Best Toys For 9-Month-Olds 2023

The best toys for 9-month-olds are entertaining but also developmentally appropriate. Selecting safe baby toys is extra important at this age when they seem to put everything into their mouths—and might have a hard time staying upright.

I’ve spent years testing and reviewing toys, and as a mom to twin 1-year-old boys, the challenge of finding toys and gifts for this age group is fresh in my mind. In addition to my personal experience, I spoke to four baby experts for this story: a pediatric occupational therapist, a pediatric physical therapist and two pediatricians.

The best toys for 9-month-olds let them explore new sensations, from movement to music to water … [+] play.

Illustration: Forbes / Photos: Retailers

“The best toys are the ones that engage a baby’s creativity and build the skills that they are learning,” says Dr. Melissa St. Germain, vice president and medical director of Children’s Physicians and Urgent Care at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

Of course, it doesn’t take as much to entertain a 9-month-old as it does say, a 6-year-old child. Your car keys and the dog’s water bowl might be quite interesting to these newly mobile babies. But those items may not be safe or skill building. See below for the best toys for 9-month-olds. Afterward, you might consider reading up on some of our other favorite things for older babies like these fun playhouses or these top-rated baby books.

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Fat Brain Toys InnyBin

Traditional shape sorters can be frustrating for 9-month-olds. This one is a bit easier for their little hands to manage, and it helps develop their pincer grasp and fine motor skills. Plus, kids this age tend to adore container play. It goes in, it comes out, it goes in, it comes out! Pack this toy along on your next outing to keep them engaged.

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