The Best Toys for 8-Month-Olds: Ready, Set, Explore! (2024)

• Our Picks

• How We Selected and Tested

• Our Experts

• What to Look For

• FAQs

• Why Trust Verywell Family

This soft, colorful birdhouse is a great activity for young toddlers. It doesn’t require any batteries and is small and lightweight enough to be taken on the go. Best of all, we love that it encourages “fill and spill” play, which is an important developmental milestone for babies and toddlers.

According to the parents in our survey, 8-month-olds adore the four little birds that accompany this house. They are small enough to fit in their hands and they have fun holding them while crawling around the house. They also love that each bird has its own set of textures, which gives them plenty of opportunities to chew, feel, and explore.

This playful penguin is an interactive toy that not only keeps your baby entertained, but also teaches them about the alphabet, counting, opposites, and shapes. It has an impressive collection of songs (85, to be exact) to which it flaps its flippers and bobs side to side in a dancing motion.

One thing in particular that we love about this penguin is that it can sync, learn, and play with eight other animals in the Linkimals family (sold separately). The parents in our survey say that the lights and music capture their baby’s attention and that they love the sweet, cheerful songs.

This classic stacking toy invites babies to grasp, remove, and shake its five colorful rings. We love that it gives little ones the chance to explore and strengthen their fine motor skills by disassembling the stack and rocking its roly-poly base back and forth.

Another fun aspect about this toy is the top ring that doubles as a rattle. The parents we surveyed say their babies love to shake it and it’s kept them entertained for months. This toy can also serve as a colorful target that motivates your baby to crawl forward.

This sweet set of Busy Buddies provides your baby with a variety of sensory experiences. We love that each animal has different sounds, functions, and textures that keep little ones engaged while also strengthening their fine motor skills. According to parents we surveyed, kiddos especially love to walk while holding the elephant and play with its rolling belly.

The Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube ranks high on our list because it promotes the development of cause and effect and encourages a love for music. Safe for any age, this innovative cube includes instrument sounds from the harp, flute, French horn, piano, and violin.

Press each button for individual sounds or press the orchestra button to play all the instruments at once. This toy will inspire creativity and interactive play while teaching babies how sounds combine, so it’ll be fun for a long time.

Perfect for ages 6 months and up, these versatile and stylish blocks are great for sensory exploration, motor skills, coordination, spatial reasoning, and imaginative thinking. Busy and curious little kids will be engaged as they balance, nest, spin, and stack these blocks in gravity-defying angles.

A versatile toy that is perfect for any age, this set includes 24 flexible bendable links. The links are fun on their own or can be used to attach other toys to your car seat, stroller, diaper bag, or anything else. Great for when on-the-go, throw a few links in a bag and you’ll have an easy way to entertain a fussy baby. The strong, durable plastic is easy to wipe clean with a wet wipe or a quick dip in soapy water.

We have personally used these links with our own babies, and it's one of our editor's favorite baby shower gifts. She says they have been lifesavers during long plane rides because they can be used as teething toys, bracelets, linking toys, and many other creative uses.

Help your little one enhance their gross motor skills with this versatile sit-and-stand walker. For sitting babies, the removable play panel engages with shape sorters, light-up buttons, and more. As your growing baby begins to walk, move the panel back to the walker, and your kiddo can play with it standing or use the walker for some helpful support.

Little hands will love this shape-sorting toy that invites kiddos to slide each shape smoothly and snugly into their respective slots. The pieces are rubbery, textured, and squishy, so they are made for little fingers and safe for teething. Shapes include a triangle, square, oval, circle, pentagon, and double circle.Time with this toy will strengthen fine motor skills, shape recognition, and visual-spatial skills.

Babies will feel like they're in control of the TV with this realistic toy remote full of colorful buttons, songs, and more. Lights flash when you press specific buttons, while playful songs teach littles how to count to 10. Surf through multiple channels with the power of two AAA batteries (included, but for demo use only) and adjust the volume through two sound options.

Babies will love that they can twist, shake, or chew on this figure-eight teether rattle. The four textured surfaces will help soothe the baby’s gums while also providing stimulating tactile exploration. Safe for babies 6 months and up, the integrated rattle will make noise anytime it gets moved around. Parents appreciate that this well-made toy is sized just right for little hands.

Lightweight and easy to grasp, these six colorful boats float and link together to create a bathtime boat train. They have funny faces and are numbered, making them perfect for counting, ordering, and number identification games. Great for bathtime (or the beach or a water table), the boats can scoop up and pour out water over and over again. Beneficial for hand-eye coordination, these versatile toys are safe for kids of any age.

With five sides of play and more than a dozen interactive features, the play opportunities are endless with the VTech Busy Learners Activity Cube. Little ones will love the light-up buttons that introduce them to animals, sounds, and shapes, while parents and caregivers will appreciate two volume settings. Two AAA batteries (included, but for demo purposes only) power all features, including the 25 playful songs and melodies to keep babies entertained.

Introduce your 8-month-old to the alphabet, numbers, colors, and color mixing with playful songs, sounds, and phrases. The toy comes with six removable pieces, including a milk bottle, two measuring cups, a spoon, and more. Adding the “ingredients” into the bowl produces exciting sounds, lights, and songs. Safe for babies 6 months old and up; parents will appreciate the volume control switch.

From beloved author-illustrator Eric Carle, this set of six classic board books features simple and engaging texts. The six books come in a sturdy box, so young ones will have fun taking them out and putting away their special books. With thoughtful and repetitive text, these classic reads are sure to become family favorites.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What toys should my 8-month-old have?

  At 8 months old, babies start to explore. They’re sitting up on their own, and they might even be crawling. Your 8-month-old will likely love any toy with sensory elements, such as textures, bright colors, and music. A sit-to-stand walker can help encourage them to move with support if they are crawling and inching toward walking. Your baby might also enjoy a teether if they have teeth coming in.

  Any toys for an 8-month-old must be safe and non-toxic, as putting things in their mouth is still the primary way they explore the world.

• How many toys should my 8-month-old have?

  It’s really easy to pile up a lot of toys quickly. But at 8 months old, babies don’t need too many toys. They are learning about the world and might be just as happy playing with a box as with an age-appropriate toy. It’s less about quantity and more about quality. Is the toy engaging? Is your child able to hold it or grasp onto it? Is it a safe toy that they can put into their mouths? Three to five good-quality, interactive toys, such as teethers, ring toys, and an activity cube, could be enough for your baby.

• What are the best toys for an 8-month-old's development?

  During this transitional phase—they’re on the path to toddlerhood—8-month-old babies need toys that will help satisfy their curiosity. That means having toys that engage the senses, as well as toys that encourage movement. Toys that stack and that can be pushed over, toys that have bright colors, and toys that help them get moving are all good for development. Music is also very engaging at this age, so keep that in mind when looking for developmentally appropriate toys.