At nine months, babies are on the move. Many are crawling, sitting up steadily and starting to pull up on the furniture, and every toy is something to grab, bang, drop and go after again. The best toys for a 9-month-old are soft enough to hug, light enough to carry and simple enough to play with a hundred different ways. And when you’re giving one as a gift, the best toys are also the ones the family will keep long after the first birthday.
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Every gift 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, and our clothing is organic cotton. 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 9-month-olds love
- Soft friends to crawl after
- Rattles to bang, swap and shake
- First books
- Toy gift sets
- Frequently asked questions
Our Quick Picks
- Best overall: Frank the Dog ($72), the hand-knit friend they’ll carry everywhere.
- Best under $30: the NYC Taxi Baby Rattle ($28), our most-loved rattle.
- Best rattle set: the Big Apple Baby Rattle Set ($106): a taxi, an apple, a pigeon and a coffee cup.
- The showstopper: the NYC Little Explorers Baby Gift Set ($162), with two bodysuits, a bib, two rattles and a book.
What 9-Month-Olds Love
- Something to crawl after. A big, soft toy across the room is all the motivation a new crawler needs.
- Two things to bang together. Babies this age love passing toys hand to hand and knocking them together, so sets of rattles are a hit.
- A friend to carry. Dolls with arms and legs to grab become the toy that goes everywhere.
- Books to point at. Sturdy board books with one bold picture per page are perfect for pointing, patting and naming.
Soft Friends to Crawl After
Frank the Dog
Our most iconic piece: 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 from room to room.
Great dog! I love this dog. I have bought it for other people's children, and it's always their favorite.
Large NYC Taxi Plush
A big, squeezable yellow cab: something substantial to hug, lean on and crawl after, and a sweet piece of nursery decor too.
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.
Bruno the Donkey
A sweet hand-knit donkey, soft, friendly and ready for adventure, who grows into a cherished best friend.
Donkey Stuffed Animal: So cute and soft! My 6 month old daughter loves it!
Charlotte the Pig
All charm, with a bright pink snout and a playful spirit, and just the right size for little arms to hug.
Perfect lovey for baby: I got this for my baby (six months) and he loves it. It’s the perfect size for him to hug and play with.
Octopus Lovey
A friendly hand-knit octopus face on a soft 14-inch organic cotton lovey, in turquoise or pink. Easy to grab, drag along and cuddle.
Adorable: The Octopus lovey is going to be hard to give up to my new grandson! It’s wonderfully soft & well made.
Rattles to Bang, Swap and Shake
NYC Taxi Baby Rattle
Our bestselling hand-knit yellow cab, sized for small hands and loved by New York families everywhere. $28.
Taxi Rattle: Even cuter in person. Perfect for my daughter and son in law who love NYC.
Big Apple Baby Rattle Set
A yellow taxi, a Big Apple, Pedro the Pigeon and a coffee cup, all hand-knit. Four shapes means there’s always another one to reach for.
Big Apple Charm: Playful, creative, and guaranteed to make everyone smile. 😊
Football & Baseball Baby Rattle Set
A soft football and baseball, hand-knit and light enough to toss, roll and bang together. $45.
Safari Baby Rattle Set
A lion, an elephant, a giraffe and a monkey: four hand-knit safari friends for the future animal lover.
Organic Baby rattles: I ordered this adorable set of rattles, lion, giraffe, monkey and elephant, for my grandson. They really are cute and well made.
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.
Baby New Yorker: This is a terrific gift for any parent that lives in, or has lived in NYC.
Two Dogs on a Trike Baby Book
A zany counting adventure with playful pups on every kind of wheels. A fun first book for little dog lovers. $14.
Hello, World: New York Board Book
A vibrant graphic board book that introduces baby to the colors of New York. $12.
Toy Gift Sets
NYC Little Explorers Baby Gift Set
Two organic cotton bodysuits, a city-icons bib, two hand-knit rattles and a New York board book: something to wear, play with and read.
Generous and Beautiful NYC Inspired Baby Surprise: This bundle feels abundant and so well curated.
NYC Dog Doll Baby Gift Set
A knit NYC dog doll, the NYC ABCs board book and hand-knit apple and taxi rattles: a friend, a book and two toys in one gift.
Wonderful Gift! My friend absolutely loves the rattles and knit dolls for her 3 month old daughter! So beautiful and perfect.
Big Apple Baby Gift Set
A long-sleeve NYC romper with hand-knit Big Apple and taxi rattles, available up to 18–24 months so it fits now and later.
A Joy to Give: This was genuinely fun to give. The design feels intentional, sweet, and full of New York charm.
Cuddle Me Baby Gift Set
A cozy puppy-print organic cotton romper, an embroidered dog bib and a hand-knit dog rattle, all made for the baby who loves dogs.
What Size to Give a 9-Month-Old
Most 9-month-olds are moving from 6–12 months into 12–18 months. If you’re giving clothing or a gift set with an outfit, choose 12–18 months so it fits for the season ahead. Rattles, plush toys, loveys 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What toys are best for a 9-month-old?
Toys to crawl after, carry and bang together: a large plush like our NYC Taxi, a soft doll like Frank the Dog, a set of rattles, and sturdy board books to point at.
What is a good gift for a 9-month-old baby?
A hand-knit friend or rattle set they can play with now, or a gift set that adds an outfit in the next size up and a board book.
What are your toys made of?
Our knit toys have an organic cotton exterior, hand-knit by artisans in Peru, with a soft polyester fill. Each product page lists its materials. As with any toy, supervise playtime.
Can I send a gift directly to the family?
Yes. Ship to any U.S. address and add a free gift message; the gift receipt never shows prices.
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, our stuffed animals and our baby gift sets. Shopping for the holidays? See our Baby’s First Christmas gifts.
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