These little guys want to move around and make noise, so give them all the tunnels, building blocks, and musical instruments

Get moving and grooving with these presents for one-year-olds (and under!) that they’ll enjoy long after celebrating their first birthdays. From a musical cube and bath boats to magnetic blocks and easy-to-grip teethers, these holiday gifts and toys for 6-month-olds to a year will make life more fun… and just a little bit louder.

Melissa & Doug Baby's First Sensory Toys Gift Bundle

There are so many things for baby to explore in this food-themed sensory set, from the six-piece PB&J take-along toy to a box full of gifts that baby can wrap, and the soft-stacking pineapple. Yum!

Melissa & Doug Baby's First Sensory Toys Gift Bundle ($54)—Buy Here!

Vtech 6-in-1 Tunnel of Fun

Find a nice spot in your home for this 6-in-1 toy because it's going to be around for a while as your little one transitions from tummy time to tunnel time. We love that you can pop off the zebra's keyboard for take-along tunes. 

Vtech 6-in-1 Tunnel of Fun ($60)—Buy Here!

Manhattan Toy Wobbly Bobbly Bear

Manhattan Toy Wobbly Bobbly Bear is one of the best gifts and toys for 6 month olds in 2023

Baby's will love so many things about this wobbly bear! They can bat it around to see where it lands, drop it and watch it bounce, or give it a big snuggle when they need to take five. 

Manhattan Toy Wobbly Bobbly Bear ($18)—Buy Here!

Kiwi Co's Growing Seeds Tissue Box Toy

Kiwi Co's Growing Seeds Tissue Box Toy is one of the best gifts and toys for 6 month olds in 2023

We're smitten with that happy little crinkle stuffie bean! If you're tired of baby pulling out all your tissues, give them their own garden-themed tissue box to explore. Bonus: a book that teaches them how plants grow. 

Kiwi Co's Growing Seeds Tissue Box Toy ($40)—Buy Here!

Angel Dear Beige Bunny Blankie Set

Angel Dear Beige Bunny Blankie Set is one of the best gifts and toys for 6 month olds in 2023

You won't believe how soft and cozy these blankies are, and Angel Dear clearly knows parents by offering not two, but three bunnies in the set to account for any lost-lovey disasters that may come up in the future. 

Angel Dear Beige Bunny Blankie Set ($42)—Buy Here!

Boon Fleet Stacking Boats

Boon Fleet Stacking Boats is one of the best gifts and toys for 6 month olds in 2023

Bath time just got a whole lot more fun with these floating boats in bright, beautiful colors. Tots can stack them or watch water rain out of their drain holes. Now all you have to worry about is keeping the water inside the tub. 

Boon Fleet Stacking Boats ($10)—Buy Here!

 

Baby's First Book of Banned Books

Baby's First Book of Banned Books is one of the best gifts and toys for 6 month olds in 2023

From The Diary of Anne Frank to To Kill a Mockingbird, there are plenty of amazing lessons to learn from books that have no place being banned—and you're never too young to start learning. 

Baby's First Book of Banned Books ($10)—Buy Here!

AIXMEET Baby Teether

Designed to give teething littles the best possible grip, this teether fits right onto their chubby little hands so they can gnaw to their heart's content. 

AIXMEET Baby Teether ($6)—Buy Here!

Aden + Anais Marine Gardens Blanket

Aden + Anais Marine Gardens Blanket is one of the best gifts and toys for 6 month olds in 2023

The softest bamboo-infused viscose and the prettiest patterns make this a no-brainer for holiday gifting—and when the weather outside is less frightful, parents can plop their newly sitting kids down on the blanket just about anywhere. 

Aden + Anais Marine Gardens Blanket ($65)—Buy Here!

Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother Musical Toy

Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother Musical Toy is one of the best gifts and toys for 6 month olds in 2023

Whether you're looking to entertain baby while you get a few things done or lull them to sleep at bedtime, this ocean-themed crib toy is completely mesmerizing. The drift-off feature gradually tones down the entertainment and a handy remote lets you turn it on or off from up to 12 feet away. 

Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother Musical Toy ($38)—Buy Here!

Wee Gallery Crinkle Toy - Fish

Wee Gallery Crinkle Toy Fish is one of the best gifts and toys for 6 month olds in 2023

Babes love anything that makes noise, so they won't be able to put down this crinkly black-and-white fish. And we just love its face! 

Wee Gallery Crinkle Toy - Fish ($17)—Buy Here!

Manhattan Toy Cottontail Cottage

Manhattan Toy Cottontail Cottage is one of the best gifts and toys for 6 month olds in 2023

Your little bunny will learn about object permanence and practice their fine motor skills when they put the little stuffed bunnies in and out of the cute cottage, which comes with a handle so they can tote their friends around once they're officially walkers.

Manhattan Toy Cottontail Cottage ($42)—Buy Here!

Tegu's First Building Blocks

Tegu's First Building Blocks is one of the best gifts and toys for 6 month olds in 2023

The littlest hands can get up to some fun open-ended play with these clever magnetic blocks, complete with soft rounded corners and cheery colors. 

Tegu's First Building Blocks ($20)—Buy Here!

Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube

Calling all budding composers! Each side of this cube features a different instrument to delight baby's senses—think harp, flute, French horn, piano, and violin—with lights flashing to the tempo. They can layer individual sounds or play the full symphony, Mozart style. 

Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube ($29)—Buy Here!

HABA Koala Water Play Mat

Tots love water; parents love when said water can't spill all over the house. Consider this a win-win. The cuddly koala's tummy has a water bottle that's fun to squish during tummy time. And when spit-up happens (it will), simply pull out the water bottle and throw the koala in the wash. 

HABA Koala Water Play Mat ($40)—Buy Here!

Copper Pearl Bibs

A four-pack of Copper Pearl Bibs is one of the best gifts and toys for 6 month olds in 2023

With cotton knit on the front and absorbent polyester fleece on the back, these bandana bibs are as practical as they are chic. And boy are they chic.

Copper Pearl Bibs ($22)—Buy Here!

Bebe Fuerte Stack & Count Kettleball

When the handle is on, little ones can practice lifting this rattly toy kettlebell just like their parents. Without the handle, they can remove and stack the colorful rings that make up the ball and feature a different Spanish number on each. 

Bebe Fuerte Stack & Count Kettleball ($15)—Buy Here!

Skip Hop Farmstand Push & Spin Toy

Skip Hop Farmstand Push & Spin Toy is one of the best gifts and toys for 6 month olds in 2023

Sitters have a new take on the world, and that means new toys to explore. Push-and-spin toys are great for building core strength and balance, and your babe will love the cause and effect of pushing the sun down to see the corn spin and pop.

Skip Hop Farmstand Push & Spin Toy ($16)—Buy Here!

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Traditional baby and toddler toys boost brain-building, hands-on exploration and are durable so younger siblings can play with them, too. Our favorite non-electronic baby and toddler toys come without batteries and ear-splitting beeps. Little ones learn through play, so a few carefully chosen toys in the toy bin will give your baby a chance to have fun as a tiny scientist, artist, and motor-skill champ. Here are a few of our favorite non-electronic toys for babies and toddlers.

Ronald Hechanova via Unsplash

1. Rattles
A good rattle is sized just right for babies working on tricky hand-eye coordination and learning how to pick things up. This classic toy doesn't look like much, but as babies grasp, shake and even slobber on it, they're learning about the world. Rattles reward curious little ones learning about cause and effect with a satisfying sound as it shakes. Choose a rattle you can easily clean, and make sure it's designed for babies to safely put it in their mouthsbecause it's sure to end up there!

2. Stacking Cups
Stack them in a tower, tip them over, put them inside one another, and then turn them into a home for a plastic cow. Stacking cups offer lots of interactive opportunities for fun and play. Most sets of stacking cups come in bright colors, giving little ones a chance to learn about colors. Balancing cups in a tower shape builds problem-solving skills, self-control and persistence. Another colorful stacking option is Grimms Rainbow, an all-wooden toy that's so beautiful you won't mind having it out on a shelf.

3. Sensory Bins
Toddlers learn about the world through hands-on activities and observation. Sensory bins or tables are a great way to give little ones a chance to explore. You can easily replicate this key preschool tool by filling a plastic bin with dry oats or water and adding measuring cups and scoops. If you're worried about the mess that scooping up water or dry oats can make, put a towel underneath your kiddo and the bin. If the weather is nice, put the bin outside to minimize clean-up, or purchase a water table or sandbox for more sensory fun. If you'd like to take your sensory-bin game to the next level, hide plastic animals or cars for kids to find, or dye rice or dry pasta for rainbow-colored play. Bonus: Sensory bins give curious kids a chance to learn about volume (how much water fits in a scoop?) and boosts imaginative play and language development.

Scandiborn

4. Push-Pull Toys
From Fisher Price's classic, affordable plastic corn popper to a wooden animal on a string, push-and-pull toys are beloved by budding walkers everywhere. These toys encourage balance and gross motor skill development, and they make perfect buddies for toddlers as they stumble and zoom through your home. We love this Little Dutch Walker & Block Trolley from Scandiborn ($59.95, pictured above), as it combines two beloved non-electronic toys in one.

5. Classic Blocks
Your kiddo will play with a set of durable wooden blocks for years and years. With blocks, little ones get a chance to work on problem solving as they figure out how to stack blocks on top of one another or organize them in a row. Eventually, blocks become a blank canvas for imaginative play, as kids turn their creations into castles, houses and zoos. Talking about block creations builds language and conversation skills, and, with a big set of blocks at the ready, older toddlers can work together and learn about cooperation.

6. Dolls & Stuffed Animals
Whether you're looking for a lovey for comfort or a toy your child can practice caring for and rocking to sleep, soft dolls and stuffed animals are a great addition to any baby's toy collection. Playing with dolls helps little ones learn about empathy and feelings. Pro tip: Choose those without plastic eyes that can be a choking hazard!

Jelleke Vanooteghem via Unsplash

7. Music Makers
One of the benefits of non-electronic toys for parents: fewer ear-splitting sounds. But sometimes a baby has just got to make music. Whether you break out your pots and pans and a wooden spoon or give your child a toy drum and a few egg shakers, toys that let kids make their own music are always a hit. Sturdy music-making options without batteries are more likely to last from kid to kid, and they give children the chance to be more creative. We like wooden xylophones like this one from Melissa & Doug because of their bright colors and the variety of sounds they make.

8. Balls
Roll it, throw it, catch it! Balls are awesome for boosting motor skills and hand-eye coordination. But they're also a great way to introduce little ones to the back-and-forth interaction and taking turns, which is one of the building blocks of conversation. Rolling a ball gives grown-ups the chance to connect and make eye contact with babies and toddlers, and it boosts language development. From soft balls with jingly bells inside to bumpy plastic balls just the right size for chubby little hands, toy stores are full of options perfect for babies and toddlers.

9. Bubbles
Bubbles mesmerize babies and toddlers (and many parents) as they float through the sky. Whether you make bubbles at home (we like this DIY option) and blow them outside to delight your kiddo, or pick up a bubble-making lawn mower, bubbles are a surefire hit with little ones. We like to keep a few jars of bubbles at the ready to distract cranky little ones.

10. Ride-On Toys
A good ride-on toy gives toddlers hours of indoor gross-motor fun. These toys develop balance and give little legs a workout. One of the best first-birthday gifts, our fave ride-on toys come with a basket or bin that little ones can use to give their favorite toy or stuffed animal a ride around the house, promoting imaginative play, too! We love the sturdy Little Red Rider Wooden Kid's Ride-on Bike from Hape. 

—Oz Spies

RELATED STORIES:

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New Indoor Playtime Toys & Activities for Toddlers

Let’s Play! Sensory Activities for All Five Senses

KiwiCo recently announced a brand-new line—and it’s all for babies and toddlers!

The collection of early education options, called Panda Crate, is backed by research, developmentally appropriate and perfect for hours of hands-on learning fun. So what can you expect from this brain-building line?

Created in collaboration with researchers from the Seattle Children’s Hospital, Panda Crate is divided into five age bands: Birth through 2-months, 3 through 6-months, 7 through 12-months, 13 through 18-months and 19 through 24-months.

Panda Crate subscriptions start at $15.50 per month for 24 months (12 Crates). The service is also available in one, three and six crate options. And bonus, a portion of your purchase will help fund child development research! Check out Panda Crate here for more ordering information.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: KiwiCo via YouTube

 

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It may be dark outside, but your house is all lit up because your early bird is ready to get out of bed at 5 a.m. Sigh. We feel your bleary-eyed pain. If only you could toss a blanket over the crib, like a birdcage, and get that kid to snooze a little longer. But since that trick won’t work and your kiddo isn’t ready for screen time before sunrise, we’ve got a few tips that will help you survive these early mornings.

Photo: HLIT via Flickr

1. Hit the mall. Lots of malls open up a few hours before the stores are ready for shoppers. Bring your stroller or baby carrier and walk along in the warm, cozy space. You can squeeze in a little window shopping and get to know the over-70 mall walking crowd.

2. Get appy. When you’re running on fumes, it can be hard to think beyond singing yet another nursery rhyme. Download a couple of apps – like this free anytime, anywhere music class or the brain-building tips from Vroom – that will spark new ideas to entertain your little one, like ways to turn the daily job of getting dressed into a game.

3. Hit the playground. If the weather’s warm enough, get outside. You will have your pick of baby swings at 7 am and can show up early enough to welcome all of the pugs to the dog park.

Photo: Jay Erickson via Flickr

4. Go on a coffee date. If it has been said once, it has been said a thousand times, because it’s true: nap when you can. And if you can’t, there’s always coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. Hop in the car and hit the closest drive-thru coffee spot.

5. Splash around. Flip bath time from pre-bed to an early morning splash fest. Break out your best bath toys, put on some beach music and have a swimming party.

Photo: Donnie Ray Jones via Flickr

6. Be first in line. Be thankful you can be first to the zoo or the children’s museum. Bonus: you’ll get the best parking spot, and you never, ever have to set an alarm to make sure you get out of the house on time.

7. Take turns. Alternate rise-and-shine days with your partner, if you can. That way, you each get a little more shut eye one day and get a little extra one-on-one time with your kiddo the other day.

8. Explore something new. Fill up a big tub with dry oatmeal to scoop and dump, or try one of these ten ideas here that use stuff you’ve already got, like rice and yogurt, for easy-peasy sensory play that will fill up those early morning hours.

Photo: Jim Champion via Flickr

9. Snuggle up with a good book. Babies love looking at faces, so pick out a few with photographs of other kiddos, or try a touch-and-feel book that gives your little one new textures to explore.

10. Play in the dark. When your baby’s up and at ‘em and it’s dark outside, you can make the most of the darkness. Now’s the time to make shadow puppets or cuddle by the fire – all those cozy evening activities can be trotted out for pre-dawn fun.

Tell us: what do you do to entertain your early riser?

-Oz Spies