Best Toys for 7- and 8-Month-Olds, According to Experts and Parents

“What is great about this ball is the different textures that allow the baby to feel different sensory experiences,” says Caplan-Colon. In addition to playing a variety of songs and lights, the ball wiggles and wobbles on its own, giving your baby something to chase after as she’s starting to crawl, so you’ll get even longer use out of this toy. You can also roll the ball back and forth with baby for that all-important reciprocal play, and explain your actions to further help with their development.  

“They can begin to develop an understanding that different words result in different actions such as, 'ready set,' 'bounce ball,' 'roll ball,' 'throw,'” says Caplan-Colon.

Weight: 1.4 pounds
Dimensions: 6.46 x 6.46 x 6.97 inches

Nesting cups are a favorite toy of Dr. Lytle because, “they are an open-ended toy, meaning there’s more than one way for a child to play with them.” Some of her suggestions include: stacking them, building a tower with them, nestling them together, or putting  a smaller toy or ball inside one to take it out again. 

The Green Toys Stacking Cups set includes six cups  labeled with numbers to add a learning element. They are large and made from 100- percent recycled plastic milk containers, so baby can safely chew on them when teething. As an added bonus, they’re dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

Weight: 6.3 ounces
Dimensions: 5.75 x 5 x 8.25 inches

"Seven to 8-month-olds are beginning to explore, and that includes banging things together and transfering items from one hand to the other," says Caplan-Colon. Babies are not only able to stack and bang the interestingly-designed spheres on this toy, but they can also spin and roll each piece, unlike traditional stacking cups.

The pieces look like a cracked open egg shell, yet are weighted so they can perfectly balance just about any way your little one wants to play with them. Baby can build a tower to topple, spin or watch them wobble. The soft texture feels inviting in baby’s hand and encourages exploration. The Tobbles are made of safe-for-baby ABS plastic.

Weight: 1.5 pounds
Dimensions: 5.9 x 5.1 x 11 inches

At this age, your little one probably won’t be able to construct a huge tower of blocks or sort shapes on her own — but she’ll learn a lot just by holding them and watching you stack them. These Fisher Price blocks are a parent-approved pick for lots of reasons. Their bright colors and varying shapes help make playtime more engaging, since you can narrate the color and shape of each block to help develop your child's language skills. They also come with a bucket and lid that are specially designed for the blocks to be dropped in, helping your 7- or 8-month-old learn shapes and exercise her hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills. (The bucket also makes it easy to tote the blocks to Grandma’s house!) Plus, parents say these blocks are super easy to clean.

Weight: 3.2 pounds (total)
Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.3 x 5.5 inches

The best learning happens when you speak, sing and interact with your little one, and the LeapFrop Scout’s Learning Lights Remote can help in that effort. When baby presses the music button, she’ll hear a counting song, a numbers song or fun tunes (there are 65 songs total) that you can sing along to. The remote also helps introduce your baby to numbers, shapes and words with bright colors and lights. 

Plus, it’s small and light enough to take in your diaper bag.

Weight: 06.56 ounces
Dimensions: 6.8 x 1.6 x 3.1 inches

The VTech Drop and Go Dump Truck is a classic toy that you can buy for your baby now and use for years to come, as many caregivers have said. It can be played with in a variety of different ways, whether collecting balls in the truck bed or practicing fine motor skills by pressing the buttons on the side. It will also teach cause-and-effect and hand-eye coordination because baby can place the balls in the slot and watch them be deposited into the truck bed. Plus, it plays 30-plus songs, melodies and phrases.

Weight: 1.3 pounds
Dimensions: 5.43 x 10 x 7.5 inches

The Baby Einstein Discovering Music Activity Table is a great option whether your child has started trying to stand or not. If baby is able to stand while holding onto something, go ahead and use the table with the legs on. If she’s not quite there yet, take them off and let your little one play with it as a floor table.

This musical table has a host of activities for your baby to discover: piano keys to tap to hear music, a guitar to “strum,” a drum to beat and a French horn with a spinning rattle. A highlight for baby is the music book in the center with pages she can flip. When she does, she’s rewarded with melodies and twinkling lights. Make the most out of this toy and playtime by pointing out the different sounds, shapes and colors to your child.

Weight: 5.6 pounds
Dimensions: 15 x 16.5 x 16.5 inches

One of the reasons balls make such great toys is that there are a multitude of ways you and your baby can play with them. "Rolling a ball back and forth between you and your baby mimics how we take turns in language interactions," says Dr. Lytle. In addition to rolling and passing one back and forth, you can make a 7- or 8-month-old baby happy by giving her a box she can place the balls in and then take out.

The Edushape Sensory Balls, in particular, have soft sensory spikes that make them easier for your little one to pick up and try to throw. Plus, they’re washable, won’t crush easily and come with a non-removable inflation/deflation receptacle. You can use them to encourage crawling by rolling them on the ground, too.

Dimensions: 4 x 4 x 4 inches

This Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes is a great pick to have on hand. The 10 gentle melodies will captivate your child, while the beaded curved handle helps her work on grasping skills. Plus, its small size and light weight means it can be tossed into your diaper bag for when you’re on-the-go. The toy also has soft lights that accompany the music. You can narrate what colors the light shows, or sing along to the music to your little one.

Weight: 3.7 ounces
Dimensions: 5.13 x 1.08 x 5.13 inches

What’s especially great about the Little Tikes Activity Garden Playhouse is that it offers plenty of interesting ways to play with your child now and through their toddler years. You can take part in countless games of peekaboo through the shutters, which is actually a great game for visual development and social interaction. It also includes a play panel with a mirror spinner to hold their attention and buttons to play music. The panel actually detaches so you can take it with you on-the-go and keep baby engaged. And, the included balls are great for baby to grasp and try to throw and can be used for sorting shapes in the mailbox as they get older. As baby grows, you can expand the play center to an open space so they can spread out.

Weight: 15.9 pounds
Dimensions (open): 48.4 x 28 x 24.7 inches
Dimensions (closed with all four walls together): 32.7 x 28 x 24.7 inches

This sturdy, wooden activity cube is another toy guaranteed to provide hours of learning and fun for your 7- or 8-month-old. Peekaboo doors labeled with animals and spinnable tiles labeled with the alphabet to help your little one learn while practicing hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. A squiggly track with colorful beads on the top and other movable features will be a hit with your child, too. What’s more, reviewers love that it helps little ones practice standing and getting their balance. Plus, the corners are rounded out to help prevent any accidents.

Note that although it’s recommended for kids age 12 months and up, several parents in the What to Expect community report that their little ones still enjoy playing with the toy in other ways.

These adorable floating balls are a great addition to bathtime. Your baby will work on her hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills as she grabs and splashes with the toys, which feature adorable animals and shapes that rattle and shake. Plus, she can learn cause-and-effect as she watches the balls float away in the water. Parents also like that each ball has no holes, helping to prevent water from entering and mold from forming.

Weight: 4.9 ounces
Dimensions: 3.5 x 3.25 x 2.5 inches

Sophie the Giraffe has a cult following for a reason. “[It’s] easy to chew on for teething babies, makes noise when squeezed, rubbery and soft to the touch,” says Dr. Abelowitz. “All of which are great for sensory development for babies.”

Babies love chewing and holding on to this soft, natural rubber teething toy, and parents love that it’s BPA-free, phthalate-free and easy to wash. This toy giraffe’s long legs and neck make it easy for little hands to hold, and each box comes with a special QR code to authenticate your own Sophie.

Weight: 2.4 ounces
Dimensions: 3.5 x 1.2 x 7 inches