Recommend educational toys for 9 month old

[janine]

She's already got all the big plastic blinking toys (exersaucer, laugh and learn table, fisher price rainforest high chair), and I'd like a few simple, but educational toys. For example she loves and has mastered the Fisher Price doughnut rings.

Anyone have suggestions? I looked at blocks, but they seem to be large and blinking too these days (anyone have a favorite kind of blocks)? Open to new suggestions too. Oh and she's not yet walking or standing.

Thanks!!

[ourbabygirl]

Our DD is almost 9 months old, too... for the past month or so she's really liked her set of plastic cups from Discovery Toys. They're red, yellow, blue, & green and sit inside one another (like Russian dolls); they have a number on the outside & inside and the outline of a corresponding size animal on the bottom. You can do lots of fun things with them (stack them; hide things under them; put them on various body parts- head, toes, etc.; clank them together; or just gum them). Otherwise we have a 4-sided wood box type thing with activities on each side (tic-tac-toe spinny things, abacus beads on another, etc.), though she's not that into it (it's cute & colorful, though). Mostly she just likes 'adult' objects- the remote, cell phone, camera, belts of mine, water bottle, bathroom things like my comb or hair clip, and playing peek-a-boo w/laundry. Oh, and she also likes a Melissa & Doug puzzle with big round knobs for handles (it's a house w/different colored shapes for its parts).
I'll be interested to see what other people suggest!

[ourbabygirl]

There's a recent thread of peoples' favorite blocks- Uncle Goose was a winner (cool that they come in other languages, too!).

[MontrealMum]

Haba makes some nice blocks, both wooden and fabric - no blinking or noise. Ikea is also a good source for simple, open-ended toys. For things that hang off cribs or pnps, Tiny Love and Lamaze have some nice options. I don't think we had any Melissa & Doug when DS was quite that young, but we started buying him their wooden puzzles at about 12 mos. Your DD is also approaching the age for a shape-sorting cube (but not quite there yet).

There are age-appropriate favorite toy threads in the Sticky at the top of the Around the House forum with lots of educational toy recs. HTH.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I'd consider musical things like simple drums or maracas. They are a lot of fun, teach cause and effect and with the drums they teach hand-eye coordination. They use Remo brand ones in my ds's Music Together class and they seem well made.

Beth

[elliput]

Some things my 9 month DS likes to play with-

stacking cups
rainbow maker
shape sorter
cube blocks
cloth books

also (but not entirely age appropriate)
Playmobil 1.2.3 figures
any of his sister's toys
and the Guitar Hero drum set :rolleye0014:

[infomama]

You have gottten some good suggestions. I will add these books http://www.tybookinc.com/ made for babies (water-proof, tear-proof).

[brittone2]

nesting cups (Ikea sold a super cheap set at one time...not sure if they still do but DS adored those)

DD got the Haba ball track (the one w/ a big ball...not the marble sized one) for her 1st bday and that was a lot of fun (but a bit pricey)

playsilks (DS wasn't into his until he was older. DD loved hers from 9 months on)

musical instruments

kid music CDs

tunnel to crawl through or a small tent (again, YMMV. DS wasn't so into that stuff at a young age. DD loved the tent/tunnel from 9-10 months on)

baby swing for outside if you have a place to hang it (tree, porch, etc.)

sturdy push toy...Haba makes a nice one (but expensive) and the Radio Flyer walker wagon is also really well-liked here. The wooden, heavier ones are more stable and make it easier to walk with than a plastic one IME. The Haba has a little seat so can be used as a little "stroller" for stuffed animals or dolls down the road. THe RF can be used as toy storage, a little shopping cart type of thing, etc.

Household objects were always big around here as well.

Oh, and a ring stack toy...plastic is inexpensive. We got DD a spiel und holz one and that was beautiful. Holgate toys has one that looks nice and made in the USA.

eta: DS liked his O ball at that age. They have small ones too.