toy ideas for an 8 and half month old? Or activities?

[Jiinx]

Hi there!

 I've looked at the threads...and I've done a treasure basket, but she gets bored rather quickly and starts whining. I read to her often throughout the day.

She doesn't move much yet so I'm stuck entertaining her throughout the day.

I have an exersaucer and a gym mat....quite bored of.

Should I bother with toys? Anything good out there? It's very overwhelming when I went to a toy warehouse sale in toronto the other day..I kind of left with my head spinning!

TIA!

[jess, lukeys_mom]

dylan is a big fan of anything that makes music. he got a plastic train for christmas with big bottons on it that light up and play music whn pressed, and he LOVES it (he was just under 8mo at the time). also there are some good toys out there that stimulate crawling. i like stuff from the Lamaze brand as they are usually age and development appropriate and good for stimulation. we have a little stuffed animal that's kind of like a fish. you put it on the floor and press it's back, and it starts playing a loud tune and moving around on the floor. i am pretty sure it's also lamaze. both of the kids have loved this thing and have been interested in following it. dylan now crawls after it. before he was mobile he would just put his hands in the air and giggle with glee.

[Jiinx]

aw. That's so cute, Jess. Thank you. I'll have a look out for those!

She -just- started crawling backwards. I tried to replicate it again today but she just rolled onto her back and smiled and played with her toes instead I'm sure it'll be any day she'll crawl after items

[brenda2]

we have a variety of things (way too many things) and they mostly just get stuck in her mouth and then thrown behind her as she goes after the next thing to stick in her mouth.  i have a built in entertainer (big sis), it is much easier to keep dd2 entertained when dd1 is around.  can you do playdates?  babies love other babies, and then you get to visit with your friends too.

they both loved anything that makes a noise at this age, music, lights etc bring it on.  i have an activity table from baby einstein.  it is great to encourage standing and has music as well as sings the ABCs and 123s, colors, numbers, shapes etc.  dd2 is not standing yet but at about this age dd1 could walk around it while holding on. 

i also have a baby walker that makes music and has holes to put different shapes into it.  this was a favorite of dd1 from about 6 mo to about 20 mo and then when i pulled it out a few months ago for the baby she was back playing with it again.  it's putting the shapes into the holes (which then makes a noise,lights,music) that she liked so much but it was good to learn to stand and push.  dd1 still pushes it around and calls it her car.  it seems to be the toy she has played with for the longest amount of time.  it was a gift but retails for about $50, but given the mileage i think worth it.

also boxes or bags that they can put things into and then take things out of or dump, drag around etc. 

dd1 has a kitchen with drawers and dd1 is into pulling everything out of the drawers/cubboards.

have you gone swimming with her yet?  they both love swimming/splashing in the water and this is a great activity to get out of the house.  i also do a music class with both of them and they love listening to the music and dd2 mostly just rolls/crawls around on the floor and chews on the drums, tamborines, shakers etc.  good adult time too.  too bad you don't live in vancouver!

[Jiinx]

Brenda

Thank you. All very thoughtful suggestions.

Yes, I find even though she has many toys, most of them go in her mouth and if she's not happy with it, she just finds the next thing to suck on Maybe in a few more months she'll be into playing with them.

I do have a walker. Thanks! I'll give that a try.

I have taken her swimming. She loves it

The library program coincides with her naps/feeds So something to do when she gets older perhaps.

Thanks, as always, Brenda

[<Catherine>]

My nephew has a train similar to that described by jess, lukeys_mom and my ds has loved it since he was about 6/7 months, still does at 10 months. We also got a ball pit for him at around 7.5 months and he loves that - it was really cheap and is something that he uses all the time and, again, still loves it - money well spent there!

[Mashi]

Two toys we had at this age that DS LOVED were the Fisher Price telephone that is a classic...I had it as a kid!  Its white, and is on a string, and has eyes that roll when it is pulled.  DS loved looking at the face, and we would pull it just out of his reach and he'd laugh and tummy glide across the living room floor to get to it.   

We also had a set of Fisher Price stacking cups- they are half circles in a rainbow, each one getting smaller and at the top there is a little yellow ball with a face on it and a bell inside. The cups can stack to make a tower, they can snap together to make balls, and the balls can each have a larger one outside of it, like Russian Dolls, iykwim?  DS really liked them, and they are one of the few toys we brought with us when we moved to Germany when he was 12 months old...various different things we played with them until he was about 14/15 months old, so they got lots of use.  I still have them tucked away and they are one toy I am hesitant to give up because I just keep feeling there will be another phase that he goes through where he will enjoy them. 

I will see if I can find links to both of them, but need to make dinner now, so will be back tonight!

[Jiinx]

all such lovely lovely suggestions She's been whimpering/crying ...so until her first teeth come in all toys are good for chewing atm hehe


Thanks Mashi..I'll try to google it