Best toys for 6 month olds 2023

Check out the toys that will help little learners develop their skills

Congratulations — you’ve made it through the newborn phase but now it's time to help your 6 month old grow and learn some more.

If your baby's approaching the six-month mark, you're probably looking for the best toys for six-month-olds. The best toys for this age group are small enough for little hands to hold but chunky enough so they won't get lost.

Every baby develops at their own speed. And sometimes, the best toys for 1 year olds might not be suitable for those aged 6 months or below. For example, while some six-month-olds might be starting to crawl, others may only just be sitting, and some may be happy to just lie back and watch the world go by.

'Your baby is very busy at 6 months figuring out the world around them, 'Rebecca Trueman, founder of Birth & Baby Hub tells us. 'They will be very keen to touch everything — even things you don't want them to — and of course everything goes in the mouth! Simple toys that can help your baby start to understand cause and effect are good developmental toys at this age. This could be a toy that makes a sound when they push a button, but my favourites are a handheld shaker or rattle. Babies love to make noise at this age, and music has been proven to aid development in certain areas of the brain.'

To help you navigate the world of toys, we've researched the best toys for 6 month olds so you don't have to. Plus, each item in our roundup has been recommended by parents or people who have bought them as gifts for children. Here's what we found...

Why you can trust GoodTo. Our experienced Consumer Editor & parent reviewers spend hours testing products to help you make the best choice. Find out how we test and review products.

Toomies Hide and Squeak Eggs - £8 | Amazon

Good for: Fine motor skills | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No

These chirpy little eggs each have their own facial expression. They can be cracked open to reveal a different colour inside and each has a different shaped bottom that fits into its own slot inside the carton. When your little one takes them out to play, they will hear them chirp as they push the eggs in and out of their shells.

Shape sorting, colour recognition and a sensory symphony of sound are involved — all of which are great for keeping your baby amused. We’d heartily recommend these over a standard shape sorter and reckon this innovative toy is one of the best toys for six-month-olds you'll find. Mum Liang agrees and tells us, 'Probably one of my best investments in toys! My son has been playing with them since he was six months old, and he's still playing with them now at nearly 26 months in very different ways.'

VIEW ON AMAZON

Dantoy Bio Stacking Play Cups - £17.99 | Amazon

Good for: Physical and cognitive development | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No

The best toys for six-month-olds are long-lasting and durable as well as fun, like these stacking cups. They're eco-friendly and made from sugarcane and definitely one of the best toys for six-month-olds that you can buy. They'll get years of use out of them. They are perfect toys for the living room, the sandpit, or the bath, which means you can take them just about everywhere.

We love the versatility of these stacking cups which are durable and provide years of fun as your baby becomes a toddler. We love the muted pastel tones too as they are not too garish like some baby toys.

VIEW ON AMAZON

Chad Valley Bright Stars Pop Up Ball Pit - £9 | Argos

Good for: Muscle strength | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No

A ball pit is one of the best toys for six-month-olds you could buy. It's a huge draw for your little one who will love the colours, textures and feel of this toy. We love it because it's a pop-up that can easily be packed away at the end of the day, and is transportable if you are visiting a grandparents' house. It's brightly coloured and is somewhere they can move around safely while you keep a close eye on them. It's also a better alternative to soft play which can be very crowded and not the most relaxing place for a baby to explore.

Mum-of-one Dionne tells us, 'I bought the ball pit for Christmas and my twins love it. The sides were flexible enough to keep them in when she was small, and for them to get in and out by themselves when they were older.'

VIEW ON ARGOS

Matchstick Monkey Teething Toy - £10 | Boots

Good for: Fine motor skills and teething | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No

A teether and a toy. The Matchstick Monkey is one of the best teethers we have found. Anything your baby can grab and pass from hand to hand fits the 'toy' description. This is thin and flexible making it easy for your little one to grip and chew. The plastic brush-like gel applicator is perfect for sore gums without having to add a gel. It also comes in five different colours which will brighten up playtime. Mum-of-one, Annie tells us, 'This is a brilliant buy. It's a tactile teething toy - soft and easy for a young baby to hold by handles or tail. The bumpy section is perfect for teething granules also. Monkey is indispensable.'

VIEW ON BOOTS

ABC What Can She Be? - £10.11 | WHSMITH

Good for: Early empowerment | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No

Your baby is never too young to be introduced to books and while this might seem a little old for your 6-month-old, inspiring stories are definitely something that should be heard from a young age - which is why books are one of the best toys for six-month-olds.

This is a fun introduction to the alphabet which can be sung to your 6-month-old as you look at the bright illustrations together. It's also a board book so it's sturdy enough to withstand being thrown around and bashed against things if your baby decides they would like to play with it instead of turning the pages.

Reviewer Mary tells us, 'This book is great! The illustrations are beautiful, the diversity of characters and professions portrayed is good. The quality is excellent - medium-weight card pages, so perfect for little fingers to turn easily without thinking they've missed a page. My baby seems to like looking at it as does my 3-year-old.'

VIEW ON WHSMITH

Rosa & Bo Woodland Nesting Babies - £22 | Amazon

Good for: Hand-eye coordination | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No

A twist on a traditional Babushka doll, these Rosa & Bo Nesting Babies are great fun for little hands to explore and are definitely one of the best toys for six-month-olds that we've come across. Consisting of the Rosa babies and chiming Bo Bunny, your 6-month-old will enjoy taking these apart and putting them back together. The joy of opening something up and finding out what's inside will delight your little one again and again. We love the carefully thought-out design of these characters.

This toy is also small enough to fit in a handbag so brilliant for keeping your baby amused while you are on the move. mum-of-two Becky tells us: "We have bought several of the stacking sets, most recently the woodland animals. Both my children love them. Beautifully made and so tactile. Customer service is fantastic and the quality of their goods is amazing. I can't recommend them highly enough."

VIEW ON AMAZON

Fisher-Price Roarin' Rainforest Jumperoo - £69 | George At Asda

Good for: Motor skills | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: Yes x4 AA

The Jumperoo comes in several different formats and there are versions that can be collapsed and packed away for easy storage. But the rainforest is one of our favourites because it is so bright and colourful and there is so much for your 6-month-old to enjoy. It's also a great way for your little one to start experiencing the world in an upright position as their upper body is supported while they can strengthen their leg muscles by having a good bounce. It means you can make yourself a quick cup of tea while they are occupied nearby.

VIEW ON GEORGE AT ASDA

Skip Hop Pull and Go Monkey Submarine Bath Toy - £14 | John Lewis

Good for: Learning cause and effect | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No

Make bath time for your baby fun with this cute bathtime toy. This toy doesn't just have to be used in the bathtub but will definitely make a splash before bedtime much more adventurous. There are a lot of different elements to enjoy, and at a great price.

Reviewer Trudy wrote, 'We have had more than our money's worth out of this bath time toy. Our grandchild has endless fun with the little character.'

VIEW ON JOHN LEWIS

Bright Starts 5-in-1 Your Way Ball Play Activity Gym & Ball Pit - £44.99 | Amazon

Good for: Co-play bonding time | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No

This gym and activity ball pit packs down into a small round case with a handle making it easy to take with you when visiting friends or relatives.

Such a versatile toy — definitely one of the best toys for six-month-olds. Its flexibility makes it suitable for your 6-month-old and can be kept for years as your baby becomes a toddler. The sides can be turned up to make a ball pool your baby can sit inside while pushing balls through the canopy. Or if they are still not moving much it can be laid flat so they can explore what's above them, or practice some tummy time.

VIEW ON AMAZON

Vtech First Steps Baby Walker - £24 | George At Asda

Good for: Muscle strength | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: Yes x3 AA

Musical toys are par for the course with a baby but a Vtech baby walker is one of the best toys for six-month-olds and something they will be playing with for years. Little fingers will take great delight in pressing buttons, making sounds, turning cogs, and flicking switches as the walker lights up and plays tunes or animal noises. Toys like this are great for a baby's dexterity and developing fine motor skills.

If they are feeling a bit more adventurous they can use it to pull themselves up to test out their legs and maybe even push it around the room as they tentatively take those first steps when they get a little bit older. Dad-of-two, Pete tells us: "This is a great toy for babies learning to stand and walk. It is sturdy, stable, and doesn't roll out from under our baby too easily. When they want to sit down and rest, there are plenty of buttons and things to play with on the front. It also folds flat so we take it with us when we stay over with family."

VIEW ON GEORGE AT ASDA

Wooden Shape Sorter - £12.99 | Amazon

Good for: Fine motor skills | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No

Sometimes the simplest toys are the best toys for 6-month-olds to discover and enjoy. This wooden shape sorter from Jaques London is a great way to introduce lots of different shapes and colours into your baby's life. It might not be so easy for them to find the correct holes when they are so young but it is something you and your baby can play with together. Even lifting the lid up and putting the shapes straight into the cube will be a fun game for you and your baby to play. Tipping them out will provide even more amusement.

Mum Jenny tells us: "What a great find! Loads to choose from and such great value. This item arrived quickly and was beautifully packaged. I would highly recommend it."

VIEW ON AMAZON

HOLA Baby Rattle Activity Ball - £10.99 | Amazon

Good for: Hand-eye coordination | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No

There are lots of activity balls out there for babies but this one from Amazon stood out because of all of its different features. That makes it one of the best toys for six-month-olds that we've come across. It's great value for money and includes lots of different shapes and textures for your 6-month-old to get to grips with. It rattles, it has hoops which spin and wheels which turn, and is really colourful. This toy will happily keep your baby entertained for hours as their tiny fingers learn to move and shake the different objects on this toy.

VIEW ON AMAZON

Tobbles Neo Toy - £19.99 | The Happy Puzzle Company

Good for: Motor skills | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No

This looks more like a sculpture than something you would buy for a baby, which we think makes it even more appealing as one of the best toys for 6-month-olds to explore. Your baby will love wobbling these soft stackable shapes. We love that they come in two-tone colours and that they are an unusual shape.

Your baby will enjoy exploring those wavy edges with their fingers or mouth. There is also plenty of ways to play with them as they can be spun, balanced, wiggled, or rolled around. A brilliant sensory toy for you and your baby to enjoy together.

VIEW ON THE HAPPY PUZZLE COMPANY

Galt Wooden Pop-up Toy - £9.99 | Amazon

Good for: Colour recognition | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No

Your baby can enjoy their own game of peek-a-boo with this gorgeous wooden pop-up toy. It's bright and colourful and each little figure is on a covered spring making it fun for your 6-month-old to push up and down, or take out of its space and explore. Toys like these are great for hand and eye coordination and are just the right size for small hands to grip - easily one of the best toys for six-month-olds.

We liked this pop-up toy because it's wooden, simple and classic. The smiling faces of each character will also make your baby smile.

VIEW ON AMAZON

Chad Valley Spinning Top - £7.50 | Argos

Good for: Learning cause and effect | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No

A different take on the classic spinning top, this Chad Valley toy is one of the best toys for six-month-olds because it is enclosed within a dome, making it safe for little ones to play with. Full of bright colourful balls and a black and white contrasting base, your baby won't be able to take their eyes off it as they push the top to make it spin. Its flat base means it can be played with on the floor, table, or high chair. We think this is a perfect addition to your baby's playtime.

Mum-of-one Rachel tells us, 'My 6-month-old absolutely loves this toy and it only took a few goes for her to understand how to use it. It's been a good buy. Our daughter has now learned the cause and effect of the pressing action and has begun to do this herself.'

VIEW ON ARGOS

Smart Stages Puppy - £13.60 | George At Asda

Good for: Learning cause and effect | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: yes x3 AA

This cuddly puppy is a fun and funky toy that your baby will enjoy for hours. After all, the best toys for six-month-olds will keep them entertained while they learn. And not only is this soft and squishy, but it plays lots of tunes your baby can dance and sing to when they press different parts of the dog's body. We love this toy because it's a way of introducing your baby to learning about the different parts of the body such as hands, feet, and head, and many of the songs correlate to this. Not only is it fun, but it's also educational too.

VIEW ON GEORGE AT ASDA

Calming Rainbow Showers soother - £29.99 | Amazon

Good for: Eye-tracking skills | Age suitability: birth + | Batteries required: No

You might not associate toys with a baby's bedtime but they don't all have to be about stimulating your 6-month-old, they can be soothing too. We love this beautiful cloud mobile as a calming addition to your baby's cot to help them settle down for a nap or the night. With a colourful rainbow soft cushioned clouds and a sunshine motif, this mobile has a motion sensor which means it will start automatically if your baby makes a noise. And let's face it, anything that encourages sleep has got to be one of the best toys for six-month-olds.

VIEW ON AMAZON

Fisher-Price Sit & Snuggle Activity Book - £13.43 | Amazon

Good for: Hand eye coordination| Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No | RRP: £14.99

A great introduction to books for your 6-month-old baby, this has soft, plump pages for babies to turn as they enjoy the different textures. Your baby can play peek-a-boo in the mirror and explore this book with their mouth as well as their fingers as they push, pull and scrunch the different pages. Unlike other fabric books, it can also be propped upright and put in front of your baby so they can take a good look at themselves during tummy time - and that feature makes this worthy of a spot in our roundup of the best toys for 6 month olds.

VIEW ON AMAZON

Fisher-Price Soothe N Snuggle Koala - £31.49 | Maqio Toys

Good for: Hand eye coordination | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No

This is another great bedtime toy as unlike the Fisher-Price Smart Stages Puppy, it is great for settling your little one at night. Rather than providing bright lights and excitement, your 6-month-old can cuddle into this snuggly koala while its belly lights up and rises and falls as though it is breathing.

It lights up, as well as plays music and nature sounds. We haven't found another toy as soft and comforting for a baby so young - which is why it gets our vote as one of the best toys for six-month-olds.

VIEW ON MAQIO TOYS

That's Not My Zoo Collection - £16. 84 | Amazon

Good for: Hand eye coordination | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No

The 'That's Not My' Books are a firm favourite of ours at Goodto and this zoo collection is a lovely selection. Each book tells a story about the animal while offering your 6-month-old a sensory experience at the same time. These books are simple but brilliant and loved by children from a young age. Books definitely make the grade when it comes to the best toys for six-month-olds. And these ones are safe enough to be thrown around and chewed while learning about animals and textures, from fluffy tails to bumpy ears.

Goodto.com Family editor, Stephanie Lowe tells us, 'Lots of different textures and bright colours kept my son engaged. There is also a mouse on every page to find which is great as the books grow with your child's development. He's now 4 and still loves looking back over these.'

VIEW ON AMAZON

Early Learning Centre Fun Singing Maracas - £14 | Boots

Good for: Fine motor skills | Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: Yes 2 x AAA batteries

Your baby will love making noise with these cute singing maracas. Simply press the hat of one of them for three different melodies, and get ready to groove. Or open the maraca's mouth and hear it sing.

The colourful toys are a great way to introduce your little one to music. They will help your baby with coordination and movement as they find their voice and discover different sounds, which makes them one of the best toys for six-month-olds.

VIEW ON BOOTS

Lovevery: The Senser Play Kit - £80 | Lovevery

Good for: Developing language| Age suitability: 6 months + | Batteries required: No

Lovevery's Play Kit subscription program delivers stage-based play products directly to your door every 2 to 3 months, depending on the child's stage of development. If you are looking for something a bit different these play boxes are full of interesting sensory toys - easily some of the best toys for six-month-olds, which your baby will love discovering.

At this age, your baby is developing their coordination, imagination, movement and language, and also learning about cause and effect. These play boxes contain toys including rattles, shakers, mirrors or things that can be moved around or chewed. Every play kit comes with information explaining what each toy is teaching your baby while they play. You can order a different box every two months as your baby grows or order as a one-off gift for your baby.

VIEW ON LOVEVERY

You might also like:

As a parenting specialist for more than 15 years, Heidi has written for most national newspapers and for a wide range of consumer magazines, including Mother & Baby where she was the Shopping Editor for six years, looking after regular consumer features including buying guides and gift roundups.

Ted Lasso ending explained: One of the finest comedies to ever grace our screens has come to and end, and were weren't ready.

By Lucy Wigley•Published 5 June 23

Bubble, bubble, toil and even more trouble...as Disney confirm a third sequel

By Selina Maycock•Published 5 June 23

Get ahead of the Back to School game with the John Lewis 30% off uniform sale

By Heidi Scrimgeour•Published 5 June 23

Forget scrolling to find the best Tesco baby deals - we’ve picked out the best of the bunch

By Heidi Scrimgeour•Published 2 June 23

Our Editor, Anna, reviews this clever alternative to a cot blanket from ergoPouch - and wishes they made one for adults

By Heidi Scrimgeour•Published 22 May 23

We take at look at the celebrities who are fans of the BabyZen YOYO stroller - and you might be surprised by who's on the list.

By Ellie Hutchings•Published 19 May 23

By Heidi Scrimgeour•Published 18 May 23

The Bugaboo Fox 3 is an incredibly manoeuvrable pushchair with a host of clever design features for brilliant and long-lasting usability.

By Heidi Scrimgeour•Published 17 May 23

We asked our parent reviewer to put the Micralite ProFold stroller to the test with his 22-month-old son. How did it stack up?

By Heidi Scrimgeour•Published 17 May 23

Celebs love this pushchair folds small enough to count as cabin baggage. Does it live up to the hype?

By Heidi Scrimgeour•Published 16 May 23