As a parent, it’s important to prioritize your baby’s playtime and ensure that they have access to a variety of toys and activities that promote healthy growth and development (1).
Playtime provides numerous benefits for babies, including emotional and social development, as well as cognitive and physical growth. As they explore the world around them, infants rely on their hands, eyes, and mouths to discover new textures, sounds, and images. Therefore, most baby toys can be considered developmental toys since they provide opportunities for babies to learn and explore.
Whether you’re looking for toys that promote tummy time or encourage crawling, our selection of the best developmental toys for babies has something for everyone. From textured teething toys to musical activity centers, our recommendations are designed to promote healthy growth and development, while also providing hours of enjoyment for both you and your baby.
Our Top Picks
- Best Musical: LeapFrog My Pal Scout
- Best Wrist Rattles And Foot Finder: Bloobloomax Wrist Rattles and Foot Finders
- Best For Older Babies: VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker
- Best Portable: Manhattan Toy Baby Whoozit Activity Toy
- Best Activity Center: Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick & Play Piano Gym
- Best Stacking Toy: Skip Hop Baby Stacking & Nesting Toy
- Best Activity Mirror: Baby Einstein Activity Mirror
- Best First Book: ToBe ReadyForLife Just Like The Animals Cloth Book
- Best Teething Toy: Bright Starts Oball Shaker Rattle Toy
- Best Activity Cube: VTech Busy Learners Activity Cube
In This Article
HappyBabyHub’s Best Developmental Toys For Babies Picks
LeapFrog My Pal Scout – Best Musical
- It is washable, which is a huge plus
- You can customize the different things it says, to include, for example, the child’s favorite fruits, etc.
- It can be customized so that it says the child’s name
- Easy-to-understand usage instructions
- The battery/cord compartment in the back seemed a bit bulky and hard to fit everything in
My Pal Scout, an adorable puppy toy, can offer personalized daytime learning and nighttime comfort to your little one with the help of their name and favorite items. With over 40 tunes to play, you can make music and dance along with Scout.
Through 15+ activities, you can personalize the learning experience by teaching Scout about your child’s favorite food, animal, and color. Scout can even spell your child’s name, announcing it the first time they meet.
My Pal Scout is designed to teach children how to count and recognize colors and emotions. For quiet time, Scout comes with a blinking collar, volume control, and a lullaby timer with a choice of 5, 10, or 15 minutes of bedtime music. Age Range: 6 months+
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Bloobloomax Wrist Rattles and Foot Finders – Best Wrist Rattles And Foot Finder
- They fit on ankles & wrists to provide stimulation when baby moves their arms & legs
- Very soft materials
- Colorful design
- The rattles aren’t loud but subtle
- Not for loud rattling noises
As your little one grows and discovers their hands and feet, at around 4-7 months, they’ll spend countless hours marveling at these newfound appendages (2). To add to the fun, consider getting them a set of foot finders and wrist rattles.
These accessories not only entertain your baby but also help develop their hand-eye coordination. With their somewhat blurry vision, newborns are drawn to high-contrast colors and patterns, making these rattles the perfect tool to capture their attention.
Crafted from the highest quality cotton and soft materials, these rattles are both cozy and cuddly for your baby to enjoy. Plus, they’re safe for babies who are teething and can be safely mouthed. And don’t worry about spills and messes, as these rattles are washable (they recommend hand washing) for your convenience. Age Range: 0 months+
VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker – Best For Older Babies
- The musical sounds are perfect – not too loud to frighten the baby at the same time not too low to not be audible
- The handle is the perfect height for a baby learning to walk
- There are various activities that a baby can do
- The rolling rattle on the bottom is also great for keeping a small baby entertained
- The interlocking gears are a little difficult for the babies to play with
The Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker by VTech is designed with adaptive technology to help your baby transition from crawling to walking. Your child will enjoy walking with the support of a barnyard full of encouraging buddies.
The activity panel can be removed for floor play or taken on-the-go, and then easily attached to the walker for further exploration. The panel features a telephone handset, five piano keys, three colored rollers, three light-up shape sorters, three light-up buttons, and spinning gears to promote hours of entertainment and encourage motor skill development.
This push toy also helps your child learn about shapes, colors, animals, music, and more to keep them on track. Age Range: 9 months+
Manhattan Toy Baby Whoozit Activity Toy – Best Portable
- Perfect size and weight for infants — allows them to interact with it independently
- Variety of textures (and a few simple manual sounds) for sensory exploration
- Black and white on one side for newborn eyes, with a tiny mirror on the other
- Perfectly sized gadgets for holding
- Will show some wear and tear after several washes
Baby Whoozit is a classic plush toy that provides a range of sensory experiences, featuring a large smiling face. With high-contrast fabric arms, rattles, squeakers, crinkly paper, gripping loops, and a hidden self-discovery mirror behind the bright red nose, this toy is packed with features.
The bright yellow embroidered eyes, along with other vibrant colors, star patterns, and various textures, will capture and keep the baby’s attention. Plus, this toy is excellent for travel and as a constant companion, with a top loop that easily attaches to cribs, car seats, and strollers with hook and loop closures. Age Range: 0 months+
Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick & Play Piano Gym – Best Activity Center
- Very colorful and engaging toys
- Great music
- Grows with your baby
- The mat is easy to get off and can go in the washer
- The mat is not very thick
The Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick & Play Piano Gym takes playtime to the next level with its five light-up piano keys, movable toy arch, and four musical settings designed to keep your child engaged for years. As your baby grows from lying down to playing to lying on their tummy to sitting up at the piano, you can switch up the music and learning.
The gym features real piano notes that inspire your little Mozart to create their own music, while Smart Stages technology allows you to customize the learning content based on your baby’s age and stage. Plus, the keyboard can be removed for on-the-go musical entertainment! Age Range: 0 months+
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Skip Hop Baby Stacking & Nesting Toy – Best Stacking Toy
- The rattling sound keeps the babies’ attention
- The round base helps the toy move around easily
- Very entertaining for little ones
- Cute design
- It’s not super great for teething
The delightful fox-themed stacking toy is an exceptional developmental toy for 6-month-olds and above, offering an array of colors and textures to explore. Your baby can use their hands and even their tongue to investigate the rings, or they can stack the four colored rings and the fox head on the wobbly base.
With some of the rings featuring rattles and a bead mover, along with different textures, the toy helps promote hand-eye coordination and sensory development. Age Range: 6 months+
Baby Einstein Activity Mirror – Best Activity Mirror
- Easy to clean
- The design of the mirror is very colorful and cute
- It folds flat for travel
- Comes with a stack of double-sided contrast cards that you can use on either side or remove, and comes with a ring to keep them together
- The mirror is self is warped in one corner
Your baby will love the mirror and flashcard set in this Flip For Art by Baby Einstein. High-contrast patterns are perfect for young eyes that may still be a little fuzzy, and focusing on particular items can promote interest and cognitive development.
The set comes with a black, white, and brilliant mirror that will widen your baby’s eyes during tummy time. Additionally, the set turns into a display stand for the flashcards, allowing your child to learn about new characters, animals, and other items.
The flashcards can be flipped through with your baby or laid out on the floor to help with recognition. Age Range: 0 months+
ToBe ReadyForLife Just Like The Animals Cloth Book – Best First Book
- Good quality book with vivid and interactive pages
- Very soft
- Very educational
- Baby can easily turn the pages
- While you can put it in the washer, it will damage the mirror
This cloth book offers a variety of textures on each page, providing your child with sensory stimulation. Bedtime stories not only strengthen the bond between you and your child but also offer a chance for your child to learn and expand their horizons.
Even newborns can safely explore the soft cloth pages. Crafted from durable and washable polyester, this non-toxic cloth book is easy to attach to a stroller or car seat with its unique hook design and it also holds up in the wash. Age Range: 0 months+
Bright Starts Oball Shaker Rattle Toy – Best Teething Toy
- Vibrant color
- Easy to hold for baby
- Safe to mouth
- Not a loud annoying rattle you can hear across the house
- Slightly difficult to clean because water can get inside the middle part
This versatile toy serves as a teether, rattle, and developmental aid. The toy boasts two easily graspable teething toys on each end, connected by a rattle filled with colorful beads.
It captures babies’ attention as it’s moved in front of them, and as they grow, they can roll and shake it themselves. The clear, textured handle is adorned with bright beads that produce a satisfying rattle when shaken. Plus, the rattle’s ends are made of flexible yet durable Oball material, allowing babies to squeeze and play in any direction.
Its lightweight design makes it easy for babies to pick up and too fun to put down. Additionally, your baby can use it as a teether to soothe their gums as new teeth begin to emerge. Age Range: 0 months+
VTech Busy Learners Activity Cube – Best Activity Cube
- Nice sounds and flashing lights
- Comes with a volume adjustment
- Lots to explore on every side
- Very entertaining and easy-to-use toy
- The songs get stuck in your head, but that is a given. They are really catchy and stick
The VTech Busy Learners Activity Cube is a fantastic way for your little one to explore and have a blast. This six-sided cube has a multitude of games and activities that will engage your baby’s curiosity and foster imaginative play with its music, light-up buttons, colors, and other features.
Press-and-slide buttons for musical instruments introduce your baby to instrument names, sounds, and colors, while the shape and animal buttons introduce animal names, noises, and shapes.
This baby learning cube also makes delightful noises when moved. It includes 25 sing-along tunes and melodies. Plus, this highly educational toy engages your baby’s developing senses and encourages them to twist, spin, and push their way through enjoyable learning activities. Age Range: 6 months+
How To Choose A Developmental Toy For Your Baby?
- Age-Appropriate: Babies develop at different rates, so it’s important to choose toys that match their age and developmental stage. Newborns need toys that stimulate their senses, while older babies require toys that help them improve their gross and fine motor skills.
- Safety: Toys that are of poor quality can pose a serious threat to your child’s safety if they accidentally ingest small pieces such as buttons, plastic parts, or eyes that may fall off. To prevent any potential disasters, it’s important to make sure that the toys you choose only contain components that are larger than your baby’s mouth (3).
- Milestones: Milestones can be useful indicators for parents and caregivers to track a child’s developmental progress. Although each baby develops at their own pace, there are various toys that can encourage infants to develop essential skills, such as emotional intelligence, physical development, and cognitive abilities.
- Type: Providing babies with toys that stimulate different types of play keeps them engaged and supports the development of a variety of skills. While many toys offer multiple play features, some are better suited for specific types of play. For instance, toys that encourage crawling, grasping, and coordination are ideal for physical development, while those that teach shapes, colors, and sounds aid in cognitive development.
What Are Developmental Toys For Babies?
Developmental toys for babies are designed to help promote the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of infants. These toys can come in various forms, such as rattles, teethers, soft books, activity gyms, mobiles, and more.
Developmental toys are designed to stimulate the senses, encourage exploration, and foster learning through play. They often feature bright colors, different textures, and sounds that engage infants and encourage them to reach, grasp, and manipulate objects.
Do Babies Need Developmental Toys?
Developmental toys can provide sensory stimulation, encourage problem-solving and creativity, improve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, and promote language and communication development. However, it is important to note that babies do not necessarily need specialized developmental toys to develop properly. Simple household items such as pots and pans, cardboard boxes, and wooden spoons can also provide opportunities for play and learning.
What Toys Will Help Children Develop?
Pay-based interactions that are rich in language, pretending, problem-solving, reciprocity, cooperation, and creativity are the best toys that will help development (4). However, it’s also important to note that no single toy can guarantee that a child will meet their next developmental milestone. Rather, a well-selected set of toys that engage a child’s senses, inspire movement, encourage creativity and curiosity, and are suitable for their age can help facilitate their overall growth and development.
What Can I Do To Stimulate My Baby’s Development?
There are several things you can do to stimulate your baby’s development. First and foremost, provide plenty of opportunities for playtime. Playtime is crucial for babies as they learn about the world around them through exploration and sensory experiences (5). You can provide age-appropriate toys that encourage movement, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
Additionally, reading to your baby from a young age can help foster a love of learning and language development. Talking and singing to your baby throughout the day can also help them develop their language skills.
As your baby grows, encourage physical activity such as tummy time, crawling, and walking to help develop their gross motor skills. Finally, ensure that your baby is getting plenty of sleep and proper nutrition to support their overall growth and development.
