Babies change in the blink of an eye. One day, they’re too young to be interested in any of the toys you bought, and in just a few months they’re too old be interested in those exact same toys. It’s kind of exasperating. Whether you’re buying gifts for your sister’s baby shower, your bff’s baby shower, or you’re stocking up for the arrival of your own bundle of joy, these 37 toys won’t just gather dust in the closet. We’ve curated a list of toys for each development stage up to a year and a half—and they’re all a click away on Amazon.
Newborns: Learning Through Play Up to 3 Months
Play is so much more than fun and games for new babies—it’s serious business for newborns because it’s how they learn about the world around them. At times, it might feel like your brand new baby isn’t doing a whole lot more than just lying there flapping their arms, but they’re watching, they’re listening, and they’re learning a lot from their surroundings. These toys are great for babies under the age of three months because they stimulate their developing senses. Some play music, some rattle, and some have bright colors that will encourage new babies to use their developing vision.
1. A Brightly Colored Rattle That is Sure to Catch Their Eye
Your newborn will spend a lot of time watching the world around them. This Butterfly Hanging Rattle Toy by Macik can be clipped onto the handle of their carseat or attached to the overhead arch of a playpen. Bright pieces and patterned fabrics will catch your baby’s eyes. As your baby develops, he or she can begin to bat at the hanging pieces, squeeze at crinkling wings, and hear the body squeak when it’s squeezed.
2. A Colorful Toy for Grabbing and Shaking
If you’ve ever played with a newborn, you’ve probably noticed how they reflexively wrap their fingers around yours the instant your touch their palm. This is called the palmar grasp reflex, which develops in the womb and continues for months after birth. This reflex makes a lightweight shaker like this Winkel Rattle and Sensory Toy perfect for a newborn baby. Place it in their palm and watch as they shake it, stare at it, and even draw it to their mouth to gum on it from time to time. The plastic loops of this toy are BPA-free, making them perfectly safe for teething babes. As your baby grows older, they can learn to use both hands to play with this toy and may even begin transferring the toy from hand to hand.
3. A Mobile That Encourages Visual Development
After a baby is born, their eyesight is constantly developing and changing. This Wimmer-Ferguson Infant Mobile is made specifically with those early days of vision development in mind. Small, reversible cards hang from the mobile. One side is black and white, perfect for those earliest weeks, while the other side is brightly colored. This is a travel-size mobile, so you can hang it from their carseat, a stroller, or just dangle it over their head with your hands. Watch your baby’s eyes light up and follow the mobile as it moves and spins.
4. An Interactive Toy That Encourages Language Acquisition
Your baby might not be spouting off words anytime soon, but language learning begins early, and it’s all about their interactions with you. Babies are always learning, and toys that encourage that learning through parent-child interaction are great for any age. My First Words Stacked Toy is decorated with bright pictures and common first words. Because this toy is made from non-toxic cloth, your baby can grab it, shake it, and put it in their mouth without any reason for you to worry. Individual cubes can be pulled out and stacked back together, and handles allow for young infants to easily grasp at this lightweight toy.
5. A Mid-Priced Mobile for Crib Play
Babies are surprisingly great at playing alone from a very young age. A mobile is a great way to eliminate worry while giving mom a bit of a break.. Simply lay your baby in their crib, switch on the mobile, and leave them to stare at their toy while you take a few minutes for yourself. This Tiny Love Take Along Mobile is decorated with sweet little animals in bright colors to catch your baby’s eyes. The animals spin slowly when the mobile is turned on, accompanied by music that plays for 30 minutes at a time. It’s available in four different colors like “Animal Friends” in blue and “Tiny Princess Tales” in pink and grey.
6. A Baby Night Light for Bedtime Soothing
Keeping a newborn asleep is no easy task, especially if you have older kids at home! This sound machine is a multi-tasker, providing soothing melodies and white noise to drown out background noise and encourage sound sleep. In addition to music and sounds, this owl-shaped night light shines stars and moons on the wall or ceiling, giving your baby a little something to watch while they rest in their crib. In addition to the original owl, the Baby Soother and Sound Machine is also available as an elephant or smaller, less expensive, portable owl.
7. A Musical Mobile that Plays 60 Songs
Before they are even born, babies can hear what is going on around them. Know this, it isn’t surprising that babies love to listen to music from such a young age. This Plush Musical Mobile is just right for those first few months of a baby’s life. Available in ten different sizes, little plush characters made from non-toxic materials include bears, poodles, and bunnies. With 60 different songs, your baby can listen to music for an hour without hearing the same song twice.
8. A Subscription Box That Grows With Baby
When you simply can’t make up your mind on the best toys for your baby’s development stage, there’s a fun subscription box that does to decision-making for you. Lovevery is a bi-monthly subscription service that delivers handpicked toys for your baby every other month. A box called “The Looker” is delivered for babies up to 8 weeks, and toys included in the box are focused on that specific development stage. You’ll find a silicon rattle, black and white picture cards with a standing card holder, a wooden book, and soft blanket. You can subscribe on the Lovevery website to get your box, or you can purchase individual items like this well-reviewed play gym on Amazon.
Moving and Shaking From 3 to 6 Months
From 3 to 6 months, your baby is going to focus on movement like it’s their job—because it kind of is! During this phase of development, you’ll notice skills that are the foundation for crawling and walking. Your baby will learn to hold his or her neck up when on their chest, they’ll roll over, and they might even start sitting up with a little extra assistance. Your baby will also become increasingly social and thoughtful in his play, so eat it up! Look for toys that encourage movement and can be used for social play between you and baby.
9. Stackable Cups for Child-Parent Play
Your baby may not be able to stack cups just yet, but they’ll be learning soon. Remember, babies learn a lot from watching their parents, and interactive play is a great way to create a strong bond. These stacking cups are a classic childhood toy, and at $3.99 they’re a purchase you’ll never regret making. Each of the eight cups are a different, fun color. Encourage color recognition by naming the colors as you stack and see if you can get a giggle by knocking the tower over when you’re through.
10. A Set of Teethers for Play on The Go
If you haven’t noticed it already, you will soon—toys that can fit in your baby’s mouth will double as teethers during this phase of life. Not only does gumming on toys help relieve teething pain, it is actually one way babies explore their world. Provide them with safe and clean teething options at home and on the go. This set of nine baby toys, rattles, and teethers by Beebeerun is perfect for stocking up. Keep a giraffe rattle in the diaper bag, a set of keys in the carseat, and a butterfly grip in the living room! This set is made from BPA-free plastic. Bright, primary colors make them fun to look at, too.
11. A Musical Toy That is Perfectly Huggable
There’s no doubt that babies love music! This Musical Caterpillar Toy is perfect for ages 3 to 6 months because it’s made from plush, which is great for babies learning to grasp and pick up objects. In addition to the eye-catching colors and interesting patterns that will grab your baby’s attention, this little guy also has cheeks that light up when the music plays. The toy can be used for parent and child play or by baby alone in their playpen.
12. An Interactive That Encourages Baby to Kick and Play
One of the best ways to encourage babies to learn to move is to give them plenty of time on the floor to play. A baby gym is a great way to do just that, with plenty to look at and interact with while they kick their feet, wave their hands, and work on rolling over. This Baby Kick and Gym Play Mat has a soft, colorful mat with fun toys dangling from an overhead arch, so baby can lie on their back and reach up to touch the toys. What really sets this play mat apart is a keyboard at the foot of the mat. Your baby can kick their feet at the keys, making music while they play.
13. A Walker When Baby is Ready to Get on the Move
Your baby might not be ready to take off walking, but once they have control of their head and neck, they’ll love to be upright. This Baby Einstein Baby Neptune Walker gives them a chance to push up on their legs while supporting their back. A ship’s wheel, a turtle, and colorful rings are on the tray—these will hold your baby’s interest while they hang out in the walker, and parents can turn music on an off with a switch on the front. As baby’s legs get stronger, this walker actually moves, allowing them to push around your house.
Sitting and Standing From 6 to 12 Months
After 6 months, your baby will start to figure out how to sit on their own. It won’t be long before they’re crawling, too. Babies this age will become much more aware of their surroundings and will start to mimic the noises or actions you make. Every day, their hand-eye coordination will improve and toys that didn’t interest them before will get their attention. Check out these developmentally appropriate toys perfectly suited for your newly moving baby.
14. A Toy for a Safer, More Fun Bath
Once your baby is sitting, bath time is a lot of fun, but it can also be a little nerve-wracking. It seems like the littlest slip could result in a bumped head or bruised arm, and the waterspout is often the culprit behind minor bathtub injuries. This Skip Hop Moby Bath Cover solves that problem, and it’s super cute. The adorable little whale slips onto the spout, protecting your baby from the hard metal. Your baby will also love looking at and reaching for this soft plastic bath toy that is built to fit on most waterspouts, no matter their style or size.
15. A Soft Book for Language Learning
It’s never too early to read to your baby! Early reading is important to language learning and sets the foundation for strong readers later in life. This soft book features a stuffed puppy on the front and each page has an interactive activity for you and your baby to do together. Your baby will enjoy exploring different textures, looking at themselves in a mini mirror, and playing with a mouse’s squeaky ears.
16. A Teether That Encourages Baby to Self-Sooth
Teething is hard on both baby and parents. Sometimes it feels like nothing you do gives them relief from their discomfort, and sometimes you simply need a break! This Self-Soothing Teething Mitt can slip onto your baby’s hand, allowing them to chew at the rubber fingers as long and as often as they like. Bumps and ridges for added pain relief line the fingers, which are made from BPA-free, food-grade silicon. A strap around the wrist secures the glove in place. This teething mitt is available in five different colors, including green, blue, and pink.
17. A Stroller Attachment for Playtime On The Go
Sometimes you need a new option for keeping your baby entertained on the go, and this Spiral Rattle and Activity toy is a fun one that is perfect for ages 6 to 12 months. With its flexible, spiral shape, this toy can easily be attached to a stroller, carseat handle, or even the side of their crib. A variety of toys dangle from the spiral, including a mirror, a rattle, a squeaking toy, and a crinkle paper toy. This toy is available in six different colors and themes, including rainbow fruits, pastel birds, and a blue and red dog.
18. A Repetitive Game Your Baby Will Love
There’s nothing quite as fun as watching your baby develop the skills to engage with more challenging toys. Babies this age love repetition and your newly sitting baby will love dropping a ball in this Whirl n’ Go Ball Tower over and over again. Three balls containing rattling beads are included for baby to watch drop from level to level off the track. Each level is a different color and the entire toy pulls apart easily for storage.
19. A Jumper for Tiring Out an Energetic Baby
As babies get older, it seems they start to get bored and frustrated with being immobile. Toys that help them stay upright and move often are great for keeping them entertained during long days at home. This Doorway Bumper Jumper by Graco is a bestseller on Amazon with 2,436 reviews and 4.5 stars. Once your baby has good neck and head control, you can place them in a padded seat with a high back so they can swing and jump to their heart’s content. Move the jumper from doorway to doorway as you need to move throughout your home without worries about leaving marks on your walls thanks to a no-mark clamp.
20. A Music Table for Standing Play
Introduce your baby to music, and show them they can make music themselves. They can sit or stand at this Musical Learning Table while beating on a light-up drum, punching at keys, or twirling rotating musical gears. Since this toy can be broken down and strapped to the crib, it works for several phases of your baby’s life from sitting to crawling to eventually standing.
21. A Musical Toy That Encourages Walking
This Amazon’s Choice Laugh & Learn Smart Walker gives your baby two options for interactive play. Before they learn to pull up and walk, you can place them in front of the walker to hit light-up musical buttons, flip through a book of ABCs, or spin a rattling ball. As they grow older, they can pull up on the handle and use it to balance as they test out their first steps. This toy plays 75 different songs and noises and has seven different activities for seated play.
22. A Moving Toy for Crawling Practice
During this phase of development, many babies learn to crawl. Once they’re on the move, there’s no slowing them down! This Follow Me Fred moving toy by Tiny Love is perfect for this new phase of your baby’s life. Turn it on, clear a bath, and let your newly moving babe follow it around the house. This fun, moving toy is an Amazon’s Choice produce and available in two different colors. It runs on AA batteries, which aren’t included with the initial purchase.
23. A Toy That Will Keep Their Interest as They Grow
Because babies change rapidly, it often feels like they quickly grow out of toys. This Wooden Activity Cube by Battat is perfect for a developing baby because it includes many activities suitable for kids at different stages of infanthood. As your baby learns to sit, they can bat at twirling animals and open and close tiny toys. As they start to pull themselves up, they can balance on the sides and move wooden beads through a metal maze. With a different activity on each of the four sides of this cube, it’s certain to be a favorite toy for many months.
Social and Interactive Play from 12s to 18 Months
Your baby is officially a year old, and you can expect to be amazed by how quickly they change and develop over the next several months. If they’re not walking just yet, they will be soon, and their capacity for figuring out challenging games and toys will increase over time. Look for toys that are interactive and slightly more complex than a noise maker or rattle. These Amazon picks are perfect for your babbling, toddling babe.
24. A Classic Toy That Never Goes Out of Style
This classic hands-on toy is a favorite on Amazon and has over 1,000 reviews and 4.5 stars. Animals hide behind doors that pop open when your baby slides a lever, flips a switch, pushes a button, or turns a key. This Playskool Busy Poppin’ Pals is one of those toys that every baby will enjoy. Save it for another baby when they grow out of it or pass it along to family or friends. Amazon gives purchasers the option to save $11 by opting for simple “frustration-free” packaging.
25. An Opportunity for Pretend Play
Your baby likely sees you on your phone often, so it’s no wonder they’re interested in pretending to do the same. Give them their own miniature cell phone and prepare yourself for just how adorable their pretend conversations will be. The contoured shape of this phone is just the right fit for small hands. With ten number buttons and multiple modes, this phone is surprisingly complex. Switch from talking mode, to songs, to tones, and adjust the volume as needed. The Jeacy Music Phone for Baby is available in yellow, blue, and green.
26. An Educational Toy for Learning Minds
Talk about options! This multi-sided educational toy has 15 different interactive games, perfect for curious minds. On one side, a miniature steering wheel and turning key allow for pretend driving. Another side features a small phone, a flip puzzle, and a switch for turning on music. The Education Activity Center Cube can easily be used for independent play for your baby or you can participate with your baby, encouraging them by pointing out colors, shapes, and animals on the toy.
27. A Toy That Mimics Real Life
Your baby is walking and talking, and they’re learning a lot from mimicking everything you do. Encourage their love of pretend play with this Little Tikes Shopping Cart. Not only is this an activity so many babies love to act out during their play time, it’s a great way for them to steady themselves as they work on brand new walking skills. This red and yellow shopping cart has a tiny seat in the front, perfect for your baby’s favorite stuffie to tag along on their next shopping trip. It’s an Amazon Bestseller with over 1,000 reviews and 4.5 stars.
28. A Grow-With-Me Trike for Outdoor Play
Get your baby outdoors with this Radio Flyer 4-in-1 Stroll n’ Trike. The amazing thing about this trike is that it works for babies as young as 9 months and as old as 5 years. Smaller babies can be placed in the infant trike, secured with a three-point harness. Once they’re ready to move up, the trike converts to allow baby to do the steering while an adult pushes using a set of handles. Eventually, the steering handles can be removed and baby can take off on their own.
29. A Toy Set for Loads of Bathtub Fun
Your baby is getting steadier in the bath, making it more fun for the both of you. Now that you’re not obsessing as much about keeping them upright, add a few toys for a little bath time play. This set of floating marine toys with a net is tons of fun. Each of the six animal figurines is made from soft plastic, so they’re easy for your baby to fill with water and squeeze to squirt back in the water—or at you!. Baby can pretend to go fishing for their marine friends with the adorable blue net.
30. A Classic Children’s Toy That Belongs in Every Nursery
Shape-sorting toys have been around for ages, and for good reason. Babies love this interactive learning game and their parents love the skills babies learn while they play. Each of the 12 included shapes fit in a matching hole in a wooden cube, teaching kids problem solving, shape recognition, and color recognition. The Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube is a favorite in the world of shape sorting games with 1,239 reviews and four stars. This is a toy your baby will love playing with, and you’ll love how it looks on the shelf in their nursery.
31. The Perfect Crayons for Tiny Hands
It’s hard to believe it, but that little baby that was awkwardly grasping at teething toys months ago is ready to learn big kid skills, like coloring with crayons. Typically sized crayons can be hard to grasp, but these My First Grip Crayola Crayons are just right for perfecting that grip. Six different colors are included in this set, and each of the crayons are shaped like eggs, making them easier to hold onto than smaller crayons.
32. A Colorful Toy for Repetitious Play
Your baby probably won’t grow out of their love of repetitive play anytime soon, so games like this wooden racetrack by Top Bright will keep their interest for a long time. It’s one of those toys that is so high-quality and so much fun for your baby, you just know it’s going to get hours and hours of play. Made from durable high-quality wood, the cars can be parked in a parking lot at the top of the tower or given a gentle nudge to race down ramps.
33. A Fun Little Toy for Walking From Room to Room
Your newly walking baby is going to love walking this musical doll from room to room in your house. A sweet little plastic puppy rolls on bright blue wheels, playing music each time your baby gives it a push or pull. When your baby pushes the colorful buttons on the side, music plays, and the puppy’s nose lights up. Let your baby roam with this rolling toy or settle in on the floor to use it to teach colors, numbers, and even different parts of the body.
34. A Set for Stacking, Knocking Over, and Stacking Again
The stage of development when babies start to learn to build towers and crash them over again and again is so dang fun! This Mega Bloks 80 Piece Building Blocks is the only bag of blocks you’ll ever need. At this age, this is a toy that is perfect for baby-parent play. Over the coming months, however, they’ll learn to build towers and structures all on their own for independent play. Durable and stackable blocks fill this affordable bag of toys.
35. A Toy That Goes and Goes and Goes
By now, your baby might be making fun little sounds to go along with their play. Teach them “Vroom! Vroom!” and watch with delight as they push these rattling toys around the floors in your home. The O Ball Rattle & Roll Cars are small enough for baby to grab onto with one hand, but big enough to feel safe for a baby who is still putting things in their mouth. Small holes in the top of the car are perfect for getting a good grip and tiny balls rattle in the wheels at the base of the car.
36. A Picture Book for Teaching First Words
It’s hard to believe it, but the time for talking has finally arrived! Encourage your baby as he or she tries out new words with the First 100 Words book by Priddy Baby. Pictures of real-life objects fill the pages accompanied by ext of the names of each object. Since its a board book, your baby can easily grasp and flip the pages themselves, or you can read it together for fun parent-child play.
37. A Moveable, Storable Playhouse You’ll Both Love
Whether you live in a small house or simply like to keep an uncluttered space, you’ve probably already noticed that kids’ toys take up a lot of room! Keep clutter under control with a moveable and storable playhouse for your crawling and walking baby. This Indoor and Outdoor Car Playhouse from Anyshock easily pops open to fill with balls. Once your baby is through, you can tear down the brightly colored toy for easy storage anywhere in your home.
