Our Favorite Baby Products For Each Developmental Stage

What toys should you look for as your baby grows?

No matter what stage you are in your pregnancy, you are probably thinking about what kind of toys to choose for your baby. Choosing toys for an infant can be tricky. With children, you can often guess what they might enjoy, by thinking about their general age group. For example, any child between the ages of 5 and 8 is likely to enjoy playing with Lego. Babies, on the other hand, develop and change so quickly. A toy your child enjoyed at three months old will not necessarily bring on the same giggles when they’re approaching their first birthday. So what toys should you look for as your baby grows? Toys are one of our favorite baby products to shop for. Here are our suggestions for some of the best baby toys.

3-6 MONTHS

At this stage, babies are really starting to enjoy engaging with their parents and others. They may even smile and laugh with strangers. They can lift their head while lying on their belly, can hold objects for a short time, and will swipe at or grab at objects with their hands. When given a toy, they will be very likely to put it in their mouths.

The Toys We Love

World of Eric Carle Very Hungry Caterpillar Activity Elephant Toy

This is one of our favorite baby products because it is colorful and adorable, as well as fun for infants. There are so many dangling objects on this elephant, including his ears and trunk, that babies love squeezing and biting. The parts of the elephant have different textures and make different sounds. Plus, it is machine washable!

Fisher-Price Rainforest Music & Lights Deluxe Gym

At this age, babies spend a lot of time lying around. This toy allows them to look up at fun and colorful rain-forest animals. As the baby begins to learn to kick and swipe at the animals, they will be rewarded with songs and lights. It can easily be folded up for storage or travel.

Tiny Love Meadow Days Soothe ‘n Groove Baby Mobile

When your baby is spending time in their crib, a mobile can be fun and relaxing. This one has six categories of music, with eighteen choices of songs. Slow moving, smiling animals dangle over the baby’s head, giving them something to follow with their eyes. The baby can reach the buttons on the music box, which is attached to the side of the crib, so that they can change the songs themselves. Once the child is able to sit up on their own, mobiles are not recommended to be kept in cribs. However, the mobile portion of this toy can be removed, leaving the music box for the child to play with.

6-9 MONTHS

Now, most babies can stay in a sitting position when placed there. They may be able to get into the sitting position on their own. They can scoop up small objects with their hands, and transfer objects from hand to hand. They babble, giggle, and communicate by making gestures such as pointing to things they want or shaking their heads. They often think it is fun to drop objects or knock them down.

The Toys We Love

Fat Brain Toys Tobbles Neo

This toy is perfect for babies who are now able to grasp and pick up objects, and who love the cause and effect of knocking things down. The six weighted balls can be stacked on top of the base, or played with individually by watching them rock and spin. Designed for children up to two years old, this toy is likely to be a favorite in your household for quite a while.

Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy

An mp3 player toy for infants, this musical toy has a handle that can be held by chubby little hands. It plays ten different baby versions of classical songs, which the baby can change by pushing buttons. A volume control button allows adults to make it quieter when needed. Bright, colorful lights help to make it an engaging toy for the baby.

LeapFrog Stack & Tumble Elephant

Babies who are learning what they can do with their hands will enjoy exploring this elephant toy. When the rings are stacked onto the elephant’s trunk, she talks about the colors, numbers and shapes. When her tail is pulled, she sneezes, causing the rings to fly off of her trunk. The buttons along the top of her trunk play music, and her ears make a pleasing clicking sound when they are turned.

9-12 MONTHS

Babies at this stage are on their way to becoming toddlers. They understand many words, although most cannot yet say many. Often, by this stage, babies are beginning to crawl. They understand object permanence, meaning that they’ll enjoy games like Peek-a-boo where they get to see you disappear and return. They can pick things up, bang them together, and manipulate them, but they have trouble setting things down gently. They love doing things over and over again.

The Toys We Love

Peradix Ball Drop Toy Go and Roll Swirling Tower Ramp

We love watching babies play with this ball tower. After watching someone demonstrate how to drop the ball into the top tier, allowing it to roll along each tier before falling through the next hole, they can easily begin playing with it on their own. The balls have beads inside them, causing them to make appealing rattling sounds as they roll. The tiers of the tower can be taken apart for easy storage. If you happen to buy two sets, they can be combined to create an extra tall tower. This is one of our favorite baby products because it is fun for older kids and adults to play with as they interact with the baby.

Follow Me Fred

This is a fun, cute toy that encourages babies to crawl. The toy dog has lots of colors and shapes that will entice the baby to play. But as the baby touches Fred, he begins to walk away. He barks and plays songs to encourage the baby to crawl after him. He can be set to three different speeds, so that he will move slowly when babies are first beginning to try crawling, and more quickly once babies are proficiently crawling around the house. For babies who are not yet crawling at all, the dog can be set to walk in circles in front of them. This way the baby will already be used to engaging with the dog, and be more likely to crawl after him once they are ready for him to lead the way.