5 Key Toy Rotation Categories

Toy rotations are a VERY popular topic among moms and parents. Toy rotations are amazing because they have so many benefits for baby. Plus, they minimize clutter in the environment (win!!). We implement a toy rotation with our 14 month old son, and have loved watching him development in many ways and enjoy a series of new toys every few weeks. As a mom and pediatric occupational therapist, I can think of a ton of benefits of a toy rotation, but also the categories of toys that should be included in this rotation. In this article, we will discuss 5 Key Toy Rotation Categories for your baby!

Babies and children learn through PLAY! Play teaches our kids so many different skills, including social/emotional, hand, gross motor, cogntive and language development skills. This is why, when implementation a toy rotation, 5 key categories should be considered.

Social / emotional toys in your baby’s toy rotation

Toys that encourage social skills will greatly benefit our children as they grow. Our lives are spent interacting and cooperating with a variety of people. Whether our babies are 2 months or 2 years old, they are developing and will continue to develop social and emotional skills. When choosing toys for your baby’s toy rotation, be sure to include toys that can be used in parallel and cooperative play as your baby grows and develops. These toys may be puzzles, books, stackers toys and more. Encourage your baby to play with these toys independently to encourage independent play, but also get on the floor with your child and play alongside them. Teaching them turn taking, emotional regulation when they are frustrated, frustration tolerance, and encouraging eye contact will support social and emotional development through play. Any toy can be used to encourage these skills and the most important piece in this toy rotation category is YOU.

Hand-based toys as another category in your baby’s toy rotation

Hand-based toys are very important for any baby, especially after approximately 6 months of age. Hand skills begin to take off around this age and our babies learn to manipulate items, explore with hands, and begin to understand the usage of their hands as a way to achieve desired goals. Choosing hand-based toys in this toy rotation category will differ depending on your child’s age. Let’s break down what developmentally appropriate hand-based toys may be used in your rotation per age ⬇️

• 6 months old - At this age, you may choose simple manipulation toys like rattles, crinkle books, and button based toys that require minimal hand/eye coordination. These toys may be spinner toys, o-ball rattles, and large light up toys like this toy radio. More hand-based toys linked here for your baby at this age.

• 9 months old - At this age, you may choose more difficult and precision-based toys. These toys may be ball drop toys, simple stacker toys, and books with manipulation components. Engaging with these types of toys will encourage your baby to explore their hands while playing with the toys in their rotation. More hand-based toys linked here for your baby at this age.

• 12 months old - At the 1 year mark, our babies become much more coordinated with their hands. Hand-based toys at this age may be simple shape sorters, stackers that your baby uses functionally and operates correctly, large knob puzzles and more. More hand-based toys linked here for your baby at this age.

• 18 months + - After 1 year, our babies become MUCH more coordinated with their hands. They may use their hands in self feeding tasks using utensils at this age, so more complex hand-based toys are appropriate. Peg toys, coin drops, stacking blocks, and more would be great hand-based toys at this age in this toy rotation category. 

Visual motor toys in your baby’s rotations are also important.

Visual-motor toys supplement the positive developmental considerations of hand-based toys. Visual-motor toys are any item that requires your baby to visually attend and manipulate. These toys lead to developments in much more complex tasks as our babies grow. These tasks may include reading, writing, ball sports, and more. Visual-motor toys will differ per age, but think LARGE manipulation for younger children (1 year or less) and SMALL manipulation for children over 1 year old. You can also begin to introduce coloring activities or mess-free doodle boards after 1 year old to encourage visual-motor development in this toy rotation category. Visual-motor toys can look like a variety of items. Puzzles, books, coloring toys, stackers, blocks and shape sorters that require our babies to visually attend and manipulate items will encourage visual motor development. Think about these types of toys when implementing a toy rotation for your baby and shop visual-motor toys for a variety of ages here.

Gross motor toys are another key type of toy in your baby’s rotation.

Gross motor skill development is a primary focus for our babies in their first year of life. We are eagerly waiting for our baby to roll, sit, crawl, and walk for the very first time! So, we should place toys in their rotation that encourage these skills. Let’s break down what developmentally appropriate gross motor toys may be used in your rotation per age ⬇️

• 0-3 months old - At this age, your baby’s primary gross motor focus is tummy time and head control. During this stage, toys like boppy pillows, rolled towels, play gyms, and mirrors or high contrast cards should be placed in your baby’s toy rotation to encourage gross-motor development. Shop gross motor toys are this age linked here for your baby.

• 3-6 months old - At this age, your baby is learning to roll belly to back and back to belly. Toys should be used to encourage these milestones and may include light up toys, highly motivating toys, easily grasped toys, rattle socks, and more. Placing these toys in strategic places to encourage rolling is a huge part of encouraging gross motor development at this age. As long as the toy is highly motivating, then this will encourage your baby to move! Shop gross motor toys are this age linked here for your baby.

• 6-9 months old - Your baby is beginning to sit and crawl at this age. Sitting can be supported through toys that can fit between your baby’s legs and played with at eye level. This encourages mature posture and a push walker is also great option that can grow with baby and encourage sitting development. Push walkers can also be used to foster crawling skill development and transition with your baby as they learn to stand and walk in later infancy. Shop gross motor toys are this age linked here for your baby.

• 9-12 months old - Crawling and walking development are HUGE gross motor skills at this age. Your baby should have toys in their rotation that encourage these skills. Crawling toys can be toys that encourages your baby to move forward, but toys that roll along the floor or that your baby can kneel and play with are great for this milestone. Walking toys may be activity centers that your baby pulls up on and stands to interact, and also push walkers that get your baby moving forward once they are secure in standing. Shop gross motor toys are this age linked here for your baby.

• 12 months + - Your baby may or may not be walking by this age, but once they do, more complex balance toys can be included in their gross-motor toy rotation. This may be ride on toys, balance bikes, and climbing toys. Shop gross motor toys are this age linked here for your baby.

The last category is cognitive and language based toys.

These toys will encourage language development, problem solving, and more higher level cognitive skills. These toys may include puzzles, books, body awareness toys, and others. Any toy that encourages your baby to repeat simple words, label items, problem solve to engage, or find new ways to play will encourage language development skills. A huge part of language development in play, similarly to that of social/emotional development, is you. Sit with your child during play and point/label simple items you see. Encourage your baby to use simple baby sign like, more, all done, please, and others during your cooperative play time. Read to your baby and follow along the words with your finger for more language development focused play. You can also encourage cognitive development and problem solving skills during play in addition to language development. Show your baby new ways to play with a commonly use toy to nurture problem solving. For example, instead of your baby taking the stacking rings off of the stacker toy, show your baby how to place them on and see if they can problem solve to interact with the toy in this same way. You can also encourage cognitive development in play by allowing baby to play independently. This will encourage your baby to think and plan their own actions all while discovering new ways to engage with their toys.

There are SO many benefits of a toy rotation, and we will discuss that topic in a later article. But, for now, think of including these types of toys in your baby’s rotation to stimulate their development in multiple areas.

Thanks for reading!

Brooke, OTR/L