Toys for Kids 9 Months to 1 Year Old and Up

In this post on Toys for Kids 9 Months to 12 Months and Up I'm sharing what toys I gave to my kids, when, and why.  I will also include some toys that my kids enjoyed at other people’s homes, and some that I wish I’d got for them at the right time had I known earlier.



When I was choosing toys for my twins when they turned 9 months old, I was looking for:
- toys that can be pushed and pulled to encourage walking
- toys that can pull-back and go forward to understand cause and effect
- toys that develop motor skills and eye-hand coordination
- toys that have lights and music and buttons to press

When I was choosing toys for my twins when they turned 1 year old, I was looking for:
- toys that can be stacked and nested to understand balance and sizes
- toys with magnets
- toys that can be climbed onto or into or walked with
- toys that teach new words and develop vocabulary
- toys that teach colors, numbers, animals, shapes, alphabets, phonics for early education


Here’s the format of what you will see in the rest of this post:
1. Toy name, picture, and link to the toy
2. Manufacturer recommended age in brackets
3. What I like about it

Toys for 9-12 months+

  • watch the ball rattle and roll down the ramp, stack it higher for more fun
  • lots of colors and nice activity for child to keep busy

2.  Tomy Toys Quack Along Ducks (10 months+)
  • watch duck waddle and quack along as child pulls the cord to drag them around the house hence encouraging child to walk

  • I don't see a 3 year old enjoying this toy but a child from 9 months to 18 months can enjoy the 50+ tunes and sounds, spinning, opening and closing the zoo door, move the animals around, and have a little pretend play.



4.  VTech Spin and Learn Color Flashlight (12 months - 3 years)
  • 70+ sounds, phrases, songs, and teaches alphabets, colors and animals, also learn to spin and learn motor skills, and use like a real flashlight





  • Musical train that moves. A child who sits and crawls will enjoy and try to chase a toy that moves.
  • My kids loved toys like these (not this exact train as in the picture) that we had bought in Bangkok and India when they were 7 months to 11 months old.  After they turned a year old and started walking, they were interested in other toys.

  • press buttons, load car and animals, listen to music, learn colors, animals, and numbers
  • pull-along toy good for child to take around and walk
  • cars and radio (like walkie talkie) can encourage pretend play


7.  VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker (9months - 3 years)
  • learn to walk, wheels are smooth on hard floor as well as carpet
  • pretend play with phone, lots of lights, and buttons to press
  • 70+ sing-along songs, music, sound effects and fun phrases
OR

  • lot of colors and illustrations for visual stimulation, and activities to keep busy and develop motor skills, move cart to encourage walking


9. Kid O Wobbles - Owl (12 months+)
Wiggles and wobbles and rolls but always stands back up. I think a 9 month+ child who can sit and crawl can also enjoy this.  Doesn't need batteries!

10.  LeapFrog AlphaPup (12 months+)
  • learn alphabets and phonics, listen to sounds, hear songs, press buttons, 
  • pull string (leash) to drag the puppy around



11.  Crayola Fingerpaint Kit (12 months+)
  • 3 tubes in red, blue, and yellow colors of washable paint along with 10 glossy papers to keep a growing toddler busy.


12.  Mega Bloks Big Building Bag (12 months - 5 years)
  • hands-on open-ended play for kids to learn to stack blocks and build
  • stimulates imagination and creativity, easy to carry pieces in its bag
  • can teach kids counting, colors, and pretend-play with the blocks


This is like #14 but does not have lights and music and no batteries required.  These toys that involve movement are good for a growing child to ride and stride and expend energy!
OR

  • use it as a walker: kid can hold the bar to learn to walk, then learn to sit on it and learn to drag forward using legs to ride: good exercise for legs
  • there's songs and tunes and lights too
  • not much bouncing to do on it--so don't buy primarily for this purpose


15.  Hape Maple Blocks (12 months+)
  • 50 piece wooden set for open-ended imaginative play to build and get creative


  • curvy bead maze, peekaboo open and close doors, alphabet tiles learn abc and objects, lot of visual stimulation

17.  VTech Sit-To-Stand Ultimate Alphabet Train (12 months - 3 years)
  • train in front can be used as a walker, the seat at the back can go up and use it as a wagon
  • when used together when you insert the alphabet block in the slot it reads out the alphabet and automatically pushes it down the chute smoothly into the wagon
  • walkie-talkie and the number pad are excellent for pretend-play
  • lots of lights, colors, press buttons, learn alphabets, words, numbers, and more
  • 100+ songs and melodies
  • great for building motor skills, visual skills, sensory skills, stride and ride, good educational toy


18.  Fisher-Price Power Wheels Batman Lil' Quad (12 months - 3 years)
  • Battery-operated ATV style ride on toy.  6-volts of battery power and 2 mph maximum speed.


  • open cubby as ball pit (holds almost 200 tennis-size balls), teepee-style 
  • play tent, and tunnel can be mixed and match or put altogether, can be used indoors and outdoors
  • has basketball hoop, can keep kids busy for long time and lot of exercise in crawling through the tent back and forth

20.  Click N' Play Plastic Balls (12 months+)
Pack of 200 BPA-free plastic balls in 6 bright colors, great for filling up a ball pit






This is the rocker my kids have but I don't like it because the seat is too smooth and there is no back support, neither is there a raised back for child to sit in the center, because of which my kids keep sliding off the pooh.  I would have preferred a rocking horse or something else.



  • Not all toys have to be battery-operated or have lights and sound.  Some toys like these with open-ended play for curious kids who like to be creative are fun too!


Boon Bath Toy Set (9 months+)
  • Scrubble: scrub or fill water inside and squirt out
  • Water Bugs: 3 water bugs float and 1 net to catch them
  • Boats: scoop and pour water or let the boats float



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