Playtime is essential for babies as they learn how to discover new things and have fun. Buying the best baby toys for your little one is important to keep him or her stimulated. Read our reviews of the best baby toys for guidance as you shop.
Best Baby Toy
MagWorld Toys 60-Piece Constructor Magnetic Tile Building Set offers infinite opportunities to build a magical world of your child’s choosing. The brightly colored tiles are magnetic so that they remain in place as they are stacked, and they are made of resistance BPA-free plastic with secure grommets to prevent the opening of the tiles.
The magnets on all edges are strong enough for 2D and 3D building, and the blocks range in shapes from 2 large squares, 26 small squares, 18 equilateral tiles, 8 right angles and 6 isosceles triangles. Manipulating these toys will teach children ages 3 and up to develop mathematical concepts and geometry skills.
The different shapes and colors will definitely challenge your kid’s mind to come up with new buildings, and the durable, hard plastic will make sure that the product will last a lifetime, which is precisely how the long warranty lasts. Meets or exceeds Toy Safety Standards.
What we like: The strong magnets and wide variety of shapes make for productive playtime.
Top 5 Baby Toy Comparison
Below is a chart comparing some major features of the top 5 baby toys.
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Baby Toy Reviews
Fischer Price Wheelies Loops n’ Swoops
Watch your little one clap with joy as he or she sends Little People Wheelies on a roller coaster with this plastic amusement park. They’ll love watching the wheelies zoom down the 2-foot tall slides and zip around the 360 degree loop-the-loop. The small cars and push-button easy release to start the ride are perfect for your toddler’s little hands, and the beeps, sounds, songs and flashing lights will also keep your kid entertained for hours. It also features authentic amusement park details like ticket booth, fun house mirror, food stand and lift gate.
What we like: Comes with 4 colored flags and two 4-wheeled cars.
VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker
Perfect for toddlers who are learning to stand and walk, this interactive walker features a wide variety of buttons, noises and lights that encourage creativity and develop motor skills. 5 piano keys play musical notes, and there are also 2 colorful spinning rollers, 3 shape sorters, 3 light up buttons, and a pretend telephone handset. In addition, the walker features over 70 sing-along songs, sound effects and phrases, and the wheels work on carpet and hard floors.
What we like: Sturdy enough to support baby as he or she pulls him or herself up.
Laugh and Learn Workbench
Babies 6 to 36 months can learn and work through play with this workbench. Your little one will love watching the nails and three pegs light up as they tap and pound them, and they can sing along with over 15 songs and tunes while also being entertained by other sounds and phrases. In case parents are worried about the noise, there is volume control for quiet time.
What we like: Counting and alphabet songs teach baby useful skills.
Mega Bloks First Builders
These are a classic childhood staple for children 1 year and up. It comes with 80 big and colorful blocks in the primary classic color schemes. They are sturdy and practical and come with a reusable, non-woven, PVC and BPA free storage bag that comes with a hand strap for easy carrying. These are great to help children with hand-eye coordination and develop planning and motor skills.
What we like: Wheeled base is fun to create things like cars or airplanes!
How to Maintain Baby Toys
Baby toys come into direct contact with your baby’s hands and mouth on a daily basis. Make sure the toys are cleaned properly of any bad bacteria and depending on the type of material of the toy.
The most common way to clean your baby’s toys is to use hot water and soap and clean each toy separately. Vinegar is a good substitute for soap if you’d prefer to clean naturally, however the smell may leave something to be desired. After you wash the toys, rinse and dry them properly, usually for two hours.
Some parents may choose to wash the toys in the dishwasher. Make sure the manufacturer says that the toy is dishwasher safe before you use the machine so as to not damage the product. For example, wooden toys cannot be washed in the dishwasher, and toys with batteries or small parts that could fall off under high temperature.
You can also disinfect toys using sanitizing solution and a cloth, which would remove bacteria, but may not properly remove any food leftovers. If the toy is wooden or metal, you can wipe it down with a wet cloth and some detergent and then dried off with a soft cloth.
Try to clean your toys every day and give them a thorough wash at least once a week, even more if there are multiple children sharing toys and germs.
How to Select a Baby Toy
Below are some tips on how to choose the right toys for your child.
Choose something simple. While toys with a ton of bells and whistles may be appealing and something that you as a parent might find stimulating, the best toys for a developing mind are ones like building blocks that allow your child to control the situation and be creative during play time.
Limit the use of electronics. Our children are growing up in an electronic age, and they must learn to use electronics. However, you should restrict the amount that they play with electronics. Toys that don’t require active playtime will result in a passive learning style for children, hindering their ability to think independently. Toys with too many gadgets, lights and sounds with constant changes can affect your child’s attention span. Limit screen time for children over 2 years old to 1-2 hours a day.
Select toys that are appropriate for the child’s age.
- 0-8 months: For infants, a rattle is the perfect example of an appropriate toy. Young babies like to be able to experiment with hand-eye coordination, so they need something they can easily grab with their little hands, and they like to hear new sounds.
- 8-18 months: Your baby is starting to understand cause and effect. The best toys for babies this age are things like shape sorters, rings on poles, and blocks.
- 18-24 months: Toddlers like to play pretend, so toy trucks, kitchen sets, dress-up, dolls, action figures, etc. are great.
2-4 years: Combine pretend play with socialization to inspire them to use their imagination. Mini house or farm sets are great for this, while Play-Doh, crayons or finger painting will help with creativity. Puzzles, blocks and other construction toys are good at this age, as well, to help develop motor skills.