The life of a baby: Eat, sleep, poop, play, repeat. Honestly? Sounds like a dream. While you can truly never have enough onesies and zip-up jammies, toys and developmental aids make great gifts for families with newborns and infants less than a year old. Babies move through toys and gear so fast at this age, and parents and caregivers really need all the help they can get!
And toys for babies are about so much more than just fun (although fun will be had by all, I promise!). Toys help engage babies’ senses from birth, help develop motor skills, and even encourage them to strengthen muscles and encourage movement. Toys that evolve right along with kids are some of the most sought-after items by parents, since you’ll get more use out of them.
If you have a baby on your holiday shopping list, we’ve compiled a list of new-parent-approved toys and playthings that will be an instant hit. See them all below, and check out our full holiday gift guide for more top toy picks!
INNYBIN
The Innybin comes with six different shapes, including a cube, a triangle, a sphere, a flower, a diamond, and the Fat Brain Toys logo. Each shape features a different texture and color for kids to explore. Kids can push the shapes through the elastic bands to watch them fall into the Innybin, then practice removing…
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WOODEN MULTI-STAGE SENSORY SET
This set of five toys is designed to provide babies and toddlers with unique sensory experiences. The set includes a beads teether that can relieve teething pain, a fish rattle babies can shake, a rolling rattle perfect for floorplay, a dog on wheels that baby can push along, and a stay-put octopus rattler that suctions…
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PORTAPLAY STAGE-BASED ACTIVITY CENTER
The geniuses at Oribel are basically masters of grow-with-me toys and products. Kids can use this activity center from when they are babies until they start school. The monster-themed play space has a swivel seat in the center to place babies so they can interact with all of the surrounding toys, then remove the seat…
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TINKLE CRINKLE & FRIENDS ACTIVITY GYM
This tummy time set has lots of tactile experiences for little ones. Parents and caregivers can use the fluffy cloud pillow to prop up their little ones and capture their attention with the sun mirror. It also comes complete with hanging plush toys, including a bunny, a birdie, and a hedgehog. Featuring the super soft…
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PROP-A-PILLAR TUMMY TIME AND SEATED SUPPORT
Adults can stack the caterpillar pieces to give baby a comfortable, supported place to sit, or separate them for a tummy time session. The Prop-a-Pillar is a versatile aid that helps strengthen babies' neck and back muscles as they learn to adapt to new positions. It comes complete with a removable teether and a crinkle…
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BITZY BUSY RING TEETHING ACTIVITY TOY
Once babies start to teethe, pretty much everything is likely to end up in their mouths! Teething toys are perfect for helping soothe those little babes, and Itzy Ritzy's collection of teething toys is nothing short of perfect. This braided teething ring comes with four different charms for babies to interact with. The gender-neutral color…
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SILVER LINING CLOUD BABY’S VIEW 3-STAGE ACTIVITY CENTER
This three-in-one activity center is a go-to favorite for so many families. It features a 360-degree rotating seat along with a jump pad for smooth and easy bouncing. The light-up piano fits on the top of the activity center or can clip to the jump pad, and the unique discovery window gives little ones a…
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THE PLAY GYM
A solid play gym is an absolute must for a new baby. It provides a safe, comfortable place for baby to play, engage with toys, and even practice tummy time, which helps strengthen their neck and back muscles. Lovevery has genuinely perfected the play gym. The gym features five developmental zones with different activities that…
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CLASSIC BABY BEADS
Older kids love fidget toys, and babies do, too! These colorful wooden beads are strung together on elastic and can be made into all sorts of shapes. The beads give babies a tactile and auditory experience as they play. They are light enough for older babies to hold with two hands, and chunky and safe…
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MONTI KIDS MUSIC APPRECIATION KIT
This set includes five high-quality, wooden instruments, including sound cylinders, a drum, a glockenspiel, a harmonica, and a tambourine. Parents can learn how to help little ones use the instruments through online educational videos, sing-a-longs, songs, and more. Designed for babies who are a bit older, this beautiful musical set boasts natural textures and each…
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3-IN-1 EVOLVE BOUNCER
This bouncer, lounger, and toddler seat combo can adapt to babies and kids from birth up to 30 pounds. Parents and caregivers can use the super simple step pedal to adjust between the three different incline settings (extremely helpful to not need to use two hands when you probably have a baby in your arms).…
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ANIMAL RATTLE SET
This set of 10 rattles is great for babies who are developing their fine motor skills, touch, and hearing. From porcupine to peacock, babies will love shaking these animal-themed rattles all day, and parents will love how many they get. The plastic exterior makes them super easy to clean, and they are perfect for helping…
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LOVELIGHT BUDDIES
These multisensory toys feature soothing sounds, calming lights, and soft textures. Parents can also record a voice message that kids can playback. The Shake & Play motion sensor helps activate the light and sound features to soothe babies back to sleep if they wake up.
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CUSHY MAT REGULAR
Tummy time is more comfortable than ever with Bub Mats. The Cushy Mat gives babies and toddlers a comfortable area to explore and move around. The mat also comes with a waterproof cotton cover for easy cleaning. The mat provides a nice amount of padding, especially great for when baby starts to sit up (but…
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BRIGHT STARTS BOUNCE BOUNCE BABY 2-IN-1 ACTIVITY JUMPER
This Playful Pond-themed activity jumper turns into a play table with toy storage as your baby grows! With a three-position, height-adjustable bouncy pad and seven interactive activities to play with, babies and toddlers can engage in lots of sensory fun! The bouncy pad offers great support for shorter babies, and the jumper itself provides the…
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FISHER-PRICE 2-SIDED STEADY SPEED WALKER
Babies start to pull themselves up and take their first steps at all different ages, and toys can be a fun way to help them unlock these achievements! This car-themed baby walker helps babies take their first steps, but it's also a load of fun. With different activities on both sides of the walker, like…
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BABY EINSTEIN CONNECTABLES
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WIMMER FERGUSON MIND CUBES
Perfect for newborns and baby's first set of toys, these soft cubes feature ribbons, numbers, letters, shapes, and patterns in research-proven high-contrast graphics. It takes a few months for babies to be able to see colors and intricate details, so these cubes allow them to stay visually stimulated while working on their vision. They are…
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FISHER-PRICE LAUGH & LEARN 4-IN-1 GAME EXPERIENCE
Toddlers can shoot hoops, score goals, and hit home runs in this sports-themed activity center, which also features an educational light-up scoreboard and a pretend concession stand with removable food pieces.
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INGENUITY SPROUT SPOT BABY MILESTONE PLAY MAT
One product, multiple functions — a new parents' dream! This super soft play mat doubles as a photoshoot backdrop as parents document their baby's first year! The mat includes 12 month-marker cards and a dry-erase board for Instagram-worrthy photos. When your photoshoot ends, it's playtime with five detachable toys: a tummy time elephant pillow, a…
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BABY ANIMAL COLLECTOR’S KIT
Cuddle + Kind makes heirloom-quality plush that will undoubtedly become something families hold onto for years. The Baby Animal Collection features 13 different miniature-sized hand-knit plush, including a fawn, a koala, a polar bear, an elephant, a lion, and more. Each baby animal is handcrafted from natural Peruvian cotton yarn, with carefully considered details. The…
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CRAWLIGATOR
Babies can rest comfortably on their tummies atop this alligator-themed toy, then use their arms and legs to move forward in a crawling motion. Available in seven colors.
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BITZY BESPOKE RITZY ACTIVITY GYM
Some parents would rather not clutter up their home with dozens of super bright toys, and Itzy Ritzy has the solution for such families. This play mat has a clean pine frame that makes playtime aesthetically pleasing. It features soft cotton ribbons for attaching toys to the top to stimulate babies when they are on…
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BUSY BOARD MIRROR & SENSORY DISCOVERY TOY
This double-sided toy is super soft, folds flat for easy storage, and is packed with sensory experiences to engage baby during playtime. The black-and-white flaps introduce baby to different animals while enhancing fine motor skills. There's nothing babies love more than staring at themselves in a mirror, and the easy-to-spin gears beneath the mirror will…
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MY PAL SCOUT SMARTY PAWS
Parents can personalize Scout by programming kids' names, favorite foods, colors, and animals. Scout will introduce babies to first words, counting, and emotions. Press Scout's paws and ears to activate games, reactions, lullabies, and more.
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FISHER-PRICE DJ BOUNCIN’ BEATS
This musical toy features lights; motorized spring action; and more than 75 songs, songs, sounds, and phrases that teach kids the alphabet, counting, and more. Kids can record a phrase that DJ Bouncin' Beats will remix into a song.
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LITTLE SCOOPS PLUSH
This ultra high-quality plush toy comes in three forms: unicorn, bunny, and elephant. Each 18-inch-tall plush is perfect for squeezing and cuddling, and makes a great keepsake as babies grow. With no hard details and satin embelishments, they are super soft all around, making a perfect first plush friend for little ones.
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KICK & SCORE PLAYGYM
Babies can kick their feet and get active with this multistage play mat and included accessories. Little ones will strengthen core muscles, engage in tummy time, and learn basic concepts such as colors and shapes.
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SURPRISE GIFT BOX
This cloth-wrapped wooden box with peek-a-boo mirror in the bottom and presents to “wrap” and “unwrap” is a fun way for toddlers to discover textures and sounds. Includes a wooden box, a plush toy bear, a squeezable fuzzy ball with a chime, a multi-textured crinkle cloth, and a happy-bear cloth book.
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MUSHIE BABY RAINBOW STACKER TOY
This stacking toy helps babies and toddlers develop fine motor skills and work on sorting by size. The super lightweight, hollow pieces are perfect for tiny hands. Available in three muted color palettes with a chic, simple design, it makes a perfect piece of nursery decor when playtime is over.
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FOX IN A BOX
Babies can tap anywhere on the box to reveal the plush fox and play games such as peek-a-boo. In song mode, the interactive plush gradually comes out of its box and then sings a song.
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LAMAZE SOOTHING HEART PANDA
When kids push this calming plush panda's tummy, it cycles through four bedtime melodies, each accompanied by a red light and a vibration synced to the rhythm of a resting heartbeat.
