Interesting Toys for a Very Active 7 Month Old

Dear S.,

You want toys that your daughter can use in a number of different ways,and that don't entertain her so much as they require her to be active in making something happen. Here are some ideas: balls, balls and more balls,and empty containers of different sizes to fill and dump- (try a plastic colandar), stacking cups, measuring spoons, pop beads, plastic or wood blocks(cardboard nesting blocks are great too)! Try several colorful all-cotton bandanas, small stuffed animals, wooden napkin rings, small push cars- (Little Tykes makes great ones ),small cardboard books that she can look at, stacking rings, a small blow up swim tube -( trust me, kids her age love these and find lots of ways to play with them that don't involve any water at all ), blow up beach balls are great too! Also try pop up toys - where she has to push a button to make something happen.I'm sure I'm leaving something out, but these are tried and true favorites of many,many of the young children I have cared for over the years. In fact when I start working with a new family, I will often fill a basket with these toys and give it as a gift,and parents have told me time and time again,(and I have witnessed with my own eyes), that the toys in I fill the basket with are the ones the babies use most often.Have fun! L. S.

My daughter is 10 months now and her favorite toy since 5 months has not changed and it's the only thing that keeps her entertained for any period of time:

Leap Frog musical table.

It has 4 removable legs so you can take off two and lean it at an angle. The table has 4 sides of play so you can change the legs and turn the table one turn and it's a whole new adventure.
Further, the table has 2 modes of play: singing or words. And to make it even more interesting, it has both English and Spanish!

Now that she's standing I have all 4 legs on it and she cruises around the perimeter playing with it.

Whomever invented this toy is a genius. Check it out on Amazon, that's where I got it with free shipping and it was like $30.00. Best $30.00 I've ever spent!!

Both my kids loved the fridge DJ. It sticks to the fridge with magnets.. but you don't HAVE to put it on the fridge it comes off and can be put in a playpen/crib etc.

Our 9 mos old son also loves toys--but can get bored with the same one. His favorite toy for months now is the peek-a-blocks train--I'd highly recommend it. He also loves the blocks themselves!

Hi S.,

My son is 11 months old and his two favorite toys for the last few months have been his leap frog exploration station and his shape sorter bucket. Either of those usually keep him entertained for longer than I need him to be.

Its been a little while since I had a 7 mo. But I bought toys that moved - my daughter started crawling at 7 mos - so she loved to chase them. I got soft blocks that squeaked or crinkled, the ring tower, and anything with a mirror. I also got a table with little activities on it because once she started crawling she wanted to stand up all the time and liked the music the table played, etc.