MIL keeps buying age-inappropriate toys

why not just save them for when he is older?

Don't say anything and just put them away until your child is old enough. Maybe she feels you already have enough toys and is getting things for later. I'd not look a gift horse in the mouth so to speak.

Show her the label where it says the age the toy is appropriate for and nicely tell her you will put it away for when baby is old enough. Tell her she can always ask you for ideas and she needs to read the caution labels if she is going to keep shopping on her own. This can be dealt with easily and if she gets upset stay calm and explain you all have to be concerned for baby's safety. Continue to put the things away for the future if you have to..

No need to hurt her feelings. Just put them away for when he is old enough to enjoy them!

Put them away for later. Don't start a fight. It's nice that she's around to buy him things.

I'm just curious is this your first child? Maybe if you have too many toys already for a child that isn't even 12 months old yet, you could consider storing extras at another grandma's house. I'm telling ya, they don't play that much with toys as an infant, wait til they get older and they start to really collect a batch of fun things.

just be honest! She's a big girl and can handle it!

I'm not sure how to handle this since I had the same problem!! My mil always buys my son toys that are made for much older kids. For his 1st birthday she bought him some things I still have not been able to give him even though he's 2 1/2 now. She does much better when it comes to my girls. I think from things she has said that she is remembering her favorite stages of when my husband was little and buying toys she remembers him playing with, even though they're not appropriate. I never really said anything to her about it as I didn't want to seem ungrateful or hurt her feelings. I have also been accused of being too over protective and I didn't want to give them any more reasons to call me crazy:)

I think it's really rude to give someone gift-giving advise when it's unsolicited.

Donate them or toss them if they don't work, but don't tell MIL what to buy (or what not to buy) unless she asks for your opinion. You'll only hurt her feelings.