I got an email earlier this week from someone looking to create a gift basket for a baby shower. They wanted to know what toys I would recommend for Newborns through the age of 6 months. First of all, thank you so much for the email! I feel honored that you are reading my blog and have asked me for advice. Here’s my list of great toys for babies age 0 – 6 months.
Months 0 – 1
At this point, babies don’t really need toys because they are mostly immobile. Not to mention, their sense of sight is barely developed and they are unable to distinguish between colors.
The best toys at this age are those with Black, White and Red colors and toys that have music, but don’t have flashy lights: mobiles, books and flash cards with little color are much easier for their little eyes to focus on. Honestly, the most stimulating thing for baby at this point is the human face, especially mommy and daddy’s.
Months 2 – 5
- Winkle – I am pretty sure that every single baby in our mommy and me class had this toy. It is so easy for them to grab on to, even when they are doing it by accident. I can’t believe I don’t have any pictures with Charlie and his winkle.
- Skwish – I like this one because it is wood vs. plastic. Like the winkle it is great because it is easy for even the tiniest baby to hold on to.
Playing with the Skwish
- Activity Gym – If we had nothing else, I would say an activity mat is a must have. Until Charlie became mobile we had him on a mat every single day. He loved to explore the toys, the colors and the mirror.
Asleep on the Tiny Love Activity Gym
- Sofie - I used to think that Charlie was the only baby who didn’t like Sofie. His love affair began with the giraffe much later than most babies. He waited until 7 months until he decided to make a move.
- Sunny Stroll Arch – This is a super cool toy. It is a toy arch that can attach to car seats or high chairs (when they get older). We used this for months every time we got into the car or went to a restaurant. To this day, I still use it.
Sunny Stroll Arch is great to distract a baby from rolling over during a diaper change
- Any Taggies Stuffed animal – Each tag is a different texture along with the softness of the stuffed animal or blanket. Charlie loves his taggie dog.
Cuddling with Taggie dog and dad
- Any of the Lamaze Products – The Lamaze Firefly was Charlie’s favorite toy up until he became mobile. He loved to chew on the different textures and he loved its crinkly sound.
Sleeping with his Lamaze Firefly attched with Ring o Links
- Ring o Links – I included these because you can use the rings to create a chain and attach toys to the stroller or the activity mat.
- Bright Starts Rattle – This is great because it is both easy for baby to hold on to and it makes a fun noise.
- Rock a Stack – from 6 – 8 months this was Charlie’s go to toy. He loved to sit in front of it and pull off all the rings.
Rock a Stack and Sherman = Charlie's perfect day
- Fisher Price Go Baby Go – I could have included this in the 2 – 5 month category because it is also so great for tummy time because of its mirror. I decided to keep it in this section because Charlie loved to play with it while sitting and I am convinced that it got him crawling.
- Munchkin Mozart Music cube – I think Larry and I like this toy better than Charlie does, and Charlie really likes it.
- Infantino Activity Triangle – This one is great for tummy time and for when they are sitting up. We had the cube.
The activity cube and the Go Baby Go are no match for the robot
