Jun 06, 2023

Brain Boosting Best Toys for Babies 6 to 12 Months That You Must Have

As a parent or caregiver, you want the best for your little one. You want to give them everything they need to grow and develop into happy, healthy, and intelligent individuals. One of the most important things you can do to support their development is to provide them with age-appropriate toys that help them learn and grow. In this listicle, we'll explore the best gifts for babies under 1.

These toys for babies under 1 are designed to stimulate your baby's senses, encourage their curiosity and problem-solving skills, and support their physical development. From soft blocks and rattles to activity gyms and musical toys, there's something for every baby on this list. So, without further ado, let's dive into the world of toys for infants 0-12 months and give your little one the best start in life!

What This Article Covers:

Soft blocks
Rattles
Activity gyms
Sensory balls
Texture and picture books
Shape sorters
Nesting cups
Play rings

Soft blocks

Soft blocks are a fantastic toy for babies that are safe to be squeezed, stacked, and knocked over without causing any harm. These blocks come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and textures, all of which provide a multi-sensory experience for your baby.

Your little one can explore the different shapes and sizes of the blocks as they develop their gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination. They can also discover different textures, such as smooth, bumpy, or fuzzy, which stimulates their sense of touch.

Soft blocks are perfect for babies who are just starting to explore the world around them, and they can continue to enjoy them as they grow and develop. Plus, these blocks are made from soft, non-toxic materials that are easy to clean, so you can rest assured that your baby is playing with a safe and hygienic toy.

Wee Gallery Soft Blocks

The Wee Gallery Woodland Fabric Block is an ideal toy for your baby's growth and development. With its high-contrast graphics, textures, taggies, and crinkles, this soft block provides a stimulating experience for your baby's visual and tactile senses. Wee Gallery prioritizes eco-friendly materials and partners with sustainable manufacturers to create infant development products, so you can be assured of a safe and ethical playtime for your little one. You’re also sure that you’re taking steps towards sustainability.

Follies Baby Bauhaus Set

Follies' 4 soft blocks are perfect for your baby's development. With colorful graphics and sensory-rich textures, they're designed to delight curious minds and fingers. Plus, the set comes with FREE Montessori-inspired activities for parents. Designed by an architect-turned-play-designer and inspired by artists like Ray Eames and Frida Kahlo, Follies toys are both fun and stylish. Made to inspire imagination and creativity, they're perfect for your little one.

Rattles

Rattles are a timeless classic when it comes to baby toys. They're simple, yet endlessly fascinating for babies. Rattles make noise when shaken, which stimulates your baby's auditory senses and helps them develop their ability to track sounds. The gentle rattling sound can also provide a calming effect for babies, making it a great toy for soothing them during fussy moments.

Rattles come in different shapes and sizes, with some even featuring different textures or materials for your baby to explore. This means that your little one can enjoy the tactile sensation of running their fingers over bumpy or fuzzy surfaces, which stimulates their sense of touch. Some rattles also feature visually stimulating colors or patterns, which can help your baby develop their visual tracking abilities.

Additionally, rattles are often lightweight and easy for babies to hold onto, which makes them an excellent choice for young infants who are still learning to grasp objects. So, whether you choose a simple wooden rattle or a more elaborate plush one, your baby is sure to love playing and learning with this classic sensory toy.

Estella NYC Taxi Organic Rattle

The Estella NYC Taxi Organic Rattle is a popular first toy for babies from Estella's collection of organic baby toys. This rattle is inspired by the vintage New York taxi and features a melodic sound that captures and holds baby's attention. It's made in Peru using certified organic cotton and eco-friendly dyes, and has won both the Mom's Choice Award and The National Parenting Seal of Approval. With soft, non-jarring rattles, it's perfect for little fingers. Machine washable and dryable flat, this rattle has been seen in Vogue, Buzzfeed, and MTV Style, making it an excellent addition to any baby gift.

Estella Surfboard Rattle

Teach your little one to hang loose with this colorful, summery, and organic baby rattle. This rattle is made from organic Peruvian cotton, and its unique design makes it a favorite toy of babies 6 to 12 months.

Activity gyms

Activity gyms are a great way to provide your baby with a range of sensory experiences that encourage exploration and learning. These gyms are designed with textures, sounds, and colors to stimulate your baby's senses and promote their development. They typically come with toys that dangle from the gym, which encourages your baby to reach and grab, helping to improve their hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills.

The toys may also include features like crinkle sounds, squeakers, and rattles, providing your baby with auditory stimulation. Additionally, some activity gyms feature interactive elements like mirrors or mobiles, which can help to promote self-awareness and cognitive development. With so many sensory-rich features, an activity gym can keep your baby entertained and engaged while also helping them grow and learn.

BigJigs Toys Activity Cube

The Bigjigs Toys Activity Cube is a fun and educational toy for babies 12 months and up. With things to spin, twist, reveal, and count, this cube is sure to provide hours of absorbing play. Made from FSC Certified materials, it's also an eco-friendly choice for parents.

Bigjigs Toys began in 1985 in Peter Ireland's garden shed in Kent, England, where he handcrafted wooden jigsaws with his wife Liz. With 35 years of experience, you can trust Bigjigs Toys to provide your baby with safe, engaging, and developmentally appropriate toys.

The White Company Noah’s Ark Activity Gym

This beautifully made activity gym features soft hanging toys and a plush, comfortable mat embellished with designs of Noah’s journey. It's both elegant and baby-friendly, providing a safe place for tummy time and play.

Sensory balls

Sensory balls are a fun and engaging way to provide your baby with a range of tactile experiences. These balls come in various textures, such as bumpy, spiky, or squishy, providing a sensory experience for your baby when they touch or hold them.

Some sensory balls even light up or make noise when squeezed, providing auditory and visual stimulation for your little one. These balls are great for promoting hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, as your baby learns to grasp and manipulate them.

Toys like these also provide opportunities for your baby to explore cause-and-effect relationships, such as squeezing a ball to make it light up or make noise. With so many different textures and features to explore, sensory balls can keep your baby entertained and engaged while also promoting their development. They’re also some of the best baby toys 6-12 months babies would benefit from.

Estella Sports Rattles

Estella Sports Organic Baby Toy Gift Set includes four award-winning rattles: baseball, basketball, football, and tennis ball. Hand-knitted and available in various colors with a soothing rattle sound, these infant toys are made of certified organic cotton exterior and non-jarring polyester filling.

Perfectly sized for little hands, this set has won both the Mom's Choice Award and The National Parenting Seal of Approval. By giving your little one this toy set, you can provide them with a variety of rattle shapes and introduce them to different sports. Each rattle is also handmade in Peru from the finest quality organic cotton.

Konges Slojd Sensory Balls

This innovative toy that not only entertains but also helps your little one develop essential skills. With its unique design, the Konges Slojd Sensory Balls help to develop hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and curiosity. Your child will also learn about shapes in a fun and interactive way, especially since the balls expose them to a variety of textures.

This toy is perfect for keeping your child engaged and stimulated, while also supporting their cognitive and motor development. It’s made from 100% silicon, making it safe for your little one to play with for hours on end.

Texture and picture books

Texture books and picture books are great tools for promoting early literacy and cognitive development in babies. Texture books feature different textures on each page, providing a tactile experience for your baby as they explore the different materials. This helps to stimulate their sense of touch and promotes sensory awareness.

Picture books, on the other hand, feature brightly illustrated pages that are designed to engage your little one in their reading journey. The colorful pictures and simple text help to promote early language development and increase your baby's exposure to new words and concepts.

Reading to your baby also helps to foster a love of books and reading, which can have lifelong benefits. Texture and picture books are a great way to spend quality time with your little one while also promoting their development.

"My first book of New York" Baby and Children's Book

My first book of New York by Ingela P. Arrhenius is a beautifully illustrated hardcover book that introduces your little one to the wild and wondrous city of New York. This book is not only visually stunning but also educational, making it a great addition to your child's toy collection.

The book takes your child on a journey through the city, exploring landmarks like Grand Central Station and neighborhoods such as Greenwich Village. It also covers boroughs like Queens and common sights like subways, introducing your child to many of the sights and sounds that make New York great.

Love In The Wild

Experience a heartwarming journey through the wild with this beautifully illustrated baby book. 'Love In The Wild' is an engaging tale of love and adventure in the animal kingdom. This tactile board book is designed with the littlest readers in mind, with easy-to-turn pages and vibrant, baby-safe illustrations. Each page invites your little one on a sensory journey, encouraging touch, sight, and sound exploration. The story is simple and captivating, perfect for stimulating your baby's language skills and fostering a love for reading from an early age.

Shape sorters

Shape sorters are a classic and engaging way to help your baby develop problem-solving skills and learn about shapes. With different shapes to fit into corresponding holes, your little one will learn to differentiate between shapes and develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. As they figure out which shape goes where on the sorter, they'll also hone their problem-solving skills. Perfect for curious babies who are just beginning to explore the world around them, shape sorters provide a fun way to promote cognitive and motor development.

Liewood Shape Sorter

The Liewood Shape Sorter helps your child's development in so many ways. Not only does it help with hand-eye coordination and dexterity, but it also encourages imagination and creativity. With its colorful and engaging design, your child will love playing and learning with it.

From stacking and sorting to imaginative play, this toy provides endless possibilities for your child's growth and development. Made with safe and durable materials, you can trust that it will withstand the wear and tear of even the most enthusiastic little ones.

Dantoy Shape Sorting Toy

Watch as your little one's brain power grows with this entertaining shape recognition game! Designed for babies aged 6-12 months, this simple and engaging toy helps your child learn to identify different shapes.

As your little one handles each shape and fits them into the box, they'll develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. It's the perfect brain-boosting toy for your growing baby, especially if you’re looking for something that you can use to challenge them a little more during playtime.

Nesting cups

Nesting cups are a versatile and timeless toy that can provide hours of entertainment for your little one. These cups are designed to be stacked, nested, and even used for pouring. They come in different sizes and colors, making them perfect for promoting color recognition and size differentiation. Some even have different textures or patterns, providing a sensory experience for your baby as they touch and explore the cups.

The simple act of stacking and nesting the cups helps your baby develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. It also promotes problem-solving skills as they figure out how to stack the cups in the correct order.

Additionally, pouring water or other small objects from one cup to another can help your baby develop their understanding of cause and effect. Nesting cups are a versatile and affordable toy that can grow with your baby and provide endless entertainment and learning opportunities.

Mushie Stacking Cups

The Mushie Stacking Cups are designed to enhance your baby's cognitive abilities during a critical developmental stage. From 6-12 months, babies are rapidly acquiring new skills and learning about their environment through play.

The Mushie Stacking Cups provide a fun and interactive way for your little one to develop their hand-eye coordination, balance, and fine motor skills. As they play, babies can also enhance their language and communication skills by identifying the different colors and sizes of the cups and engaging in simple counting and sorting activities. These cups are made from safe and durable materials, ensuring that your baby can play and learn with them for months to come.

Mushie Stacking Stars

Stack, build, and learn with these beautiful stacking stars. Designed to stimulate your baby's senses and promote fine motor skills development, these stars are a fun and engaging way to encourage your little one's curiosity and imagination. With different colors, sizes, and textures, these stars provide a tactile experience for your baby as they explore and stack them up.

As they play, they'll develop hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and problem-solving skills. These stacking stars are the perfect brain-boosting toy for babies aged 6-12 months, and they'll be sure to keep your little one entertained for hours on end.

Play rings

Stacking rings are a fun toy that helps babies learn about sizes and develop problem-solving skills. They come in different colors or textures, providing a sensory experience for your baby. As your baby stacks the rings, they'll develop their hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and spatial awareness. Stacking rings are a perfect toy for promoting problem-solving skills and cognitive development in babies. They're also often made of durable materials, making them a great investment that can be passed down to younger siblings or friends.

Orange Tree Toys Jungle Animals Stacking Rings

The Orange Tree Toys Wooden Stacking Ring has a bright and approachable design– complete with a friendly crocodile and cute orangutan! Made from sustainable wood and packaged in recyclable materials, this eco-friendly stacking ring is perfectly sized for little hands.

Since 2000, Orange Tree Toys has been crafting high-quality wooden toys that encourage imaginative play and help develop key motor skills. Designed in the scenic Cotswold countryside, these brightly colored toys are sure to become a favorite for both you and your little one!

Liewood Play Rings

Introducing the timeless Ivan Ring Toss Game by Liewood, a delightful twist on a classic outdoor activity that generations of children have loved. Whether it's a sunny day in the park or a gathering in your backyard, this game ensures hours of engaging, fun-filled moments with friends and family.

What sets the Ivan Ring Toss Game apart is not just the joy it brings, but also its incredible potential to foster essential skills in children. As they aim for the target and throw the rings, they're inadvertently honing their motor skills and improving hand-eye coordination, all while immersed in play.

Designed with sustainability and durability in mind, the peg base of this set is crafted from 100% beechwood, a robust material known for its strength and longevity. The rings, made from 100% silicone, offer a gentle yet firm grip, making them easy for little hands to hold and throw.

Find the best toys for babies 6-12 months with Estella

The age range of 6-12 months is a special time for little babies as they begin to explore the world around them. During this time, babies start to develop more advanced motor skills, such as crawling, standing, and walking. They also become more curious and interested in their surroundings, making it the perfect time to introduce them to stimulating and educational toys.

At Estella, we understand the importance of providing high-quality, safe, and developmentally appropriate toys for 11 month old babies and below during this crucial time in their growth and development. That's why we have curated a selection of organic baby toys that are not only safe and environmentally friendly but also designed to engage and stimulate your baby's senses and support their cognitive and motor development.

Estella is the go-to shop for parents who want to give their children the best. From organic baby toys to award-winning rattles and sensory balls, Estella offers a specially curated range of toys designed to stimulate your baby's senses, encourage imaginative play, and foster their cognitive and motor development. Each toy is crafted with care from eco-friendly materials, ensuring safety and sustainability for both your baby and the planet.

Whether you're looking for a classic shape sorter or a beautifully illustrated board book, Estella has the perfect toy to suit your baby's needs. Shop now and watch your baby's world light up with joy and discovery!

Did you find our blog helpful? Then consider checking: