In a year, I have gotten a lot of time to play with my baby boy, and I have found that toys are an invaluable part of his learning. Some toys took a little longer than I realized before he was old and able enough to use them properly, but it doesn’t take long for him to get the hang of things. Here are 12 baby toys, listed in the order that they came in useful.

1. Music Maker

From day one my little man loved these classical tunes, and they still entertain him to this day.

2. Bouncer

As soon as he learned to pull that center toy on the arch, he fell in love with this toy. He never did care for the vibration, but he loved the bounce.

3. Tummy Time

My child got fussy around the three month mark, and when his grandmother got this toy for him, it became apparent that he was getting bored. He loved kicking the keys to make music.

4. Jumper

This child loves to jump and bounce, and this toy provided mommy and daddy with a much needed arm break.

5. Car Seat Toy

Riding in the car sometimes gets boring, so getting this toy was a welcome distraction.

6. Walker #1

We tried introducing it too soon, but once he got the hang of it, our little man took off.

7. Wooden Lacing Blocks

We have laced, stacked, organized and knocked down these blocks over and over for hours of good old-fashioned fun.

8. Musical Bongo Drums

This is a great way for my little man to get out some of his wild slapping, and the music doesn’t hurt either!

9. Rubber Duck

This bath time toy has a special place in my heart. The duck gets bathed along with my boy for tons of watery fun.

10. Music Table

The legs can come off for fun on the floor, but it became especially helpful when the little man was learning to pull himself up on things, and with all the different settings (Spanish, music, play, and more) the table never really gets boring for the little guy.

11. Push Walker

While I didn’t think we needed this, our little guy has really enjoyed it, and I love watching him walk back and forth across the house with this toy that plays music to encourage movement.

12. Board Books

It seemed to take forever, but he is finally responding to my reading to him. It took months of chewing, and pulling, which is why I so highly endorse the board books. He loves that he can turn the pages and I love that he can’t rip them out of the book.

What toys worked for you? Let me know in the comments below!