This older baby toys and activity guide is a must-have reference and starting point for selecting developmentally appropriate toys and activities for older infants eight through eleven months. The key to choosing toys is understanding infants’ basic abilities and preferences as they grow. These abilities and preferences are important in attracting and motivating infants to engage with toys because true learning and retention only come through engagement.
So, how do we pick the right toy for the right child? This is where we need to look at age as a GUIDELINE to selecting toys. The U.S. Product & Safety Commission (CPSC) and international ASTM are the organizations that oversee toy regulations and keep products safe for our kids. They have developed these regulations by categorizing toys by the child’s age. However, the age was determined by the abilities and preferences of typically developing children, and it is well known that children develop abilities at different rates. So, as you select toys for your older baby, please look at age as a guide and abilities and preferences as a better indicator.
From the moment they are born, infants start acquiring information from their physical senses, learning from what they see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. Ideal infant development is based on feeling safe, secure, and loved. This Infant Toy and Activity Guide will take parents through toys and activities for their babies eight through eleven months, going through physical, cognitive, language, and social-emotional development. It is based on whole-child education, which allows children to learn in many different areas simultaneously. Learning through play is important in helping your older infant achieve important developmental milestones. So, what exactly does play look like for an older infant eight through eleven months old?
Table of contents
What Play Means for the Older Baby
Infants in this age group spend a lot of time playing and developing their gross motor skills. They become more mobile and engage in outwardly oriented movements such as crawling forward and backward, pulling themselves into a standing position, walking with support along furniture, standing voluntarily without support, and taking a couple of assistance steps. They also begin to climb stairs.
These older babies explore objects in various ways, like grasping, shaking, squeezing, throwing, dropping, passing from hand to hand, and banging. Although they can hold two objects and bang them together, they cannot coordinate the movements of both to use them together. However, given one object, children at this age can use both of their hands at the same time, with each hand performing a different but complementary action on the object. Usually, one hand is in a supporting or stabilizing role, and the other one manipulates or explores the object. They begin to develop a pincer grasp that is used to pick up small objects between the fingers and thumb.
Many older infants in this age group begin to use items in relational patterns. For example, they enjoy dumping items out of a container, putting them back in, and then repeating the process. They repeat pleasurable actions often and start to show an interest in marking on paper. Basic memory skills are developing, and object permanence becomes more established. Older babies can understand simple words related to their immediate context. They need repetition and reinforcement of the words they hear.
Older Baby Toys and Activity Guide
Older Baby Toys
Selecting the right kind of toys for children aged between 0 to 12 months can make a significant difference in their early development. Older infants from eight through eleven months examine floor objects from every angle, which often involves mouthing them. Therefore, toys suitable for them should be washable. These babies begin to imitate gestures and use of products.
Sensory toys are highly attractive because older babies as they begin to understand simple cause-and-effect relationships. Bright colors, especially yellows and reds, continue to appeal to this age group, as do contrasts and complex patterns. Pictures that represent familiar objects are also highly attractive. Suitable toys should be soft, sturdy, have round edges, and be easily grasped or manipulated by the child. Older baby toys should have soft, lightweight, rounded corners and textured are best suited as they develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Handheld toys should be sized so your baby can easily grasp and manipulate them. Toys that make gentle sounds are also appropriate. While older babies prefer toys made of soft materials, their preference for such toys decreases as they approach their first birthday.
Older Baby Activities
The well-being of a caregiver who looks after older babies greatly affects their early childhood development. The caregiver should be attentive to the infant’s needs, promote a healthy attachment, and ensure that the infant feels safe, secure, and loved. Physical touch is crucial; cuddling an infant regularly and gently stroking their skin provides comfort and security.
Older infants enjoy dumping items out of a container, putting them back in, and repeating the process. They repeat pleasurable actions often and start showing interest in marking on paper. Big fat, thick crayons are best for this; markers will be too messy! At first, their movements will be banging and sliding the crayon. Older babies love to imitate, so this could be a great way to make a game out of marking on paper.
Putting objects in and out of each other, such as cups that nest, is lots of fun for older infants. At this age they begin to throw things onto the floor and expect them to be returned. They also show interest in opening and closing doors and cupboards. If they give an object to an adult, they will expect it to be returned immediately. They will respond to “no” by stopping. But the older infant may smile, laugh, and continue the inappropriate behavior making a game out of it. Have patience with them, this is important for social skills.
Imitating gestures is a fun activity for this age. Simple nursery Rhymes such as Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star are good, but don’t expect them to be able to do hand motions. This is just an introduction. Clapping and poking are simple actions the older infant will be able to mimic.
Older Baby Toys Categories
This website has categories set up for children of all ages. Toys and activities should be chosen according to the child’s abilities rather than their age. Research has shown that abilities develop at different rates and are difficult to distinguish into defined play categories. Your child may excel in one play area and seem to be delayed in another play area. This is typical development. It’s good to try plenty of different play activities with your baby. This gives your baby many ways to learn about their world.
Educational Play
Books
It’s important to start reading early with infants as it promotes brain development, enhances cognitive thinking, and teaches about language and emotions. When starting, it’s recommended to read slowly, and it’s never too early to begin. The books for this age should be no more than 6-8 inches in any direction and no more than five pages long. They should be light, sturdy, washable, cloth, or plastic. Infants at this stage can grasp and start to turn pages. The older infants’ fine motor skills are becoming more controlled, so turning pages in a book is easily handled. Books with things to lift, open, or slide are attractive and cognitively stimulating. Pages with bright colors such as yellow & red, high contrasts and patterns will grab your baby’s attention. Pictures should be simple, clear, and represent familiar objects, animals, or people.
As parents and caregivers, we treasure those precious moments spent reading to our little ones. However, traditional books often struggle to withstand the chewing and tearing of pages by older infants and toddlers. I am excited to introduce you to a revolution in baby books that perfectly balances fun, learning, and practicality—Indestructibles. In my experience these are chew-proof and washable, and as the name implies, completely indestructable. We used these in the infant, toddler, and two-year-old rooms at our childcare center. And these books took a beating year after year!
- Plastic-coated foam books
- Cloth books
- Simple picture books
- Nursery rhymes
- Simple ABC and number books
- Interactive books
Educational Technology:
Older infants from eight through eleven months will be interested in audio that includes language that can be imitated, such as lullabies, simple songs, rhythms, and nursery rhymes. Gentle, predictable sounds are best played at low volumes.
Most types of screen time are best saved until the child is over 2 years old. But! Connecting with family and friends over video calls can be fun.

Building Play
Blocks:
When providing blocks for older infants, it is important to ensure they are lightweight and easy to grasp. The edges should be rounded without sharp points, and the block should be 3-5 inches. As the baby starts to control arm movements, the motions become increasingly oriented and deliberate. The baby will explore the blocks by grasping, squeezing, and shaking them. Therefore, it is recommended to use soft plush cloth, sponge, or rubber-like materials that are lightweight and squeezable. The older infant will like blocks that demonstrate cause-and-effect relationships and especially enjoy sounds such as jingles, rattles, and squeaks. They should have bright, vibrant colors, especially yellow and red. It is also advisable to use blocks with high visual contrasts and patterns. Pictures of familiar objects on the blocks can be introduced at this time. It is important to avoid wooden blocks as they are too sharp for these older infants.
- Plastic block
- Soft plush blocks
- Sponge blocks
- Rubber-like blocks
- Foam blocks
- Pillow blocks
- Blocks that rattle or jiggle
- Air squeak blocks
- Motorized bumble, bounce, and vibrate blocks

Arts and Crafts Play
Older infants can make marks on paper but have yet to scribble or draw actively. Marking on paper will develop hand-eye coordination and improve their ability to grasp. They still explore objects orally, so beware of crayons or other items entering the mouth. The tools should be rounded, lightweight, and sturdy without sharp edges. Dark colors are easier for the infant to see.
- Large easy-to-grip crayons
- Large easy-to-grip markers
- Large sheets of paper
- Paint Smock

Music Play
Musical Instruments:
Older infants are naturally inclined towards music and are particularly drawn to multi-sensory elements. It’s important to choose music items that are small enough for infants to handle and easy to grasp. The older infant has increased mobility. They are now sitting, scooting, crawling, cruising and walking. They are practicing fine motor skills such as grasping, pushing, pulling, squeezing, patting, poking and shaking. The edges of the older baby toys should be rounded to avoid any sharp edges that could cause harm.
- Musical Gym
- Wrist, ankle, and handheld bells and chimes
- Small lightweight tambourines
- Rattles, shakers, and instruments that make sounds when kicked
- Finger-plays
- Musical instruments
Music Technology
Older infants use technology that stimulates their senses through features like music, moving characters, blinking lights, and speech as they grow. Music is critical to language development and communication skills. Infants are sensitive to sound due to fluid in their middle ear and can detect speech sounds as early as one month. Older infants can differentiate between a lullaby and an adult-directed song. They can discriminate sentence tunes and imitate sounds and sound sequences. The older infant makes singing sounds to music and enjoys finger-plays and sing-songs. They prefer sounds within the range of human voice frequencies, while low tones are soothing and high tones are agitating. Repetitive, gentle rhythms such as heartbeats and acutely enunciated speech sounds are pleasing to infants, while abrupt, loud noises or changes in volume can cause distress.
- Audio that includes language that can be imitated
- Lullabies, simple songs, rhythms, nursery rhymes
- Gentle, predictable sounds played at low volumes.
- Music Boxes (wound by parent or caregiver)
- Video equipment is not appropriate for this age, but the infant may watch the screen.

Pretend Play
Dolls and Stuffed Toys:
Dolls and stuffed toys designed for older infants should be basic and made of one sturdy piece that will not break or pull apart. All edges should be thick and round, without hard corners or projecting parts. The doll should not have removable eyes, hair, clothing, fur, bells, buttons, ribbons, or whiskers. They should be made of soft, pliable, and cuddly material that is washable or easily cleaned. The doll should have friendly features, especially the face, with highly contrasting facial features that are hand-sewn or molded.
The size should be eight to twelve inches, ultra-lightweight, no more than three to six ounces so that it can be easily grasped and supported in the air. The colors should be vibrant, with reds and yellows, and highly contrasting, such as black and white, with basic patterns. A small degree of cause and effect, such as shaking, produces a sound or basic words and phrases. These babies will start to recognize familiar characters from media and domestic contexts. They will begin to recognize words that are often repeated. Sensory elements should have diverse sounds, lights, and actions.
- Small dolls (baby, bean bag, rag dolls)
- Small stuffed or plush animals
- Music dolls
- Stuffed Toys
- Crab-on toys
Exploratory Play
Baby Manipulative Toys:
Selecting toys for older infants should be based on their abilities, such as scooting, crawling, standing, cruising, and some starting to walk. They are developing the fine-motor skills such as grasping, pushing, pulling, squeezing, patting, poking, and shaking. The pincer grasp emerges, enabling them to pick up items with their thumbs and index fingers. They can hold two objects at once but cannot coordinate between them. These older infants are beginning to understand simple, clear cause-and-effect relationships. Some babies spend time in tummy time, but most have the physical development and are strong enough to move out of tummy time by rolling over and crawling away. Choose lightweight, washable, and brightly colored toys with many different textures and easy-to-grasp parts. Toys should include sensory elements such as pictures of familiar objects, bouncing, vibrating, and lighting up.
- Play mat
- Mirrors (handheld around 6 months)
- Soft Mirror
- Mobiles (prior to 5 months)
- Squeeze and squeak toys
- Plastic discs on a ring
- Interlocking plastic rings
- Teething toys – Rattles – Lightweight balls (musical, chiming, grasping, special effects, or textured) – Multi-textured infant toys – Multi-sensory infant toys – Cloth & plush toys
- Sorting and stacking toys
- pop-up toys
- Roly-poly toys
- Large beads on rings
- Plastic keys on rings
- Short tunnels (2 feet or less with viewing panels)
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Push and Pull Toys:
Older infants are scooting, crawling, cruising, and walking. They are practicing their fine motor skills, such as grasping, pushing, pulling, squeezing, patting, poking, and shaking. They are beginning to understand simple cause and effect. Older Infants at this age find multi-sensory elements very attractive and enjoy music and sound effects. These toys should be soft, washable, easy to grasp and push, and have rounded corners or edges. The size should be five to seven inches, with bright, vibrant colors and high-contrast patterns. The toys should be simple with a clear cause-and-effect relationship, such as rolling forwards and backward in one fixed line.
- Small rounded push toys
- Simple cars or animals on wheels/rollers
Water & Sand:
Introducing your baby to the sensation of water can be done through supervised water play. To do this, you can fill a small container with warm water. Then let your baby splash and kick their feet while you supervise them. Older infants can now sit unsupported. Solf vinyl toys and items with different textures and soft materials can now be introduced. This activity provides your baby with sensory play and stimulation while also helping them become comfortable with water, which can prepare them for future bath time and swimming experiences.
- Infant bath toys
- Soft Vinyl toys
- Bright colors
- Soft floating toys (up to three at a time)

Active Play
Infant Equipment:
- The infants will enjoy rocking motion.
- Mechanical swings that completely support the infant.
- Infant bar (attached to wall to support walking)
Movement Materials:
Selecting movement materials for older infants should be based on their abilities, such as increasingly skilled walking and climbing. Infants at this age are able to sit, crawl, and some are standing. They love being held while an adult dances, and moving to the rhythm of music while sitting. Materials should be vinyl, plastic, or rubber.
- Sof Play ramps and pads
- Large soft balls like beach balls
- Ball pits
- Small tunnels (2 feet or less)

Toy Safety
This is a great time for parents to create a dedicated, safe place and play area for their child. Toy Safety is essential because small objects should not be around young infants.
Conclusion
Your older baby’s development is a priority! As babies grow from eight through eleven months of age, they are gearing up for two major developmental abilities: standing and talking. Some will start taking their first steps! This is a good time to encourage supported standing and walking and to provide older baby toys that encourage grasping and reaching with those little hands. Introduce cause-and-effect toys and different sounds and play interactive games. The older infant enjoys putting things on their head, such as a basket or bowl, and finds this very funny. These older infants are becoming extremely sociable. They find ways to be the center of attention and win parents’ approval and applause. When the applause comes, the infant joins in with delight.
It’s important to understand that every baby is different, and their development may vary. Always follow your baby’s cues and adjust the activities according to their abilities and preferences. It is typical healthy development when an older infant excels in one skill and may seem lacking in another. Remember to be patient and consistent with these activities and always create a nurturing and supportive environment to allow your baby to explore and learn at their own pace.
References
- Toy Safety Guidance for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers
- Developmentally Appropriate Toys: What and Why are they Important?
- Whole child Education: What is the Approach to Teaching?
- Zero to Three
- Consumer Product and Safety Commission
I value your input and comments tremendously. If there is anything else I should include in this Older Baby Toys blog post, please let me know! Until my next post, Keep Everything Simple. Talk with you soon!
Jasmin
Thursday 9th of January 2025
Thank you for sharing your insights! There are a lot of things I never even thought about (like the weight of the playblock ...) but it makes completely sense.
Kristine Beard
Friday 10th of January 2025
Yes, those blocks can be too heavy. Especially wooden blocks!
Sarah
Thursday 9th of January 2025
Great recommendations! I'm going to save this to reference in the future!
Kristine Beard
Friday 10th of January 2025
Thank you for saving my post for older baby toys!
Penny
Thursday 9th of January 2025
I love all your toy recommendations! It's so easy to reference when we need a quick age appreciate gift!😁
Anna
Thursday 9th of January 2025
This was a great article and so helpful in guiding parents (really anyone who is buying) with what kinds of toys help with motor and mental development.
Megan
Thursday 9th of January 2025
My niece is right in this age range now. I forgot about baby swings because we don't have any trees in our yard. I'm going to suggest that to my sister!
Kristine Beard
Friday 10th of January 2025
Thank you for referring my post about older baby toys to your sister! I do hope she finds it useful.