They are able to practice skill development in a low-pressure scenario that is fun, engaging, and motivating. Through play and with toys, children become more confident in their abilities. In OT, toys are used to develop new skills and to help children move through skill levels as they develop and refine the areas listed above. Toys are a fun way to get little hands and little bodies building, growing, and developing!

Imaginative play and play development skills.

In occupational therapy sessions, you’ll see therapists using toys and games to develop areas of child development such as: What is the purpose of toys in occupational therapy? Occupational therapists and Certified occupational therapy assistants use toys and games for many reasons. It’s through play that therapists build skills. OTs work with all ages to help address the very skills that occupy a person’s time. We also scoured the What to Expect community for what toys parents say their babies were obsessed with around this age.So, you may be wondering…how are toys used in occupational therapy? Well, that is a good question! Occupational therapy professionals work to help people become more independent in functional tasks. To narrow down the best toys for little ones at the 9-month mark, we consulted with two experts for their guidance on what parents should consider when adding toys to their carts. How we picked the best toys for 9-month-olds Nine-month-olds still like to put toys in their mouths, which means you’ll want to avoid playthings with any loose pieces or tiny parts that can come off. At 9 months, your baby probably loves music and color, which makes this a good age to introduce toys that help him express himself artistically. This is a ripe time for baby to learn about cause and effect ( If I push this car, it goes forward or If I put this block in a cup, it disappears), so buy toys with this in mind. You’ll want to buy toys that can be played with in more than one position to encourage both of these activities and help develop baby’s motor skills and leg muscles. Most 9-month-olds can sit without support and may be pulling themselves up to stand. What to consider when buying toys for 9-month-oldsīefore you purchase a toy for a 9-month-old, take these factors into consideration: Plus, he’s probably sleeping longer (fingers crossed!) and developing a personality and the ability to interact more with you and those in his orbit. Best Activity Table for 9-Month-Olds : LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Tableįor many parents, 9 months is considered the beginning of the “golden age of babyhood.” Why? Your baby can likely point to what he wants and may even be able to tell you in sounds, if not actual words (“ba-ba” for bottle, for example).Best Learning Toy for 9-Month-Olds : LeapFrog Spin and Sing Alphabet Zoo.Best Pull Toy for 9-Month Olds : VTech Pull and Sing Puppy.

Best Plush Toy for 9-Month-Olds : Jellycat Bashful Bunny.Best Push Toy for 9-Month-Olds : Fisher-Price Walk Bounce & Ride Pony.Best Water Toy for 9-Month-Olds : Munchkin Caterpillar Spillers.Best Crawling Toy for 9-Month-Olds : VTech Wiggle and Crawl Ball.Best Board Book for 9-Month-Olds : ‘Old MacDonald: A Hand-Puppet Board Book’ by Jill Akerman.Best Interactive Toy for 9-Month-Olds : Fisher-Price Linkimals Smooth Moves Sloth Interactive Toy.Best Outdoor Toy for 9-Month-Olds : Little Tikes Activity Garden Playhouse.Best Ball Pit Toy for 9-Month-Olds : VTech Pop-a-Balls Drop and Pop Ball Pit.Best Toy Vehicles for 9-Month-Olds : Melissa & Doug K’s Kids Pull-Back Vehicles.Best Music Toy for 9-Month-Olds : Baby Einstein and Hape Magic Touch Piano.Best Stacking Toy for 9-Month-Olds : Sassy Stacks of Circles Stacking Ring STEM Learning Toy.Best Fine Motor Skills Toy for 9-Month-Olds : Playskool Poppin Pals.Best Activity Toy for 9-Month-Olds : ECR4Kids Climb and Crawl Foam Play Set.Best Developmental Toy for 9-Month-Olds : Melissa & Doug Take-Along Shape Sorter.Best Bath Toy for 9-Month-Olds : Sassy Catch & Count Net Bath Toy.Best Overall Toy for 9-Month-Olds : VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker.

Bouncy toys for toddlers art target