The 8 Best Toys and Gifts to Buy for 9-Month Olds in 2018

Rev up the fun with this great little dump truck from VTech. Little ones who’ve learned to walk can pull it behind them, but there’s plenty to do in the meantime if they’re still crawling. The truck comes with three plastic boulders, which the truck counts out loud as they’re added to the bucket. Three buttons play music and teach skills such as colors and the names of various tools. The bed of the truck is hinged too, so they can dump out their haul, just like a real dump truck.

Recommended for ages 6 months to 3 years, kids can find new and interesting ways to play with it as they grow. Two demo batteries are included, but you’ll need to supply your own AAA batteries for the long haul.

This adorable elephant ride-on toy from Fisher-Price is ready to roll when kids are. With three ways to use it, there’s something fun no matter what milestones they’ve met. They can choose to sit and bounce, stand and walk with it as they start taking their first steps or hop on board to scoot and ride around, the elephant’s soft ears flapping as they go.

All the while, there are more than 30 songs, sounds, and phrases that come to life as they press colorful-light up buttons. From physical development to fine motor skills, this toy covers all the bases. Recommended for ages 9 months to 3 years, it requires three AAA batteries, which aren’t included.

Soft and sweet, you don’t have to worry about ripped or drool-soaked pages with this cloth peekaboo book from Melissa & Doug.

The pages are filled with seven fun animal friends, which kids have to find by lifting the crinkly flaps for the big reveal. Colorful and full of guessing fun, this book is sure to be a favorite. It’s built tough too, so tough that you can even throw it in the washing machine when it needs a good cleaning.

Vroom, vroom! Little ones can get behind the wheel with this toy from VTech that puts them in the driver’s seat, just like mom and dad. From a little dog that moves back and forth as kids steer the wheel to a traffic light and signal lever, there are fun sights and sounds at every turn.

It’s designed for kids ages 6 months to 2 years and will teach them things like animal and vehicle noises too. There are more than 60 songs, sounds, and phrases in all. No gas is necessary, but you will need two AA batteries. Who knows where their imagination will take them?

This award-winning sorting toy from Fat Brain is pretty brilliant because there are no loose pieces to lose. All of the textured rubber shapes are attached to the sorting cube by colorful strings. There are six brightly colored shapes in all, from a figure eight to a star, pentagon and square.

It’s not only great for learning shapes, but also for developing important fine motor skills with hands-on learning. Made of 100 percent silicone you don’t have to worry if teething toddlers decide to gnaw on it either.

For a splishin’, splashin’ good time, this set of bath toys from Munchkin bubbles up with playtime possibilities. It comes with four plastic bubbles, each of which has colorful surprises inside like a tiny turtle and whirly toys that spin and rattle. The bubbles float, and they’re perfectly sized for little hands to grab, dunk and explore.

Recommended for ages 4 months and up, kids will get squeaky clean while developing important hand-eye coordination skills and having a blast. The bubbles are BPA-free, and there are no holes in the plastic, so water won’t get trapped inside and you don’t have to worry about mildew.

There’s not much sweeter than seeing little babies play mommy or daddy with their own little baby. This one from Gund is super soft and made just for the littlest ones to love. It comes in both blonde and brunette versions, each of which is clad in an all-pink ensemble complete with floppy hat.

The facial features are embroidered, so there’s no worry that eyes will fall off and pose a choking hazard. It’s also machine washable, so when all the love starts to show, you can give her a good bath.

This interactive sit-to-stand walker from VTech is packed with things to see, do and learn, as children move from sitting to standing. For floor play, there’s a removable activity panel with lights, sounds, and music to explore such as spinning gears, five piano keys and a rattle phone. Animal noises, a light-up shape sorter and more teach them important skills while they’re having fun. This one is pink, but it comes in other colors too.

When they're ready to start taking those first steps, it serves as a walker to help support them as they’re getting steady on their feet. Just snap the activity panel back on, and they can take all that fun on the go. Recommended for ages 9 to 36 months, it’s a great interactive toy that will keep them entertained as there’s so much to learn, see and do with it. Two AA batteries are included, so it’s ready to go out of the box.