Baby 6 Month Development ( fisher-price.com )

How your 6-month-old might play now

• She can sit up with only a little support—or maybe none at all
• When he drops something, he looks for it
• She enjoys simple games like peek-a-boo or pat-a-cake
• He can bang a toy and shout at the same time
• She participates in activities that center around her

Action/reaction toys

• 
  Laugh & Learn™ Storybook Rhymes
• 
  Laugh & Learn™
  Learning Toolbench™
• 
  Laugh & Learn™ Learning Puppy™
    

Help your baby learn more:

• Lights! Music! Action! Start by demonstrating some of the toy's specific features, showing baby how to start the action, lights, or music.
• What will happen? As you play, encourage baby to do something with the toy … he'll be greeted with a fun surprise that will make him want to play again and again!

Roly-poly bat-at toys

• 
  Go Baby Go!™ Bat & Wobble Penguin
    
• 
  Growing Baby™ Clutch Ball
   
• 
  Laugh & Learn™ Singin’ Soccer Ball
   

Help your baby learn more:

• Watch what happens! A roly-poly toy is perfect for this stage because baby can make it move without causing it to roll away. At first, make the action happen yourself so baby can see what it’s all about, then watch what baby does in response.
• You can do it … To encourage baby to move her developing muscles, put this toy within view, at arm's length away. Baby will want to move toward it to get a closer look.
• Tummy-time fun. Put a roly-poly toy on the floor in front of baby where he can easily see its bright colors when he lifts his head up. Baby can bat at it to make intriguing action happen. Freshen the challenge by occasionally alternating from baby’s right to left side.

Stacking toys

• 
  Growing Baby™ Animal Stack & Nest Blocks
    
• 
  Brilliant Basics™ Stack & Roll Cups™
    
• 
  Growing Baby™ Tiger Stacker

Help your baby learn more:

• Describe it. Use stacking toys to introduce other simple words and descriptions, like big and little, or top and bottom. You can also use these toys to reinforce understanding of cause and effect.
• What color? Help your child make connections between words and concepts by talking about colors: “That's the big yellow cup.”

Toys to invite early role play

• 
  Laugh & Learn™ Peek-a-Boo Cuckoo™
• 
  Laugh & Learn™ Rumble & Learn Driver™
• 
  Brilliant Basics™ Friendly Flip Phone™

Help your baby learn more:

• What’s that sound? Take baby on a "sound" tour of your house. Ring the doorbell, turn on the clock's alarm, start the computer. As you make your way through the house, tell baby what each sound means: "Company's coming! … Time to get up … I'm going to check my email."
• Makin’ it happen. To foster awareness of cause-and-effect relationships, let your child turn a light switch or a faucet on and off and see how her actions make things happen.
• Everyday play. Open the cupboard and pull out pots, pans and wooden spoons. Watch baby smile as he realizes, "I made that sound!" As he plays, talk to him about what you see and hear. He'll enjoy the sound of your voice, and you'll be helping his speech develop.

Toys to encourage crawling

• 
  Go Baby Go!™ 1-2-3 Crawl-Along Snail
    

Help your baby learn more:

• Play active games to exercise gross motor skills. When babies’ feet press against a solid surface, they stretch out their legs. This is called the “walking reflex,” and you can use it to help your baby practice for crawling!
  • Place baby on tummy
  • Put a fun, colorful toy a few inches from baby’s head and call attention to it
  • Sit behind baby with your legs or hands pressed against her feet
  • Let your baby push against the pressure, causing her to move forward
  • Keep moving the toy and pushing against baby’s feet until she’s moved forward
• Let’s roll! Roll or slide a toy back and forth across the floor to each other. It can be a good workout for baby's eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity.

Baby 5 Month Development ( fisher-price.com )

How your 5-month-old might play now

• She can reach out and grasp toys
• He smiles at other babies—and his own reflection!
• She can now "multitask"—for example, babbling and reaching for something at the same time
• When offered a toy, he adjusts the position of his hand to accept it
• She can roll from belly to back
• To explore his world, he begins mouthing objects

Toys that help develop a sense of self

• 
  Growing Baby™ Clack & Play Crab
   
• 
  Go Baby Go!™ 1-2-3 Crawl-Along Snail
    

Help your baby learn more:

• Start by exploring. Hold your baby on your lap and position the toy in front, like you would hold a book. Explore all sides of the toy with your child and describe what you see as you go.
• Who do you see? Initiate baby's sense of self-recognition by pointing to her reflection in the mirror, then to your own. "Peek-a-boo! I see you. Do you see Mommy? Who else do you see?" And point out your facial features. "See my eyes? Do you see your eyes? Here they are!" That's how connections begin for babies.
• Tummy time is important for developing neck and torso muscles. To encourage your baby to play on his tummy longer, give him something to look forward to by placing the mirrored side of a toy within arm's reach.

Infant play gyms

• 
  Rainforest™ Melodies & Lights Deluxe Gym™
    
• 
  Precious Planet™ Deluxe Musical Activity Gym
• 
  Precious Planet™ Mix & Match Musical Gym

Help your baby learn more:

• What do you see? Get down at floor level to get baby’s view of overhead toys. This will help you know where to position her for the best vantage point. Change your baby's position every once in a while to freshen the view.
• Play together to encourage communication and add fun to playtime. Pick a time when baby is in an active play mode, not sleepy or hungry or overly stimulated. You'll be able to tell; if the toy looks too busy for him at the moment, he'll close his eyes.
• Talk about it. To help your baby learn there's a connection between words and actions, move the parts and talk about them as you go: "Shake-shake-shake. See the silly little face smiling at you?"
• Hum or sing along to the music on the gym and point out light-up features. The more you talk to your baby and directly engage him, the more you're benefiting his development.

Activity toys

• 
  Link-a-doos™ Kick & Play Piano™
• 
  Discover ’n Grow™ Musical Monkey
• 
  Precious Planet™ Kick & Play Piano
   

Help your baby learn more:

• Touch and try. Invite your baby to explore all the features of a toy by going through them together, helping him feel the different textures and activate the sounds and movements. All of this sensory stimulation prepares a memory bank of experiences that will continue to grow.
• Playtime, anytime. Let baby enjoy activity toys with lots of colors and actions that tempt her to reach out and touch. This will enhance eye-hand coordination along with thinking skills.