Baby toys for every stage
Today’s baby toys go far beyond traditional teddy bears and rattles. Explore our selection of terrific developmental infant toys appropriate to the many stages of a child’s first two years. Many newborn toys are high-contrast sensory toys, like crib mobiles and soft toys that attract and hold newborn’s gaze and attention as their visual acuity improves. Musical toys can be calming for babies from the earliest days: soothing melodies or white noise played close to the bassinet or crib can help lull little ones to sleep. As babies develop a sense of object permanence, playing peekaboo with entertaining plush toys, dolls, and even blocks or balls will delight them. Usually within the first 6 months, teething toys become important for soothing baby’s gums: today’s options include 100% natural rubber or food-grade silicone in a variety of textures. Other great options: sensory toys that are easy for baby to grip, safe to chew on, and interesting for them to touch, shake, and toss around.
Baby toys on the move
Tummy time toys are an important part of developmental play. Check out baby play gyms with hanging toys as versatile ways to engage little ones as they learn to hold their heads up around 3 months old, roll over at about 4 months old, sit independently around 8 months old and eventually creep and crawl. Consider an irresistible activity jumper or a baby play mat that converts to a baby ball pit for a little one to sit in solo and have some fun. As babies reach about 9 months, crawling toys can provide real excitement: some fun tech toys are designed specifically for them to chase! Moving from crawling to toddling, an activity walker can provide motivation for little ones with rewarding musical features, lights, sounds, and other educational play options. Some versatile push walkers convert from standing toys to rolling toys to assist babies learning to walk. And from the toy walker, toddlers can graduate to ride-on toys they can propel with their feet on the floor to enjoy more speed! These make terrific Christmas gifts for a busy 18-month-old.
Keep it simple – or not
Newborn toys and infant toys especially can be delightfully uncomplicated: soft textures, simple shapes, and natural materials. Organic cotton stuffed animals or wooden toys in the Montessori style – building blocks or rattles, for example – can be just as rewarding and engaging as high-tech toys with lots of buttons, lights, and sounds. Many contemporary toy makers are combining tech and natural materials, like an electronic musical piano with wooden keys. Activity jumpers often feature a mix of simple sensory toys like noisemakers and spinners and higher-tech features like touch- or motion-activated lights and sounds. Toddlers are often especially attracted to grownups’ devices, making toy tablets, toy smartphones and other enticing tech toys particularly popular. These often feature interactive educational aspects like teaching letters, numbers, colors, or animals. When buying baby toys, so you can keep it as simple or complicated as you wish!
Baby Toys FAQs
What toys do babies actually need?
All babies need stimulation: this can come from toys that engage their attention, like high-contrast mobiles as newborn toys that help develop visual acuity or hanging toys on a baby play gym that hone gross- and fine-motor skills, as a couple of examples.
What are toys babies like to play with?
Babies like soft toys they can grab at, squeeze (and often put in their mouths) like stuffed animals or hanging toys on a play gym; they enjoy surprising sounds that aren’t too loud, like musical toys or rattles; and they enjoy the vibrant colours and lights of mobiles and activity jumpers.
What toys are appropriate for a newborn?
Newborn toys should be soft and safe, like plush animals or dolls (which should never be placed in a bassinet or crib); high-contrast sensory toys and mobiles are also good choices as very young babies have low visual acuity.
Can babies play with toys at 3 months?
Yes: a 3-month-old baby will “play” by tracking objects visually (watching you move stuffed toys or manipulate hand puppets) and grasping at objects (like hanging toys on an activity gym or car seat), and especially putting things in their mouths, so be vigilant.
How do toys help babies develop?
Toys help babies develop visual acuity (high-contrast and colourful toys attract and hold their attention) and gross-motor skills (tummy time toys motivate them to build neck strength and head control and hanging toys inspire them to reach and grasp); they also build cognitive skills like object permanence (peekaboo games) and cause-and-effect (interacting with sensory toys to produce sounds, lights or movements, like on an activity gym or tech toy), along other skills.
Is playing with toys good for babies?
Easter egg stuffers might include small collectible figures; friendship bracelets; stickers; mini toys; bouncy balls; and other little goodies you might include in a party loot-bag.
How do toys help babies learn cause and effect?
Toys can help babies learn cause and effect in very simple ways: even very small babies learn what happens to hanging toys when they kick as they lie on a play mat, or what sound a stuffed toy makes when they squeeze it; infants enjoy pushing buttons and flipping switches to see what happens with interactive toys and delight in lights, sounds and music; even dump and fill play with tub toys teaches babies about cause and effect.
How do you entertain a newborn?
Entertain your newborn through their developing senses: they love to look at faces (especially yours) and to track colourful toys; they love to hear interesting sounds like music and a variety of voices reading to them; they love to explore textures like soft plush, smooth satin or nubbly silicone; and they are curious: increasing periods of supervised tummy time will help them build strength and encourage them to explore their surroundings.
How do I make my baby's bath interesting?
Baby’s bath time is more fun when you add colorful tub toys to the mix: boats and other floating toys to bob with every kick and splash; cups to fill and dump; foam letters and numbers to stick to the tub and tiles; squirty toys to squish and fill, squeeze and shoot – even bubble-making toys for bigger babies.
