Age 7 - 12 Months

All Toys

• Infants 7-9 months interested in longer and more extensive exploration of toys. Infants of this age like to:
  • bang
  • insert
  • poke
  • twist
  • squeeze
  • drop
  • shake
  • bite
  • throw
  • open and shut
  • empty and fill

• Infants 10-12 months show beginning interest in object mastery and like many objects to explore. Infants of this age like:
  • stacking.
  • putting in and taking out.
  • fitting one object into another.
  • opening and closing.
  • pressing levers.
  • turning things (not unscrewing yet).
  • push balls and cars.

• Generally, infants in this age range are interested in:
  • operating simple mechanisms.
  • containers and the container/contained relationship.
  • appearing and disappearing objects.

• As at earlier ages infants enjoy producing effects by their own actions:
  • safe for mouthing.
  • non-toxic materials.
  • no sharp points or edges.
  • nonbreakable; no glass or brittle plastic.
  • no small parts to be lodged in throat, ears, nose.
  • no parts to entrap fingers, toes, hand.
  • no long strings.

Active Play

• Push and Pull Toys
  • push toys without rods (simple cars, animals on wheels or rollers).
• Ride-On Toys - not suited to age group
• Outdoor and Gym Equipment
  • infant swings (with adult supervision).
  • soft low climbing platform for crawlers.
• Sports Equipment
  • transparent balls
  • chime balls
  • flutter balls
  • action balls
• All balls given to this age group should be at least 1-3/4 inches (44 millimeters) in diameter; however, if any object appears to fit easily in the child's mouth, keep it away from the child).

Manipulative Play

• Construction Toys
  • soft blocks.
  • rubber blocks.
  • rounded wood blocks.
• Puzzles - from about 10 months:
  • brightly colored, lightweight crib and playpen puzzles (2-3) pieces
• Pattern-Making Toys - not suited to age group
• Manipulative Toys
  • teethers
  • light sturdy cloth toys
  • toys on suction cups
  • small, hand-held manipulables.
  • disks/keys on rings
  • squeeze/squeak toys
  • roly-poly toys
  • activity boxes and cubes
  • pop-up boxes (easy operation)
  • containers with object to empty and fill
  • large rubber or plastic pop beads
  • simple nesting cups
  • stacking ring cones (few rings and safe stick)
  • graspable (unbreakable) mirror toys which can be held and played with
• Children lose interest in crib gyms and toys suspended above when he/she can sit up and move about (crib gyms can create a strangulation hazard; stop using when child can push up on hands and knees at about 5 months of age)
• Dressing, Lacing, Stinging Toys - not suited to age group
• Sand and Water Play Toys
• activity boxes for bath
• simple floating toys

Creative Play - Arts, crafts, music

• Musical Instruments
  • rubber or wood blocks that rattle or tinkle.
• Art and Craft Materials - from about 12 months
  • large paper.
  • large crayons for scribbling.
• Audio-Visual Equipment (Adult Operated)
  • records, tapes, or CDs (simple songs, lullabies, music with simple rhythms).
  • music boxes