BALLS

Once baby starts grabbing, putting things in their mouth and trying to crawl, squishy balls are the best to pique their curiosity in a safe way. It’s a perfect way to get baby really motivated to crawl over to you and to also entertain themselves on their play mat for a while. This set includes balls, cubes and little buddies making it a hit with curious little babies.

PLAY CENTER

This is a personal choice but after reading many doctor opinions on walkers not necessarily helping children learn to walk faster, we have gone with stationery play centers where babies learns to “stand” and use their leg and feet muscles while they play with the toys around them. The Infantino Go Gaga has different levels and set-ups that baby can continue to play with even when they’re fast little runners!

WALKING TOYS

These walking toys have always been a hit with our kids. Not only does it help them learn to walk around without the seat assistance but, like Axel is doing now they can also sit and play. Another one of those toys that grows with them and that your little one will get a lot of fun out of, I highly recommend this one to all baby parents!

TEETHER

With Achilles and Jade we had Sophie La Giraffe and they both loved it. I don’t know what the magic in these is but it seems like all babies love them. With Axel we were gifted a couple of different ones but this Itzy Ritzy ring is the only one he always goes for.

100 FIRST WORDS

100 First Words is one book I always recommend to first time parents. You’re probably thinking that your 6-12 month old is way too small to enjoy a book but this big and colorful book captures their attention way before they have any idea what the words and images they are looking at are. Again, this is one that will grow with them and once they actually start recognizing the objects they will love this book even more.

BABY PLUSH TOY

The lovie or plush security blanket your baby would pay no attention to before is probably one of their favorites and will many times be a favorite for a lot more years to come. Just like the name, these security blankets bring them comfort.

Cheers to your baby being entertained long enough for you to actually enjoy a cup of coffee while it’s still warm!

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