21+ MUST HAVE Baby Essentials for 9 to 12 Month (from mom of 4)

Learn the essentials from toys, clothes, and baby gear for your 9 to 12 month old with this comprehensive list from a mom of four.

As a mom of four kids (all under the age of eight), just know that everything goes by so fast including the essentials and basics of the things they need. I know that is probably cliche, but it is totally true.

With each of my kids, there were always products, toys, and gears that were garbage, but some that were tried and true between all the kids. I've been blessed to been able to have done this for four cycles now, so I am confident that the products that I share will be a blessing to your family.

These are the items that worked really well for our family. As parents, all of us can attest to having toys and baby products that are just taking up room in our house, collecting dust bunnies in the basement, or are in a pile ready to donate.

experienced mom recommendations on baby gear and essentials for 6 to 9 months

I've tried to be really thoughtful on this list of baby essentials for babies that are between the ages of 9 months. At this point, your little one is holding their head up, rolling over, and may be even taking their first steps.

These products are tried & true. As a mom who works outside of the home and manages this blog with four babies, I can tell you that I need every product or tool to help me survive what they call motherhood.

I really hope this list helps new parents navigate the craziness of the baby product industry and shed some light on what baby products, baby gear, and baby toys may possibly work with them in an unbiased way.

In This Post

Top Baby Gear and Products for 9-12 Months Old

Diapers

I'll be honest, I was a Pamper's fan until the third child. I realized how much I was overpaying for diapers. I then tried Costco diapers, and they were absolutely perfect and a third of the cost.

Pamper's Baby Dry Diapers
Best Diaper Rash Cream (better than the purple tube)

Wipes

I love Amazon Elements wipes as well as Sam's Club wipes. I think that Costco wipes dried out too much for my kids.

Clothes

Sizes for kids, especially boys, vary across brands. I feel like I can trust Carters and Target. My favorite shoes at this age are Natives, and they have amazing deals at Nordstrom's during their sales. My little boy got them and they are absolutely amazing. You can also find them on Amazon as well.

Check out a this cute Carter's photoshoot we did

Food

Pouches are amazing. I know it seems like lazy parenting to not put food in a bowl, but these little snack time pouches make cleanup a dream. Would you rather be cleaning a bib and scrubbing down their shirt or just have a pouch you throw away? I'm the lazy mom.

Target Baby Food Pouches
Stonyfield Yogurts (I love love love these)

High Chairs

We love the Boon and Flair High Chair because it makes cleanup a breeze. It also is pneumatic so if you have several places where your kid dines (like a booth and the dining room table), the high chair can easily go up and down.

Boon & Flair High Chair

Books

At 9 to 12 months, they learn their favorite word to use "no" when it comes to language and communication milestones. They are going to be copying your sounds and gestures as well as using fingers to point to objects.

Learning to Walk

At this phase of their growth, they are going to be standing while holding up on furniture, pulling up to a stand, and using pincer grasps with their thumbs and fingers. These are some of our favorite products to help them learn and master these skills.

Indoor Toys

From a social and emotional perspective, they are becoming more clingy and crying when you just leave the room. However, on the bright side, they are going to have lots of favorites when it comes to the toys they are given and the activities they are involved in. Here are some of the toys that my kids absolutely loved that helped encourage bonding and learning motor skills.

Outdoor Toys

Going outdoors is essential in order to survive parenthood. Even when you don't feel like it, force yourself and your little one too. Here are a few things that we loved. The bounce house has been a huge life saver for us (even inside)

Bath Time

Encourage tactile stimulation with fun bath toys like textured balls and imaginary play items that encourage open ended play. This will help encourage your kids range in development milestones as your baby becomes a toddler.

Parent Monitoring Gear

There is so much baby monitoring gear out there that is overpriced and doesn't work with anything. I find that a Ring indoor home security camera works well and will grow with your kid.

Ring Indoor Home

Teething

Oh, the teething. I always forget about this stage. If you've got a teether who moves around a lot, I would recommend getting some sort of protectant for your crib rail so they aren't biting off the ends of the bed of the foot. My two oldest ones when they were younger left teeth marks on the crib railing!

Buy Second Hand

The first year of your first born's life will be the most expensive one because, you know, diapers, new gear, new toys, pretty much new everything. After the first year, you'll find that you will accumulate a lot of gear that you only used for a few months. I would recommend buying some of the plastic items that you can wipe down second hand. I know you only want the best for your baby, but as I look back on our gear, I wish I had that money back for other things! Use Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist to find sweet deals.

Baby Registry on Amazon

If you create a baby registry on Amazon, you'll get discounts, a checklist, and a baby shower gift list for your friends and family to choose from.

Summary of Baby Essentials List for 9 to 12 Months

This is a huge milestone for your baby. I hope this list provided some insights and tips on what to expect when your child is going to be turning 9 to 12 months. It's a load of fun, and will go by so quickly.

Hopefully, these tools, gear, and tips will make these last few months before turning the big ONE an amazing one.

Baby Registry Favorites

Here are some baby registry favorites posts that you might love: