At six months old, your baby is ready to play almost any time. Grabbing things and exploring textures, tastes, sights and sounds, as well as crawling all over the place, are favorite activities at this age. The following toys are fun for babies who are still learning those important developmental skills, and will be fun for many months to come. These are great gifts for holidays, too.
1. Melissa & Doug Bug Jug
This adorable themed toy set has a lot of playtime options for baby. Little ones will love the traditional "fill it up and dump it out" aspect of this toy set. As your baby grows, you can tell stories about the bug characters as you play, and baby can feel the silky, crinkly and fuzzy textures on the bug toys, and learn how to squeak and rattle them.
2. The Playful World Organic Wool Felt Blocks
Baby will love the feel of these organic wool felt blocks from The Playful World. Whether your baby is just ready to hold them and look at the muted colors and dot patterns, shake them and listen to the bells inside, or start stacking them to make beginner towers, this block set is sure to be lots of fun. You can feel good about buying this toy because it's hand made in an artisan workshop in Mongolia that reunites homeless families by providing job skills and income so that parents there can care for their little ones. This workshop follows fair trade practices.
3. Manhattan Toy Snuggle Pods
There are lots of little games you and baby can play with this simple toy, at home or on the go. It's small enough to take with you for a peekaboo game in a waiting room, or at home your baby can practice tucking someone else in for bed. Several different styles of Snuggle Pods are available, each with bright colors and sweet faces for baby to enjoy.
4. Lamaze Balancing Bug Stackers
These bright bugs can be stacked any way baby wants, thanks to the magnets inside. The "smart magnets" don't have to be aligned a certain way to work. Six different bugs are included in the Lamaze Balancing Bug Stacker Set. The antennae and wings of the bugs are rubbery and good for teethers to chew on, too. This is an inexpensive gift that brings lots of fun.
5. Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube
Early exposure to music is said to have an effect on math skills later in life. The Mozart Magic Cube from Munchkin is fairly plain to look at, but it's great to listen to, and babies really seem to love it. The cube can play classical music with many instruments at once, or baby can push buttons to include or exclude certain instruments. Pictures of the instruments on the sides flash as they play. Parents whose babies have used this toy rave about its durability, too.
6. Lamaze My First Fishbowl
Babies at this age love games where they can fill something up and then dump it out, so this cute fishbowl is perfect for hours of play. Baby can put the fish and sea characters inside the bowl, see them rolling around through the clear side panels, then reach in and grab them again. The side panels have water inside, too, adding sloshy, squishy fun for your baby.
7. Infantino Penguin Bowling
This toy appeals to yet another favorite infant activity - knocking things over. With Penguin Bowling, baby uses the soft, jingly bowling ball to knock over six soft, squishy penguins. The penguins each have a different fun element for baby, too, from chimes to crinkly pieces to rattles. There's a mirror, too, so baby can still gaze at his or her reflection.
8. Fisher Price Go Baby Go! Crawl & Cruise Musical Jungle
The Crawl & Cruise Musical Jungle from Fisher Price is a great toy for babies in the 6 month age range because it addresses their transitional motor skills and that they will be growing fairly quickly into new skills. Babies can sit near the toy and put balls in the ball track, push the dangling crocodile or jingle bell and watch them swing, and watch the balls come out of the chutes at the bottom at nearly eye level. Once baby is ready to pull up and stand, this toy is sturdy enough to let baby hang on during play time, so there's a whole new view to take in. At the top there's a spinning mirror and a wiggling frog to enjoy, too.
9. LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Activity Table
This activity table is jam-packed with things for baby to do and see, and it has several options to accommodate babies of various ages. It can sit flat on the floor so babies as young as 6 months old can enjoy it, but then you can also attach the legs so that toddlers up to age 3 can stand and play, so there is a long usable life for this toy. By pushing different buttons on the activity table, baby will hear the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, nursery rhymes and music. You can also switch between English and Spanish modes. A good activity table makes a great addition to any baby's playroom, and this one is one of the best.
10. Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Learning Puppy
A plush puppy is a great, huggable toy for baby, but this Learning Puppy from Fisher Price's Laugh & Learn series has lots more than hugs to offer. There are classic children's songs to sing along to, textures to feel and games to play. As baby grows, he or she can learn letters, numbers, body parts and colors. There are two modes of play, so you can switch the sounds based on baby's mood or age.












