Best Baby Toys For 6-12 Months, According To Play Experts

They’ll have a ball exploring, touching, and even teething on these popular sensory balls. Available in a set of six, “these balls of different shapes, textures, and colors allow for fun sensorimotor play and can facilitate fun bonding with caregivers, as babies are now much more curious of materials and seeking playful engagement,” says licensed clinical social worker and play expert Jennifer Rothman. “They can explore these balls in so many ways: Reaching, holding, rolling, mouthing, banging, dropping, hiding and finding, visually tracking where it goes, crawling for it, and so much more.”

If you’re looking for stroller toys for zero to six months that can easily take you through the first year, I highly recommend this versatile activity arch for on the go. There are black and white and colorful butterflies hanging to stimulate newborns’ visual senses. For babies three months and up, there’s a rattling beads maze, a bunny with crinkling ears and beads, and a double-sided spinning mirror to practice motor skills and develop hand-eye coordination. It easily attaches to car seats, strollers, and bouncers to entertain baby when you’re out and about or just have to get things done around the house. I like that it’s height adjustable, so you can reposition as baby grows.

Researching the best baby and toddler toys can be time consuming, but Lovevery does the hard work for you. “These kits are selected by child development experts who know how best to support hearty brain growth during the early, formative years,” says Bowen-Poole. Each kit is tailored to your baby’s age and stage of development and includes engaging, gorgeous, and high-quality modern toys (many wooden) that you won’t mind adorning your playroom. The best part? When you sign up for a subscription, new toys automatically arrive at your door every two (or three) months to entertain your babe.

If there’s one thing all babies and toddlers are obsessed with, it’s bubbles. Mintz highly recommends what she calls “sticky bubbles.” “They are fun, unique bubbles that don't pop and are great for sensory stimulation and increasing attention,” she says. Grab a pack of these to engage and entertain your babe on a nice day. They’re small enough to fit in your diaper bag, stroller caddy or even your pocket for on the go, too.

Bathtime is the ultimate sensory experience for babies. Turn up the fun in the tub with these adorable mix-and-match silicone squirties. They pull apart completely, allowing littles to work on hand-eye coordination and strengthen fine motor skills. More importantly, cleaning them is a breeze for parents. Each character has a different spray feature to excite babies and let them explore cause and effect.

This colorful and interactive baby walker was a staple in our house and beloved by all three of my babies. It has over 90,000 positive reviews on Amazon and an impressive 4.8-star rating, making it a popular pick among parents everywhere. It provides hours of entertainment (seriously!) whether they’re pushing all the buttons or pushing it around the house.

Key features include a piano, multiple shape sorters, light-up buttons, spinning gears, a pretend telephone, and over 70 songs, sound effects, and fun phrases. It’s perfect for working on fine motor skills, sensory stimulation, and getting them up and moving. The activity panel can also be removed for fun floor play when they’re still sitting, and the wheels have two speeds for safety purposes and to accommodate different skill levels.

These squeezable silicone blocks come in the cutest modern colors with numbers, animals, and shapes embossed on each side to take their learning to the next level. They’re textured for sensory development and double as a teething toy. Littles will enjoy stacking them and, let’s be honest, throwing them. They’re super soft, so they won’t hurt when they knock them over or sling them across the room.

Mintz loves this version of The Wheels on the Bus. “It’s interactive and there is so much to talk about, describe, and label in this book, helping with vocabulary and language development,” she says. It’s also a nostalgic book (and song!) for parents who will enjoy sharing the story with their own children. “Our little one is obsessed with the moving parts of this book,” writes one Amazon reviewer. “Great take on a classic and makes reading it fun and interactive.”

Work on hand-eye coordination, color recognition, fine motor skills, and so much more with this plush and popular tissue box sensory toy. Inside are 15 textured tissue fabrics, including tulle, shear, and crinkly corduroy cloths, to grab, pull, explore, and excite their senses. The colorful tissues are also perfect to play peek-a-boo with, toss in the air, catch, or whatever games they dream up. The box itself is made from non-toxic materials and gently weighted too, making it easier for babies to pull the tissues out.

My oldest has had his Jellycat bunny since he was a baby and still sleeps with it every night. They are supremely soft, made for cuddling, and the perfect first stuffy for little ones. As Mintz points out, “beginning to understand social cues and forming attachments is important. Dolls, stuffed animals, and toys that encourage imitation play can be helpful.” This is one of my personal go-to baby shower gifts for new parents. It’s lightweight enough for littles to hold and carry, and a toy that can be enjoyed, snuggled, and played with long past the baby stage.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the cutest baby of them all? This portable and collapsible mirror is packed with so many benefits for babies. “Looking together in the mirror helps your baby learn to imitate facial expressions, which then helps them learn to imitate sounds and eventually words,” says Mintz. “It's a great way to connect and bond with your baby.” This shatterproof mirror also doubles as a fun sensory toy, with textured beads, balls, and handles for baby to explore.

“This is wonderful for babies, as it’s a toy and teether all in one,” says Bowen-Poole. Each piece is made of BPA-free, non-toxic silicone that’s super grippy and small enough for small hands to easily pick up, grasp, and play with. When your baby isn’t putting each piece into their mouth to teeth on, they’ll love exercising their hand-eye coordination and learning colors as they stack. As a mom myself, I love how beautifully made and aesthetically pleasing this toy is.