The best developmental toys for young kids

When searching for developmental toys for babies, it’s important to review the age guidelines to make sure the toy you choose is safe and suitable for little ones. Appropriate baby toys should be nontoxic, with no small parts or pieces, or other choking hazards. It’s also important to consider that babies learn by exploring toys with their mouths, and experimenting by grabbing, shaking, and dropping objects.

To find the best developmental toys for babies, we considered each toy for safety, sturdiness, developmental milestones, and types of play. We looked for toys that encourage social and emotional skills, physical development, and cognitive development, as well as toys that encourage sensory play and build fine and gross motor skills.

Based on our reviews, these are the best developmental toys for babies on the market today.

What to Look for in Developmental Toys for Babies

Safety

When buying developmental toys for babies, keep safety first in your mind by thinking large. If the toy can fit entirely into your little one’s mouth, it’s best to skip it as it then becomes a choking hazard. Be sure the toy is sturdy (no smaller parts can break off) and made of nontoxic materials that could lead to poisoning.1

Milestones

Milestones give parents and caregivers an idea of where their child should be developmentally.2 While all babies develop at their own pace, many toys can encourage babies to work on important skills.

• Social and emotional skills: Babies love faces, and the Manhattan Toy Baby Whoozit 6-Inch Stroller and Travel Activity Toy (view at Amazon) lets them look at themselves in a mirror.

• Physical development: The HABA Color Fun Play Gym (view at Amazon) encourages rolling over in both directions (tummy to back and back to tummy).

• Cognitive development: Passing things from one hand to the other is an important thinking milestone. Babies can practice it with the Manhattan Toy Skwish Classic Rattle and Teether Grasping Toy (view at Amazon).

Types of Play

Providing toys that promote different types of play keeps babies engaged and helps them work on a variety of skills. While many toys offer multiple play features, these are especially good for specific types of play.

• Fine motor activity: Bright Starts Oball Shaker (view at Amazon)

• Gross motor activity: HABA Color Fun Play Gym (view at Amazon)

• Sensory play: Sassy Developmental Bumpy Ball (view at Amazon)