Christmas Gift Ideas for a 6 Month Old Boy

Last year when my daughter was about the same age, we got her the Leapfrog Learn & Groove Musical Table. With little ones, you can keep the legs off so they can crawl up to it and play. When they get older, you can put the legs on so they can stand at it. She still plays with this toy, so we've gotten a lot of mileage out of it. It retails for about $45 but Amazon does some interesting pricing things especially around the holidays where prices can fluctuate wildly from one day to the next so we paid $30 with free shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ETRENI

Another good toy we got tons of mileage out of is the Evenflo Exersaucer. It's been ages since my daughter actually sat inside it, but she still walks by it and plays with the toys on it. If they get sick of the toys, Evenflo sells different replacement ones for about $4.

My daughter was 6 months old last Christmas and we bought her this:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3212745
That website is for ToyRus but i think you can get it a bit cheaper if you shop around like we did.

It was the only thing we got her except a few stocking stuffers. She loved it from day one ( We had to hold her on it back then) and it is still her favorite toy a year later.

These are some items that my son has LOVED from 6 months to now (10 months):

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2293345

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2383362

http://www.geniusbabies.com/band-in-a-box.html
(Though any instruments on their own- maracas, egg shakers, little drum, etc. would make your son happy!)

He also loves stackable rings, which are nice and cheap!

I went through this last year. My daughter loved her Fisher Price Star Stage, Laugh n Learn Puppy and everything else that fit into her mouth. We also got her a few sing along DVDs and her "big girl" carseat. It was really hard for us becaus we also have two other children and they made sure that everyone got the same amount of gifts.

Hi,
My cousin actually gave me this advice when my daughter was 6 months old on her first Christmas. Wrap up things that you would buy anyway. Such as diapers, formula, sippy cups, socks, snack foods (Gerber dried fruit),even baby food. Also plate and bowl sets. You can mix these things in to bulk up the gifts. My children also always get a new pair of PJ's each year.

I also buy each of my children an ornament for that year to represent their interests. Then when they are ready to have their own tree years down the road, you can let them have their ornaments from their childhood.

I didn't read any of the other responses so I hope this isn't something someone already suggested.

Happy Holidays.

D.

He'll be the perfect age to get toys like stackers and shape sorters. They're necessities and they're cheap. If you want a bigger toy, my 2 love the Leap Frog music table that someone else mentioned and the Fisher Price Animal Train....those are 2 favorites for my kids.

My son was that age last year, and some of the gifts that have stood the test of time best are board books. At that age he would only sit and listen to maybe one at a time, but by 12 months he was wandering around, picking them up to bring to me to read to him. He'll sit and "read" them to himself too. The Dr. Seuss books are his favorites. There's a Wocket in my Pocket, Mr. Brown can Moo, Can You? and especially his alphabet book. They have such a fun rhythm and rhyme scheme that he just loves to hear them, over and over! They are by far the "toy" that gets the most use around here. Happy shopping!

Hi, R..

My parents gave my daughter a "BrightStar" Activity Center for Christmas when she was his age. It's an Exercise/Activity Center with a seat that he can rotate around the outside of the center console so that he can travel around to the activities that he wants to play. The travel seat is detachable so that it grows with him. It has been one of the best investments that my parents could ever have made. She has been playing with it ever since she got it in 2006. We found it on Walmart.com and it cost $80. I recently saw it in Babies R Us but I did not notice the price. Your son will love it.

Have a wonderful Christmas.

S. D

I run a small shoppe on Etsy, with links to my friends that have small shoppes. www.lolocraft.etsy.com

If you click on my "Favorites" you can see my friends' shoppes. We all have little toys, etc. that would be great for Christmas! I just put up some jingle'y little blocks last night. :-)

Good luck! I've always found that my baby enjoyed really noisy toys...or packaging. Not much in between. ;-)

6 month olds like toys- esp ones that will help them crawl, or teething toys. My son is 6 months old right now and loves this plastic ball thing with a jingly ball inside. it rolls and he chases after it. he will be 8 months during the holidays. i plan on buying him one or two presents (toys, or CDs). I know that he will get spoiled by the grandparents, aunts, and uncles. After the holidays i plan on hitting up the specials to get anything else that he might need.

Whatever you decide check out craigslist.com. That's how we are doing some christmas shopping this year, especially for the baby. If you are not familiar - you go on, select your state and city and then your catagory - babies and kids. You will find all sorts of baby items being sold close to home.

Best wishes.

Save your money. I have learned over the years that the gifts are for you, not for him, because he won't know what he's getting or not at this age. Relatives will bring him presents if you want to see him open something under the tree. If you are dead set on giving him something, try something that talks or plays music; something from The Leap systems are great (I saw a crab rattle at Marshalls that shook and also played the numbers aloud in English and Spanish.) Personally, the best gift you can give your child is love, and the knowledge of greater good in the world. Take him to visit relatives and friends. Remember that the spirit of the season is not in his getting, but in giving to others. My children and I give a lot of charity during this time, instead of getting presents. They have learned not to mind this, and have garnered a true sense of being a part of a bigger world, love, and helping their fellow man. I started them too late, and they became spoiled with gift-getting. (They are now 12, 9 and 4). The little one is the best off because he doesn't remember extravagant holiday gift getting. Now I am proud to say that they anxiously await the holidays to see what they can do for others. Good luck.
P.S. Same goes for the elaborate first birthday parties.

BOOKS!! I love giving books as gifts... my favorite book for this age is "Piggies" by Don and Audrey Wood. I think you can find it as a board book too.

"we're going on a bear hunt", "The hungry caterpillar", and "Where the wild things are", are all great books that he'd enjoy for years.

Don't go wild he won't remember anyway. Howabout a blanket or stuffed animal or a "Lovie" (a blanket with a stuffed animal head), also try stacking cups or stacking rings. The cups can go anywhere and WHEN he puts them in his mouth they are easy clean. My daughter was 5 months her first Christmas and we got some smaller, hand size objects that rattles and could be put in her mouth. Also WalMar sells a "book" that can be chewed on. One page crinkles, one is smooth, one is rougher and the binding is made with rings to rattle. The whole thing is machine washable too!!! Have fun!!! A.

I gave my son an excersaucer, but your son is prob. too old for that, there is a ball that is on a little stand that plays music or sings the ABC's when they hit it. A Jolly jumper is always a hit.

I would suggest the Leap Frog Learn and Groove Musical Table. Fisher-Price makes a similar table too. We got this for my son when he was about 8 months old because he liked to stand but needed assistance. The table top comes off and you can put it on the floor for babies who can sit, or keep it on the legs for when they are pulling up. I have the Fisher-Price version and it was one of the best toys for my son. My son also liked anything that he could hold...Fisher-Price makes balls with objects inside that are pretty cool.

Good luck!

I actually wouldn't get toys at all. I love the idea of wrapping up things you'd be buying anyway. But the other thing I thought of is use the money you'd spend on Xmas gifts and buy an enrollment to a Kindermusik class. Music is something he'll have and enjoy forever and when you take one of these classes, you get a CD, a book, and a baby-safe instrument included in the price of the class. My mom gave me a gift certificate to one of these classes when my kids were little, and 7 years later, music is still a huge part of our lives.