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During pregnancy and after Rosy came home from the hospital, I was completely overwhelmed by the stuff we needed to get for her! There were diapers and rockers and snot suckers and swaddles and well, you get my point. There was a lot we had to have ready for her when she arrived!
The last thing I thought about was toys! The good news is that she didn’t need any right away. For a couple of months I just had to figure out all of the other things involved with keeping my newborn happy and healthy.
Once I figured out all of that (insert laugh here!) I was finally able to think about toys. We bought several, and tried lot’s of things, and I can honestly say that there are about 10 items that I would recommend purchasing for a 0-12 month old.
There are a lot more than 10 items on the market, there are thousands! In my opinion, you just don’t need them. Playing with your baby is always going to be their favorite, so don’t over think buying the perfect product.
Anyways, here are the ten toy items that I would recommend for your baby’s first year, and what I will be using again!
My Ten Favorite Baby Toys
1. Sit-to-Stand Walker
This walker has been a well-loved toy for months! The front part makes tons of noises and sounds and allows for motor development with a lot of buttons and switches. It also separates from the actual walker so it can be used on the floor or in someones lap.
The walker itself is super sturdy and has helped Rosy learn how to stand up on her own as well as take those first steps!
It’s easy to wipe down and has offered countless hours of entertainment for our hard to entertain little girl. For that reason alone, it is a must-have in our house!
2. Activity Mat
Another toy that got a lot of use by our baby girl is this activity mat. We bought it when she was about 3 months old and she mostly just looked up at the toys.
As time went on, she started reaching for the toys and playing with them. The mirror on the side is something she still gets a big kick out of to this day! The bottom is machine washable (and got a lot of washes thanks to baby spit up!) and it still looks basically new after several months of a lot of use.
With activity mats, you can get super expensive quick and I’m really glad we didn’t splurge on this. For $25 we got a really useful toy that Rosy really enjoyed. I totally recommend it and would purchase it again.
3. Ride-On Scooter/Walker
This is another multi-faceted toy that we have gotten a lot of use out of. Rosy LOVES riding on the scooter and being pushed around, but she also really enjoys walking behind it like a walker. She has spent a lot of time just playing with it while sitting on the ground beside it.
There are lots of buttons on here that make noise which is a hit around here.
I see this one being useful well past her first year too!
4. Books
Read, read, read! I can’t stress this one enough! Books are toys and have played a huge role in playtime with Rosy this year. I wrote an entire blog post on the best books for your baby’s first year you can find here.
Motor and language development are impacted SO much by reading and using books, and you really can’t go wrong when buying (and using!) board books for your baby.
5. Baby Blocks/Sorter
Basic toys are great! Not everything has to make noise and light up to be interesting and this block set is a prime example. Rosy LOVES this set. She knocks down towers of the blocks, bangs them together and plays with the flaps on the bag.
She hasn’t used the sorting part yet, but I’m sure she will in the next few months. Overall, this a great toy with a whole lot of benefits!
6. Links
You know those products where you’re like, “I wish I would have thought of that!” Yep. These are one of those things for me! There is seriously nothing fancy about these links but they are baby GOLD!
You can hook them on the carseat, stroller or activity mat. They’re great teethers. They’re quiet, which makes them great for church or other places you need to be relatively noise-free.
They’re just a great toy for newborn all the way to one year.
7. Rings
Alright, this one is the quintessential baby toy–and with good reason! It has provided hours of playtime for Rosy!
The rings are great on their own (the top one even rattles), or on the stacker. We’ve found she loves to knock them over when they are stacked off of the stacker. They’re fun to roll across the floor, put her hand through and carry around.
What a great and classic toy.
8. Mirrors
We didn’t have this exact mirror, but I wish we would have gotten it! We have a mirror that was included with the activity mat that we got and baby girl stares at herself all of the time!
I have a video of her cracking up and talking to herself in the mirror and it’s one of my favorite things ever! The bathroom mirror is also a huge hit and always calls for a huge smile and laugh.
Make sure you have a mirror, it’s a great toy, and you don’t want to miss out on all of the cuteness of a baby looking at themselves!
9. Carseat toy
These clip right onto the carseat handle and are super useful while in the car! When Rosy was 2 to 5 months old, I had to take it off if I wanted her to nap because she would just stare at it!
These have a mirror on the bottom which is great in and of itself, but the legs have different sensory experiences (rattles and crinkles) which makes it a super entertaining toy.
This was just a great option to help with car rides or to use at restaurants or other places where she would stay in her infant seat.
10. Teether
Getting teeth takes up a lot of time during the first year of life! This teether has been super useful for us!
Not only is it Rosy’s favorite teether to chew on, but the way the silicone covered circle flips around has provided lots of quiet entertainment (again, during church!).
So there you have it! Our ten favorite toys and what I would recommend for your baby’s first year.
Baby’s really don’t need a lot, quality is definitely of more importance than quantity at this age. These 10 toys should help you get through your first year with an entertained (and well developing!) baby.