Versatile toy for 6 month old?

[newmamalizzy]

DD's 6-month-day is coming up. We don't have a lot of money to spend, but we really want to get her a few awesome new toys that will be versatile enough to grow with her. We're thinking blocks, for one, and perhaps one larger toy with lots of play options. Any suggestions? Oh, and while I'm on the subject, what are your favorite not-storebought-toys (household objects, home-made or repurposed things, etc.) for this age range?

[carmel23]

Empty bottle (glass--if you watch them or plastic)

Box

pots, pans, veggie steamer, shiny stainless steel or copper bowls.

Dish towels, my LO loves dish towels (especially wet ones)...

My 9 month-old loves a basket that we fill with play silks, and all my kids still play with play silks, all the way up to the 9 year-old.

6 months is when he started really "unpacking" He likes to just take everything out--everything out of a drawer, a baskets, whatever. Everything!

Ball-- a nice ball to roll.

Blocks are great.

A push cart might be a good idea, something he can fill with his toys and push around.

[momto4plus4]

I love carmel's suggestions! SO true. I avoid the noisy toys and I've made our kitchen tupperware accessible as it seems to be a favorite for all baby's.

One store-bought toy I've found my kids enjoy for a long time are the Fisher-Price Peek-a-Blocks. We have the older version but I just googled them and there are lots of new ones. Ours have vehicles inside and farm animals. So, the little ones like looking at what's in them and then they can stack them. I like them better than mega-blocks or duplos. My daycare boy was still playing with these at almost 3 yrs old.

Other favorites of mine are simple instruments, balls, vehicles and dolls. You don't have to spend a lot and they play with them a long time.

My kids have loved getting in laundry baskets. They make them into all sorts of things-spaceships, boats, etc. They take books in there and read. Dd2 will curl up in one with her blankie.

Pudding is a fun "fingerpaint" for little ones.

[Magistra]

My 7-month-old has loved his older brother's old peek-a-blocks for a while now. His favorite activity is knocking down towers I build, but he also likes grabbing blocks and banging or throwing them.

An aunt and uncle sent us an "Ocean Wonders" playmat that can be used for baby on his back or front before he's mobile and then turned into a tunnel. We just made the change, and he crawled right into it, like a little hideaway.

He also loved plastic bottles and wants all pieces of paper (though we give him less access to that since he'll try to eat it). Another vote for washcloths too!

[julie80]

Originally Posted by carmel23

Empty bottle (glass--if you watch them or plastic)

Box

pots, pans, veggie steamer, shiny stainless steel or copper bowls.

Dish towels, my LO loves dish towels (especially wet ones)...

My 9 month-old loves a basket that we fill with play silks, and all my kids still play with play silks, all the way up to the 9 year-old.

6 months is when he started really "unpacking" He likes to just take everything out--everything out of a drawer, a baskets, whatever. Everything!

Ball-- a nice ball to roll.

Blocks are great.

A push cart might be a good idea, something he can fill with his toys and push around.

I agree!

It never failed that my son would be more interested in the box that the toy came in than the toy itself!

[tzs]

some may consider it a bling-y toy but i hate bling-y toys and i don't...i think it's fairly classy.
the mozart cube from munchkin. it's actually pretty fun for adults too so i imagine you could use it forever
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index...ductId=2267590

[shotmama]

there are these different colored cups that you can fit into each other, or stack on top of each other, plus you can get em super cheap! my daughter LOVED these at 6 months, even until now (almost 11 mo) she goes bonkers with em.

here are a few links of examples:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80021008
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80021008
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...J8NZ4FADSQHJ2B

for non store bought toys, she loves large plastic mixing bowls, boxes she can use to pull herself up on, my cell phone.. (don't think this one is a good idea though), my lansinoh lanolin tube (at first she almost stabbed herself in the eye with the corners, though), empty dvd cases, plastic bento boxes, leftover plastic easter eggs (she is down to one... cause she broke the others..)

[ldsmom06]

We love these blocks
http://www.palumba.com/product/tri-c...509/?catID=115
and these:
http://www.palumba.com/product/tri-c...508/?catID=115

My kids love to play with baskets. They do so much with them lol

[busymama77]

Subbing! Need new toy ideas for my 6m old almost 7m old!