The Best Baby Toys That Are Engaging for All Stages of Babyhood

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Playtime is a huge part of a baby’s development, and the right baby toys can aid in their physical, social, and emotional growth. It’s pretty wild how quickly babies go from being adorable blobs to adorable crawling and walking tiny people with opinions. Along the way, they need to learn about themselves and the world around them, and one of the best ways for them to do that is through play. Enter interactive toys.

“Play provides opportunities for learning spatial awareness, how to share, understand cause and effect, and so much more,” says Dr. Dimitri Christakis, KiwiCo’s partner pediatrician, epidemiologist, child development expert at the University of Washington, and director of the Center for Child Health Behavior and Development at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. “For very young children, play can also encourage parent-to-baby bonding that’s critical to building interaction, connection, communication, and showing of affection.”

Baby toys need to be safe, but they also should match a baby’s developmental stage. Infants starting around 3 months old can reach for, hold, and suck on toys like teethers, rattles, textured balls, soft dolls, and soft books. From around 7 to 12 months, older babies play in a more conventional way. They crawl, pull themselves up to stand, and even start to walk, so finding hidden objects, building blocks, and push-and-pull toys are interactive and age-appropriate.

You can’t go wrong with gifting baby toys for a baby shower or when you’re meeting a baby for the first time. You’ll find plenty of great options below.

How We Chose

There are literally thousands (but it feels like millions) of baby toys to choose from, so to choose the best ones, I considered the toys my kids played with and loved, as well as the ones I enjoyed and felt had a positive impact on their development. Since my kids are a few years out of babyhood, I also spoke to several friends with babies to get their opinions on toys that go over well with their little ones and the ones that don’t. (The ones that don’t were left off the list for obvious reasons.)

Christakis says, “The best toys are open-ended, meaning they offer children the opportunity to bring their creativity and imagination to the table each time they play with them.” Many of the toys on this list are open-ended to help babies practice essential skills.

How We Tested

Almost every one of the toys included on this list are toys that my two kids had or have played with, or they are toys that my friends currently have for their babies. Since it’s important to offer babies a wide variety of toys, including educational toys, sensory toys, and toys for fine motor skills like soft blocks and stacking toys, as well as gross motor skills like activity gyms or pull-along toys, I looked at a wide selection of toys and got the opinions of babies (the ones who had opinions) and their parents.

This list is chock-full of fantastic baby toys for all age ranges — from infancy through pre-toddlerhood. Don’t be surprised if you end up with a slew of them.

Sustainably Soft Duckling Lovey

Give your infant (or someone else’s infant) the gift of a lifelong lovey friend. This impressively soft duckling lovey from GUND features a 15-inch attached blanket with a matching duckling pattern. It serves as a huggable, soft toy to sleep and play with, as well as a security blanket that will last throughout their entire childhood and beyond if they want. Its adorable aesthetic also makes it a great nursery decor toy.

The duckling is made from 100% recycled materials, and it’s machine washable, which is an absolute must when it comes to loveys. My daughter still has her lovey, and although she doesn’t sleep with it every night, I often see her playing with it.

There are so many fantastic stuffed animals to choose from for baby loveys, but in my opinion, you can’t beat the long-lasting quality of GUND — a company that’s been making high-quality stuffed animals for 125 years.

For ages 0+

The Charmer Play Kit

Lovevery makes stage-based play kits for infants through age 5. The Montessori-style play products found in the Charmer Play Kit are designed for the developing brains of 3- to 4-month-olds. These encourage little ones to explore using their eyes, mouths, and hands with toys that have been fully vetted by childhood developmental experts.

In the kit, you’ll find a wooden rattle for tracking sounds, a silicone triple teether, and organic teething cloth for oral motor development. Plus, you'll get a rolling bell for coordinating hearing, seeing, and feeling together, a soft book for connecting seeing and feeling, a conversation starter book, a mirror card and framed mirror, a black and white card set, a rubber triangle teether, hand-to-hand discs to build motor skills and coordination, and a play guide for parents.

While you can buy certain play kits as a standalone purchase, Lovevery is a subscription service. So, when you sign up for this box, you’ll get a new one every 2 months. Of course, you can skip a box or cancel at any time.

For ages 3 - 4 months

Laugh and Learn Smart Learning Puppy Plush

A soft, cuddly teddy bear that interactively teaches little ones the names and locations of body parts and other first words while singing exciting songs (exciting for your baby, that is)? Yes, please.

The Fisher-Price smart learning puppy comes equipped with over 100 first words and over 75 songs, sounds, tunes, and phrases to help with language development. Just a guess here, but while you might not appreciate the sound effects coming from this adorable pup, your baby certainly will — or at least that’s how it went down in my house with this cute little guy.

The press-and-play plush toy responds to touch, so when your baby presses the puppy’s hands, foot, ear, and light-up heart, words, sounds, and songs will play. Three smart stages grow along with your baby, so as they get older, they can learn more advanced stuff like the alphabet, counting, and more.

For ages 6 months - 3 years

Ocean Tummy Time Triangle Baby Toy

Some babies love tummy time while others, well, don’t. IYKYK. This tummy time triangle toy from Melissa & Doug will give your kiddo an exciting and fun sensory toy to play with as they work on strengthening their neck, shoulders, and arm muscles during tummy time.

Three multi-sensory fold-out cloth panels offer visual stimulation and can either lay flat on the ground or connect to stand up in a pyramid shape. It has textures to touch, pictures of animals to see, and a small mirror for your baby to spot themselves. It encourages the development of gross motor skills, visual and tactile stimulation, and interaction with caregivers.

This toy is small and soft enough to throw in a diaper bag to give your baby something to play with on the go. It makes a fantastic gift for expecting parents, newborns, or babies up to 6 months.

For ages 0 - 6 months

Panda Crate

KiwiCo curates stage-based crates for newborns all the way through 12 and up. The panda crates, as recommended by Dr. Christakis, are designed specifically for babies and their parents or caregivers from the time they are born until they turn 1, and they are wonderful.

There are six baby crates to choose from, all of which include hands-on activities and toys that help a baby’s development in the particular stage they are in.

With each crate, not only will your baby have loads of new Montessori-style playthings to play and learn with, but you’ll also get a grownup guide that fills you in on how each toy and activity helps your baby develop and what skills they’ll be working on.

KiwiCo is a subscription service, so you’ll receive one box every two months. Choose from the essentials, plus, or deluxe subscriptions which range from $50 to $90 per crate.

For ages 0+

Easy-Grasp Oball

It may look like a simple baby toy, but this easy-grasp ball is full of fun surprises for babies. The textured ball features tons of holes that are designed for little fingers, giving them the ability and confidence to grasp, shake, roll, and throw their first ball.

The ball features three rattles in one, which encourages the development of a baby’s fine motor skills and auditory stimulation. The sounds are interesting enough for baby to keep playing, but not obnoxious for the caregiver (you’re welcome).

It’s an ideal toy for babies who are reaching the developmental milestone of grabbing. Because the holes are so perfectly sized for little fingers, even younger babies can latch on, and the ball is soft and flexible enough so it won’t hurt them if they drop it on their head. And by if, I mean when. You know how babies do.

For ages 0+

Silicone Stacking Cups

This multi-purpose stacking toy features seven stackable cups for babies that are hugely helpful in development. When babies stack blocks on top of each other, they use their hands to manipulate objects, learning to balance, which aids in developing hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, and problem-solving skills.

Made of 100% food-grade silicone, it’s safe and encouraged for babies to use the stacking toy as teethers. The cups feature numbers and patterns to stimulate a baby’s interest, and each cup has a hole in the bottom that makes them fun for water play. You can even throw them in a bag and take them to the pool or beach for more water or sand play.

And selfishly for parents or caregivers, the cups come in colors that aren’t offensive, which is rare with baby toys. Because they’re so versatile, the stacking cups make an excellent gift for expecting or new parents.

For ages 6+ months

3-in-1 Activity Center

My friend started using this music-themed Fisher-Price activity center with her kiddo when he was 6 months old and raves about how it allowed her son to play independently while she got stuff done around the house. If she needed to leave the room, she’d bring the activity gym along with her and plop her son right back in. Now that he’s 10 months, he crawls himself over and plays with the attached toys whenever he feels like it, pulling himself up while holding onto the table.

The three-in-one play table grows with your child, which is really nice. It starts as a sit-in entertainer with a seat that spins 360 degrees to help babies develop gross motor skills, then becomes a toddler play table, and the removable toys can be played with independently of the table. It features all types of musical activities to explore, including a piano, microphone teether, maraca, bongos, tambourine with mirror, a rollerball guitar, and a crinkle songbook.

For ages 6+ months

Pop & Sing Animal Train Pull-Along Toy

If you’re willing to take one for the team and hear all the exciting sounds this pull-along animal train will surely make regularly in your house, your older baby will certainly be thrilled with your choice.

In addition to all the sound effects, phrases, and songs, the train has so many fun fidget features for babies to experiment with cause and effect, along with push, press, flip, and twist switches to make the animals pop up.

Your baby can work on their gross motor skills by pulling the train along to hear music as it moves, and as your baby starts walking, they can pull it along to hear more melodies. Even when the train isn’t being pulled, it’s still a captivating toy to sit and play with.

If you’re giving this pull-along train as a gift, consider including two AAA batteries to make things a little easier on the parents, which honestly, will make said parents appreciate your gift even more and you as a friend a whole lot more.

For ages 3 - 36 months

Super Soft Building Blocks

These building blocks are SO fun for babies, toddlers, kids, and grown-ups. Let’s just call out the elephant in the room first: there’s no denying that although they’re definitely not Legos, they sure do look similar. So, you’re probably setting your baby up for a lifetime of Lego building, which is a beautiful thing. Except since these are soft, you don’t have to worry about stepping on one and feeling like you’ve stepped onto the fiery furnace of hell.

The set comes with 12 BPA-free pieces that are super soft, making them perfect for the littlest of littles. Babies can stack them, play with them individually, or squish them. I love how they encourage open-ended play and introduce babies to small, medium, and large sizes. While the targeted age is 0 and up, obviously newborns won’t be able to build with these blocks, but they can grab them and even use them as teethers.

For ages 0+

Plush Baby Doll

Babies are drawn to other babies, so it makes sense that they find comfort in playing with dolls. With this plush baby doll, you don’t have to worry about a hard doll head or body injuring your little one… or a sibling when it’s hammered across a room.

The 10-inch doll is soft and cozy for cuddle time or playtime. A big thing that sets this doll apart from similar dolls is the diversity of skin tones, hair colors, and outfits. You have a good chance of finding a doll that looks similar to your child, which is such a beautiful way of introducing dolls.

The sweet doll would be a great gift for a baby shower, newborn, or even just a “we come bearing gifts” kind of situation.

For ages 0+

Float and Play Bubbles

To help make bathtime more fun and interesting, check out this four-pack of floating bubble toys. They are absolutely perfect for babies who are just beginning to play in the bath. Some shoppers note that the size is a little bigger than a golf ball, which can be a little too large for some baby’s hands to hold, but they’re still fun.

The clear plastic balls bounce around in the water, always popping right back up after they’ve been pushed down. They also rattle, which can hopefully hold your baby’s attention long enough for a quick hair wash and tushy scrub.

Even though the toys and charms in the center of the balls are fun and exciting to look at, there’s no way of opening the balls, which your baby might find frustrating. It does, however, mean there’s no way of water leaking through, so you don’t have to worry about mold growing inside these bath toys.

For ages 6+ months

'Farm Babies' by Scarlett Wing

If your baby enjoys ripping the pages of books or throwing board books around like they’re on a major league baseball team (that’s all babies, right?), you’ll be pleased with this virtually indestructible book.

Written by Scarlett Wing, the book introduces little ones to farm animals and their cute babies. It has minimal words and is a great way to practice farm animal names. The story is cute, but it’s the book itself that’s impressive. Made from some sort of magical paperlike fabric, the pages cannot rip. The spine of the book is made of BPA-teething material, perfect for babies to gnaw on as much as they want.

The book is the right size to throw in a diaper bag for your kiddo to look at the pictures or chew on — or both. To make the book even more perfect, it has a hole at the top of the teething section so you can throw on a toy ring and attach it to a stroller or car seat. And best of all, it’s washable.

For ages 0 - 3

4-Pack Silicone Bath Toys

It can be annoyingly hard to find bath toys that don’t get moldy. But alas, here we are. These silicone water squirter bath toys are dishwasher safe, so while silicone isn’t as prone to mold as plastic, anything that allows water inside is at risk of growing mold. With these, however, you can easily give them a good rinse in the dishwasher and pop them back in the tub.

The toys are soft to the touch and easy for small hands to hold onto. They’re shaped like adorable animals in aesthetically pleasing colors.

When filled with water, the toys gently spray water with a squeeze. It’s a great way for babies to learn about cause and effect and practice their fine motor skills. Even if your little one can’t yet manage to spray water alone, you can do the spraying while they giggle up a storm.

If your baby has older siblings, they’ll love these toys too. Spraying water at people never gets old no matter your age.

For ages 6+ months

Kickin’ Tunes 4-in-1 Baby Activity Gym

There’s a good chance that no one has ever regretted buying an activity gym or receiving one as a gift because it’s such a wonderful way for babies to explore and be entertained long enough for parents to actually get something done.

That rings true for this Baby Einstein activity gym as it entertains infants in four modes: back laying, sitting, tummy time, and take-along. The gym features loads of sounds and activities with over 25 minutes of music. It includes seven detachable toys, including a self-discovery mirror and a tummy time prop pillow for support. A detachable piano toy makes this activity gym even more fun as babies can play with it anywhere.

In the event of a spit-up or blowout fiasco, no need to worry because the mat is machine washable and the toys can be cleaned using water and mild soap.

6-Piece Animal Puppet Set

My then 10-month-old was gifted these cute animal puppets from his grandma, and he was super into watching his older sister put on puppet shows for him. He also enjoyed carrying them around like loveys.

Depending on your baby’s age, they likely won’t be able to figure out how to put their hand in one of the puppets on their own, so this puppet set is really more of an interactive toy for a parent, sibling, or caregiver to play with a child. As your baby gets older, they’ll be able to put on their own puppet show or entertain themselves.

The set comes with a giraffe, monkey, lion, bear, elephant, and raccoon. The puppets are excellent for encouraging open-ended play and boosting self-confidence and social interactions — also ideal for using as tickle monsters.

For kids ages 6+ months

Winkel Rattle & Sensory Teether Toy

A must-have for little ones, this rattle and sensory teether toy from Manhattan Toy was a genuine hit with my kiddos. It’s engaging, stimulating, and fun to chew on — or so it seemed from my end.

The toy features bright colors and a unique design with twists and turns that are fun for a baby to play with and easy for little fingers to grasp. The rattle adds even more entertainment, and the soft tubes work great as a teether making it a sensory-rich experience all around.

This was a toy that I packed in the diaper bag and brought along on trips. It legitimately provided hours of entertainment for my kids.

For ages 0+

Wearable Wrist Dinosaur Rattle

Yes, this dinosaur wrist rattle from Itzy Ritzy is entertaining for babies, but the real beauty is that it stays put on their wrists so you don’t have to continuously pick it up off the ground. Hallelujah.

The rattle velcros together and easily fastens on a baby’s wrist. They can shake their wrist to hear the rattle sound, play with the attached sensory ribbons, or chew on it as babies do. It’s made of natural cotton, which is soft and comfortable for a baby to wear.

While the dinosaur is cute, the wrist rattle also comes in an adorable pastel cottage design, not that your infant is going to voice their opinion on one or the other.

Grip and Go Steering Wheel

With this steering wheel toy from VTech, your baby will feel like they’re actually driving. The interactive toy plays car sounds, songs, phrases, and melodies as your baby hits the gas and probably runs all the red lights (AKA pushes buttons and goes absolutely nowhere). The toy even has a tiny speedometer and gas gauge.

While the steering wheel is fun to play with anywhere, if you plan to use it on your stroller, the stroller will need to have a bumper bar. The toy comes equipped with a hook and loop strap that easily attaches to the bar so it’s always in reach of your little one without the risk of it becoming a projectile.

For ages 3+ months

Car Seat Hanging Toy

If your baby could use some entertainment in the car seat or stroller, you won’t regret going with this cutie car seat hanging toy. The toy provides entertainment literally in a baby’s face, so it’s a fantastic distraction from anything they might be upset about.

The activity toy comes in a glorious color palette that matches a mid-century modern aesthetic. It features a sun with a dangling mirror that reflects light, a quilted rainbow with two clinking rings, and a cloud with ribbons that encourage reaching and grabbing.

It easily and securely hooks onto a car seat via the flexible spiral and additional loops, and it’s just as easy to remove when your kiddo has had enough. Just make sure you take it off while you're in the car.

For ages 0+

TV Remote Teether

High on the list of things babies want to get ahold of and put directly in their mouths is the remote control, which is germy and gross, and also you probably need it. To trick your little one into thinking they’ve got the goods, leave this TV control inconspicuously on the couch so they can find it and feel like a hero. It genuinely looks like a TV control with realistic buttons, so good luck not mixing them up yourself.

Aside from being awesome, the teether comes in handy during the uncomfortable teething time. To help relieve discomfort, you can place this nontoxic, food-grade silicone, BPA-free teether in the freezer to feel cold on your baby’s gums. It can also withstand being boiled or steamed.

I didn’t know this teether existed when my kids were babies, but I’d be willing to have another kid just to get one. (No, no I wouldn’t.)

Singing Elephant Plush

Whether you give this adorable animated elephant as a gift to your own baby or to someone else’s, it’s sure to pique their curiosity. The plush elephant is super soft and cute, but the real noteworthy part about it is its ability to sing and play peek-a-boo while flapping its ears to cover its eyes.

I received this cute little fella as a gift at my first baby shower, and although I thought it was just going to serve as cute nursery decor, it turned out that my daughter was in love with it and would sway back and forth as it sang. In fact, she learned how to play peek-a-book by playing with this toy.

The elephant features volume controls, which is always nice. If you prefer a different animal, you can also choose from a unicorn, cow, bunny, penguin, or puppy.

For ages 0+

Oball Easy Grasp Rattle & Roll Car

You may have seen the original Oball earlier on this list, which has big holes to make it easy for babies to grasp. From the same company, I bring you a fun rattle and roll car with the same easy-grasp ball structure.

I’m not saying this car started my son’s obsession with cars, trucks, and anything with wheels, but I’m not saying it didn’t. So, proceed at your own risk. It’s a really great first vehicle for little ones because of how easy it is to grasp, and the wheels feature tiny balls inside that sound like a rattle, which is great fun. The car encourages babies to move around as they push it along while working on crawling.

For ages 3+ months

Lil’ Nibbles Textured Silicone Teether

Not all baby teethers are created equal — some are just all-around better than others. I’m a huge fan of Infantin’s carrot-shaped silicone teether for several reasons. First, the toy helps babies explore their little world from a sensory and oral motor perspective, which can help prepare their tongues, mouths, and jaws to move from eating pureed food to solids, as well as support speech development.

The carrot is sized perfectly for tiny hands and has easy-to-hold handles, which gives your baby a better chance of being able to hold onto it for longer. Of course, nothing is stopping them from chucking it in the general vicinity of the family pet like my son did on several occasions, presumably assuming he could share chew toys with the dog.

The BPA-free silicone is strong and durable to withstand all the biting, but it’s also soft on the gums. Speaking of gums, the texture helps soothe tender teething gums.

If carrots aren’t your thing, you can also choose from other designs like corn, apple, pea pod, ice cream and donut, or a fruit kabob. Not all of the options of handles though, so if that’s important to you, be sure to check for that.

For ages 0+

'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' by Eric Carle

It’s never too early to introduce your baby to the wonderful world of Eric Carle, starting with his classic, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” This version of the book comes with a sensory haven for little ones. Its soft pages are a delight to touch, and the crinkle and squeaky sound they make add to its appeal.

The corner of the book features a textured teether for little ones, so the book really pulls double duty. The 5-inch book is small enough to throw in a diaper bag, and it has a ring that allows you to easily attach it to a stroller or car seat for some entertainment.

If the BPA-free book falls on an especially dirty ground or has been chewed on one too many times, not to worry, it’s machine washable.

For babies 0+

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