Entertainment/toys for the 6 month and up crowd

[jennylou]

DD is 7.5 months old. I need something that will provide her with entertainment for short clips of time during the day so that I can get some work done. Also, I take DD to work one day per week (advantages of working for your mil) and need her to be able to play independently.

So, what do your kids do/play with?

DD is fine if I'm holding her/playing with her, but as soon as I walk away from her, all heck breaks loose. She's always been a momma's girl, but since she's awake more now, it's harder to get things done. And, I need to get things done!

[Kopper]

We bought this Laugh&Learn Fisher Price table when DS was 6 months. You can take the legs off. DS was able to play with it while sitting. He still likes it.

http://www.fisher-price.com/img/product_shots/C5522_b_1.jpg

He loves this activity table too. The legs also come off.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Sesame-Street-Elmo-Sing-Teach-activity-table_W0QQitemZ260098242557QQcategoryZ19069QQssPag eNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

We have this as well:
Rockin Jitter Buggy
http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00005QBXC.01._SS400_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[malala]

Before she was mobile, I had a mirror on the floor against the wall and she loved it! I sat her there in front of the mirror with a couple toys and I could get some CC time in while she was playing;)

She was never really big into toys but looking at pics of that time I see she played with these:

http://store.manhattantoy.com/dr/v2/ec_Main.Entry17C?SID=48105&SP=10023&CID=0&PID=827407&PN=1&V1=827407&V2=&V3=&V4=&V5=31047229&CUR=840&DSP=&PGRP=0&ABCODE=&CACHE_ID=0

http://store.manhattantoy.com/dr/v2/ec_Main.Entry17C?SID=48105&SP=10023&CID=0&PID=628114&PN=1&V1=628114&V2=&V3=&V4=&V5=31047229&CUR=840&DSP=&PGRP=0&ABCODE=&CACHE_ID=0

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266642&cp=2255956.2273442.2536787.2536803&parentPage=family

She also played with her Gym mat, I just added more toys to it or put them on the mat itself.

The one thing she loved and still does at almost 15 months are the Gymboree balls. The ones they sell at Gymboree class, you can go buy them there even if you don't go to the classes.

http://cgi.ebay.com/GyMBOREE-BALLS-Lot-of-4-Toddlers-Babies-Pretend-Play_W0QQitemZ180096239588QQcategoryZ19181QQssPage NameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Good luck getting your DD to keep herself entertained. DD is also a mama's girl, but more in the sense that she doesn't wanna go with other people and I know how exhausting it gets:(

[larslobster]

So far, DDs exersaucer has been the most useful for keeping her entertained for a few minutes but now that she can sit unassisted for longer stretches by herself, she loves this toy by Infantino:

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/genius-babies_1940_621015

She can only pull the shapes off right now but I generally just put them back on once she's pulled them all off and she starts again.

She also loves this turtle by Bright Starts but the noise it makes is kind of annoying if you have to listen to it over and over again:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0009VRQY8.16._SCLZZZZZZZ_SS260_.jpg

She also likes soft books, especially the ones that have crinkly pages. The crinklier, the better.

I've bought some other toys as well but none has really grabbed her interest like these have. Unfortunately, her favorite activity is attempting to pull herself to standing and she uses her toys towards that goal so I prefer she have soft toys as the inevitable face plants in to them aren't as painful. :)

Oh, and she loves to watch the dogs wrestle. That keeps her entertained for a long time.

[Renrel]

There was a toy I loved by Lamaze from the time my DS could sit up. It was called dancing bug, but I have had trouble finding it lately. It has a flat platform and under the platform magnets spin. There are three bugs which are just the right size for an infant to grasp and they "stick" to the platform and spin while going in circles. It is great for hand/eye cordination and learning about colors and cause and effect (there is a big button that turns it on and off. At first I did have to help DS alot with it but as he gained skill he was able to play by himself and the toy was popular for well over a year.

The Leap Frogs table, set up on the floor was a good one for entertain him as well.

Any toy where a ball gets dropped into a hole tends to be a big hit in this age group and for 1-2 years forward.

I forget when but at some point stacking cups are the be all and end all. Super simple, cheap and for some reason very very engaging.

But even with these toys DS still could/would only play by himself for a few minutes at a time. Other than a jumperoo, excercauser type thing and Baby Einstein video, if I remember correctly, I spent most of my time with DS playing. Only the most basic of cleaning and cooking got done by me. Baby's laundry, empting and filling dishwasher, basic dinner prep (DH would cook when he got home), picking up DS toys. Most of the rest was done by a bi-weekly cleaning service or DH. I was bF and pumping, so that took a lot of time and energy as well.

[jbemommy]

DD and DS both liked the Baby Einstein play mat. The Fisher Price table posted above was also popular, although ours is a different version. I never got an exersaucer for DD, but for DS (who is a bit more high maintenence) we just gave in and got the Fisher Price Rain Forest jumperoo. I try to only use it for when I need to cook, etc, since I really want him to work on scooting/crawling. And when all else fails, I use Baby Einstein videos.

[Bloomwood]

do you already have stacking cups and rings? Big hit at that age.

At your DD's age, my DD also liked to just pull stuff out of boxes. I have a little basket that I filled with her smaller toys and she loved to pull them all out - I'd fill it back up and she'd pull them back out. Repeat. And, yes, a fan of the little music tables.

[Chimichanga]

DD loves her exersaucer. She serously can't get enough; when she's in the right mood. When she's not - let's just say you don't want to be around. :)

She loves this ball popper; they have it at daycare and she loves it. She knows how to turn it on herself, but she likes to pull it toward her - so the balls go flying over her head. Or she liked to grab the balls so they don't go through the machine. She's cool playing with the balls for awhile.
http://www.hasbro.com/common/images/products/061041ba8598_main200.jpg
It's the Playskool Busy Ball Popper. It's actually 9+ months, but DD figured it out within a day. I got it at Wal-Mart for $17.

[Mrs. M.]

http://www.ikea.com.sg/images/products/mula_rollercoaster.jpg
A bead chaser
http://www.gowi.at/produkte/586.gif
Stacking cups

Little toys in a box to take out and put back in.

[Lizard]

The things DD likes the most right now, at 8 months:

- Leapstart Learning Table. This is THE toy right now, she loves it.
- Stacking rings (those cheapo Fisher Price ones on a spindle)
- Her car seat... seriously, it can keep her occupied for a long time. She loves to play with the straps and fabric.

- Chewing on her shoes - she won't keep them on but at least she gets some use out of them. :)

I have a basket of small toys in the living room and she will now crawl over to it and pull toys out, which is pretty neat.

[Kopper]

- Her car seat... seriously, it can keep her occupied for a long time. She loves to play with the straps and fabric.

I forgot about that. DS loves the buckles. Also anything with wheels would keep him occupied and still does. He loves playing with the stroller and highchair.

[Pink_Converse]

DS loves his exersaucer, even now at 10 mo. Your DD may be too young for this, I don't know, but DS loves it when I scatter toys on the floor and he has lots of different things to play with and chew on, that can keep him entertained for a long time. He also loves playing with a Pamper's Cruisers box of all things :D He pokes his head in it, puts toys in and out of it, bench presses it ;) , etc.

[LexyLou]

LOL, DD is 18 months and she barely plays by herself.

Things she really liked at 7.5 months...

Learn N' Groove Table-without the legs
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2293345&cp=&sr=1&f=Taxonomy%2FTRUS%2F2254197&origkw=Leap+Frog&kw=leap+frog&parentPage=search

Laugh and Learn Learning House-She loves this toy. This is the one thing that really does hold her attention.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2265260&cp=&view=all&fbn=TRU+Age+Filter%7CBirth-12+Months&f=Taxonomy%2FTRUS%2F2254197&f=PAD%2FTRU+Age+Filter%2FBirth-12+Months&fbc=1&kw=fisher-price&parentPage=search

Fisher Price Pots and Pans-This is still a hit (can't find a picture online)

[Renrel]

The laugh and learn home is definately a great toy. I am not sure at what age they will first be able to really use it. We got ours at 1 year and it was played with daily for well over a year. I would guess that once a child can sit and pull up they would start getting very interested in it. I love how many diffenent ways this toy teachs kids about maniputating their world. So many diffenent kinds of doors and buttons as well as the ball drop, music, rollers ect.

[Bloomwood]

I was just at friend's house with that laugh and learn toy. I was impressed with how many different things there are to do with it. Our house is so small, I'm debating whether or not it would be too big. Are there similar toys out there that aren't as big?

Jennylou - it seems like a good one for your work space (provided it is big enough). I would think it would have the longevity for the long haul there.

[jennylou]

DS loves his exersaucer, even now at 10 mo. Your DD may be too young for this, I don't know, but DS loves it when I scatter toys on the floor and he has lots of different things to play with and chew on, that can keep him entertained for a long time. He also loves playing with a Pamper's Cruisers box of all things :D He pokes his head in it, puts toys in and out of it, bench presses it ;) , etc.

Um, no. She is hating floor time by herself because she throws her toys out of reach and then gets pissed when she can't get them by herself. She can't crawl forward yet. Only backwards. Only, when she's going backwards, she's trying to go forward and she gets very upset that things aren't working like they should.

We do have a lot of small toys, but her favorite things aren't toys. A brush, rubbermaid containers, wooden spoons, etc. These were working great for me if she was in the high chair and would keep her occupied long enough to do something like cook dinner. Unfortunately, she has recently discovered the throw the toys on the floor game, and well, that just isn't much fun for mommy. ;)

[Pink_Converse]

Yeah, I was trying to remember when DS started liking that and I think it was when he started getting more mobile.

[Renrel]

Bloomwood - I think that is one of the toys that justifies space consumption if you can possibly fit it in. It is just so full of learning of many different kinds. But I have a very spacoius apartment, so we did not have much problem fitting it in.

jennylou - Maybe you can find a way to attatch toys with a tether to the highchair or even to you DD (on to a belt or something) if she can learn to pull up on the string that can be a game in and of itself. Or if you can make some sort of a barrier wall for her on the floor so that toys do not go beyond reach.

But please keep in mind that the frustation of toys being out of reach is one of the things that motivates kids to get mobile and learn to sit up, crawl forward and backward, ect. It is important to allow her to get frustrated, but not too frustrated. Enough that she has a reason to grow in her skills but not so much that she works herself into a emotional mess. This applies to most other skills as well. Giving encouragement and an indication that you believe your child can do this thing for themselves while being their to help when they really need it. An interesting balancing act that you will be dealing with for years and years.

[mgrace]

Just some ideas....

Wooden Wiggle Worm (http://www.gummylump.com/front/f_product.php?id=2171)

Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Toolbench (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B0002YDPX8)

Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Blocks (http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=2341&e=detail&pcat=bubrilliant&pid=17827)

FP Flip Phone (http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=2341&e=detail&pcat=bubrilliant&pid=38803)

And highchair suction toys..

Fisher Price Rainforest Toy (http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=2341&e=detail&pcat=rainforest&pid=40121)

Sassy Highchair Toy (http://www.sassybaby.com/product?productid=135&product=Fishy%20Fascination)

Another highchair toy (http://www.sassybaby.com/product?productid=137&product=Rocking%20Horse)

Although kitchen supplies are great toys! :)