The first few months of your newborn’s life are filled with endless diaper changes, feedings, and naps. But, did you know that playtime is just as important for your baby’s development? Playing helps with emotional, social, cognitive, and physical growth, even for the littlest ones. Although newborns cannot grasp or sit up yet, they still love to be stimulated and appreciate toys that are suitable for their developmental stage.
The key is to choose toys that are age-appropriate and promote exploration and skill development. Our carefully curated list of the best toys for newborns to 3-month-olds will not only entertain your baby but also aid in their growth and development during those crucial early months. From soft, textured toys to high-contrast books, these toys are designed to keep your little one engaged and learning.
Our Top Picks
- Best Tummy Toy Time For Newborns: Best Tummy Toy Time For Newborns
- Best Light-Up Toy For Newborns: Fisher-Price Baby Gym
- Best Developmental Toy For Newborns: Fisher-Price Sit-Me-Up Floor Seat
- Best High-Contrast Toy For Newborns: Sassy Peek-a-Boo Activity Book
- Best Travel Toy For Newborns: Tiny Love Take Along Tales
- Best Board Book For Newborns: Look, Look!
- Best Musical Toy For Newborns: Bright Starts Disney Baby Finding Nemo
- Best Teething Toy For Newborns: Skip Hop Bandana Buddies
- Best Crinkle Toy for Newborns: Taggies Crinkle Me Toy
- Best Rattle Toy For Newborns: The First Years First Rattle
- Best Sensory Toy For Newborns: teytoy Owl Soft Rattle Toy
- Best Plush Toy For Newborns: LAMAZE Fifi The Firefly
In This Article
HappyBabyHub’s Best Toys For Newborns Picks
Best Tummy Toy Time For Newborns – Best Tummy Toy Time For Newborns
- The colors are nice and bright
- The mirror is a nice size
- Crinkly toy attached to the side
- It comes with a stack of double-sided contrast cards
- Falls over easily as it doesn’t stay open very well
The high-contrast patterns in the flashcards are specially designed for growing eyes, which are hazy until the age of six months. By focusing on specific items, you can promote your baby’s interest and cognitive development.
During tummy time, hold up the black, white, and bright mirror next to your baby and watch their eyes widen in excitement (1). The mirror can also be used as a display stand for flashcards, which feature various characters, animals, and items for your child to learn about. With a simple detachment of the stroller connection, you can easily flip through the cards or lay them out on the floor for your baby to explore.
Fisher-Price Baby Gym – Best Light-Up Toy For Newborns
- The mat is easy to get off and can go in the washer
- The piano is perfect for the baby’s kicking feet and isn’t too loud and obnoxious
- Good size for a small baby
- Easy to put together
- The mat has a bunch of little loops to attach toys but it only came with 4 toys so several loops are empty
By combining the toy maracas and the Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick & Play Piano Gym, your child’s playtime will become even more dynamic. The gym’s movable toy arch and detachable keyboard, as well as its four musical settings and five light-up piano keys, will keep your little one entertained and engaged.
Through playing with the gym, your child can develop curiosity and a sense of wonder, while also learning about cause and effect. Moreover, the gym helps in strengthening little muscles through activities like shaking, kicking, reaching, and pushing up, which enhance gross motor skills. Additionally, the gym also reinforces early academics through active play, where children can hear expressions and songs that introduce them to colors, shapes, numbers, and animals.
Fisher-Price Sit-Me-Up Floor Seat – Best Developmental Toy For Newborns
- Easy to clean
- Great back support
- Easy to fold and go
- Helps your child to learn to sit
- The chair doesn’t have the ability to open and close
The Fisher-Sit-Me-Up Price’s Floor Seat provides a comfortable and practical option for snack or playtime, allowing your baby to explore their surroundings and interact with fun toys. The stable base and ocean-themed textiles offer support as your baby learns to sit up on their own. The detachable snack tray features amusing animal friends, and the seat pad is machine washable for easy cleaning.
Additionally, the plush materials, vibrant colors, and animal clackers stimulate your baby’s growing senses, helping to develop their small muscles. However, it is important to note that the seat should only be used with a baby who can keep their head up without assistance and cannot walk or climb out.
Sassy Peek-a-Boo Activity Book – Best High-Contrast Toy For Newborns
- Lots of different high-contrast patterns
- Crinkly cover
- Page turning
- Lifting up and hiding flaps give the child other things to do as they get better at using their hands
- The front and back covers are the only crinkly part
Introduce your little one to the world with books that feature common patterns and animals from everyday life. The bold black-and-white illustrations in this book are perfect for capturing your baby’s attention and making connections between objects and words.
Your baby’s hand-eye coordination will improve as they lift the peek-a-boo flaps. The crinkle-filled pages also provide auditory stimulation. Plus, the attachable connection makes it easy to enjoy this book on-the-go.
Tiny Love Take Along Tales – Best Travel Toy For Newborns
- It’s small, so you can attach it to a car seat, stroller, play gym or pack-n-play
- It has a “hibernation” mode after 20 minutes to conserve battery
- The mobile plays some great classical music that even adults will enjoy
- The little hanging animals are super cute
- It has no volume control
This mobile provides a sense of familiarity and consistency, which can be beneficial for your baby’s development from a young age. With 5 captivating tunes, it can provide up to 30 minutes of soothing music to calm and engage your child.
The vibrant sea creatures that spin above and their happy expressions offer substantial visual and emotional stimulation, encouraging your little one to make sounds and communicate. The mobile’s smart design makes it easy to attach to most play yards, strollers, and bassinets, making it an ideal travel toy.
The charming aquarelle design, combined with necessary black and white patterns and a fun playlist, will stimulate your child’s senses and promote communication skills.
Look, Look! – Best Board Book For Newborns
- The contrast is beautiful
- The board book is sturdy
- Good size to bring around or throw in a small diaper bag
- Perfect for tummy time
- It’s just black and white block type pictures with the colors reversed on the opposite page
This charming board book is perfect for little ones who are just beginning to explore the world around them. Its durable pages are adorned with eye-catching black-and-white cut-paper illustrations that are sure to captivate even the tiniest newborns.
Accompanying each spread are simple yet descriptive phrases written in wavy red text that help broaden the book’s appeal to older babies. From playful puppies to twinkling stars, Look Look! showcases a range of everyday sights and sounds that will stimulate your child’s growing curiosity and awareness.
Bright Starts Disney Baby Finding Nemo – Best Musical Toy For Newborns
- The light show is incredible
- Easy to assemble
- Cleaning is minimal
- Soothing water sounds
- It is pretty pricy but worth every penny
Immerse your baby in the wonders of the ocean with this fantastic baby gym. The cheerful stingray umbrella of Mr. Ray invites all the small fish to play and explore. Get ready to join Crush, Dory, and Pearl, as well as the beloved clownfish Nemo, on an adventure through the sea! All these characters are included as portable, removable toys that your little one can take with them anywhere.
The seaweed-inspired prop cushion is a cozy spot for your baby to spend some tummy time and serves as an “Anemone home.” When your baby is lying on their back, they can look up at Mr. Ray’s mesmerizing lights. The Dory finger puppet adds an extra element of fun to playtime with your child. With this baby gym, unforgettable memories are sure to be made, just like Dory won’t forget them.
Skip Hop Bandana Buddies – Best Teething Toy For Newborns
- Good quality
- The rattle inside sounds like a soft wind chime
- High contrasting colors
- Great size for a stroller bar or to hang over a mat during floor time
- It hangs sort of low
Whether you’re at home or traveling, this delightful chime & teethe toy is perfect for keeping your baby entertained and happy. With a variety of patterns, textures, and soothing sounds, it provides a sensory experience that young ones will love. Plus, its cute animal characters come with a textured teether and a vibrant clip that easily attaches to strollers, making it a great travel toy.
Taggies Crinkle Me Toy – Best Crinkle Toy for Newborns
- The design and colors are amazing
- Easy to clean, just throw in the wash
- Keeps baby entertained
- The tags are easy to grasp
- The squeaker in the middle is hard to access
At first glance, this crinkle toy may seem like just a cute animal appliqué, but there’s so much more to discover inside. Featuring crinkle paper and a squeaker, along with interactive tags and a flexible loop for stroller and crib attachment, this toy is sure to keep your little one engaged and entertained.
The First Years First Rattle – Best Rattle Toy For Newborns
- It’s soft and bright
- You can wash it in the washing machine
- Good quality and colors
- The rattle sound is gentle and not too loud
- Not the best for teething since it’s a bit hard
Featuring vibrant colors and contrasting patterns, this rattle toy is perfect for stimulating your baby’s developing eyesight. Additionally, the toy’s legs are easy to grip, helping to encourage early grasping skills.
Your baby will love holding onto this cute rattle, which emits a soothing rattling sound and features crinkly textures for added entertainment. And because babies love to explore with both their hands and mouths, the toy’s tangled antennas and soft surfaces are perfect for chewing.
teytoy Owl Soft Rattle Toy – Best Sensory Toy For Newborns
- It’s pretty firm in texture
- The wings have a crinkle sound
- The owl’s head rattles
- It’s easy to wash
- Not a lot of rattling noise
The Teething Rattle not only does it have a catchy name, but it also offers a variety of tactile experiences for your infant to explore. As they touch and feel the different materials, their senses will be stimulated and their motor skills will develop.
The lightweight and easy-to-grasp design makes it an ideal toy for little hands to hold and play with. Even the most active toddlers won’t be able to damage the sturdy linen rattle, which is handmade from plush polyester and has strong stitching for added durability. And if it gets slobbered on, no need to worry – it can be easily washed to keep it clean and hygienic.
LAMAZE Fifi The Firefly – Best Plush Toy For Newborns
- Has a variety of textures and noisemakers
- Easy for little hands to grab
- A lot of interesting things in a single toy.
- The quality of the material is very good and soft.
- Not machine washable
Fifi the Firefly is not your average stuffed animal. With a silky velour body, she’s perfect for snuggling and soothing your little one. But that’s not all she has to offer. Her layered wings are designed with varied textures, shapes, and crinkles that will encourage your baby to explore and discover. Plus, there’s even a peek-a-boo mirror for interactive play!
But the fun doesn’t stop there. Fifi also has plenty of other features to keep your baby entertained, including a squeaker, clinking rings, a ladybug teether on a string, and knotted antennae that are perfect for gnawing on during teething. And with the convenient Lamaze clip, you can easily attach Fifi to strollers, carriers, and diaper bags.
How To Choose The Best Toys For Newborns?
- Contrast: The toys your baby plays with can provide strong visual patterns and contrasts that will probably be of interest to them. Introduce your baby to several visual stimuli and help them develop their tracking skills (2).
- Music/Sound: Simple, soft toys that produce noise are another excellent toy for a newborn. As a result, when a caregiver interacts with the infant, the infant may practice visual tracking both horizontally and vertically. Soft music or your singing may also be pleasing to your infant (3).
- Safety: It should go without saying that no matter how many safety ratings a toy has, you should never leave your infant unsupervised. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) sleep guidelines, a baby’s crib should be free of any loose items, including toys, stuffed animals, and blankets (4).
- Materials: When selecting toys for your little ones, it’s critical to keep an eye out for potential hazards. Toxic toys might pose a serious danger to your child’s health and well-being. To avoid any potential for poisoning, always choose toys made of non-toxic materials. Be sure to inspect the labels to ensure that the toys are labeled as “nontoxic” (5).
When Should Newborns Get Toys?
Babies require toys when they are around a month old. It is a good idea to have safe choices on hand that also promote growth since when babies become a bit older, they begin teething and investigating items.
What Toys Should A Newborn Have?
Choose safe, straightforward toys for your newborn that promote exploration and unstructured play. During your baby’s first six months, toys like rattles and other gripping toys, musical toys, gyms, and board books are excellent for promoting developmental milestones (6).
How Many Toys Does A Newborn Need?
3-5 engaging toys should be available for your infant to play with. There is no need for your infant to have more than that. Toys marketed to children are not always necessary for babies. As an alternative; balls, pots, and pans may all be used as toys for babies. Objects that a baby can open and close and items or toys with faces, which infants are known to be drawn to, are other characteristics that make for ideal baby toys.
When Can You Start Sensory Play With A Newborn?
Your child is actually prepared for sensory play at home from the very beginning. We, parents, know that caring for your newborn’s fundamental requirements takes time, but you can readily engage their senses with routine activities. This might happen while you feed your baby, change their diaper, or even just before bed. For instance, your baby is immediately drawn to your voice and fragrance since they are already familiar with them. Your baby will like hearing you talk and being near you, which is wonderful for their brain’s growth.
