With so many different toys for babies out there, choosing the best 8 month baby toys can be a tricky business. What do they need from their toys at this age, and which are the best brands to consider? That’s exactly what we are going to cover in this guide. We have picked out 20 of the best toys for babies of eight months, and also noted some key considerations to help ensure you pick a toy that is safe, suitable, and can help with their development.
Considerations When Choosing Toys for 8 Month Old Babies
There are a few things that must be kept in mind when buying playthings for babies of this age. Safety is the first thing to think about. Any toy at this age should have no small or loose parts and no long cords. There should also not be any sharp edges that could be dangerous.
The next thing to consider is the baby’s age. Any reputable manufacturer will have an age recommendation on their product so parents can see at a glance if it is likely to be suitable for their baby’s age and current stage of development.
Also, try to look for toys that can help babies learn and develop in some way. At this age, they might be getting ready to start moving around on their own, so look for toys that encourage this. They might also be soon learning to pull themselves up to a standing position. Again, there are toys that can help babies with this new skill, so these are always worth considering. Toys that can help with motor skills and problem-solving are excellent at this age, too.
20 Best Toys for 8 Month Old
We will now take a look at 20 of the top toys for babies at the age of eight months. We have a range of different types of toys to choose from, so you are sure to find something here they will love.
1. Manhattan Toy Rattle Atom
Kicking off our guide to the best 8 months old toys we have this lovely rattle from Manhattan Toy. This toy can be used as a teether as well as for sensory play, and it offers a range of benefits. The rattle rings slide on each stem, making a nice noise as they do so. The stems are made from soft and bendy material, so they can be moved around and also chewed on for relief from teething pain. The colors on this toy are lovely and bright, so it’s sure to keep babies engaged. Playing with this toy is excellent for helping babies develop their motor skills involving their hands too.
2. Munchkin Wind-Up Penguin
Our next pick is a toy that is sure to make bathtime more fun for your little one! This cute penguin really swims in the tub after it has been wound up, using the arms. It comes in a choice of pink or blue and is easy to use, although babies might not quite manage on their own just yet. They’re sure to love watching it swim through the water after mom or dad winds it up, though! Bathtime will become their favorite time of day with this sweet toy!
3. VTech Crinkle Lion Toy
VTech is one of the biggest brands when it comes to toys for infants, and this Crinkle & Roar lion is just one great example. This toy has a range of patterns and textures for babies to enjoy and it can also be used to help them learn some new things. Babies will love looking at the different colors and patterns on the lion’s mane, as well as checking out their reflection in the little mirror! They can shake the toy to hear roaring sounds and other fun noises, or press one of the three buttons on the lion’s side to hear more than 50 phrases and songs about colors, shapes, and more. Babies are sure to learn something new every time they play with this toy!
4. Homofy Baby Hammer Toy
This funny toy has two different modes – a learning mode and an entertainment mode. In the latter mode, the toy makes some funny sounds – sure to make your baby giggle every time they hear it! In the learning mode, babies can learn all about numbers. When the hammer is hit, the face changes, which is great for helping babies learn about cause-and-effect, as well as keeping them entertained! The toy has colorful beads in the bottom, which make a gentle rattling sound when the hammer is shaken.
5. Orcamor Wooden Stacking Rings
Stacking rings are a traditional toy for little ones, and this one is made from wood and has a lovely neutral color scheme and a cute elephant on top. For girly girls, there’s a pink and purple option with a unicorn on top! The pieces are made from beech wood painted with non-toxic paint and varnish. The toy is ideal for improving hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills as babies work to stack the five rings onto the pole, before placing the wooden elephant on the top. The height of the toy is eight inches and the rings are sized just right for little hands to grasp.
6. Bright Starts Rattle
Bright Start makes some excellent toys for 8 month old baby girl and boys, such as this fun rattle. It is designed to be easy to hold and is small and lightweight so it can easily be taken anywhere – perfect for keeping in the diaper bag. The rattle has a mirror inside and colorful beads to keep babies’ vision stimulated. The mirror inside the rattle helps it to reflect light so it is sure to produce some eye-catching effects!
7. Baby Tablet Toy
If you have a youngster who is always trying to grab your gadgets, this is the toy for them! It might not offer the same features as the latest iPad, but it is sure to be entertaining for an infant. The toy has two volume levels, parents will be glad to know! It also has buttons that introduce babies to letters, numbers, and music. There are also flashing lights on the tablet toy, sure to keep babies entertained. The question button can be used to start a fun game in which babies must press the correct button in response. They might not master this straight away, but as they get a little older they are sure to love this game.
8. LeapFrog 3-in-1 Walker
LeapFrog makes some excellent toys for 8 month old boy and girl, such as this learning walker which offers three great modes in one. For younger babies, it works as an activity gym that they can lie under and use the toys above. As they get older, the toy panel can be removed for playing whilst sitting up. Then, when they are strong enough to hold themselves up, they can use this toy as a walker to help them keep their balance whilst they take their first steps!
There are loads of fun and educational toys on the walker, such as a light-up keyboard, a phone, spinning beads, and different modes to teach babies about sounds, shapes, colors, letters, and more. So, this toy is excellent for promoting development in many different ways, both physical and mental.
9. Hape Pounding Bench
Next on our list of the best toys for 8 month old baby we have this two-in-one xylophone and pounding bench from Hape. The hammer is used to hit the balls and they will run across the xylophone making a lovely tune as they do so! Alternatively, the xylophone can be pulled out and used on its own to play some songs on. Hitting the balls is a great way for babies to work on their hand-eye coordination and they will also learn about cause-and-effect when they play with this toy. When babies learn to crawl, they can go and retrieve the balls after they roll away too – this is great for keeping them fit!
10. Disney Bath Squirters
Here we have another fun toy for in the bath, perfect for babies who don’t enjoy bathtime! They are sure to find the whole experience more fun with these cute toys! Here, we have the three Finding Nemo bath squirters, but there are a few other Disney themes to choose from if this set doesn’t appeal. The toys can be filled with water and then sprayed on your baby, which is sure to make them giggle every time! They might not be able to fill it on their own just yet, but they’ll love to get sprayed with them, or even try and spray mom or dad with them!
11. Woby Activity Cube
An activity cube is a great toy for babies at this age because it is packed with educational activities to help them learn new skills. This one is packed with a whopping 15 activities to help babies practice hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, and fine motor skills. Some of the fun games on this cube include a flashing drum, a bead maze, spinning gears, a mirror, levers to flip, and different buttons to press.
12. Teytoy Cloth Alphabet Books
A book is perhaps the best 8 month old baby toy because it is never too early to start introducing them to their first words. This set includes 26 soft, cloth cards, each with one letter of the alphabet on them. On the back, you’ll find a picture of something starting with that letter, as well as the word written out. So, whilst your baby won’t be able to read the words quite yet, it’s a great idea to start showing them these flashcards anyway. They come with a storage bag with handles, so they can easily be taken out and about to keep babies entertained on the go. The cards are soft and washable, so it doesn’t matter if your baby decides to chew on them!
13. Fisher-Price Mirror Set
This Laugh & Learn mirror features two modes – music and learning. So, it’s perfect for fun as well as helping babies learn a thing or two. It tells babies about opposites, colors, textures, and more. Babies will love looking at themselves in the mirror as they play! They can use the accessories for role playing – perfect for little girls who can’t wait to be just like mom! There’s a comb, a bracelet, a lipstick, compact and a brush. Opening and closing the compact causes it to play songs to make your baby dance! Hours of fun will be had with this lovely toy.
14. VTech Puppy Rattle
VTech is one of the top brands when it comes to gifts for 8 month old babies. This cute rattle is easy to hold and it has some other fun functions as well as rattling. There is a button which, when pressed, makes the rattle play one of more than 20 phrases, songs, and sound effects. The ears have a crinkly texture and lots of bright and colorful patterns inside them. There are also rings on the rattle that shake and turn around to add further options for sensory play.
15. VTech Dump Truck
This dump truck is sure to be a hit with your baby and it is ideal for encouraging them to learn to move around – it has a cord to pull it along with. There are three balls included which can be put in the top of the truck, then when the truck is moved along, the ball will pop into the dump bucket! Then, when the truck moves again, the balls will jiggle around inside the bucket. There are lights and buttons on the truck that play tunes and can teach babies the names of different tools.
16. Zhfuys Rattling Car
Cars are always popular toys and this one has some fun extras to make it really exciting for babies to play with. The roof is designed to make it easy to grip, and it is made from soft rubber so it’s comfortable when playing. The wheels have colorful beads inside which rattle around when the car is rolled along the ground. This is the perfect first toy car for your little one!
17. Munchkin Bath Bobbers
If you are wondering what makes good Christmas gifts for 8 month old, these cute bath toys from Munchkin are a great suggestion. They come as a pack of two – a penguin and a polar bear. They are easy for babies to play with and are sure to delight them every time they take a bath. The toys sink under the water and pop back up again which is guaranteed to surprise your baby and make them giggle every time!
18. Baby Einstein Rattle Ball
This colorful ball is bendable and has large holes to make it easy for babies to grip. There is a smaller ball inside, so babies will love to shake and roll the ball and see and hear what happens to the smaller ball as they do so. The ball is quite small, so it can easily be taken in the diaper bag to keep baby entertained on the go. The cute caterpillar face and the bright colors are sure to attract your baby’s attention!
19. Kingtree Squeezy Building Blocks
Building blocks are a classic toy and this set is soft and squeezable making it perfect for younger babies – they won’t be able to hurt themselves on these blocks. There are nine included and they are a range of different colors and each has different pictures on, so they are ideal for talking about for introducing babies to their first words as well as naming colors. They have a squeaker inside for when they are squeezed and they can also be boiled for sterilizing. Babies will love learning to stack with these!
20. Hemrly Swimming Turtles
Our final pick is another bath toy. This set of three turtles is sure to make bath time more fun for your little one! They can swim through the water after they have been wound up, something that is certain to delight your baby every time! Each turtle is a different color so they are fun for babies to watch, and they can even be raced! They are made from ABS plastic so they are non-toxic, durable, and the colors won’t fade even after many bathtimes.
Best Buy Overall
After looking at so many great toys, we have picked out our overall best buy. The Fisher-Price mirror is our top pick because it offers so many fun features and learning opportunities. Babies will love using the mirror to see themselves and can enjoy using the make-up pieces for some role-playing fun. They can also learn a lot in one of the modes and might even pick up some of their first words. It’s sure to be enjoyed well into the toddler years, making it excellent value for money.
Best Budget Pick
If you are looking for a cheaper toy, we have another excellent product. The pounding bench from Hape is our pick here. It offers two fun modes to play in and allows babies to practice a range of skills. They will love the sound it makes when the balls run across the xylophone and chasing after them when they are able to crawl is a great way to encourage them to move around. Pounding the balls is also ideal for promoting hand-eye coordination, so this is a toy which is both educational and fun.
What are the Best Learning Toys for 8 Month Olds?
Most of the toys we have picked out above are ideal for helping babies learn in some way. Many teach first words, such as shapes and colors. Others are ideal for developing physical skills such as hand-eye coordination, motor skills, or encouraging babies to crawl or move around. Any toy can be used as a learning tool – babies at this age learn and discover through play. Here are a few more picks.
Eight Months Old Development
At this age, babies may have already learned some new skills, or will be close to doing so. They can possibly pull themselves to a standing position already – so make sure they are safe in their crib when they can do so! They might also get around by rolling, commando crawling, or they might have even started to crawl properly. Again, be sure the house is safe for them when they get moving. At this age, babies will have started exploring more foods and are probably ready for foods with small, soft lumps (less puréed than before) as well as some safe finger foods.