It can be hard to find the best baby toys for 6 – 12 months old babies that they will find entertaining for more than 3 seconds. Babies have notoriously short attention spans so finding something that grows with them is essential.
If you’re looking for the best toys for 6 month old Australia can provide, look no further! Our baby toy reviews will give you everything you need in one handy place. Whether you want the best toys 6 month olds can use to develop language skills, the best developmental toys for 6 – 12 month olds to help improve gross motor skills or just the best gifts for 6 month old babies in general, we’ve got it all.
Contents
- 1 11 Best Toys for 6 Month Old, Australia – Quick Reference
- 2 Our Pick for the Best Toy for 6 Month Old: Melissa and Doug Deluxe Peg Pounding
- 3 More Reviews of Best Toys for 6 Month Olds
- 4 Bright Starts Floor Mirror
- 4.1 Best Bath Toys for 6 Month Old
- 4.2 Boon Bath Pipes
- 4.3 Tomy Bath Octopals
- 4.4 Playgro Paddling Fish
- 4.5 Best Pram Toys for 6 Month Old
- 4.6 CaterBee Activity Spiral
- 4.7 Lamaze Captain Calamari
- 4.8 Best Wooden Toys for 6 Month Old
- 4.9 Melissa & Doung Pound a Peg
- 4.10 Melissa & Doug Stacking Train
- 4.11 Best Musical Toys for 6 Month Old
- 4.12 Fisher Price Xylophone
- 4.13 Musical Gift Set
- 4.14 Best Stacking Toys for 6 Month Old
- 4.15 PlanToys First Stacking Ring
- 4.16 Green Toys Stacking Cups
- 5 6 to 12 Month Milestones
- 6 Conclusion
11 Best Toys for 6 Month Old, Australia – Quick Reference
- Sensory toys (like textured balls)
- Pop up toys
- Activity cubes
- Touch and feel books
- Colourful board books
- Stacking toys (like stacking cups)
- Shakers & rattles (make sure they’re chunky and easy to grasp)
- Large chunky push cars
- Pounding pegs
- Bath toys and pouring toys
- Floor mirrors
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Our Pick for the Best Toy for 6 Month Old: Melissa and Doug Deluxe Peg Pounding
This Melissa and Doug deluxe peg pounding toy is an imaginative twist on the classic design. The peekaboo peg design is fun and as one side is hammered down the other pops back up. Both our kids have loved hammering the pegs and practicing their gross motor skills.
More Reviews of Best Toys for 6 Month Olds
Take a look at our best baby toys 6 – 12 months and choose the ones that you think will make the perfect gift.
Best Developmental Toys for 6 – 12 Months
Multi-Sensory Ball Set
This set of bright balls are specially designed for a baby’s hand. Each ball has a different shape and colour to encourage sensory skills. The colours are bright and playful, and each ball plays a sound to attract attention.
The material is soft and easy to grab, and overall these are a fun option for a gift. Although simple, they are designed to encourage visual and auditory senses, as well as hand-eye coordination. They would even make the best toys for 5 month old babies.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
Mobi Zippee
Designed by a team of doctors and parents, this bright, colourful toy encourages the baby’s senses, fine motor skills, and communication. The different cords each have a different texture and make a different noise when pulled from side to side.
A must for any parent, the Zippee is easily washed too, meaning it’s always safe for little hands and mouths. The colours are bright and stimulating, making it a great option for a developing mind.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
Leapfrog Shapes and Sharing Picnic
This is super cute – the songs and sounds, the pieces in the set and love that there is different levels to help make the toy more longer lasting depending on what level your child is at. What you get for your money is really worth it and highly recommend for a child from 8 months upwards.
– Tania
This picnic basket toy is just adorable. We have this and my 6 months old loved it. The colours are bright and visually stimulating, while the different shapes and textures are great for touch development.
The basket asks for a particular food (using good manners!) and encourages the baby to learn shapes and colours by dropping them through the sorter. There is a wide range of activities, including music, picnic time, and the shape sorted, all designed to encourage the baby’s development.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
>>>Click here to check price on Toy Universe<<<
Tomy Hide and Squeak Eggs
This is my daughter’s favourite toy. We bought them for her at 10 months old, she is nearly 14 months now & it is still the first toy she rushes to. They are definitely worth the buy!
– Brialee
This cute little egg carton hides a fun secret! The eggs it contains are specially designed to encourage the baby’s development. Each egg has a different shape so the baby learns to fit them in their corresponding spot, and each plays a sound when pressed.
The colours are bright and lovely to look at, and its size is perfect for little hands to grab.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
>>>Click here to check price on Toy Universe<<<
Montessori Simple Shape Puzzle
It may seem early for a puzzle, but my daughter had one from 7 months and loved it! The primary colours are lovely and bright, and the wooden handles are large and easy to grab. Definitely one of the best toys for 7 month old who are learning to grasp.
Puzzles, in general, encourage fine motor skills, and this is no different, but it also teaches baby about shapes and colours.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
VTech Baby Activity Cube
When looking for the best toys for six month old babies, it’s hard to go past the tried and tested activity cube. This one from VTech is a great option with it’s bright colours and large range of textures and activities to keep your little one interested.
This would make a great gift for 6 month olds as it develops fine motor skills, gross motor skills, language development and encourages imaginative play!
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
Bright Starts Floor Mirror
A floor mirror is a really great toy for babies that can help them enjoy tummy time and even encourage crawling if placed at a little distance. My little one used to love chatting and waving to the mirror baby when she was young and this mirror is a great way to let her do that safely.
The Bright Starts floor mirror folds completely flat so it can be easily stored and has crinkly leaves and colourful fabric to help catch the baby’s eye.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
Best Bath Toys for 6 Month Old
Boon Bath Pipes
These are made from a good quality plastic. The suction cup works well on tiles next to the bath and the kids absolutely love playing with them.
– Miles
We got these pipes when my three-year-old was 6 months old and they’re still played with to this day. The suction cups mean they stick to the wall easily, so no water getting everywhere!
The colours are bright and each pipe has a unique design. They can be played with separately or together, teaching the baby about water and cause and effect.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
>>>Click here to check price on Toy Universe<<<
Tomy Bath Octopals
A great gift that was very well received by my one year old niece. I’m told she absolutely loves it and insists on taking one of the octopuses out with her! ?
– Hannah
This adorable floating bath toy has so many different parts it will keep the baby entertained for plenty of bath times! The middle part becomes a scoop, while each of the smaller sections squirts water and suction to the walls.
The bright and interesting design encourages sensory development, while their individual numbers encourage numeracy and matching skills.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
Playgro Paddling Fish
If you’re looking for a cute toy to encourage imagination and fine motor skills, then look no further. This adorable coloured fish encourages hand-eye coordination and sensory development.
There are beads to rattle, fins to spin, and a tail to pull to make it swim and splash around the bath. A perfect choice for a fun bath time toy.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
Best Pram Toys for 6 Month Old
CaterBee Activity Spiral
Makes the car journeys a bit easier with my 3 month old who hates his car seat!
– Lauren
Pram toys are a great gift option because they’re always useful! This activity spiral is gorgeous and has plenty to keep the baby occupied on car journeys or trips outside. Each of the four hanging toys is designed to encourage sensory and fine motor development, from shaking to squeezing.
The material is soft and safe, the colours are bright and cheerful, and the toys are the perfect size for those tiny hands. This would look adorable on any car seat, pram, or crib.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
Lamaze Captain Calamari
Captain Calamari clips on to strollers and bags to be the perfect travel buddy. His eight different legs all have a different activity to encourage sensory and fine motor skills. From crinkles to rattles to rings, there are plenty of things to keep baby interested.
The soft material is lovely for baby to feel, and the hidden mirror is a lovely peek-a-boo surprise for them to find.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
Best Wooden Toys for 6 Month Old
Melissa & Doung Pound a Peg
This classic hammering toy is a lovely option if you’re looking for a gift to encourage fine motor skills and colour recognition. The coloured pegs are hammered through the holes, which makes the corresponding peg in the opposite row pop back up.
This toy was a favourite for both of our kids between 6 months and 18 months and is a fun twist on the classic simple design. It’s also perfect for parents who prefer to stay away from plastic.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
>>>Click here to check price on Toy Universe<<<
>>>Click here to check price on Catch.com.au<<<
Melissa & Doug Stacking Train
Who doesn’t love a train? This gorgeous, colourful toy is the perfect toy to encourage imagination and fine motor skills. The colours are bright and vibrant, and the shapes are interesting for little hands to hold.
As well as playing with the train, the baby can practice colour and shape matching, and block stacking.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
Best Musical Toys for 6 Month Old
Fisher Price Xylophone
Not every parent will appreciate a loud musical toy, but you can bet every baby will! This adorable pull along xylophone is bright and easy to use. The mallet is even attached so it’ll never get lost.
Encouraging baby’s fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, as well as any burgeoning musical talent, this is a lovely, good quality, toy that any baby will love to play with.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
>>>Click here to check price on Toy Universe<<<
Musical Gift Set
If you want to go one step further than just one instrument, this gift set is the perfect option. Featuring a bell, maraca, rainmaker, and clip claps, there is plenty to keep the baby stimulated and happy for a long time.
Each instrument stimulates the baby’s senses (both auditory and visual), and fine motor skills, as well as introducing them to music from a young age.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
Best Stacking Toys for 6 Month Old
PlanToys First Stacking Ring
This wooden stacking toy is simply beautiful. The pastel colours are soft and inviting, and the wood is safe and non-toxic. The different sized ring teaches the baby about sizing and order and encourages fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
PlanToys are a sustainable company that makes toys from reclaimed rubberwood and aims to enhance children’s development. This stacking toy is perfect if you’re looking for an environmentally-conscious gift.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
Green Toys Stacking Cups
These stacking cups come in three gorgeous colours, and help the baby to learn basic numeracy and shapes. The shape of the cups is textural and interesting for baby to hold, developing their sensory skills.
While perfect for day time play, they also work well at bath time to scoop water and learn about water volumes. Perfect if you’re looking for an adaptable, but fun, toy.
>>>Click here to check price on Amazon<<<
>>>Click here to check price on Toy Universe<<<
6 to 12 Month Milestones
Babies change so much between 6 and 12 months that it can be confusing if you’re looking to buy them a gift. Are they sitting up? Are they crawling? Some might even be toddling around on two feet! During this time babies go from being pretty immobile to crawling or even walking.
Yes, I hear you saying, that’s a lot to consider, and it’s confusing! So where to focus your search? Well, look no further, because this gift guide will give you plenty of ideas. First, though, let’s look at the main developments happening at this age.
Fine Motor Skills
These skills are the coordination of small muscles, such as in the hand, to perform more delicate tasks, such as writing or holding small objects. As you can imagine, these skills are vital in a child’s development, and so if you’re looking for gift ideas, toys that encourage this skill are always a safe bet.
Here’s a small selection of activities/toys that will help develop fine motor skills:
- Play-dough
- Colouring and drawing
- Building blocks
- Puzzles and jigsaws
Gross Motor Skills
Gross motor skills involve the larger muscles in the body, and activities such as walking, running, and kicking. They require whole-body movement, rather than the smaller movements involved in fine motor activities. Six-month-olds will be starting to sit up on their own, and even scoot themselves forward, so toys that help with these skills are a useful gift.
You could even think about investing in a sit to stand baby walker that your little one can push along when they are ready to start walking.
Here are some activities/toys that will help develop gross motor skills:
- Toys which move slowly to encourage movement
- Activity gyms and mats
- Activity cubes
Language Development
Babies begin to take much more notice of the world around them at six months, they respond to your voice, as well as different noises. A lot of their language development starts with what they hear, and so this age is crucial in developing their skills. There are plenty of toys and activities around to encourage language development for six-month-olds.
Here’s a selection of activities to help develop language skills:
- Interact with them!
- Building blocks or puzzles with the alphabet
- Toys which repeat sounds
- Floor mirrors
Sensory Development
As mentioned above, babies begin to understand much more of their world at this age. Their hearing, vision, and hand-eye coordination all develop, and they begin to learn and remember sights, sounds, and textures.
There are plenty of activities/toys you can try to help develop their senses:
- Reading bright books
- Change of scenery/viewpoint
- Toys with a variety of sounds and textures
Conclusion
There are so many great toys out there for 6-month-olds. If you’re still finding it hard to pick something, the ones that have been favourites with my kids are the Boon Bath Pipes and the Melissa & Doug Pound a Peg.
After playing, babies need to have a good sleep so take a look at our post on the best baby comforter to help them get the rest they need.
If you’re looking for toys for your toddler, take a look at our post on best toys for 2 year olds or for more options take a look at our toys and gear page next!
Planning a baby shower soon? Find the best baby gift registry here to get started!