The toys you need for your baby, and why they will aid in their learning and development from a mama with two kids and two degrees in education.

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We’re very serious about toys around here, ha!
Seen here with balls from Lovevery. A few of the toys mentioned in this post are via their play kits, which I highly recommend! They do all of the thinking for you when it comes to educational materials for your little one, and they arrive right at your door when you need them.

I have to admit, I love toys. I might like toys more than my kids do. Shopping for toys is one of my favourite things to hunt for. This is especially funny as I used to say the same thing about clothing in my pre-parent life. Whatever, I blame my nerdy-educator side. It literally used to be my job to travel to childcare centres and provide input about learning materials and toys to the staff. I feel I have a valid excuse for my obsession.

I talk about toys all the time with followers on Instagram and Facebook, so, I’ve put together this extensive guide listed by age that I hope proves useful for anyone who is looking for educational toys for infants and toddlers.

Lucas is just 3 weeks old in the images above. When you bring home a newborn, it can be hard to determine how to play with them and aid in their development, as they can’t do a whole lot yet! Having a safe and comfy play gym that includes the right toys lets them become comfortable in their new home while providing sensory stimulation.

And if you have an older child at home, check out my complimentary post featuring my educational toy recommendations for kids 15 months to 2.5 years of age.

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Here are my educational toy recommendations by age for 0-15 months, starting with my top-rated infant toys.

Educational Toys for 0-12 Weeks

Educational Toys for 2-4 Months

• A Mirror: Mirrors encourage exploration and eventually can be used to explore language, “where is your nose? where are your ears?” The Skip Hop play gym/mat I mentioned above does come with one (as the toys that come with that gym are particularly effective at stimulating touch, hearing, and sight). However, you can also obtain a mirror such as this one which also has the eyecatching black and white component. I also like this one that also comes with a high-contrast design and flashcards.
• Crinkle Books/Toys: babies this age love that crinkly sound! It helps them to begin to discover cause and effect (am I making that sound by touching this?) As they begin to want to explore different textures, provide them with toys that captivate this desire. These crinkle squares are simple, yet high-contrast and provide texture exploration. I also love this high-contrast and super soft crinkle monkey (there are also other animal shapes in this set if you’re looking for a few). My two favourite books for this age are textured, soft, and tactile. This one is bold and easy for baby to see, while this one offers endless exploration with a teether, squeakers, flaps, and sensory opportunities. You can also provide black and white soft shapes, or a small cloth book set that you can take with your anywhere.

Babies see high-contrast colours best. Opt for a small book set or soft black and white shapes for play. Black and white crinkle toys will also stimulate them both visually and auditorily. As these are all soft, they’re great options for the car seat as well!

• Teethers/Rattles: exploration using the mouth is major at this age (and for a while longer, let’s be real). I like to provide baby with teethers that also make sounds (two birds with one stone). This one was a favourite at our house as it promotes grasping and can also be cooled in the fridge when those teeth really start popping through. This one seemed very satisfying to chew on for both my kids, babies love to hop from ball to ball as they become acquainted with it! Lastly, it’s also great to provide baby with wooden teethers. Wood feels different than silicone or plastic while still proving to be easy to grasp due to the cirlce in the centre.

Since you’ll also need teethers, you’ll find the ones that my boys have liked best and have also been recommended by the STRUCKBLOG readers here.

• Lots of Links: just amazing for clipping toys anywhere and everywhere! I would add rattles and teethers to the play gyms with these to change it up. You can also use these to attach the toys to the bucket seat, stroller, whatever! Makes it easy to keep them learning and occupied wherever you go.
• Silk Scarves: they just love textures and exploring touch at this age! You can place these scarves in a large basket for baby to explore and later you can utilize them in new ways by placing them in a tissue/wipe box for baby to pull out (this blog shows an example of this). As they grow older they’ll always find imaginative uses for this toy.
• Grasping and Movement: I absolutely love Oball toys, mainly because they are so easy for little hands to hold and encourage the grasping and holding of objects. We have the rattle (as mentioned above) as well the ball which even doubles as a bath/water toy. I also acquired cars, which are played with by both my infant and toddler to this day! Oball style toys are great as they are small enough to use from a few months of age but will still be played with when you have a toddler. Later they can zoom around with the Oball trucks too. These have proven to stick around at my house.

If you acquire a baby play gym and some rattles and balls, you can use links to add and remove what baby can play with, changing the play space in a stimulating and engaging way.

I loved the wooden baby gym as it was so portable. I would often use it out in the yard and even took it with me to family gatherings. The gym is easy to attach links to, allowing you to add, remove, and change what dangles from it. I would attach Oball rattle, rattle ball, and this favourite rattle teether too.

Educational Toys for 5-6 Months

• Discovery Cube: at this age, your child may start to become slightly more motivated to touch, explore, and pick things up with their hands. This toy provides endless entertainment. It has 6 different sides, a mirror, and it’s nice and soft so they can play with it independently.
• Two-Handed Sensory Toy: encouraging those motor skills is important at this age, and this toy is particularly great at getting baby to use both hands at once. The coloured silicone circles pop in and out and baby will have a blast pushing them over and over again.

Two-handed sensory toys are important for this age to develop concentration and coordination. This silicone pop-out toy does just that while encouraging focus.

• Tissue Box Toy: I haven’t found one nearly as good as the one provided in the Lovevery Senser Play Kit, but if you want to make one yourself, you can repurpose those silk scarves and place them in a tissue or wipes box that you no longer need. You can also buy a wooden box at a craft store if you want to DIY this a little more legitimately. Kids this age just love to pull the fabric out and stuff it back in. Some great DIY examples and instructions here and here.
• Wobblers and Bobblers: Babies love to observe toys that wobble back and forth, it’s magical to them. This one is durable and stimulates baby with sound and music. You can also opt for this version, which cleverly rights itself upright no matter how it falls down, (this is sure to elicit giggles). I also like this variety, which doubles as a teether. Finally, these beautiful wooden/pastel coloured friends are not only lovely to look at, but they also provide stimulation via visual, auditory, and tactile sensations by bobbling back and forth to reveal different treasures hiding inside.
• Exersaucer: this toy is not only great for the kiddo but also makes mom’s life easier. They’re handy for a few moments to you can prep a meal, or clean something up. They’re a pricier toy, but your child will use it for quite some time and they always seem to find something new to explore, so in my experience its been a worthwhile investment that’s been handy for both kids. This is the updated version of what I have, and this other model is also very popular and loved amongst STRUCKBLOG followers as it later converts to a play table which is pretty amazing.
• Bumbo Floor Seat: ok, this isn’t a toy but a great place for them to play with toys! You don’t want them in here too much as it’s important to encourage independent sitting at this age, but Lucas and Jacob loved to sit in his Bumbo and watch his dad mow the lawn, or watch me cut up vegetables in the kitchen. It kept him safe and contained while allowing them to visually explore the world around them.

Bath characters will be played with from infancy to toddlerhood. These animals are the perfect size for baby hands and are great for imaginatve play when your child reaches toddlerhood.

• Jolly Jumper: a Canadian invention! Lucas was absolutely obsessed with this jumper and my second son is no different. Depending on the layout of your home, you can opt for the stand version, or the doorway version that I have (which I really like as it is portable and usable when we travel).
• Bath Characters: I love this set and my son still plays with them as a toddler, so they’re highly saught after by both my kids at bath time. my toddler likes to do imaginative play with them, but started out just chewing and squeezing them which is now what my infant enjoys doing. They’re sized just right and have withstood the test of time.

Tummy time can be tough, not all babies enjoy it. Encourage them with the right materials: high contrast crinkly toys, black and white books (accordion style/that stand up), rattles, and wobblers and bobblers will keep them looking up, helping to strengthen those neck muscles.

Lucas loved his exersaucer, (a newer model is linked) and now baby Jacob does too. Honestly, I’ve found it handy as it keeps them busy and learning while freeing my hands for a few moments. You don’t want to keep your baby in one for too long, but they do provide a chance for them to bounce, try out new skills, and explore new sensations.
The same thing goes for the Bumbo Seat in terms of ensuring they’re not using one too much as sitting and posture develop. Lucas loved watching us do housework from his seat.

Educational Toys for 6-8 Months

• Object Permanence Box: at this age, your child will begin to explore the concept that just because an object is no longer visible, it still exists (this is why peek-a-boo is so for fun them). A simple box with a hole in which baby can place a ball and watch it pop out helps them to understand this concept, while endlessly fascinating them. This Etsy one that uses a ring instead of a ball is also lovely and another way for them to explore the idea of object permanence.
• First Words Flashcards: flashcards, as well as books like this, not only encourage early language development but help babies to understand the world around them by giving what they see a name. They may begin to match the images in these cards to the real-life version at a later date, and you can even use these for early-reading much later.
• Stacking Cups: these don’t just stack, they nest, they make towers, they fall down! You can even use these to explore pouring (in the bath if you prefer) and containment (they can discover what might fit inside these cups). I particularly like this set as they have numbers on the bottom for later learning and have holes in them for water play. Soft to touch and slightly more challenging to stack, these stacking cups by Fat Brain Toys (who make phenomenal learning materials) are fantastic as well.

Stacking cups: a toy that is versatile and has longevity. They can be played with inside or out, during bathtime or playtime. They stack, nest, make towers, and fall. Holes provide exploration for water play. Start with circular shapes so rotation isn’t required, such as this brightly coloured set, or this muted one. For a slightly more challenging task, provide this variety.

• First Puzzle: there is a strategy for introducing puzzles based on their difficulty level. This first puzzle is perfect because it is simple (I would introduce the singular circle first). Large knobs make grasping easy and circular pieces don’t require rotation. Lovevery also includes one in their Inspector Play Kit along with other materials for this age.
• Balls: yes, balls! I love these ones as they are different textures and sizes. This is the age where they begin to really explore how things roll and move around, so give them some balls! I also really like that this set is gender-neutral.
• A Pitcher for Pouring: pouring is an important skill to start exploring. I linked this little metal pitcher that’s actually meant to be for your coffee creamer because it’s small pitcher with a spout and handle that is suitable for tiny hands. They can use it in the bath, or you can give them a cup, water, and a container (like a baking tray or sheet) to practice with. Later you can provide other materials that can be poured such as pasta or rice.

Above, Lucas is playing with a simple puzzle from Lovevery’s Babbler Play Kit. Their kits provide age-appropriate puzzles that are logically introduced, starting with a sigular circle, and graduating to different sizes before introducing pieces that require rotation.

To extend this learning, you can put images of people or objects into the circles, or even numbers later on.

Educational Toys for 8-10 Months

• First Blocks: you have probably observed an interest in exploring the concept of stacking and tumbling down. We have multiple block sets in our house made up of different materials, but the Lovevery Block Set is my favourite as it offers more than 20 ways to play. I also love this set as it does a whole lot. They make sounds and have textures. This version is similar without the musical aspect, while both are an appropriate size for this age. If you’re looking for the classic wooden block, Melissa and Doug makes this wood-coloured variety as well as a colourful version. If you’re looking for second-language blocks for your bilingual child, check out Uncle Goose ABC blocks (I have the Polish ones and love them).
• Ring Stacker: ring stacking becomes an interest for many kiddos at this age. This one with muted colours in miniature size is lovely and easily usable for baby. This is a lovely wooden Montessori version on Etsy if you’re sticking to only natural materials with toys. Here’s the classic version that many of us kids probably remember from our childhoods (and is very affordable). This one is a more modern take on the classic and will surely entertain baby for many months to come. This one from IKEA is actually somewhat challenging because the post is rubber and the rings don’t slide on as easily, so it works well as a level two stacking toy. If you’re looking for something a little bit different, this one with irregular-shapped pieces is interesting. The hoops aren’t quite round making them slightly tricker to grasp.
• Object Fitting/Concentration: as they become fascinated with how objects fit together encourage concentration with 3D fitting toys, like this egg stacker that I particularly like as it comes in a set, so you can introduce them one at a time and provide different challenges.
• Musical Instruments: Avoid anything with batteries that will make the music for them! Encourage their own musicality with materials like this Hape xylophone. You can also check out these baby instruments that are lovely and also chewable. Kids will love something like this transparent raindrop maker that allows you to see the sound. If you want to go all out, check out this full instrument kit, and this slightly paired-down version. This drum or drum set with additional instruments inside (I have the older version from this brand) also offers percussion options for now and musical learning into toddlerhood. Later you can add pianos, microphones, and guitars to your collection and let the show unfold!
• Water Stacking/Play: along the same theme when it comes to stacking and object-fitting, this toy is a lot of fun in the bath. My kids can have entire baths just playing with this one toy! They like to experiment with how they fit together and observe how the water flows differently depending on which cup is used. Because it uses suction cups, they can be played with differently and arranged in various combinations each time, which keeps them playing with this night after night.

Ring stackers develop fine motor skills (to get the rings on) and teach parts of a whole (when the rings are removed). They also provide baby with the opportunity to explore spatial relationships as they learn how objects fit together. You may remember this classic version, or perhaps you prefer this modernized one. Either way, ring stackers are a key toy to provide your child with as they develop multiple skills.

Ring stackers also provide endless opportunities for play at a later date. I used my rings here to teach colours, as Lucas tried to match the rings to the colours in the book. As a toddler, he now pretends that they’re cookies in his play kitchen. Always try to repurpose your toys and encourage different ways to play with them to boost creativity and get maximum use out of them.

Education Toys for 10-12 Months

• Imaginative Friends: Before now, your child may have largely ignored all of those stuffies you were gifted at your baby shower. But you may begin to observe your child begin to play imaginatively or become attached to stuffy friends at this age. These Wee Babies are adorable and even take a pacifier that they come with. They’re a great first baby doll as they’re small and soft and are available in different ethnicities. They may also begin to bond with characters like Elmo if they’ve seen them on TV. Regardless, provide them with “friends” for imaginative play. If you’re local to Kingston, you can find dozens of dolls and stuffed toys from this small shop here.
• Ball/Coin Drop Toys: these are important object permanece toys that teach your child that just becuase an object can’t be seen, that doesn’t mean it’s gone. You’re also helping them to develop hand-eye coordination. As a first introduction to this, opt for something simple like this ball-drop toy. I also like this set from Etsy as it is a three-in-one deal. You could introduce these one by one (I’d go in the order of the red box, to the blue, to the green). This option is a great one as you can later add the coins to further challenge your child to sort shapes, allowing you to use it for longer.
• Stacking Stones: an intro to stacking in order while developing logical thinking skills. They also further develop their hand-eye coordination with flat stone-like stackers like those made by Grimm’s. Slightly more advanced are these boulder-like stackers, which may be tricky for now, but before long your stacker will advance to making towers out of these (and they’re also super fun for imaginative play). Find the coloured version here.
• First Pincer Grasp Toys: it’s a little early for tweezers and tongs, but you can start to develop this skill with toys that have small knobs and handles. This fine motor dino toy will also allow baby to practice this but they will likely struggle with putting the pieces back in and spend more time just taking them out at this age (which is fine, that means this toy has longevity). The same thing goes for this hedgehog. It is lightweight, so they may need some help from you to hold it in place for them while they pull out the pegs. They will continue to play with this for ages however and slowly master playing with it independently.
• A Walker: I’m positive that if your child is this age you are all consumed with encouraging them to walk and cannot wait for it to happen! A walker that also has lots of entertaining play options is a great toy to encourage this skill. I have the classic and affordable electronic version which was very much enjoyed at my house, but in hindsight I wish I had gotten something that doubles as a stroller or cart so that my now toddler could still push his toys around in it. Keep in mind should you choose to go the electronic route with this that you likely won’t need many (if any) other toys with lights, sounds, and buttons at home as they largely satisfy the same interests (if you want to learn about whether electronic toys are good, or bad head here).

I have the classic (and affordable) electronic walker with lights, buttons, and sounds. It has been throughly enjoyed, but in hindsight I wish I had gotten a walker that could double as a stroller and/or cart for furture toddler use.

Ball-run toys are great for exploring trajectory as well as object permanence (the object still exists even if you can’t see it). Lucas has the Lovevery ball-run above, which I particularly like as it also has challenging doors to lift and open. But you could also opt for something like stackable variety which additionally offers the option to build various structures (a toy that would surely be played with for ages).

Educational Toys for 13-15 Months

• Ball Run Toys: Ball run toys allows kids to begin exploring trajectory. A great and simple ball run toy for this age is this stackable variety, which has the added benefit of allowing the child to build (likely with assistance at this stage, or solo when they’re older). This option has the added fun of hammering the balls in and watching them soar through the tubes, while this this super ball drop is especially great to be used by more than one child as it encourages teamwork. The older child may be more interested in building the ball run, while they both can send the balls down. It’s sure to be played with for years! Since the balls are larger, it is also safer than a marble ball run would be which is more appropriate for older kids (and this wooden version is also super cool and more suited to ages 4 and up).

Ball-run toys are a must-have as children begin to show an interest in trajectory. If they’re throwing stuff, that’s a good sign! Allow them to explore this concept with a stackable ball-run toy like this one, or one where kids can later construct their own towers in teams if you have more than one child. A marble ball run is also great, but more suitable for school-age kids.

• Nesting Baskets: these teach the concept that similar objects can come in different sizes and can fit into one another. Round containers are prefered to remove the complexity of corners for now (rotation isn’t required). This allows baby to practice trial and error and develop problem-solving skills as they determine the order in which to stack the baskets. They can also discover what will and won’t fit inside and how to build towers with them. You can find woven versions, as well as wood and colourful versions on Etsy, or you can get creative and use baskets meant for storage, or even containers from the dollar store that fit well and stack onto one another.
• Propulsion Toy: My favourite toy by far for this is the Tegu Magnetic Racers. They can be mixed and matched, connected, and allow for continued and open-ended learning as baby grows older and wants to build different combinations of cars. At this age, baby will be using fine motor skills to seat the driver and move the car around. They will also experiment with how it rolls depending on the applied force. It’s a great early lesson in physics.
• Coin Bank Toy: this is similar to the ball drop toy, but it’s harder to pick up coins and properly position them to fit into the slot. It’s basically a three-dimensional puzzle that challenges their fine motor and problem-solving skills further. You’ll be amazed to watch your baby learn that rotating the coins will allow them to manipulate how the object fits! This wooden version is similar to the one I have from Lovevery (pictured below), but you can also opt for a classic piggy bank with coloured coins if you prefer.

Don’t forget those early fine motor and concentration skills! This dino toy or hedgehog version allows baby to focus on pulling the pieces out (and eventually learn how to put them back in). A wooden bank or classic piggy bank also teaches problem-solving skills. These buildable cars require concentration to build the vehicle and seat the driver. Endless combinations will keep it in rotation for ages.

To find toy suggestions galore and explore all my picks in one place, head to my Amazon Storefront to browse.

I would love to know what your toys have proven to be well-used and long-lasting favourites in your home. Let me know in the comments below or via Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Shop My Favourite Toys

If you’re interested in more posts on education and learning, check these out:

Mama, you may also like these posts:

• What exactly is Montessori? The most common questions about this method of teaching/learning from an experienced educator, mother, and author.
• Common Questions about Toys and Play: answering your questions when it comes to toy rotation, how to come up with engaging play ideas, and how to bring Montessori into your home.
• Advice for New/Expecting Moms: 20 different women provide their advice for surviving the first year of motherhood.
• Teaching & Learning with Loose Parts: How to create a loose parts basket of interesting/household, natural, and dollar store objects for baby to explore time and time again.
• Educational Toy Recommendations: 15 Months to 2.5 Years: toys that will keep your toddler learning, stimulated (and busy) while developing their imagination and independence.
• Find it all and more in MamaSTRUCK!

Anna

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