What's the Best Gift for Baby?

Between the ages of 6 to 9 months it's quite likely that your baby is working on crawling, pulling himself up, standing, or even possibly cruising. Toys that roll or glide across the floor more than likely will motivate your baby to give chase. Simple balls or push trucks are great for the newly mobile baby.

One of my favorite toys for crawlers or cruisers is the Djeco Catty the Cat Wooden Pull Toy. Its bright colors and playful design seem to be rather appealing for little ones. A jingling sound adds to the attraction. At this age, you'll need to pull the toy along for your baby as he gives chase, but it's a toy that is completely adaptable to toddlerhood. You'll find this toy to be a favorite for a few years to come.

Your baby is showing increased dexterity in his fine motor skills; evidenced by how he places with simple objects. He'll bang blocks together with delight, attempt to stack them up into tall towers, or plunk them into containers (only to dump them out and repeat the process all over again.

You'll have a very wide selection of stacking and nesting toys available. I like International Playthings Nest and Stack Buckets for several reasons:

• It is not just a nesting and stacking toy, but also includes plastic shapes and shape sorting lid.
• The buckets work well in the tub and the shapes are mini-squirters.
• It adapts to toddlerhood and incorporates number recognition.
• A practical feature- it stores neatly away.

By 6 to 9 months bath time can turn from simple nightly ritual to the highly-anticipated event of the day. Your baby will begin to splash in the water with intent and purpose. While adults may find that a good bubble bath product makes a bath perfect, for babies a good bath is all about the tub toy.

One versatile tub toy is the Sassy Car Wash. Your baby will be able to squirt, strain, splash, and pour as he interacts with the floating car wash and separate car toys. It stores away easily on a hook and the mesh pocket houses the vehicles.

At this age, your baby is becoming much more aware of his environment. As his understanding of the world broadens, he'll become more interested in how objects interact with one another. In light of this, look for toys that develop a sense of cause and effect. Cars that zoom down tracks, toy pianos that make music, and blocks that can stack and fall all will fascinate your babe.

You may find that the Rollipop Starter Set by Edushape becomes a fast favorite. Together, you and your child can design a track and let the balls wind down the trail and plop to the floor. It's a great item that inspires creativity, critical thinking, and hand-eye coordination.

Though you might not think that babies get much out of books, think again. Books make great gifts for babies. Books promote language development and help children learn about the world around them. Board books, in particular, are well-suited for drooling, impatient babies who tend to rip pages unintentionally. Sturdy and practical, look for board books with engaging colors, limited text, and sized perfectly for little hands.

An awesome companion toy to the board book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear by author/illustrator Eric Carle is the Small World Toys Eric Carle Brown Bear Touch 'N Read Block. Your baby will learn animal names and animal sounds. Made of soft fabric, it's an interactive toy that promotes language development.