Best Baby Toys by Age
Written by: Iris Lucia | Last update: 9 january 2022
Babies develop at lightning speed. By development phase
View my selection of the best baby toys by age:
0-3 months
Bath oil
3 to 6 months
Bath oil
6 to 9 months
Bath oil
9 to 12 months
Bath oil
0 to 3 months
In the first month, a baby does not feel the need to play. Your baby gets a lot of stimuli and still has to get used to life outside the belly. You as a parent also have to get used to a new baby. A baby (especially in the first month) really enjoys having skin-to-skin contact and looking at daddy and/or mommy.
From the second month on, a baby starts to show more interest in the outside world. By this I mean, for example, looking at the light, lifting his head and looking at great contrasts. For the latter there are very nice baby books. These are contrast books for babies. Your baby now sees the colors red and green instead of just black and white.
When a baby is 2 or 3 months old, he will start to grab. This is a good time to put 1 or 2 toys in the box. Babies often like it when something makes a sound. Think of a rattle, crackle book or a cuddle with a little jingle. In the first months a baby can only concentrate on 1 thing at a time. So it is best to alternate the toys and teach 1 toy.
0 to 3 months
Rattle
0 to 3 months
Contrast book
0 to 3 months
Crinkle booklet
3 to 6 months
Your baby is developing at breakneck speed. Babies from 3 months want more and more challenges, because they have seen a bit of lying and looking! Your baby will try to turn around and has good control of his neck muscles and therefore he can already keep his back straight. Playing on your lap is now also very nice for your baby. Playing games together like hopping back and forth to the beat of a song is great! Babies now also often enjoy looking in the mirror with you. If you do this regularly, he will start to recognize himself. Your baby has much more power in his hands than before. To encourage his hand-eye coordination, hold a toy in front of his face and wait for your baby to grab the toy.
3 to 6 months
Mirror
3 to 6 months
toy
3 to 6 months
Bath oil
6 to 9 months
From 6 months, your baby will learn to sit. When your baby can sit, he will discover a whole new way of playing. Everything is viewed from a new perspective. Your baby is now well under control of grabbing and repacking toys. Now is a good time to introduce blocks. Your baby is not yet ready to stack and build with the blocks, but grabbing, transferring and throwing blocks is already a great exercise for fine motor skills. Just make sure you don’t have any valuables nearby!
6 to 9 months
Blocks
6 to 9 months
Spiral rings
6 to 9 months
Block box
9 to 12 months
Your baby is becoming more and more mobile. Maybe your baby is already crawling or crawling all over the house. We find out that the house wasn’t completely baby-proof after all…
Your baby will probably be able to sit, lie down and sit down again from the crawling position. Your baby may already be able to pull himself up. If your baby can do this well, he can walk step by step. Often this is first sideways along the table or a cupboard.
At this age stage, you have plenty of opportunities to play. I list my favorites below:
• Activity table: an activity table is a table or tray where your baby can stand or sit. There are often nice sliders and buttons that stimulate your baby’s fine motor skills. You can also make this yourself! Be sure to watch my video where I make a fun sensory bin for my twins!
Link to video: youtube
• Dictionaries: looking together and naming different animals. Maybe your child can already make a few animal sounds!
• Walking cart: a walking cart that your baby can pull up on and maybe even take some steps. You have many different walking carts. Both a block cart and a walking cart with music are suitable for this age.
9 to 12 months
Activity table
9 to 12 months
Animal book
9 to 12 months