Milk and Cookies
with Linda and Kristen
Milk and Cookies is a savory web venue for cool products, useful tips, and idea-sharing, prepared especially for busy moms like you. From the must-haves to avoid-at-all-costs, we're dishing out tools for a delicious life balance.
Visit Linda's fitness site at Bodies in Motivation and check out Kristen's blog at Swistle.blogspot.com
So, it turns out an 8-month-baby is an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT ENTITY than, say, a newborn. In many ways they are a vast improvement on their squashed, red-faced little counterparts, but unlike a newborn, an 8-month-old does not sleep all day. Nor can you plop an 8-month-old on their back, dash out of the room to use the bathroom, and be confident they’ll be in the same spot when you get back. Which, um, I may have learned the hard way recently. What? He was fine, just a little tangled up in some chair legs.
Also, they want stimulation. My god, always with the “learning” and “developing” and all. My son Dylan is in constant movement: grabbing at this, pounding on that, eyeballing all the many, many items he plans to shove in his mouth. He gets frustrated and squawks if he’s left in one place too long, because the world is quickly revealing itself to him in its many sights, sounds, and flavors, and he’s got stuff to DO.
Much as I might want to, I can’t always spend every minute of the day engaging him in Baby Einstein calculus flash cards and immersive Latin lessons, so right now I’m pretty interested in various baby-appropriate distractions. What, OH WHAT, can I give my baby to occupy his time for five or six minutes in a row? Here are my current top picks:
Skwish from Manhattan Toy.
This is the neatest squishable, grab-able toy, with colorful wooden beads that a baby can slide around.
Tucker the Turtle from Lamaze.
My older boy played with this for months when he was a baby, and now his brother loves it with equal slobbery zeal.
Graco Jumpster Doorway Jumper.
I’ll tell you, I thought this thing seemed more than a little sketchy at first — like it was going to fall from the doorjam, or let the baby bang into the sides of the doorway, but Riley loved it, and now Dylan does. It’s a true sanity-saver, and lets a non-mobile baby really go to town with their kicky little legs.
Fisher-Price Go Baby Go! Musical Ball.
This ball toy can’t be tipped over — it just rolls around, issuing forth little bursts of music and giggles. Dylan can bat at this thing for entire minutes at a time, and scootches around after it as best he can. (Happily, there IS an off switch.)
Kaloo Musical Teddy Bear Cone.
I got this as a baby shower present before Riley was born and it was MONTHS before I finally realized how it works — you pull the bear out from inside the cone, and it slowly retracts back in while playing a happy little tune. Very, very sweet toy, and both my boys enjoy it.
Chef’n SleekStor Collapsible Measuring Cups.
You’re thinking, measuring cups? Is this filed in the wrong post? No! ALL babies love measuring cups! I mean, according to my highly scientific study of two (2) babies. They can be played with, gnawed on, and this particular brand can be collapsed and expanded.
What about you — do you have any suggestions for good baby toys? (OH GOD PLEASE HELP ME.)
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Oh, I feel your pain. I have a 10 month old who is now mobile (crawling) and insists on moving around all. the. time. So stubborn! I don’t have any of those toys, though I do have a Fisher Price Jumperoo that is the same concept as your jumper thingy, only it’s a self-contained unit. That’s only going to work for a short while longer, though, I can tell. I have found that anything that rolls or spins works with my guy. One of the four year olds big trucks, with big plastic wheels, turned upside down is like only the best thing evah! And balls. My baby will chase a ball around the room for 10-15 minutes. Actually it doesn’t even have to roll. If he can push it around the room, like the Bob the Builder helmet, he’s pretty happy. My poor floors!
Jill | October 10th, 2008 at 3:53 am
I loved the Infantino Activity Triangle. My friend had one and let my son play with it. he loved it so much that we had to quickly find one for him.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2309145
bea | October 10th, 2008 at 4:05 am
my boy absolutely loves those exact measuring cups. i am considering just buying another set so i can still use them to cook while he bangs them on things and chews on them.
becky | October 10th, 2008 at 4:42 am
When my son was that age, I took a couple of empty plastic spice jars and put a few teaspoons of different colored dried beans in them.
It blew his mind that they made noise and moved, and since all he ever wanted to play with were kitchen tools (a silicone brush also bought me hours of quiet), they definitely were the favorite toys for a while. And yes, the measuring cups were all his for a few months.
C | October 10th, 2008 at 7:57 am
You know what always worked? Opening the bottom cabinet to where the tupperware and pots were, giving her some wooden spoons and letting her go to town.
Loud? yes. very.
But she loved it.
Oh, and string! I know, wierd, right? But like a ball of yarn or twine - something cheap and let him play with it. They love unrolling it and playing with the string.
For obvious reasons, you have to supervise more closely for this but still, it’s amazing how stuff so simple can entertain them for so long.
And we used to pack the Jumperoo up when we left the house to go to anyone’s house - it was THAT invaluable.
AndreAnna | October 10th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
The Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Learning Table was a big hit with my first child. She was already walking at 8 months so lack of immobility isn’t needed. She played with it every day, sometimes for an half hour+, for about 6 months. The legs pop off easily so he could play with it sitting on the floor or laying on his tummy.
Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube. My little one got it when she was about 9 months old and still loves to play with it while she “pages” through her books.
Dawn | October 10th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
The jumper is great! And, if you don’t have a doorway for that kind, you can always get a Jumperoo, which has a stand, but still bounces.
We bought a $5 set of toy nesting cups (like these: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2792512) for our son and he loved to play with them from about 6 months and counting (he’s 18 months old now). We’re also big investors in balls of all shapes and sizes, including the Fisher Price Gumball machine with the little balls. I think our son was about 8 or 9 months when we go that as a gift.
Another great distractor for our little music lover was the Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Baby Grand Piano. As soon as he could pull up, he loved this one: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2298854
Brenda | October 10th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Crinkly books (y’know, the gnaw-proof kind)
Keys
Battery-less (which is, admittedly, the state I found most of mine in) remotes
Old cellphones (baby latte)
Old (empty) baby wipes containers filled with, geez, anything safe ie the BIG legos, dumb McDonald’s toys, etc. (Lola would kick it/bat it around, follow it for minutes on end)
Half-empty (cap screwed on TIGHT) plastic water bottles - once you take the paper label off it’s delightfully swishy for babies, plus small enough for the 20-lb and under set to whip around
Finally, when my older girls were younger they were spaced perfectly for the older two to help entertain the twins (putting on puppet shows, making the babies hapless characters in their make-believe stuff) - worked for all of us!
Marivic | October 10th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Oh my eight month old is really about wooden spoons (I know but she loves), the ring stacker and the stackable cups. She can’t really stack the cups or the rings but she loves trying and loves flinging them around.
Oh and plastic bowls. Whoever said Tupperware is completely right.
Anyabeth | October 11th, 2008 at 3:14 am
Take empty plastic water bottles (or soda or juice bottles, so long as they’re clear and unbreakable), put in them a variety of things like:
- rattle-y things like beads
- fluffy things like cotton balls
- sparkly things like metallic confetti or bits of aluminum foil
- some water with a few drops of food colouring
(obviously I mean put one type of thing per bottle)
Screw the caps on REALLY TIGHT. Seal those suckers beyond any ability of yours to get open, much less an infant.
Give to baby.
Double check the caps every now and then just to be sure they’re not loosening. I know it sounds fraght with potential danger, but a daycare I know does this so I figure it has to be pretty safe, right? Maybe some glue in the cap threads?
Shawna | October 11th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
My son Aidan really loved all kind of small wooden rattles and teethers , wooden blocks, soft baby cubes from Baby Einstein
Virginia | October 11th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
We are a tad older - just over 1- but in my purse are: a pig keychain led flashlight (oinks and lights up!), a retractable measuring tape (retracts at the push of a button!), a kid size toothbrush (somehow we have these in each car and all over the house), and an old buzz lightyear McD’s toy (it was the boys’ but she has appropriated it).
LOVE the skwish ball! Also the Little Tykes toddler cars that do the sparks on top (sorry, forgot what they are called), baby photo album, big calculator, and this ball that walmart sold -we call it the chicken ball- soft vinylly, chicken head, makes chicken noises (but has an OFF switch!!).
Deanna | October 11th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
This post comes at the most PERFECT time. Our Exersaucer shelf life is dwindling fast and I have fear in my heart for what can be used next. So thank you. A million times thank you.
samantha jo campen | October 11th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
my boys love a lot of the things listed above, but the absolute favorites are:
- empty water bottles
- lids from the plastic gerber baby food containers
- KEYS! keyskeyskeyskeys. omgthekeeeeeys!
- laugh and learn table (okay, maybe i love that the best)
- straps! carseat straps, changing table straps, straps in the infant tub, straps straps straps!
i want to get them some walking toys next. hmm.
pam | October 15th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Lately when I’m cooking dinner the baby is content to sit on the hard kitchen floor with nothing but a spatula, a bowl and some measuring spoons. Old School!
We also have something of this nature:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2299113
– a beeping, singing toy phone, which is so darn loud but will entertain her for a good, long time.
Lee | October 16th, 2008 at 3:09 pm