Baby Toys

Introducing a tiny baby to music isn’t about making them smarter any more than it is about starting them down a path towards a headlining set at Jazz Fest 2035 (nor is that a viable retirement plan). The so-called “Mozart Effect” has been long debunked and there’s no guarantee you and your kid will ultimately share the same musical taste, but what has been proven are the myriad benefits of early music lessons — including better academic performance — and they start with your kid’s first tonal toys.

Muscial toys are so much fun and they encourage children to be creative whilst learning about sounds and instruments.  We have a fantastic range of musical toys made from wood and other durable materials.  Musical toys from Haba, Janod, Plan Toys and more.  If you know someone small who likes to make some noise then you’ve come to the right place.

Studies show that babies who were exposed to classical music while they were still inside their mothers’ wombs grew up to be more advanced in terms of intellectual and linguistic development as well as in terms of motor skills by age 6 months. This has led scientists to believe that music is a very important brain-building experience.

It is also for this reason that many toys for babies are musical in nature. Studies further reveal that musical toys can help activate a variety of neural pathways that are very important in the development and mastery of many life skills including creativity, spatial intelligence, memory, language, mathematics, and emotional intelligence.

Fisher-Price Bright Beats Dance & Move BeatBo

If all your kid wants to do is clap and shake to the beat, introduce them to BeatBo. Pressing his buttons activates dance moves and tones ranging from fun songs to educational content including letters, numbers, and colors that age up with your kid through 3 different modes. You can also record your own, although you probably don’t need a toy’s help to ask, “Who’s the cutest?” like a broken record.

Auris Glockenspiel

Aside from being really fun to say, a glockenspiel is beautiful to listen to. Specifically this one, which uses a 5-tone scale “specially attuned to children’s aural needs.” Multiple Amazon reviewers note its remarkable clarity of tone, which would seem to justify the premium price tag better than its solid gold (painted) bars.

Fisher-Price Classic Record Player

To the “Why don’t they make simple, wholesome toys anymore?” types, first off, sorry for standing on your lawn. Second, here’s that plastic record player you dragged around as a toddler, in all its primary-colored, 70s glory. It comes with 5 records that play 10 songs you definitely won’t get tired of hearing. Your parents certainly didn’t. Go ahead, ask ‘em.

VTech Rhyme and Discover Book

VTech is well known for toys that are technologically advanced as they are very interactively educational. The Rhyme and Discover Book is a 6-book marvel with well-thought 3 light-up character buttons placed strategically on the tab of each page. The musical toy contains 4 movable pieces that resonate with 7 popular nursery rhymes and not less than 20 baby songs, sounds, and phrases.

The Rhyme and Discover Book also comes with highly interactive lights and sounds that even your baby-turned-toddler will be amazed with its open-ended questions designed to encourage learning and cognition.

Infantino Hug and Tug Musical Bug

A very ingenious way of introducing melodies to your baby, the Hug & Tug Musical Bug is more like the musical toys of old where you have to pull on a string to hear the melody. And as the melody progresses, the string winds up back again. This is the same principle of the Hug & Tug. Imagine a huggable colorful caterpillar that you can hang over your baby’s carrier. Babies pull on it to its full length, let it go, and then listen to wonderful melodies as it slowly winds up back to its original position. The Hug & Tug also comes with a peek-a-boo mirror and clacker rings. This should be a very interesting piece of interactive music for your baby.

Janod Confetti Musical Set

Janod is well known for its beautifully made, funky mini musical instruments. But this collection tops the lot for play value, including no less than seven wind and percussion instruments to help children learn about beat, rhythm and making tunes.

ELC Giant Keyboard

A giant, wipe-clean keyboard that is a fantastic way for energetic kids to explore music. Get them to hop, skip, tap, dance, jump or even roll around the jumbo mat to create melodies. You can play back their performances and there are plenty of great features, including a parent-pleasing volume control.

Lamaze Octotunes

Aimed from birth onwards, this sturdy but soft and squashy toy is colourful, vibrant and cuddly. Best of all, each leg plays a different note and together these notes form a musical octave so your child is able to pick out anything from “Twinkle Twinkle” to “Mary Had a Little Lamb”.

Teaching alphabet letters, first words, numbers, counting, shapes, sizes and colors – It’s all meaningful mentoring. These are educational specialty toys and games that your little learner will be drawn to and can appreciate. When a child shows interest or aptitude toward early academics there’s no better time to start!

In the first year of a baby’s life, the brain doubles in size, according to a 2007 study. The hippocampus, a seahorse-shaped structure deep in the brain that is used in memory processing, reaches its adult size by 10 months of age. These anatomical changes go hand-in-hand with rapid development:  Motor skills, language, and even social understanding all advance by leaps and bounds.

Toddlerhood brings an even more dramatic transformation, as kids learn to walk and talk and solve problems. These science-y toys will put all that developing brainpower to good use.

A Better Block

Boikido’s Musical Blocks go beyond the basics with cleverly placed rattles, bells and beads.

Stick ‘Em Up

Magnets hold the Lamaze Totem Stackers together while crinkles and rattles hold baby’s attention.

Top Chef

For your budding Gordon Ramsay, we give five stars to Fisher-Price’s jingly and shiny Brilliant Basics Stack and Nest Pots and Pans.

What a Steal

Work those baby muscles (and boost his hand-eye coordination) with the Leka baby gym — one of the cutest and cheapest on the market.

Balancing Act

Before he graduates to Angry Birds, mesmerize him with this Birds Stacking Tower by Glueckskaefer.

Beginner Shape 3-Piece Puzzle – Bugs

Introduce your baby to the wonders of nature early with this three-piece wooden puzzle. The toy will also introduce your child to shapes (triangle, circle and rectangle), and matching pictures underneath will help your baby recognize where each piece should go. The plywood pieces are made with a non-toxic, water-based finish, according to P’kolino. (Recommended ages: 6+ months)

A Dinoztory Book

Give your baby a hands-on experience with this adorable soft book about dinosaurs. The four pages include colorful and tactile fabrics to stimulate your baby’s senses. The book is held together with a velcro-like clasp, and it’s easy to clean with lukewarm water and soap. (Recommended ages: 6+ months)

Newborn-to-Toddler Play Gym

This Fisher-Price activity center features lights, sounds and music to stimulate your baby’s senses and help your bundle of joy develop fine motor skills, balance and coordination. The convertible play gym is designed to “grow” with your child, meaning babies can start by lying on the machine-washable padded mat, before graduating to sitting down and playing, and finally standing at the activity center. (Recommended ages: Birth and up)

Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy

Babies love music, and parents love virtually everything Baby Einstein has to offer. The Baby Einstein Musical Toy plays 7 baby friendly classical melodies, and it’s very colorful. The big pieces are easy for babies to grasp, and the large buttons are easy for babies to press. The company’s baby learning toys, like this one, promote auditory development and music appreciation.

VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker

To help babies to walk and develop leg strength, the VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker can’t be beaten. It’s an interactive learning tool that features a removable toddler play panel to help your baby hone in on their fine motor skills. While they’re busy playing, they’re also working on those baby leg muscles that’ll help them stand on their own, eventually. For now, they’ll be happy to lean on this fun toy.

FocuSun Playpen Ball Pit

For endless amounts of fun, the FocuSun Playpen Ball Pit is a great choice when looking at baby gifts. It’s very colorful, and it gives your baby a little bit of independent space.

Rosie Flo’s Art Gallery

We absolutely love this. Children will have hours of fun setting up, colouring in and creating an entire mini art gallery, complete with gift shop, and they can learn about the great masterpieces while they’re doing it. Each piece of art is double-sided – one side showing the real painting, the other side with an outline to colour in. From six years.

Casdon Toy Post Office

This toy has been designed to allow youngsters to pretend they’re working in the adult world in a fun way, with lots of stimulation and education thrown into the mix of post office goodies – including weighing and counting to encourage numeracy. It’s not the most hardy of toys, so be sure to clear it up carefully after each play. Three years and above.

Teething typically starts around 4-6 months of age, and there’s no mistaking it.

You’ll know, because they’ll put literally anything in their mouth in an attempt to get some relief…

…even if that includes their own fingers or anything in arms reach.

Teether toys are a great way to keep their tiny mouths busy, but not all teethers are safe to use. In fact, some have awful, harmful chemicals you’d want nowhere near your little one’s mouth.

When your baby starts teething, she’ll want to get her hands — and mouth! — on literally anything. Check out our top picks and give that little cutie something safe to chew on.

Below, I’ve put together a list of baby teething toys, from training toothbrushes to rattles to teething necklaces. There are even some that you can add frozen fruit to and let baby gum to soothe teething pain.

Over the Rainbow Teether

This quirky teether provides a ton of relief for little mouths. Your baby will feel better by gnawing on the top hat brim, or noshing on the texturized tentacles for some serious relief.

Elephant Teething Toy Set

Feel confident knowing you’ll be able to take care of your cutie in an instant when you’re on-the-go with these adorable elephant clip-on teethers. You can simply clip it on your shirt, diaper bag, or your baby’s onesie!

Nurtureland Fruit Teethers

What’s that noise? Nothing? Oh, right … Your baby is too busy self-soothing with one of these adorable fruit teethers. Your little munchkin will love the softness of the silicone.

Vulli Sophie the Giraffe So Pure Teether

Just like the popular Sophie the Giraffe toy, her teething twin is just as cute. But unlike Sophie, the teether has easy-grip handles, so it’s less likely to get dropped on germy floors.

RaZ Baby RaZ-berry Teether

Give your baby a familiar shape to chew on with this sweet treat. This teether works just like a pacifier to soothe cranky babies, but also has a bumpy texture to soothe sore gums, too!

Comotomo Silicone Baby Teether

Saving fingers, one teether at a time! If your infant loves to chomp on their fingers (or yours), this option will be a must-have for her.

It’s easy to hold with endless biting options that mimic fingers and features a unique non-choking design. Not only is it BPA-, PVC-, and phthalate-free, but this medical-grade silicone toy is also microwave- and dishwasher-safe. So sanitize away!

Manhattan Toy Skwish

It’s a toy, rattle, and teether in one! Comprised of wooden dowels, elastic ties, and beads that slide back and forth, this easy-to-grab creation can be “skwished” down and will return to its original shape on its own. The un-dyed finish is perfect for families who are cautious in regards to chemicals.

A great teether—and toy—that your infant can enjoy through many developmental stages!

Green Sprouts Ring Cool Teether

For babies who don’t enjoy a lot of texture but prefer a cooling effect—look no further than this teething ring! Filled with sterilized water, it can be chilled in the refrigerator to help soothe your infant’s gums and reduce inflammation.

In addition to avoiding BPA, PVC, and phthalates, this non-toxic design is also free of nitrosamine for those parents trying to steer clear of it in their children’s toys.

Baby Banana Infant Training Toothbrush & Teether

This adorable banana-shaped teether is also an infant training toothbrush. Baby can chew on any part of it, as well as scrub her teeth clean on the soft silicone bristles. The Baby Banana Infant Training Toothbrush & Teether can be tossed into the dishwasher for cleaning, and you can also freeze it to make it even more soothing on baby’s gums. It’s got two handles that look like the banana peel for little hands to hold onto. Some consumers complain that the silicone material attracts dust and hair and that the silicone “bristles” are easily chewed off (though luckily they are too small to be a choking hazard).

Nuby Silicone Teethe-eez Teether with Bristles

The Nuby Silicone Teethe-eez Teether with Bristles is another 100% silicone teether and toothbrush in one. It’s priced at just $4.99, and right now you can clip an Amazon coupon for an extra 20% off. This product comes with a hygienic carrying case for travel, which can help with the teether’s tendency to attract dust and hair. It is safe for babies starting from birth. Like the Baby Banana teether, the bristles on the Nuby Silicone Teethe-eez Teether tend to break off. Some consumers complain it is a little too large for baby’s mouth.

Baltic Amber Teething Necklace for Babies (Honey)

This amber teething necklace from Baltic Wonder works a bit differently than other baby teething products. Instead of chewing on it, babies wear it around their necks. The 100% Baltic amber contains succinic acid, which works with baby’s body heat to produce anti-inflammatory and immune system boosting properties. The product is supposed to reduce teething pain, drooling and fussiness in teething babies. This product is more expensive than your typical chewie teether, but it may be worth a try to see if it reduces your baby’s teething pain. Beware that some consumers report receiving a product that seems to be plastic, not 100% amber.

We stock a huge selection of good quality Waldorf toys and Montessori toys made from natural raw materials, our traditional wooden toys are solid and made to last.  Our toys are educational and stimulating for your child, wooden toys feel great in the hand or mouth, organic cotton and wool absorb familiar smells and are comforting for your little ones.  We take great pride in selecting only the best toys for our website, they are safe toys with green and eco friendly credentials and they are all ethically sourced.  We believe that toys should be fun, stimulating, safe and made for children but never ever by children.

Besides looking a lot nicer than plastic toys, wooden ones have so much going for them – they’re timeless; they encourage imagination; and they’re tactile, safe and quiet. Our round-up brings you the best of them, so you can get going with your Christmas shopping.

Wooden Infant Toys

Sometimes the best toys are the simplest ones. And with our fun-packed collection of with classic wooden blocks, kids’ puzzles, baby walkers, and more, playtime goes retro and eco-friendly. Good for your baby’s health and good for the earth, much of our wooden toy assortment is responsibly made and brightly colored with nontoxic, water-based paints. And when it comes to holiday and birthday time, these healthy toys sure make for the perfect baby or toddler gifts. Browse now for fun gifts like wooden kitchen sets and play food, wooden playhouses, musical toys, and even pull toys.

Why Wooden Toys?

There are no batteries required for these sturdy, classic wooden toys and wooden blocks. The only thing you’ll need to have a good time is a little imagination! Delight your kids with wood pirate ships, construction sets, musical instruments, puzzles, play food and more. Your little boy can have all the trucks, cars, and boats his heart desires and your little girl can deck out her dollhouse with adorable wood furniture. Our wooden toys are designed for kids of various ages all the way from babies to pre-teens, so you’re sure to find a little something for everyone. The best part about wood toys is that they are safe, solid and high-quality which means your kids will be playing with our wooden toys for years to come.

But beyond the blocks’ good looks lurked some very basic questions of function. Design Boom noted a product disclaimer that “the pieces can warp or fit together imprecisely due to the nature of the material in different temperatures and scale of humidity.” Another commenter brought up sustainability, “considering the sheer number of Lego blocks produced a year.” Are Legos even Legos without the universal snap-together property? Do toys need to be as artisanal as our food? I understand why my child would want to make his own toy, but does someone else need to do it for him? And why wood?

In her new book, “Designing the Creative Child: Playthings and Places in Midcentury America,” Amy F. Ogata explores the answers to these questions by taking us back to the past. Back to the postwar period, specifically, when parents began to pour time and money into products and spaces that would make their children more creative. The baby boom restructured the American landscape, creating a demand for thousands of new schools, new homes, and expanded institutions. With this new construction came new thinking about how, where, and with what tools American children should be educated. Creativity, closely aligned with individuality, was seen as a character trait necessary for the democratic citizen, Ogata writes—a contrast to an image of the more rigid, state-directed child rearing in Soviet countries. The result was a miniaturized version of the postwar “consumer’s republic,” with products created to answer “needs” in thousands of new categories.

It’s shocking, as Ogata tours you through the playrooms, schoolrooms, and science museums of the era, how much of the current aesthetic landscape of upper-income childhood—delights and anxieties alike—was constructed in the late nineteen-forties and nineteen-fifties. The only major change is that now we like our adults creative, and our children smart.

On the question of wood, Ogata writes, “Among the educated middle and upper-middle classes, wood became the material symbol of timelessness, authenticity and refinement in the modern educational toy.” She quotes Roland Barthes, who characterized plastic and metal as “graceless” and “chemical,” and argued that wood “is a familiar and poetic substance, which does not sever the child from close contact with the tree, the table, the floor. Wood does not wound or break down; it does not shatter, it wears out, it can last a long time.” Dr. Spock argued for the abstracted wooden train over the realistic metal one, while Creative Playthings, an early educational toy store and catalogue, combined furniture and toy in the Hollow Block: maple cubes, open on one side, that could be used for storage or fort-making.

If you look at high-end children’s furniture today, it still subscribes to this bleached aesthetic: the Oeuf beds, which notch wood and white panels; the Offi chalkboard table, which combines Eames-inspired bentwood legs with a surface ready for creative activity. To what do we owe the success of Melissa & Doug toys—made cheaply and not to last, often with a single playable quality—but their base layer of wood? Mokulock uses language very close to that of Barthes in its promotional material: “Mokulock’s intention is to provide children who grow up in an urban and rather sterile environment with the possibility to connect to and understand nature and ecology in a playful manner.”

Building toys, of whatever material, were a popular category in postwar designs aimed at children: the Walker Art Center developed the Magnet Master, steel plates in basic shapes; Charles and Ray Eames created the patterned-cardboard House of Cards; Colorforms let children build, play, and learn with rubbery colored shapes. Those simple shapes and primary colors were repeated, at larger scale, in playgrounds and playrooms. Ogata describes the winning designs from the 1953 Play Sculpture competition (judged by, among others, the architect Philip Johnson) like a series of blown-up blocks: a “playhouse with pierced panels and a trellis of metal rods,” “spool-shaped upright forms,” and bridges that offered “places to crawl or hide beneath.”

Your baby’s first means of transport will probably be a baby walker. Whether you want one with a buzzing play centre, or minimal stimulation and room for their own toys, we’ve got just the thing to get them from A to B while having a whole lot of fun along the way.

Things to Know About Walking

First steps are a very big deal

Even if you’re not obsessing about it, chances are you’ve been asked, “So is he walking yet?” When will the momentous event occur? Your baby will likely take his first steps between 9 and 15 months.

Every child follows the same sequence of stages

Here’s a quick timeline of milestones that lead to walking.

Sitting Up

At around 6 months, baby starts solving the puzzle of how to use the muscles in his trunk to stay upright.

Pulling to a Stand

The timing of this varies; many are trying by 10 months. “Seventy percent of our body mass is from the hips on up, so the legs need a lot of strength to lift the torso,” notes Jody L. Jensen, PhD, professor of kinesiology at the University of Texas.

Cruising

Again, age varies, but when he does it, he’ll make his way around the room using whatever furniture is available.

You’ll recognize a new walker

The final piece of the walking puzzle is learning how to lift off with one foot while balancing on the other. She’ll lurch along like Frankenstein as she gets used to her land legs — the wide stance and outstretched arms are characteristics of all new walkers. In order to stand, she has to contract a lot of muscles. But to walk, she eventually needs to relax her hips and knees a bit. “The challenge is figuring out how to get just the right amount of muscle tension in the legs,” Jensen says. But 1-year-olds are quick studies — it won’t take long until she loosens up and is tearing around the house.

There’s little parents can do to speed up the timetable

What if all the other babies in the playgroup are on two feet, and yours is content with the view from the floor? If your child is 16 months and hasn’t walked, talk to your doctor. (There are interventions available.) Otherwise, try not to stress. Push toys, stationary activity centers, and jumpers will not help your child walk any sooner. On the other hand, they don’t cause any harm, so if your baby likes these toys, let him play. Avoid walkers, which allow kids to get into trouble fast.

Early or late walking may provide clues to your child’s personality

Many parents wonder if early walking means there’s a sports scholarship in their child’s future. Whether your child is an early or late walker says less about his future athleticism and more about whether he’s a risk taker or a wait-and-see type. “Some kids have an ‘I can do anything!’ mentality and want to get up and get going as soon as they discover it’s an option,” says Laura Jana, MD, author of Heading Home with Your Newborn. “They don’t worry about falls.” Others don’t want to start walking until they are sure they can do so fairly well. These children may turn out to be more cautious and contemplative.

Walking can also be influenced by

Size

Bigger babies often walk later because they need more strength to get upright than a smaller baby does.

Recurrent Ear Infections

“If a child is 16 months or older and isn’t walking, we ask about illnesses. An ear infection can throw off baby’s balance and delay walking,” Jensen says.

Birth Order

A baby with an older sib may be motivated to walk earlier because he wants to keep up — and imitate what the big kid is doing.

Don’t freak if she prefers crawling

It’s not uncommon for babies to alternate between crawling and walking. If your baby sees something across the room that requires her immediate attention, she may get down on all fours. It’s like she’s thinking, I have to get there stat. Walking is going to take way too long.

Stopping is hard

Once they get going, the next challenge is figuring out how to stop. “We say beginning walkers ‘fall’ into their steps,” says Jensen. Each step has more force than an adult’s because newbies don’t bend their knees or use a heel-toe motion, both of which absorb some of the impact. They haven’t figured out how to break their forward momentum by stopping with one foot and bringing the trailing foot to meet it. Their way of stopping? Falling. “Usually it goes step, step, fall,” Jensen says.

Barefoot is best

Babies learn to walk more easily if they don’t wear shoes, because bare feet allow direct contact with the floor. When you go on outings, of course, baby needs some shoes. Look for a pair with flexible soles — you should be able to fold the shoe in half. Once she’s walking outside, get a pair with skids.

Walking changes everything!

“Getting around on his own allows your child to interact and explore the world in a whole new way,” Dr. Jana says. “It opens all sorts of new possibilities.” She adds that having a mobile, walking child really changes everything for parents, too, in terms of keeping kids safe and entertained. “The adjustment to having a toddler is a new milestone of parenthood!”

Benefits of Baby Push Walkers

Improves Motor Skills

This is the earliest time when the child starts having notions of moving. At this time, you need to help support the child by providing the push toy. It helps them build up their motor skills and gives them a sense of movement and coordination. The more help they get from these toys, the faster they can generate their motor skills and hence start walking.

Develops Imagination

You need your baby to be curious and imaginative. What could be the better way to stimulate their imagination than through such toys? It helps to boost your child’s self-esteem and skills which he has already developed, like lifting one foot while balancing other at the same time.

Learn More

Most of the modern day push walkers have other toys that come built in with them. These toys can be the blocks to make or a whole new activity center for your kid. These toys will help them rejuvenate their imagination.

These are some of the benefits of the best baby push walkers and why you need them for your child.

Find the perfect toy for a baby boy that will be loved for years to come at these leading online retailers.

Looking for a toy for a baby boy? You’re spoiled for choice. There is a wealth of high-quality and user-friendly online retailers offering toys to cuddle and toys that teach.

All babies need lots of stimulation to help develop their motor skills, language skills and emotional responses. Brightly coloured toys that are soft to touch, safe to use and excite imaginations are perfect for these early years.

Best Toys and Gifts for 6 Month Old Babies

At six months old, your baby is ready to play almost any time. Grabbing things and exploring textures, tastes, sights and sounds, as well as crawling all over the place, are favorite activities at this age. The following toys are fun for babies who are still learning those important developmental skills, and will be fun for many months to come. These are great gifts for holidays, too.

Skip Hop Treetop Friends Hug and Hide Owl

This sweet toy from Skip Hop is like two toys in one. A big, wide-eyed owl hugs a smaller owl inside its wings. When you open the wings, you can take the small owl out of a pocket for play time, but it’s tethered to the big owl so it doesn’t get lost. Inside the wings you’ll find a tiny mirror, and fun textures and sounds. The big owl’s “feet” are two different kinds of teething toys, so baby can gnaw on whichever feels best.

Melissa and Doug Bug Jug

This adorable themed toy set has a lot of playtime options for baby. Little ones will love the traditional “fill it up and dump it out” aspect of this toy set. As your baby grows, you can tell stories about the bug characters as you play, and baby can feel the silky, crinkly and fuzzy textures on the bug toys, and learn how to squeak and rattle them.

Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Smart Screen Laptop

Your baby wants to do the same things you do, so a tiny little laptop is a fantastic toy that lets your little one work alongside you. This laptop has songs and the alphabet instead of a word processor, though. At under $20, it’s a great bargain, too.

Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Baby’s First Blocks

This toy is simple, but offers plenty of entertainment for your baby. The colorful blocks fit into the shape sorter openings in the lid, so they disappear, only to reappear when the lid is opened. The container has a little handle, so it can be used as a bucket for hauling around other small toys, too. This is an inexpensive, battery-free toy that babies will love for years.

Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy

Babies love music, and parents love virtually everything Baby Einstein has to offer. The Baby Einstein Musical Toy plays 7 baby friendly classical melodies, and it’s very colorful. The big pieces are easy for babies to grasp, and the large buttons are easy for babies to press. The company’s baby learning toys, like this one, promote auditory development and music appreciation.

VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker

To help babies to walk and develop leg strength, the VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker can’t be beaten. It’s an interactive learning tool that features a removable toddler play panel to help your baby hone in on their fine motor skills. While they’re busy playing, they’re also working on those baby leg muscles that’ll help them stand on their own, eventually. For now, they’ll be happy to lean on this fun toy.

FocuSun Playpen Ball Pit

For endless amounts of fun, the FocuSun Playpen Ball Pit is a great choice when looking at baby gifts. It’s very colorful, and it gives your baby a little bit of independent space.

With a sea of choices in store aisles, parents often have trouble finding the best bath toys for their babies or toddlers. Make your baby look forward to bath time and inspire your child to use his or her imagination. The best way to tap into those fun make-believe moments is to choose simple, non-electronic bath toys that let your child drive the action.

A key part of any baby’s routine, bathtime is the bit of the day where you can finally all relax and have some fun before it’s time for bed.

Rather than make it a chore, inspire their imagination with our pick of the best bath toys.

We tried and tested every one of these to make sure they really are the splishiest, splashiest fun money can buy. Just add bubbles.

Imaginative Play at Bath Time

“Play is so important in the social, mental, physical, and emotional development of children,” says Vicki Panaccione, PhD, a child psychologist and founder of the Better Parenting Institute.

“Toys that do too much don’t allow a child to use her own imagination. Dolls and stuffed animals that talk or sing or direct kids to press certain buttons essentially take charge of the play situation when the child should be the one directing the action. When a toy is too specific, it’s limiting and it denies the child the ability to use her imagination,” says Panaccione. Choose simple, age-appropriate toys that allow your child to be creative and spontaneous.”

We designed the Oball bath line to be some of the best bath toys for baby. Even the most inexperienced little fingers can easily fit into the geometric holes, so baby can grasp them at an early age. When baby can pick up and grasp toys, play time can become much more fun and engaging. Here are our suggestions for incorporating Oball Bath Toys into baby’s play.

BABY’S FIRST TOY DUCK FOR BATH TIME

The rubber ducky at bath time is a classic favorite. But this isn’t your average rubber ducky! O-Duckie™ Bath Toy has unique, geometric holes that little fingers just can’t resist, and yet, it still floats! Those holes mean this little ducky drains and dries completely, and helps you fight mildew because they are dishwasher safe!

Splash And Pour Toys Make Bath Time More Fun

The sound and feel of splashing are great sensations for little ones. The Scoop ‘n Spill™ Bath Toy includes stackable cups with perfectly-sized geometric holes so baby can pick up, scoop, pour and spill to their heart’s delight.

Tubby Scoop Friends™ lets baby scoop and pour water out of a little whale-shaped pitcher. This bath time kit includes a sinkable star fish, a turtle with a shell that paddles, and an octopus that squirts!

Wind-Up Toys For Baby’s Bath

The Tubmarine™ Bath Toy floats through the water, powered by a fun, wind up propeller. This little yellow submarine will help your baby’s imagination soar as baby discovers how things float, dive and move in water.

With the right toys, bath time becomes the perfect time to imagine and create those memorable moments of interaction between you and baby. These bath toys are sure to make a splash!

Munchkin Caterpillar Spillers

Here’s proof that sometimes the simplest of toys can be the most fun – link, stack, pour, and strain water through these seven coloured cups. And when bathtime’s over, they conveniently nest neatly together. These are also great for playing in sand, and we loved shining a torch at each cup to make patterns on the ceiling. From nine months.

VTech Bubble Blowing Whale

Anything to do with bubbles is going to be a hit with little ones. So a bath toy that secures to your tiles and actually blows bubbles is definitely going to be a popular choice. And this one blows bubbles in time to five different chirpy, sing-a-long songs for your child to pick from. It doesn’t come with bubble solution but your good old baby bubble bath will do. From 12 months.

Elmer The Elephant Bath Toy

Based on the hugely popular series of children’s books about a patchwork elephant, this soft toy is made of quick-drying fabric, but is well-suited to bathtime. Fill Elmer The Elephant up and squirt water from her trunk, teaching about children cause and effect. From 12 months.

Tub Tunes Water Flutes

Let your toddler create music in the bath tub with Alex Tub Tunes Water Flutes. Fill each flute up with various amounts of water and listen to the tunes your toddlers has to play.

Duck Stacking Bath Toys

This adorable set of three colorful ducks float and allow your toddler to pour for endless bath fun! The Dunck bath toys also double as rinse cups for washing off soap or shampoo. It’s a win-win!

When it is time to celebrate that milestone first birthday, our extensive inventory of top toys for 1 year olds covers a wide range of themes. We offer ride-ons, plush, games, pretend play, and so much more. You will find 1 year old toys that entertain, engage, and even help little ones develop essential sensory, fine motor, and thinking skills. Brands such as Fisher-Price, Playskool, and Vtech create durable, child-safe toys. Whether your angel can not get enough of Peppa Pig, Minnie Mouse, or Paw Patrol, you will be able to find the perfect toys for a 1 year old that will bring a smile to his or her face.

How your 1-month-old might play now:

• Your baby can see objects 8-10 inches away but can’t make out details or the full color spectrum
• He follows objects slowly with his eyes over very short distances
• She mimics simple facial expressions and, when someone speaks to her, looks intently
• He’s startled by loud or unexpected noises
• Her fists are closed

Toys and Playing tips

Soothers

Calm down. Help your baby learn to self-regulate—to stop crying and calm down. A soother with gentle sounds, music and sights helps baby understand when it’s time to wind down and go to sleep.

See that? Point out the motion and lights to help baby focus on them.

So peaceful. Switch through the sound settings until you find one that’s especially soothing to you and baby, then take a few minutes for yourself: listening to the soothing sounds as baby drifts off can be a peaceful time for you, too.

Mobiles

Music, please. Extend the benefits offered by a mobile’s music by playing music for baby at other times of the day and in different settings.

Sing or hum along. You’ll find that as you do, your baby becomes more vocal too.

What do you see? Try looking at the mobile from baby’s point of view. Change its position once in a while, or change your baby’s position so she gets a new view.

Make the connection. Right from the start, your baby will listen to and respond to your voice. Use this connection to point things out about the mobile—the colors, the movement, the characters that dangle from it.

Infant play gyms

What do you see? Get down at floor level to get baby’s view of overhead toys. This will help you know where to position her for the best vantage point. Change your baby’s position every once in a while to freshen the view.

Play together to encourage communication and add fun to playtime. Pick a time when baby is in an active play mode, not sleepy or hungry or overly stimulated. You’ll be able to tell; if the toy looks too busy for him at the moment, he’ll close his eyes.

Talk about it. To help your baby learn there’s a connection between words and actions, move the parts and talk about them as you go: “Shake-shake-shake. See the silly little face smiling at you?”

Hum or sing along to the music on the gym and point out light-up features. The more you talk to your baby and directly engage him, the more you’re benefiting his development.

Portable toys

Colors and high-contrast patterns are a great way to stimulate your baby’s visual sense. Point out the colors and name the animals; even though your baby won’t understand the meaning yet, she’ll learn that she can switch her focus, too.

Did you hear that? If a toy plays sounds, take advantage of this opportunity to stimulate your baby’s sense of hearing. Take baby’s hands in yours and gently clap them together to the music. Make expressive faces as you playfully sing along or imitate the sounds.

Teething Toys

Nuby Icybite Hard/Soft Teething Keys

Skills developed: Motor skills

Nuby Icybite Hard/Soft Teething Keys are well-designed for assisting in the eruption of the middle, front, and back teeth.

The teether is made perfect with the multi-surface teething.

Little hands can easily grip the teether that helps with coordination.

The BPA-free toy offers exercise for the little hands, teeth, and gums.

The Nuby teether has areas filled with pûrICE. The cool resilient surface is designed to soothe and stimulate sore gums safely. It can stay colder, longer than water filled teether!

Moms Trust Baby Infant Toddler Teething Teether With Pacifier Clip Belt And Gum Sore Pain Relief Silicone Massager Set 6 pack

Skills developed: Cognitive skills

The silicone fruit shaped, perfectly sized, and lightweight teethers allow your babies to handle them quickly.

You can keep your little one busy for hours with the bright colors and the pliable beads and bumps.

They help to relieve the baby from gum soreness.

You can even ensure the oral hygiene of your baby with the easy to clean dishwasher and freezer-safe set.

Developmental Toys

VTech Baby Talk and Go Farm Rattle

Skills developed: cognitive skills, sensory development

VTech Baby Talk and Go Farm Rattle is a perfect interactive toy that introduces animals and colors to the baby through a funny peek-a-boo game.

The motion sensor in the toy activates melodies and sound effects.

The flashing lights of the car seat toy attract baby’s attention and encourage interaction.

Three farm buttons play animal sounds and short tunes, while three dangling pieces introduce animal names as well as colors.

The baby can enjoy more than 40 sing-along songs, fun phrases, and melodies. The take-along fun toy has easy grab handle.

By flipping the three dangling animal pieces, the baby develops motor skills.

Auditory stimulation helps develop and stimulate the little one’s senses, discriminate sounds, fun sound effects, sing-along songs, relaxing or exciting voices.

VTech Baby Beep and Go Baby Keys

Skills developed: Motor skills, sensory skills

The electronic motion sensor in the toy activates melodies and fun sounds. Teether plays fun car sounds when the motion is detected.

The baby can enjoy over 30 songs, sounds, melodies, and phrases.

Play songs and fun horns are heard when the colorful buttons are tapped.

Three keys of the toy light up when pushed. The diaper bag toy is easy to grab for the little hands.

Playful sounds, colorful textures, and buttons stimulate the baby’s senses.