26 Toys and Gifts for Babies 6-9 Months

Playing with your child is important at any age, but especially as your baby transitions from a tiny newborn to a slightly older baby. Babies learn by interacting with the world around them—reaching, grabbing, mouthing and moving through play. Playing with them is not only fun but also builds physical and cognitive skills, as well as social and emotional intelligence. While there are many ways to nurture play, baby toys make it easy to do, too. While most of their toys from zero to six months will still be interesting to them, you may want to give them a few new options to practice their developing skills. 

Before I became an editor at Babylist, I taught preschool at UC Berkeley’s Early Childhood Development program. I’ve always been fascinated by how babies learn (and just how capable they actually are). I used my background and degree in ECE plus my experience as a mom of two toddlers to choose the toys on this list. Whether you’re looking for toys to refresh your baby’s play space or the perfect gift for a six- to nine-month-old in your life, here are a few of our favorites for babies this age and stage.

Best Toys for Movement + Physical Development

As baby gets stronger and more curious, they’ll start to explore what their body is capable of, including rolling, sitting unassisted and eventually rocking on their hands and knees in preparation for crawling. Some may even start to pull up on things! Here are a few toys that’ll encourage them to reach and explore.

Best Toys for Grabby Hands

These toys help develop baby’s fine motor skills as they grab, shake and drop everything they can get their hands on.  They also encourage cognitive development. Let your baby play with—and then drop or knock over—soft balls, toys and stacking cups, then pick them up and give them back. It’s a great way to start teaching cause and effect.

Best Teethers to Soothe Gums

These teethers double as grasping toys and offer opportunities for fine motor development, and they also have one extra thing going for them—soothing sore gums! Right around the six-to-nine-month mark, you may start to see baby’s first teeth emerge.

Best Books for 6- to 9-Month-Olds 

Although your baby can’t talk yet, they’re learning all about emotions and socializing (mostly by watching you!). Simple board books featuring faces and emotions can also help babies become familiar with different expressions.

Best Toys to Inspire Creativity

It’s never too early for baby to learn about art and music. These toys can help inspire their inner creative genius and also touch on many different areas of development (including fine motor and cognitive areas like memory and language).