The first years of your baby’s life are completely focused on their scanning, understanding and comprehension of the world around them. If you want to keep this ship going forward, it’s important to present the right stimuli for that. And how can you do that? By presenting the best toys for your 6 months old baby!
What is happening with your baby at 6 months old?
By this time in their life, their motor skills are growing and improving. They are stimulated by lights, sounds, and are more responsive to these stimuli. It’s likely that they’re also becoming stronger and being able to sit on their own, without back support.
They’re also more prone to respond, interpret and react to interactions, so this is really the time to make faces, imitate and respond to their babblings, and actively show feelings in order to improve their social and emotional skills.
Why is it important to stimulate your baby at 6 months old?
When your baby is 6 months old, you can expect more interactions between you and the little one because their bodies and minds are developing.
You want to keep this continuum going! In order to do that, choose the appropriate stimuli that will keep them engaged.
Toys that will excite their curiosity and keep them entertained is the best way to do so, so getting the hang of the best objects to help them in this mission is the best you can do as a parent.
Best playtime and toys for 6 months old babies
Your little one is learning something every single day, so their development is in the total blossoming stage.
Here are some indications of playtime categories and what toys you should present to your 6 months old baby.
Sensory exploration
Sensory experiences lay the foundation for your baby’s cognitive development. Stimulating their senses helps them understand and interact with the world around them.
- Soft fabric books: pick books with vibrant colors, different textures, and crinkly pages that engage your baby’s sense of touch and sight.
- Rattles: colorful rattles with various textures and sounds encourage your baby to explore by shaking and touching.
- Sensory balls: these textured balls are perfect for tactile exploration, promoting fine motor skills as your baby grabs, touches, and investigates them.
Tummy time fun
Tummy time is essential for strengthening neck and shoulder muscles, developing motor skills, and preventing flat spots on the head. Make tummy time enjoyable with this simple combination of mirrors and play mats.
Look for play mats with attachments: Look for play mats that come with dangling toys and mirrors to keep your baby engaged during tummy time.
The use of mirrors is recommended because babies love looking at their reflections. A tummy time mirror can make the experience more enjoyable and visually stimulating.
Grasping and manipulating
At the age of 6 months old, babies are refining their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Toys that encourage grasping and manipulating are perfect for this stage:
- Teething toys: soft and textured teething toys not only soothe sore gums but also provide an opportunity for your baby to practice grasping and holding.
- Stacking rings: these classic toys help babies learn about size, shape, and spatial relationships as they manipulate and stack the rings.
- Soft blocks: fluffy and squeezable blocks are easy for little hands to grip and manipulate, promoting motor skills.
Interactive toys
- Activity centers: choose activity centers with buttons, lights, and sounds that respond when your baby touches them, encouraging cause-and-effect understanding.
- Peek-a-Boo: the peek-a-boo play is a classic and babies’ reaction to it is priceless! Choose toys that play peek-a-boo or hide-and-seek games engage your baby’s sense of surprise and anticipation.
By this time, you already got the grasp of how to choose the best toys for 6 months old. While you’re on this journey to keep making the proper decisions towards your child’s future, how about learning at what age should your kid start kindergarten?
