These Are the Best Toys for Babies Right Now
9 classic baby toys that will captivate your favorite little one
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Whether it’s a newborn or a 9-month-old staring at you with wonder-filled eyes, you might find yourself thinking, “What do we do now?” The easy answer: play. The work of childhood is play, and so much of a child’s physical, emotional, and cognitive development happens during seemingly everyday moments of gnawing on a teether toy or shaking a rattle to hear its tinkle.
But don’t think this means you need a full playroom with every toy under the sun. “There is no ‘right’ number of toys,” says Courtney Peebles, founder of Solobo Toys, a Montessori-inspired toy company. The question is “whether all the toys . . . are of the right quality. I don’t mean quality as in what they’re made of. I mean quality as in the way a toy can be used.”
Here are nine essential baby toy categories parents (or nonparents searching for a gift) can turn to if you’re unsure where to start.
Play Gyms and Activity Mats
The best toys for newborns don’t have to be complicated. They are “experiencing everything for the first time, so they really don’t need a bunch of fancy toys to get them started,” Peebles says. Consider a play gym or activity mat if you’re looking for one toy to focus on in those early months—that will also give your arms (and brain) a baby break. (See more baby play gyms CR editors’ babies tested and loved.)
Our Pick
Lovevery The Play Gym
Babies under 6 months can easily become overstimulated, and this play gym takes that into consideration, giving parents the ability to hide or reveal each play zone on the mat. It’s also easy to assemble, machine-washable, and made with organic materials and nontoxic finishes. Bonus: It can grow with babies by turning into a play fort.
High Contrast Toys
From birth to about 4 months, babies can see objects or people only if they’re about 8 to 10 inches away. Choosing objects with high-contrast colors can help their brain development and give those peepers something interesting to look at—other than you.
Our Pick
Manhattan Toys Wimmer Ferguson Mind Cubes
This soft set of cubes can be lined up around the baby during tummy time, stacked in a pile that will inevitably get knocked down by an older toddler brother or sister, or happily chewed or hugged on by an affectionate baby. These open-ended playthings also feature animals, numbers, and shapes.
Rattles and Sensory Toys
If you watch closely, you can see the moment a baby discovers the concept of cause and effect with a toy that makes a sound when shaken. “At 6 months, babies are really exploring with their hands and mouths,” says Lizzie Assa, MsED, and founder of The Workspace for Children. “Things like rattles and balls with different textures will support their development.” Watching babies find joy in an action they take themselves feels almost like magic.
Our Pick
Skip Hop Silver Lining Cloud Rainstick Rattle
This rattle is easy to grip and has a sound that isn’t grating to adult ears. The soft cloud at the top can be chewed on, while the little taggies are fun for some tactile play. Plus, the ball on the handle squeaks.
Grasping Toys
Until about 6 months of age, babies have a surprisingly strong grasping reflex that is involuntary at first but can become purposeful when they focus on an object they want to get their chubby little mitts on. You can help them practice this fine motor skill with toys that are easy to grasp, clutch, and hold.
Our Pick
Bright Starts OBall
Don’t let the simplicity of this toy fool you. It can quickly become a favorite, first for grasping and gnawing on, and later for rolling or kicking to crawl or chase after. It wipes clean easily and is compact enough that it’s easy to toss into a diaper bag for on-the-go play.
Teethers
Teething starts around 3 months old, and lasts until about 3 years old when the last of the molars come in. As one can imagine, bone piercing through soft gums can cause irritability, soreness, and lots and lots of drool.
Our Pick
Nuby Super Soft Silicone Teether
While this can’t help with the drool (sorry), this silicone teether will bring relief to those tender gums. The subtle textures on the toy make the chew all the more satisfying, and the easy-to-grip shape can help your baby’s grasp development. Bonus: It can also suction to a highchair table or stroller tray, which gives the baby a satisfying wobble toy to play with.
Board Books or Soft Books
There’s no age that’s too young to start reading to children, and a soft book offers an additional sensory experience. Reading helps build bonds, establish routines (bath, book, bed), and encourage language development.
Our Pick
Manhattan Toy Fairytale Peek-a-Boo Book
There’s so much tactile goodness packed into this soft package. It has crinkle pages, fabric peek-a-boo flaps, a tethered bunny that squeaks, and all sorts of textures, ribbons, and pom poms that will pique your baby’s curiosity.
Bath Toys
There’s a parent-tested saying about what to do with a cranky baby: ”Just add water.” Most times, it works like magic. Bath time can serve as a relaxing routine that’s part of bedtime, or as a fun, supervised play environment during the day.
Our Pick
Nuby Stacking Soft Silicone Cups
Bath toys are notorious for growing mold in nooks and crannies, so instead of squeezy toys that may inevitably become sludge-filled, try these stacking cups. They help develop baby’s hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills and have endless play possibilities, such as “boats” that float, a tall tower, or something baby can gather water in and watch as it rains out of the different-shaped holes.
Tummy Time Toys
Some babies hate tummy time—when you think about it, it’s easy to understand why. It’s probably exhausting to develop and strengthen those neck and shoulder muscles. But as with all things we hate, there are ways to make it more fun.
Our Pick
Sassy See Me Floor Mirror
“Unbreakable mirrors are my favorite toy, as babies begin to recognize their reflection,” Assa says. “There’s nothing cuter.” While the baby won’t know that the adorable face staring back at them is their own (young children typically don’t recognize their reflections until about 15 to 18 months), they will be endlessly fascinated by what they see. This baby-safe mirror has an easel back, making it simple to prop in front of a baby as they do tummy time, and there’s a rolly trackball and sweet little bee to touch and examine.
On-the-Go Attachable Toys
One of the (many) wonderful things about babies is their portability. So whether someone’s feeling a little stir-crazy (not to name names) or needs to run a bunch of adult errands with a baby in tow, attachable stroller toys can be a lifesaver.
Our Pick
Eric Carle ‘Very Hungry Caterpillar’ Activity Toy
The classic Eric Carle book comes to life with this attachable toy that comes with a trackball rattle, a satisfying teether, a crinkly sun you can tuck into a pocket, and a mirror, and it plays “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” The hook-and-loops make it easy to attach to your baby’s stroller or carrier, or they can just clutch it on the go.
