3 Great Baby Toys Your 12-Month-Old Baby Should Own

My baby is about to turn one soon and has received and played with many different baby toys. Some toys were a big hit with her while others were not. Purchasing baby toys can either be a great investment or a waste of money, in my experience, which is why I would recommend parents to research and read reviews and recommendations before making a purchase. Here are some of the baby toys that my baby has loved and ones she didn't care for.

In this first article I will discuss some of my baby's favorite baby toys. You will find her most favorite toy at the end of the article. All of these toys can be enjoyed by baby starting from the time they learn to sit unsupported.

Baby Toy #1: Little Superstar Sing-Along Stage by Fisher Price

The Little Superstar Sing-Along Stage by Fisher Price was, and still is, a huge hit with my baby. The rattle microphone would keep her attention as she would shake it and even put it up to her mouth, though more for tasting it than singing into it. After some visual instruction she began to play with the various musical instrument buttons, balls, and sliding handle to make the music come on. Another cool feature of the Little Superstar Sing-Along Stage is that it comes with a mode which will play little clips of music noises whenever the microphone is waved in front of the stage. My baby received this gift when she was eight months old and still enjoys it at almost one year of age. I have a feeling that she will continue to enjoy this toy for most of the next year as well. With music, singing, and lights the Fisher Price Little Superstar Sing-Along Stage gets two thumbs up from parent and baby.

Baby Toy #2: Amazing Animals Sing & Go Choo-Choo by Fisher Price

The Amazing Animals Sing & Go Choo-Choo by Fisher Price was a great investment. The train can be set into motion by pressing down on the green smokestack which lights up. The motion of this train can be a great motivator to get baby crawling. There is also a stationary mode which can be activated by the flick of a switch. The train also comes with two volume modes and unlike some baby toys you can tell the difference between the two. The train comes with a few sliding beads, bananas which can be slid up and down, as well as a bird attached by a spring. The Amazing Animals train comes with the main train and an attached trailer which can easily removed. Three animals are included with this Amazing Animals train by Fisher Price and all of them make clicking sounds as you move their head and their limbs. While my baby didn't really care about any of the animals included, with the exception of the giraffe, she loves to set the toy train in motion and follow it. Other times she will turn it on and enjoys hearing the "click, click, click" of the wheels as it is butting up against the wall or piece of furniture. This toy has been a favorite of hers for a while now. I can see my baby still playing with this train later on as the music and motion make this one cool baby toy to have in the toy box.

And now on to my baby's favorite toy...

Leapfrog Learn-Around Playground with Tube Topper

The Leapfrog Learn-Around Playground with Tube Topper has been a favorite toy of my baby ever since she first received it at eight months of age. This toy is recommended for babies 6 months up to 3 years of age. The toy has many different activities to appeal to a baby through many stages of their young life. For babies who cannot yet stand there are hanging plastic musical keys for the baby to swat at to make music, fabric strips to pull on to activate music, and a hole for dropping balls in to activate sounds. Once baby has mastered standing with support they can enjoy other activities on the table as well. In the middle of the table are five musical keys that light up when pressed. Each are colored differently and are numbered 1 through 5. As of now my baby doesn't really care for this part of the Leapfrog Playground baby toy. A baby who enjoys toys which light up they may find more enjoyment in this feature. The Leapfrog Playground tabletop also features a frog on a bicycle which can slide side to side in a half moon to "cycle" through the alphabet, though song of course. Each alphabet letter can be pressed to reveal what they are, in both the learning and music modes. You can switch between both of these modes by flipping the page of the book, one side for music and one side for learning. There is also a spinning frog, a pop up frog, and a few sliding beads on the tabletop as well. My baby personally loves to spin the frog which makes a silly sound when spinned in music mode, in learning mode baby is rewarded with a song. Another fun and cool feature of the Leapfrog Playground, or learning table as I like to call it, is the ball chute. In learning mode your baby will hear the color of the ball that he/she drops into the chute, in music mode your baby will be rewarded with silly sounds. My baby has yet to fully use this feature though she has dropped a ball into the chute on occasion. This toy will likely be used for the next year at least and continue to be a favorite of my baby. The Leapfrog Learn-Around Playground with Tube Topper receives three thumbs up from parent and baby.

These three baby toys are must haves for baby. Not only will your baby be entertained, they may learn something as well. I would highly recommend each of these toys for parent and baby to enjoy playing with together.