Melissa & Doug Classic ABC Wooden Block Cart Educational Toy ($19)
This wooden block set with numbers and letters can grow with your child through kindergarten. At 9 months, Dr. Jonnalagadda says, they'll build multiple skills — no pun intended.
"They can be stacked to build structures and practice fine motor skills with their hands and fingers," Dr. Jonnalagadda says. "Balancing, stacking, and building with blocks allows for practice of hand-eye coordination."
Different textures and colors make playing with blocks a multisensory experience, and parents can use the letters and colors to build vocabulary now and later. Parents can also use the blocks to encourage movement by placing them a little farther away from the baby and letting them reach for it.
"This strengthens their muscles as they balance, twist, and shift weight from side to side," Dr. Jonnalagadda says.
