A stage-by-stage guide to the toys that kept my baby happy, engaged, and gave me a few precious minutes of peace.
Sections
4
0-4 Months: Sensory & Soothing
4-8 Months: Grabbing & Teething
8-12 Months: Crawling & Exploring
Bonus: Toys That Grow With Baby
0-4 Months: Sensory & Soothing
High-contrast, crinkly, and cozy toys that made tummy time less of a battle and kept tiny hands busy.
She was so amazed with these, and they definitely helped her spatial awareness early on!
Infinno High Contrast Baby Rattle Socks Set
Has different developmental “zones” - tons of options so tummy time wasn’t so torturous 😂
Blissful Diary Baby Play Gym & Activity Mat
It’s just so cute when they smile at themselves 🥺🥺🥺
Soft Tummy Time Book w/ Baby Safe Mirror
Our favorite of the crinkle books. Engages both touch & sound!
beiens Touch & Feel Crinkle Cloth Book for Baby
Adorable & helped with bedtime/nap scaries (for the both of us 😂)
Fisher-Price Soothe 'n Snuggle Otter Sound Machine
I actually got this whole set as a gift for my friend after my baby LOVED the cards. She used to smile and laugh and talk to them, it was adorable! 🥺
Joyreal Black & White Baby Sensory Toys
4-8 Months: Grabbing & Teething
The chewable, stackable, bang-on-the-floor favorites that survived endless drool and kept my baby entertained.
A teething must have! Kept this one in the diaper bag.
Itzy Ritzy Teensy Tube Teether Pink Rainbow
Especially good when they’re little, but we kept using this and even put teethers in it that didn’t really fit 😂
Frida Baby 4-in-1 Silicone Teething Toy
This was our favorite until the dog chewed it up 😭
Nuby NanaNubs Banana Baby Toothbrush Pink
Have these on a constant rotation… and still do at 18 months!
Infantino Water Teethers 3-Pack Lime & Pink
Suctions to the high chair - perfect as a distraction while cooking!
Sassy Teethe & Twirl 2-in-1 High Chair Toy
We used this to introduce new foods and textures. Our fave was avocado 🥑
Frida Baby Push Pop Feeder, 3 Count, Teal
Shakers were such a hit at this age! (And still are honestly haha)
weirtoya 2PCS Baby Rattles Teething Toys 0-6M
Don’t ask me why, I don’t get it. All I know is that she LOVED this to explore with her mouth 😂 and throwing! We still use it just for fun these days.
Bright Starts Oball Easy Grasp Classic Ball
8-12 Months: Crawling & Exploring
Push, pull, stack, and sort—the toys that fueled curiosity (and gave me glimpses of my baby girls personality shining through).
Some babies (like mine) needed a little push to start crawling - this gave some incentive 😂
control future Baby Girl Tummy Time Toy
Goes with the kick and play gym 😂
Fisher-Price Purple Monkey Musical Storybook
We realized we needed these when she drooled all over our fan remote and broke it 😂😂
ERSIHUA 2-Pack Silicone Fire TV Remote Teethers
Tons of things you can do with this! Yet another toy we still use.
Aprilwolf 7-in-1 Montessori Activity Cube
A super simple favorite for her growing mind!
Sassy Stacks of Circles STEM Toy, 9 Pc
Bonus: Toys That Grow With Baby
A few MVPs that stuck around for months, evolving with each new milestone and stage.
I promise it’s worth the investment! We still use the table in our playroom ❤️
Skip Hop Baby Activity Center 3-Stage, 4mo+
Absolutely worth the hype. I have pictures with her playing with this at every stage - she still uses the keyboard at almost 18 months!
Fisher-Price Glow & Grow Kick & Play Piano Gym
We used this when we sleep trained and we still use it every night. Buy at least 3 for rotation and in case one gets lost!
Mary Meyer Lovey Soft Toy 13" Oatmeal Bunny
It’s perfect for encouraging walking, but the toys are the front are fun too! We bought the same one and had amazing customer service as well when the paint was chipped on one of the clouds, they sent a whole new one!
