Favorite Toys by Age thread - 0-12 months

[missym]

Please reply to the appropriate thread and list your DC(s) age and their current favorite toys. Doing this allows other moms to see what toys might make good holiday gifts for their own growing DCs! Reviews, suggestions, and shopping lists are all welcome.

[reissgirl]

My 7 month old has two favorite toys:
1) Whoozit
2) Sophie the giraffe - great for teething

[brittone2]

DD liked:

-Haba teethers (we loved the Kringelring)
-Sturdy push toy (Haba Walker Wagon)
-Ball track (Haba ball track w/ the bigger ball, not the marble sized one obviously!).
-CDs
-Playsilks (for peek a boo)
-ring stacker (I like Spiel und Holz)
-outdoor swing
-started playing w/ tunnel/tent set (like Ryan's Room sets)

eta: around 8-9 months, DS loved the Ikea stacking/nesting cups (under $3 or so IIRC)

[Mikey0709]

My son seems to LOVE his Fisher Price learning toys.... We have the Learning house (loved to open and crawl though the door, turn on the radio) and the learning kitchen (where he loves to open/close the fridge! push down the toast)... also the learning chair was a big hit!

[tnrnchick74]

DS loves the Fisher Price rainforest jumper! He started using it at about 3 months old (when he was barely able to sit up by himself) and now that he's bigger he LOVES to jump high!

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2508003

I found one on craigslist for $40...BEST $40 I have EVER spent!

[DrSally]

DD, 3 months, spends a lot of time on her Tiny Love Gymini

[Melbel]

At 5 months old, DD2's favorite toys include

Baby Einstein jumper
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Einstein-Musical-Motion-Activity/dp/B000HZDN9I/ref=pd_sbs_t_3 (note: less expensive at Costco)

Bright Starts rattle with sounds/lights:
http://www.amazon.com/Bright-Starts-Twisty-Bug/dp/B001B9QNN2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1225641449&sr=1-1

Baby Einstein videos in the car (a real sanity saver)

Sandra Boynton books

Anything she can chew on!

[firsttimemama]

For 0-12 months, some of our can't live without items have been

ergo
exersaucer
jumperoo (I do not like the baby einstein version, which we have - DS seems to enjoy Fisher Price ones better)
Laugh & Learn house
Leapfrog learn & groove table
Brown bear, Brown bear book
Tiny Love Gymini Super Deluxe - Lights&Music (gym)
Fisher price lights & music rainforest car mirror with remote

This $2 rattle (comes in pink & primary) http://www.brightstarts.com/BSSub14x53x1x8672.aspx

portable toys that play music

[cellenly]

Lamaze Chime Garden - both kids enjoyed it; it was the 1st toy DD showed interest in. the baby doesn't need much coordination to trigger the music and lights
Sing with Me Magic Cube - the one that plays childrens songs, not classical
o ball
bugs on board - DD showed no interest, DS loved it - 1 was on the carrier, 1 in house, and 1 in diaper bag
i play's super spiral play tower - maybe any ball track would do; we got this as a gift and have reallly enjoyed it
ball popper - a lot of people hate this toy though

eta:
chicco ride on train - both kids around 10 mos really loved being pushed around on this ride on, but it's a work out pushing them.
sassy photo album
sassy flipper gripper
sassy facination station - the one w/ the smiley face was more liked than the fishy facination station
sassy smiley face w/ mirror on the other side
sassy links
(these last 4 things were most often in my diaper bag for both kids b/c they usually did a good job distracting when we were out)

[ZeeBaby]

I am looking at all these great suggestions and wanted some ideas on where I can get good deals on these items! any ideas of b and m or online options? TIA

[firsttimemama]

I am looking at all these great suggestions and wanted some ideas on where I can get good deals on these items! any ideas of b and m or online options? TIA

I would buy anything that doesn't gross-you-out secondhand, secondhand.
I bought my ergo for $50 (craigslist), leapfrog table from a friend ($8), I have 3 exersaucers in my house right now - none of which I paid for - 1 handed down 2 borrowed (people love to get this stuff out of their house when their kids aren't using it!!) FP learning home - used from my local mommy board - $20. Nana paid full price (and it costs wayyy too much!) for the Gymini gym - I've seen it go on my local mommy board for $10.

[srhs]

Big hits with DS (0-6 mos):


Tiny Love Gymini Super Deluxe Lights & Music Mat (highly recommended to me & worth every penny)
Bright Stars Animal Sound Fun Teether Book for Baby (Quack Says the Duck...)
Lamaze Jacques the Peacock
Baby Einstein links
Taggies mini football
Baby Einstein "bath" books
Bright Starts Bounce Bounce Baby Activity Zone (lent to our hosts while traveling & DS LOVED it)
Baby Einstein Press & Play Pals Duck
FP Rainforest Jumperoo (not getting $90 worth of fun out of it, but I picked it up $35)


Not a hit: Wooden & Hard Plastic Toys (He would like them quite a bit but then get his hands going 90mph, bonk himself in the head pretty hard, & cry. No fun.)

[Swimfreak78]

My little guy loves

His tiny love play gym
Lamaze square - has different textures
CD's
Books
Exersaucer


I love my ergo

[ahrimie]

for my almost 6 month old:

we love love our fisher price rainforest tummy time mat. i tried a few actually bc we bought another one for grandma's house, but she loves this one and still uses it! we take the toys around with us too.

baby einstein jumparoo.. can't compare this to anything else, but she really likes it.

little tykes, 3 in 1. it's like a table/seat combo that rotates for when they only lay on their backs and then up to when they can sit in a chair. we used this at grandma's and she would be entertained for quite awhile.

soft, crunchy books. she loves any of the soft books with little nubs or things hanging off of them.

wooden toys from sassy

fisher price rainforest bouncer. this SAVED my sanity the first few months.

[Neatfreak]

Under the tree for my one month-old:

- Bumbo w/ tray
- a Sleep Sheep

[WatchingThemGrow]

I don't think I've seen where anyone has mentioned the Together Tunes Music Block by Neurosmith. DS loved it from the moment he could pull up, and it has been a HUGE hit in our house for 2 solid years. You can change the cartridges inside to hear different music.
http://www.kidsqualitytoys.com/Neurosmith_Together_Tunes_Block_p/3464226.htm

Other longlife toys we got at that age:
FP Learning Home (available 2nd hand)
Leap Frog table
FP Little People Nativity

[wendibird22]

Shape sorter
Ring stacker
FP music table
activity mat/tummy time mat
FP laugh and learn puppy