Christmas Gift Ideas for 6- to 12-Month-Old Babies

It can be difficult to shop for babies. It's not that they're picky; they're too small to even realize what a present is. And since babies acquire new skills and interests all the time what do you buy that will even hold their interest? It's not as if you could ask the baby what they want, so you are pretty much stuck on your own. Don't fret. I have found some items I think are worthy of wrapping up and putting under the Christmas tree for babies currently in the 6- 12-month-old age range that are sure to help.

Babies in the 6-12 month age range are usually teething. With teething comes pain. Teething toys make useful presents for babies in this age group. Even if you already have one or two teething toys, it never hurts to have a large variety of teething toys for your baby. Babies can lose interest quickly in chewing on the same toys over and over again. Try to find teething toys and rings that are in a variety of colors, shapes, and textures. You can place the different items into a gift basket that can later be used for organizing small baby toys and items. Items such as The First Years John Deere Soft Teething Book would be perfect for teething babies.

Toys with motion can help motivate a baby to get moving. Babies in the 6-12 month age range are typically learning to crawl or even how to walk. Toy manufacturers have come up with many different types of toys that can help get your baby moving. One toy that may help get your baby moving is the Peek-a-Blocks: Press & Go Train. The motion of this train is activated by pressing on the smokestack. Your baby will also hear music and watch as the blocks bob up and down as the train rolls along. This toy would be useful for helping younger babies learn how to crawl, and older ones how to walk, as they will try and chase after the train.

Babies in the 6-12 month age range are either learning how to sit up or have already begun sitting on their own. The ability to sit up brings about more possibilities when it comes to toy selection. Babies who are still learning how to sit can still play with these toys with the support of Mom or Dad or even a few pillows set behind them. Some good options for babies who are sitting are drums or stacking toys. The Learn & Groove Alphabet Drum by Leapfrog is a great example for a toy sitting babies can play with. This drum also works for getting baby on the move as it has a rolling function. Babies and toddlers can beat on the drum to see letters from the alphabet light up as well as enjoy the music. Another great toy for sitting babies is the Peek-a-Blocks: Shape Sorter by Fisher-Price. It is a cube shaped toy that allows for baby to match up different shaped toys with holes of the same shape. This toy can be educational, helping baby to learn their shapes and colors.

Another milestone that babies in the 6-12 month age group tend to hit is pulling themselves up into a standing position. You can encourage your little one by purchasing toys that require them to stand. Table toys that offer many different colored and shaped toys, music, and/or lights may be just the key to encourage your little one to stand. The Laugh & Learn: Baby Grand Piano may be just what you need to get your baby up on his or her feet. The piano can also help your baby learn numbers, colors, and opposites making it a wonderful educational toy. Your baby will enjoy tapping on the piano keys to hear music being played and older babies can enjoy dancing and rocking out to the tunes.

When buying toys for your 6-12 month old you may be looking for a toy that lasts. Babies often outgrow their clothing quite quickly. The same can be said about certain toys. Many toy manufacturers have caught on to this fact and have been creating baby toys that can last through the toddler years as well. You may be interested in purchasing the 5-in-1 Adjustable Gym by Little Tikes. This toy can be played with from birth to about three years of age. The toy starts out as a baby gym for young babies. There is a green plastic bar which later serves as a bench seat, that when kicked activates lights and music for baby. I have found that you have to hit it fairly hard to get the music and lights to activate, so I would recommend this for babies of sitting age and up. For babies who are sitting you can rotate the play table at an angle suitable for sit down play. Once your baby reaches their toddler years they can use the other side of the play table as a tabletop for various art activities. It can also be angled so that toddlers can use the tabletop as an easel. Another great option for toys to grow with is the Learn-Around Playground (with Tube Topper) by Leapfrog. The playground boasts 45 interactive touch points and two different learn through play modes. Younger babies can push, bat, and pull on various interactive points to learn things like shapes, textures, and colors. Older babies and toddlers can stand and play with the ball drop tube as well as learn the alphabet, counting, rhyming, as well as other things. There is also a "smart" book on the tabletop that converts learning activities into musical adventures and vice versa.

Buying toys for your 6-12 month old baby for Christmas doesn't have to be a hard task. Choosing toys that are appropriate for your baby's developmental skills is often a safe bet. Be sure to ask friends and family for recommendations and check online customer reviews as well to find the perfect product for your baby that is sure to be a hit.