New parents long for the time when they are at home, and can start playing and enter the baby bubble with the baby. When the child is about 6 months old, they begin to take their first, small, careful steps out into the big wide world. The child explores, feels, tastes and tests their way forward. Play is an incredible tool for the child's development. Here, we go through some toys that are suitable for children who are around 6 months old.
Toys for children at
the age of 6 months
Already when the child is 6 months old, they have a very strong will. They test themselves to learn and discover their surroundings. Toys for children who are 6 months old can have many uses and it becomes important not to limit them while playing. Play is often the first opportunity for learning. Now the child often crosses many milestones; the first time they sit up, crawl around the play tent or say their very first word.
We differentiate between physical development, cognitive development, language and social & emotional development. Different toys have different uses!
Physical development when the child is 6 months old
Physical development is an important part of the baby's journey and continues to develop through play right up to adulthood. There are also a lot of toys and playful exercises that train the child's physical development and motor skills.
Gross motor skills develop when the baby moves their body. Help the baby lift their head, chest or stretch their legs and let them start kicking a little. They begin to turn over and can sit up with support. Micki's large, soft blocks are perfect toys for developing the child's gross motor skills where the child can move, put and stack the blocks and use their upper body.
Fine motor skills first come when the child begins to discover with their hands. Introduce toys for babies at the age of 6 months where they can reach for, grasp and hold on to the toy. Micki's pull toys and blocks are two fantastic toys for children aged 6 months that train the baby's physical development!
Cognitive development at 6 months of age
Cognitive development is about mental, thinking and will-controlled processes. It begins to take shape as the baby's senses develop: taste, smell, touch, hearing and sight. The baby learns that something can be there even if it is not visible. For example, you can hide a toy under a blanket and let the child find it.
The child also begins to recognize things, people and situations. Repetitive practice can help them remember, copy behaviors, and perceive shape and size. Here the baby becomes more curious and active. Good toys for 6-month-old babies that train cognitive development are block toys, balls and blocks in different shapes, colors and materials!
Language development for children who are 6 months old
Even a tiny baby begins to use their voice to communicate from the start. They scream, holler, try to imitate sounds they hear around them and test different voice modes and volumes.
Social and emotional development for 6-month-old children
When the child is about six months old, they become aware of and discover parts of their own body. The child begins to understand that they are their own individual and that they can influence other people. They begin to imitate facial movements and various sounds in play. You can, for example, use simple books or toys that make sounds during play so that the child can both see, repeat and listen.
A tip is to use toys for children who are 6 months old that help the child to recognize and repeat. A soft little doll is a good toy that supports the child's early communication. Read more about how playing with dolls supports the child's communication.
How Micki develops toys for children aged 6 months
As a product developer, there is a lot to think about when developing new toys for children who are 6 months old. For us, it is important that the toys we develop are fun to play with, but also that they support the child's developmental phases.
What should the child feel when they play? What experiences should they have? Our Design Manager Anne Avgrim explains more:
- Making products that strive to be with and support the child in the natural stages of development but that also challenge the child's curiosity has long been our focus. If we can also make the child want to play longer and to discover new things with the product the further they get in their development, that would be fantastic! says Anne and continues:
- Working more focused on this particular theme has strengthened our products so that they can support and guide the child in their development even more, which felt important but also fun and playful!