The Best Toys For Babies 0-6 Months By Category

As a new parent, you’re probably wondering how to play with your new little addition. Once your baby grows out of the newborn phase, the playing opportunities start to become endless. This list of the best toys for babies 0-6 months old is tried and true and will give you a good start at finding what entertains your baby.

Now, as you start to look into the best toys for 0-6 months, you might find an overwhelming list of options to choose from!

But here’s a pro tip; don’t be fooled by all the singing, flashy toys! Often, the best toys for your baby are the simple ones. 

I’m not saying that you don’t need any toys that make funny sounds and light up. I’m just speaking from one parent to another; the novelty wears off after a bit.

There is an excellent chance that your baby will initially like that bright, noisy toy. But, sooner or later, it will likely find a new home at the bottom of the toy box.

Let’s get started!

This post contains affiliate links to products I have used and enjoyed. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To find out more, you can read my disclaimer here.

Best Toys For Babies 0-6 Months: Books

1. High Contrast Books

In the first few months of your baby’s life, their eyes are making significant improvements. That’s why high-contrast books are so important! The black-and-white images in high-contrast books are a lot easier for your baby to see.

One of our son’s favorite baby toys was this high-contrast book. This book is excellent because it has many different textures, sounds, and pictures. Another bonus is that this book has a strap to hang it from an activity gym!

2. Crinkle Fabric Books

Crinkle books will undoubtedly be one of your baby’s favorite things! Babies love that they can make so much noise when holding these books. Plus, most crinkle books are washable.

If you are looking for crinkle books, these ones are perfect. They are soft and have many fun things sewn onto each page. Your baby will love exploring the book time and time again!

Best Toys For Babies 0-6 Months: Teethers

3. Baby Banana

The Baby Banana is one of the best teethers! This teether was an instant hit with my son, and he preferred it over most other teethers.

What makes the Baby Banana so fantastic is that it’s comfortable for your child to hold. Also, it has silicone toothbrush-like bristles so your baby can get used to the idea of brushing their teeth early on.

4. Fresh Food Teether

If you’ve never heard of fresh food teethers, they are typically silicone or mesh pouches with attached handles that you fill with fruit, veggies, or even frozen breastmilk. 

As your baby chews on the food teether, they will get the taste of what’s inside while also getting the relief they need from teething.

One thing to keep in mind regarding food teethers is cleanliness. Because you are putting food in them, you will need to ensure that they are as clean as possible. That’s why I prefer these fresh food teethers. These highly-rated teethers fully come apart to provide stress-free cleaning.

5. Cold Teethers

When your child is in the midst of teething pain, you’ll want a variety of items that can help soothe them. I often found that my son loved cold teethers. That’s where these teethers come in.

What’s incredible about these teethers is that after you chill them in the fridge, you put them in a holder, so your baby’s hands don’t get cold! Not to mention, these teethers have many different shapes and textures for your baby to explore.

Remember: Teethers shouldn’t go in the freezer, as that could potentially hurt your baby’s mouth. Also, discard at the first sign of damage.

Best Toys For Babies 0-6 Months: Gear

6. Jumper

Jumpers are such fun items that your baby will love to use, especially as they get closer to 6-months-old! Around 4-months-old, your baby might start showing signs that they are ready for a jumper. Those signs would be bearing weight on their legs and holding their head up entirely unassisted. 

Our son loved this jumper, and it offers so many things to play with and look at. Once in the jumper, your baby can rotate around in the seat, spin, swat at toys, and it also plays fun music when they move!

7. Bouncy Chair

Bouncy chairs are another great 0-6 month toy when used correctly! We used this one when our son was younger, and he especially liked it once he figured out how to bounce it himself.

By having a bouncy chair, you have an entertaining, safe space to put your baby in while you need to do something. I always put my son’s bouncy chair in the bathroom, and he would sit in it and play while I took a quick shower.

As always, safety comes first. Never put bouncy chairs on countertops, always buckle your baby in, and don’t use them for extended periods.

8. Activity Gym

Activity gyms are an excellent toy for many reasons, but a big reason is that they can be used starting in the newborn weeks.

Baby gyms are perfect for tummy time activities as they have many different things to look at. Plus, activity gyms offer a bit of padding, so your baby isn’t right on the floor.

We used this baby gym, and our son loved it! It has a few different ways to be set up, and it has plenty of hooks for hanging toys. Not to mention, my son still plays with the toys that came with it, and he’s over 15-months-old.

Best Toys For Babies 0-6 Months: Rattles

9. Oball Rattles

Oball rattles are another great starter toy for your child because they are so easy to hold. Plus, Oball rattles come in many designs, so there’s sure to be one that your child will enjoy.

We have this car, this more traditional rattle, and this rattle ball. I love that they are so versatile; our son still likes to play with all three of these toys, even at 15 months old!

10. Ankle Rattles

Ankle rattles are one of the best toys for 0-3-month-olds! All you do is attach it around your baby’s ankle, and it makes noise as your baby kicks around. You can also put it on your baby’s wrist if they prefer.

We used these ones and liked them because they also have teething textures on them. Plus, ankle rattles introduce the concept of cause and effect.

11. Caterpillar Rattle

This rattle is another toy that my son absolutely loved when he was around three months old. It always made him happy when he was upset.

What made this rattle different from the others is that it’s more of a character. It has a cute little face, knobby hands to chew on, and lots of fun colors and designs. Plus, it’s lightweight, so your baby can easily hold onto it.

12. Bumpy Ball

This fun Bumpy Ball is a great stuffed toy that doubles as a rattle. This toy’s great because it has so many different textures for your baby to feel, plus it’s easy for them to grasp.

Best Toys For Babies 0-6 Months: Tummy Time

13. Baby Safe Mirror

Your baby will love to look at themselves in the mirror as their eyesight is improving, which is typically around 3-months-old. Just make sure it’s a baby-safe mirror! A baby-safe mirror is a mirror that’s made out of shatter-proof material.

This baby-safe mirror is a great option, significantly since it props itself up, making it a great tummy time toy. Also, this mirror comes with some fun, high-contrast cards, giving your baby even more to look at!

14. Soft Blocks

Our son’s first blocks were these ones, and they are lovely! These blocks from Baby Einstein are soft with different patterns, colors, and pictures on each side. Not to mention, they are lightweight, so your baby can easily lift them or knock them around.

Another great aspect of these soft blocks is that they have high-contrast sides and other exciting features like flaps and rattles.

15. Blocks and Balls

In addition to the blocks I mentioned above, our son also had these blocks, balls, and buddies.

These blocks are great because they are more sturdy and have different sensory features. Because these blocks are more stable, they are great for teaching your baby how to stack.

Also, the balls in this set are all different shapes and sizes, making them great for your baby to explore.

16. Starter Piano

If you’re looking for an interactive musical toy, this is by far the best starter piano for any baby! It has easy-to-push keys, and it’s super easy for babies to play with.

Besides normal piano sounds, it has animal sounds, classical songs, and numbers, and you can choose from English, Spanish, and French!

17. Sensory Bug

This bug toy has so many colors and patterns, on top of being pretty silly-looking; that’s why babies love it! 

Along with the fun designs, this toy plays music and has things like a mirror and rings for your baby to explore. All of these other elements to discover make this bug a great sensory toy.

18. Links

Baby link toys have many different uses. You can hang them from tummy time mats and attach other toys to them. Or, you can stick them to car seats or strollers or link them together, and your kiddo will love jingling them like keys!

These baby links are fantastic because they have a lot of different textures on them. Plus, they are bright and colorful!

19. Baby Einstein Music Toy

We love this music toy for babies because it’s not one of those obnoxious toys that you want to hide in the back of your closet. It has upbeat, classical songs with a volume control switch and lights that blink with the music.

The other great thing about this music toy is that it’s relatively small, making it easier for your baby to hold.

20. Water Mat

When it comes to tummy time, this water mat is a fun item that will keep things interesting. For this simple activity mat, you fill it with water, and then your baby can try to grab at the floating toys inside.

Related Articles:

• Newborn Essentials You’ll Regret Not Having
• The Best Tips For Nursery Organization
• The Best Mold-Free Bath Toys For Babies and Toddlers

Best Toys For Babies 0-6 Months: Soft Toys

21. Lovey

When it comes to loveys, there are so many options! You will want to choose one that’s safe for your baby, so nothing with button eyes or a button nose.

My son had several loveys, but this one is by far his favorite. Besides being cute, it also has silk tags around the edges, which he loved to hold onto when he was little.

22. Animal Pacifier Holder

If your baby uses a pacifier, a stuffed animal pacifier holder is a must-have! You attach a pacifier to the little stuffed animal, and it makes it easier for your baby to hold on to.

My son hated pacifiers! He would not use one, ever. Even though he didn’t like pacifiers, we had gotten this pacifier holder at our baby shower, and he loves it just like a little stuffed animal!

What to look for in 0-6 month toys:

When choosing toys for your baby, you will want to provide a wide variety of options. Having a combination ensures that your baby will have something ‘new’ to keep their attention. Here are the best things to look for in 0-6 month toys:

Age Appropriate

One of the first things you will want to look at in a new toy is the intended age group. If you are shopping for a 6-month-old, you don’t want to buy a toy labeled for an 18-month-old.

Buying age-appropriate toys are best because they won’t be too complicated for your baby. For example, if your baby is 3-months-old, and you find a toy that’s labeled 6-months, you can certainly use your judgment to decide if it would be a good fit.

You will also want to make sure that the toy doesn’t have any small parts as they can pose a choking risk.

Not Overstimulating

A great toy will undoubtedly stimulate your baby, but you don’t want one that will be too stimulating. Overstimulation can cause your baby to become cranky and start crying. That certainly won’t lead to a fun playtime!

To avoid overstimulation, you will want toys that aren’t too loud with not too much going on. For example, a noisy toy with flashing lights and moving parts will probably be too much for your baby to handle.

Promotes Learning

Every parent wants their baby to learn new things! An excellent opportunity to help your child learn is by providing toys that are fun while teaching your baby.

In addition to your child learning the apparent things like colors, animals, shapes, and numbers, they will also need to understand critical things like cause and effect.

Promotes Motor Skill Development

Helping your baby develop their motor skills is so important. You will want toys that help your child with fine motor skills and gross motor skills.

As your baby develops their fine motor skills, they utilize the small muscles in their hands. For example, as your baby starts to pick up food pieces to feed themselves, that is their fine motor skills in action!

On the other hand, when your baby utilizes their large muscle groups, that is their gross motor skills. Gross motor skills don’t only include things like walking but also things like hand-eye coordination.

Washable

Having washable toys is crucial! There will be times when there is an accidental spit-up on a new toy. And even if there isn’t any spit-up, there will be drool- lots and lots of drool. 

On top of having washable toys, you’ll also need to know how to wash them. Check out this post to learn how to clean almost every kind of toy!

---

And there you have it! Even if you think your baby won’t be interested in a particular toy, give it a try anyway! I know that I’ve been surprised by a few toys that my son enjoyed.

Before you go, check out these related articles:

• Practical Developmental Activities For 3-Month-Olds
• Easy Activities For 6-Month-Olds
• Simple And Fun Activities For 9-Month-Olds
• The Best Toys For 6 to 12-Month-Olds
• Everything You Need To Know About Newborn Bathing

What are your favorites from this list of the best toys for babies 0-6 months? I would love to know in the comments below!

Love this article? Spread the word!