Eight months is a big month. Most babies are sitting up on their own, many are rocking on hands and knees or starting to crawl, and everything within reach gets picked up, shaken, passed from hand to hand and, yes, tasted. The best toys for an 8-month-old keep up with all that curiosity without overwhelming it: soft things to grab and carry, gentle sounds to make happen, and bold pictures to look at together.
Shop this story
Gifts from this story
Every toy in this guide is from Estella, a family-owned New York brand making baby gifts since 2003. Our toys are hand-knit one at a time by artisans in Peru with a soft organic cotton exterior. We’ve earned 1,800+ five-star reviews from 55,000+ families, been featured in Vogue, and you’ll never find us on Amazon.
In this guide:
- Our quick picks
- What 8-month-olds love
- Rattles to grab, shake and pass
- Soft friends to carry and crawl after
- First books
- Gift sets for an 8-month-old
- Frequently asked questions
Our Quick Picks
- Best overall: the Big Apple Baby Rattle Set ($106): four hand-knit shapes to grab, swap and shake.
- Best under $30: the NYC Taxi Baby Rattle ($28), our bestselling rattle.
- Best first friend: Frank the Dog ($72), the hand-knit dog they’ll still have at ten.
- Best gift: the NYC Embroidered Baby Gift Set ($228), our bestseller, arriving gift-boxed.
What 8-Month-Olds Love
Passing things hand to hand. Sitting up frees both hands, and babies love practicing with light, easy-to-grip toys.
Cause and effect. Shake a rattle, hear a sound: simple, satisfying and endlessly repeatable.
Reasons to move. A soft toy just out of reach is the best motivation to rock, scoot and crawl.
Faces, pictures and voices. Stitched faces, bold board-book pictures and a parent’s voice naming things all hold attention at this age.
Good toys at this age are the same for boys and girls. Choose by what the baby loves (animals, sports, New York) rather than by color.
Rattles to Grab, Shake and Pass
Big Apple Baby Rattle Set
A yellow taxi, a Big Apple, Pedro the Pigeon and a coffee cup, all hand-knit in Peru. Four shapes and textures means there’s always another one to reach for.
NYC Baby Rattle Gift Set
A taxi, a hot dog, a pretzel and the Big Apple: our classic NYC set and one of our most-gifted toys.
Safari Baby Rattle Set
A lion, an elephant, a giraffe and a monkey: four hand-knit friends, perfect for practicing animal sounds together.
She loved it!: I sent this to my friend -- a new mama who I haven't been able to see in person yet -- and she said this little lion brought happy tears to her eyes!
All American Baby Rattles
A baseball, a basketball and a football, soft enough to roll, toss and bang together.
NYC Taxi Baby Rattle
A bright yellow cab with a checkered stripe, easy to grip and our bestselling rattle.
Toni the Elephant Rattle
A soothing grey elephant with a small heart stitched on her leg, a nod to the endangered Sumatran elephant.
Happy Shopper: I bought three different rattles from here. It was too hard to pick just one. Everyone loved them, cutest rattles they’ve seen.
Soft Friends to Carry and Crawl After
Frank the Dog
A 12-inch hand-knit dog with floppy ears and a little taxi on his chest, easy to grab by an arm or a leg and carry everywhere.
My son’s favorite toy: My son received this pup as a gift and loves him so much!! A perfect size to hug.
Pedro the Pigeon
New York’s most famous bird, made huggable, and always good for a laugh.
Large NYC Taxi Plush
A big, squeezable yellow cab: something substantial to hug, lean on and crawl toward.
Organic Stuffed Taxi Cab Pillow: We received our soft Taxi Cab Pillow from Estella - and it is everything we wanted in this item - soft, cute and cuddly.
NYC Taxi Baby Teddy Bear
A small, soft bear dressed for the city, sized for little hands and easy to tuck into a stroller or diaper bag.
NYC Taxi Lovey Security Blanket
A hand-knit taxi lovey with pom-pom wheels, about 14" x 14": just enough for little hands to grab and snuggle.
Great gift for a friend who loves NYC: Beautifully made! Made a great gift for a friend whose favorite city is NYC.
First Books
NYC ABCs Baby Board Book
The alphabet, the New York way, with a bold illustration on every page for pointing and naming. $14.
My First Book of New York
Taxis, bridges, pretzels and pigeons: a tour of the city’s greatest hits for its littlest readers.
Gift Sets for an 8-Month-Old
NYC Romper & Rattle Baby Gift Set
An organic cotton romper covered in New York’s icons, with your choice of hand-knit rattle: taxi, apple, pretzel or hot dog. Choose 6–12 months for an 8-month-old.
NYC Little Explorers Baby Gift Set
Two organic cotton bodysuits, a matching NYC bib, hand-knit taxi and Big Apple rattles and a New York board book: six pieces for dressing up, playing and reading.
NYC Embroidered Baby Gift Set
Three embroidered organic cotton bodysuits, four hand-knit rattles and an NYC ABCs board book, all in a gift box. Our bestseller.
What Size to Give an 8-Month-Old
Most 8-month-olds wear 6–12 months. Choose 12–18 months if you’d like the outfit to last longer. Rattles, plush toys and books need no size at all.
Ready to Give
Add a free gift message in your cart, and every order includes a gift receipt with no prices. Gift boxing is $8, complimentary on orders over $175. Orders ship within 1–2 business days, with free shipping on U.S. orders over $75.
Shopping for Christmas?
Every toy here makes a lovely first-Christmas gift. See our guides to Christmas gifts for a 7-month-old and a 9-month-old, or browse all of our Baby’s First Christmas gifts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What toys are best for an 8-month-old?
Light, soft toys they can grab and pass hand to hand, toys that respond with a gentle sound, something soft to crawl toward, and board books with bold pictures.
Are soft toys okay for a baby who mouths everything?
Our rattles and plush toys are soft and light, with an organic cotton exterior, hand-knit in Peru, and a polyester fill. Each product page lists its materials. As with any toy, supervise playtime.
What size clothes does an 8-month-old wear?
Usually 6–12 months. Choose 12–18 months if you’d like the gift to last longer.
Can I buy Estella on Amazon?
No. Estella is sold only at estella-nyc.com and at select museum and boutique partners.
More Ideas, Made with Love
See all of our hand-knit baby rattles, stuffed animals and baby gift sets.
Keep reading:
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.