You can see our previous post about targeted skills children develop for this age, but generally children are learning how to move and control their body as they move up against gravity from tummy time, into a sitting position, onto hands and knees to crawl, into cruising in standing, to walking independently.
Thus, learning toys for this age should focus on motivating children to move and engage their body. Since they are not yet skilled in grasping and manipulating, toys are universally motivating that just require a whole handed grasp (such as a rattle). Toys like a rattle are also motivating because it incorporates sound.
1. I love the Munchkin Mozart Music Cube, it has large buttons that are easy to push, it incorporates sound, and is ideal for a child in this age as it can be used for motivating input to watch during tummy time, an easy manipulative in sitting, and is tall enough to push in cruising.
https://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-15949-Mozart-Magic-Cube/dp/B00HQ0WAJG/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1480821137&sr=8-1&keywords=Munchkin+Mozart+Music+Cube
2. I also love the Baby Einstein Bendy Ball or O-Balls as they have a caged appearance that is easy to grab and control with a whole hand grasp. It is great once babies start crawling as something to motivate them by chasing it. It is also an easy toy to carry in standing, and is motivating for learning to release objects because it is easy to throw and makes noise when thrown.
https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Einstein-30974-Bendy-Ball/dp/B001UF8BL4/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1480821232&sr=8-1&keywords=Baby+Einstein+Bendy+Ball
3. We were given the Laugh and Learn Crawl Around Car for my first son’s shower. At first I was skeptical but both of my boys have LOVED it. As soon as they are sitting until the age of 2, they enjoy the large push-able buttons, the fun music, and who doesn’t love sitting in a car.
https://www.amazon.com/Laugh-Learn-Smart-Stages-Around/dp/B00UCWQMZ8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480821284&sr=8-1&keywords=Laugh+and+Learn+Crawl+Around+Car
4. These Ball Pits are wonderful. Some benefits include: using large balls are great for developing grasp, sitting in a safe texture encourages development of tactile awareness, and enclosed spaces are great for developing body awareness. Also the large balls are easy to clean as they are going through this first year of mouthing everything.
https://www.amazon.com/Toddler-Basketball-Zippered-Toddlers-Included/dp/B01FFOZ3FC/ref=sr_1_5?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1480821350&sr=1-5&keywords=inflatable+ball+pit
5. Water/Sand Table – these are amazing toys that will last the test of time. As soon as your little one is sitting, you can safely place the table on the ground without the legs to allow them to play with toys in water, an important skill for tactile confidence and water is the universally accepted texture by littles ones (likely because we develop this sense in uterus as you are floating in a liquid substance). Then as they start cruising it’s a safe way to motivate them to stand which will develop their musculature.
https://www.amazon.com/Step2-726800-Big-Splash-Waterpark/dp/B0073A4X58/ref=sr_1_12?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1480821406&sr=1-12&keywords=water+sand+tabl