Best toys for 3- to 6-month-olds

The Fisher-Price Kick & Play is a particular favorite of parents because it grows with babies. Parents say babies are fascinated by the toys on the arch above, watching them move as they lie on their back and tummy. The mirror toy can be strapped anywhere on the arch, with parents saying they place and angle it so their babies can see themselves from where they're lying. The mat also has fabric loops on it so you can fasten linking toys onto it, which parents say pleasantly distracts their babies during tummy time. 

When your baby's old enough to sit up, you can reposition the toy arch and piano so your baby can play from a seated position. Or unscrew the piano entirely to take it off and play with it anywhere; parents say their babies love sitting and banging on the piano. 

Like other Fisher-Price toys, the piano on this gym has a Smart Stages switch so you can change the piano's sophistication as your child grows. It starts out playing simple songs, then progresses to teaching animals, colors, shapes, and numbers. You can also set the piano for freestyle play. And it has possibly the two most important features for any noise-making toy: volume control and an off switch. 

Heads up
The fabric parts of this gym are machine-washable and -dryable.

Parents say
"The Fisher-Price Kick and Play piano is the best. You can use it for longer because you can rotate it into a sitting toy and move the arch to be for tummy time. DD loves it, at 3m she would play happily for over 20 minutes. And she was an EXTREMELY fussy baby."

"My little one loves it. It has a lot of music options and he loves the bright lights, too!"
"I’ve had that play mat for over 2 months and my LO surprisingly doesn’t get tired of it…she loves kicking the piano and looking at it during tummy time."

"We just got LO a Fisher Price kick and play piano because he loves to kick his little legs. We used it first time today and he loved it! We also used the kick and play piano for tummy time, and he loved looking at the lights, colors, and music."

Specs

• Age range: Newborn and up
• Color options: 2
• Batteries: 3 AAA 
   

Lohiser and Eggleston recommend toys that appeal to a baby's senses and work for multiple baby ages and stages, and the NogginStik checks both boxes. Parents say that the textured handle of the rattle is easy to hold onto, and their babies are attracted to the high-contrast black-and-white swirls on the base, and the smiling face at the top. But what babies really love about this rattle, parents say, is that the face lights up and cycles through colors as the baby interacts with it. Touch the face's ears or shake the NogginStik, and the color changes from blue to red to green, and back again. Babies are delighted to figure out how to make the change happen and happy to repeat it, parents say. 

This rattle sits up on its base so it can sit on the floor and entertain babies during tummy time. It's small enough to throw in your diaper bag, too, if you need something for your baby to play with when you're on the go. 

Heads up
The NogginStik does take batteries, but parents say they've used it for years on end without having to change the batteries it came with. 

Parents say
"This rattle.. we got it as a gift for our baby shower and I didn’t really think much of it at the time.. but it’s fricking genius. It lights up and changes color, it makes noise when it shakes, it has high contrast black and white, it’s textured for easy gripping by baby, and there’s a mirror on the bottom. Seriously. Our girl loves this thing and will stare at it for an hour!"

"We were gifted this light up rattle and he loves it! Great way to see if they’re tracking things well and also keeps him distracted during tummy time."

"It’s the only rattle my barely turned 3 month old will actually grasp and hold at this point. She doesn’t really shake it, more just tries to put it in her mouth, but she seems to like that it lights up."

"The rattle changes color when you shake it… and says up to 12 months, but my friend's children who are 3-6 years old love playing with it too because of the color changing lights. So it seems expensive for something so small, but it is well worth it IMO."

Specs

• Age range: Newborn and up
• Color options: 1
• Batteries: 3 1.5V LR44/AG13 alkaline button cell batteries
   

This “winkle” is beautiful to look at and makes a gentle rattling noise when babies shake it. And babies just love chewing on the colorful PVC- and BPA-free tubes, say parents. Stephen Klop, BabyCenter's Director of Product Management, says this toy was particularly popular with his two children during the teething phase, and they just loved chewing on the "skinny loops." It's true, say parents: The tubes have a neat chewable softness that babies really go for. 

Before your baby can really reach out to pick up the toys that interest them, this is a good toy to hand to your baby: There are so many interlocking pieces that it's easier for your baby to get a grip. Parents particularly like popping this toy in the refrigerator for soothing relief when their babies have sore gums. 

Heads up
Refrigerating this toy is fine, but don't freeze it: The cold could hurt your baby's delicate lips and gums. 

Parents say
"My LO (12wks in this pic) loves this Manhattan toy! He grabs it and moves it around and of course chews on it!"

"The Winkel is awesome and LO is always sucking on it. And it’s big enough for him to grab with both hands."

"My little lady LOVES the Winkel toy. It’s a rattle but she can grab it with both of her hands, shake it and chew on the bars."

Specs

• Age range: Newborn and up
• Color options: 1
• Batteries: No
   

Oball is a brand parents love, because babies go wild over these flexible plastic balls and rattles. Oball balls are not solid like a soccer ball, they're made of a mesh-like material formed into a ball shape. There are little holes all over the surface that are the perfect size for small hands to poke at and hold onto. Parents say that their babies get excited when they bring this ball out, and love watching it roll around. 

Parents also say Oballs are easy for babies to grip, which makes everybody happy. Your baby will probably be a toddler before they can roll a ball, but this toy can take them up to that milestone. And in the meantime it's fun for babies to hold, poke at, and watch as you roll it around the floor and toss it from hand to hand. 

Heads up
Oball also makes popular rattle toys some parents prefer over the OG ball. 

Parents say
"I recommend an Oball for LO, my LO loves grabbing it, and putting it in his mouth."

"My LO is 14 weeks and  loves to play peekaboo and chewing on his Oball."

"The Oball toy line is great because they are all colorful and easy to hold."

Specs

• Age range: Newborn and up
• Color options: 2
• Batteries: No
   

Babies love holding on to the curved handles of these rattles, and parents note that the colorful beads inside the handle tend to mesmerize babies who are newly able to distinguish between shades of color. They make an appealing sound while they spin and whirl, and babies enjoy having an effect on the toy, or just holding it and watching the colors move around. It all adds up to a sensory experience for babies. 

Best of all, parents say if babies bonk themselves in the face while playing, the soft fabric ends are gentle and won't cause tears. Many parents say that their babies are surprised at first to be able to make this noise by themselves, and then supremely happy when they figure out how it's done. 

Heads up
These maracas are frequently sold in a bundle with the Kick & Play piano gym. 

Parents say
"Maracas by Fisher-Price have a soft side so when he whacks his head it doesn't hurt."

"Fisher-Price maraca rattles are awesome little toys. My son keeps hitting his face but it’s ok because they are cushioned on one end. He loves chewing on them too!"

Specs

• Age range: 3 months and up
• Color options: 3
• Batteries: No
   

This soft and squishy mat is a sensory delight that can transform tummy time haters into tummy time lovers. Fill the outer ring with air and the inner ring with water. As your baby leans on it, they’ll enjoy the sensation of the water moving around under them. When their vision improves and they get more control over their hands, they can pat or push on the mat and watch the floating toys inside move around. 

Lisafé Carreon, Senior Product Manager at BabyCenter, says her daughter's been using the Splashin'kids play mat since she was born, and it makes her more comfortable during tummy time. At first, Lisafé says her daughter just stared at the toys inside, but as the months go by, she's starting to use her hands more purposefully to push the water and toys around. 

Heads up
This toy has a plasticky smell when new. 

Parents say
"We have had it for about a month and no holes yet. The reviews do mention it has a strong plastic smell and it did, like an inflatable pool toy. We wash and drain it every other day, We no longer notice a plastic smell."

"I got him a mat that you fill with water that he really enjoys. We got maybe 10 minutes on the mat today compared to laying on nothing where he instantly cries."

"Get your baby one of these water mats with fish. Our baby loves tummy time now."

"We have one of those water mats for tummy time that you fill with water... he used to just face plant on it and lick it but now he really enjoys looking at the fish."

Specs

• Age range: 3 months and up
• Color options: 1
• Batteries: No
   

Parents love the longevity of Skip Hop’s activity center.  "We started using the activity center with each of my boys when they were about 4 months old, and they were both immediately fascinated by the toy attachments," says BabyCenter's Senior Director of Strategy and Growth Robin Hilmantel. "We did have to put a pillow underneath the platform so their feet could reach it in the beginning, but as my boys got bigger, they loved practicing their standing and turning skills (since the seat inside rotates)."

To Robin’s point, there are many ways to play with the activity center. At first, your baby sits in the cloth seat, bouncing up and down on the platform or swiveling to play with sensory toys. Once they’re able to stand with support, you can convert it to an activity table that's steady enough for beginning walkers to hold onto as they cruise around it to play. Finally, it converts to a flat play table for preschoolers to use for art and pretend play.

Heads up
This center comes with a snack bowl and some parents use it for feeding. Thus fabric parts are removable and machine-washable (but not dryer-safe). 

Parents say
"We LOVE our Skip Hop exersaucer. It grows with baby as they grow and when they get older becomes a table to play on. You can also buy the chairs for later down the road to use at the table, too."

"Starting around 4/5 months we got the Skip Hop Explore and More 3-1 activity table and that has been amazing. DS loved being able to sit / spin in it and play with the clip on toys and it continues to grow with them. We bought the matching chairs when DS turned 15ish months and now he uses it to color and stuff."

"It’s a great 3 stage infant to toddler table. We started it at 4 months and my 20 month old now uses it as a table and chairs for coloring. I love long lasting baby products."

"The Skip Hop explore and more activity center - while a bit pricier then others - is excellent. We still use it. Converted it to the table and purchased the 2 matching chairs (for about $40 on Amazon) and DS (now nearly 2) uses it as his coloring and snack table. We plan to convert it back to the activity center when the new baby is about 4-5 months but it was one of our longest lasting baby purchases!"

Specs

• Age range: 4 months and up
• Weight/height range: Discontinue use when baby is over 25 pounds or 30 inches
• Color options: 1
• Batteries: 3 AAA

As your baby learns to sit up unsupported, toys that encourage them to sit and play can be beneficial. This sensory toy is perfectly aimed at a 5-month-old's capabilities and interests. It's a soft-sided "tissue box" with a weighted base so it sits sturdily while your child pulls out the fabric tissues inside. Parents say babies love to pull them out and feel them: The fabric has different textures to touch and feel: bumpy, silky, ribbed, velvety. Older babies love sorting the fabrics by color or by their own system, and enjoy collecting all the scarves to put back in the box as well as pulling them out one by one, parents say. 

Heads up
Some of the tissues make crinkling noises for extra sensory stimulation.

Specs

• Age range: 5 months and up
• Color options: 1
• Batteries: No
   

It's cute, sure, but parents say this toy simply has it all in terms of age-appropriate sensory exploration: Every part of his body has different texture, from his fuzzy fur to the grooved antlers that babies find irresistible for chewing. Each of his hooves is a different pattern and crinkles when squeezed, and the whole toy squeaks when hugged firmly. His tail rings clack together when your baby shakes the moose, and his knotted legs shimmy enticingly. Parents love that it clips on to their stroller and say it helps keep their babies calm and quiet when otherwise they might fuss. 

Heads up
There's a similar toy called Freddie the Firefly that some parents prefer, but most agree that the moose is babies' favorite. 

Parents say
"My cousin got it for her for Christmas and it instantly became the favorite. I can see why, it’s soft, has hard stuff to chew, crinkle parts, jingle parts, squeaky parts....What else could a baby want?"

"This moose is our little one's best friend." 

"My LO enjoys her toy moose (Mortimer the Moose). I put him in her lap and she messes with him for most of the drive until she falls asleep. She's usually very happy to and from daycare while playing with him."

Specs

• Age range: 5 months and up
• Color options: 1
• Batteries: No
   

It's hard for babies to sit and wait for anything, but this wheel toy makes babies stop and stare even when they're heading into a cranky mood. Parents say their babies will watch this toy spin for moments at a time, and it keeps them busy for long enough at mealtimes for parents to finish (or at least get a good start on) their food. The wheel suction-cups to any flat surface (highchairs, tables), and has brightly colored beads that ricochet around when the wheel is spun to make a lovely rattling noise. The center of the wheel is a ball with a high-contrast pattern, surrounded by three small toys on the wheel's spokes that each spin on their own axes. 

This toy hits on several of the 6-month-old interests that Lohiser spells out: It gives visuals and noise in response to your baby's purposeful movements (and at 6 months, most babies are newly able to control these movements), and it encourages babies to sit up and play. It's small enough, too, to fit into a diaper bag to be brought out in moments when you need your baby to be quiet, still, and happy. 

Heads up
This toy needs to be suction-attached in order to not tip as it spins. 

Parents say
"This has been a longtime favorite in our house. My toddler and 6mo old both adore it and both play with it. I stick it to the side of the tub, the high chair tray, dishwasher, wood floors, etc."

"The Sassy wonder wheel at the highchair is always a hit."

Specs

• Age range: 6 months and up
• Color options: 1
• Batteries: No
   

While reading to a child at any age gives benefits from bonding time to soothing to development, this beloved book has a special bonus for babies: all kinds of "touch and feel" things to stroke, poke, lift, and smell. Listening to your voice helps your baby develop an ear for the cadence of language; the tactile features here can help you play with varying the pitch of your voice, using accents, singing, and vocalizing to make reading together much more interesting to your child. 

Lohiser says that 6-month-old babies love books with pictures of people or objects. This book is a favorite for many families, mine included: My daughter loved getting to the pages that instruct babies to feel Daddy's scratchy face (with an inset of sandpaper), and to fit her finger in Mummy's ring (with a hole in the page). The book even has its own little mini-book inside with pages babies are charmed to turn (or attempt to turn, anyway).

Heads up
This book comes in hardcover and paperback versions but we prefer this lie-flat spiral bound book. 

Parents say
"I have bought 4 'Pat the Bunny'  books since my oldest was born. Amazon sells a deluxe version that is much bigger and has two extra pages!  We read it every night."

"We had our first words today: 'hi' and 'peekaboo'! Both during reading Pat the Bunny book. She waved at Paul and Judy and said 'hi' and then kept saying 'ee-ah-boo' as she lifted the flap hiding Paul's face. I am over the moon!"

"Pat the Bunny - interactive and she loves it!"

"My kids love interactive stories. If its a plain story book even with pictures it doesnt interest them for bed time. They’re obsessed with Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt."

Specs

• Age range: Birth and up
• Color options: 1
• Batteries: No
   

Stacking rings are simple and classic toys, and this set of nine rings on a sturdy central post is our personal favorite. Though the rings are different sizes, the hole in the center is the same on each, and the center post doesn't taper. This means you can stack the rings in any order, which is pleasing to children who want to sort the rings by color, pattern, texture, weight, or any other category that occurs to them. Parents say that this toy fascinates babies for moments at a time as they take the rings off and put them back on again. Each ring is numbered for early counting lessons, too.

Heads up
These rings don't rattle or make noise. 

Parents say
"Prefer the Sassy ring stacker over the Fisher Price. We have both, Sassy keeps her attention much longer."

Specs

• Age range: 6 months and up
• Color options: 1
• Batteries: No