7 Baby Toys (0–6 Months) We Actually Use Every Day
If you’re anything like me, you spent your pregnancy preparing for bringing baby home. From decorating the nursery, doing baby laundry and setting up diaper changing stations, the decision fatigue (and general fatigue) can take over.
Suddenly, you’re drowning in “must-have” lists and items that you are sure if you’ll need, or which items will help support baby’s development and milestones even if not the most aesthetically pleasing.
As a first-time parent, there’s so much to navigate. This post is here to help you feel grounded in picking the core items that you will use every day during these early and precious month. They will even find a way to be part of memories of many of your baby’s firsts.
Shown above are some of these items in use: the high-contrast soft book, O-Ball, and the tummy time wedge. Note: this post contains some affiliate links. If you buy something through them, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the blog!
The “High-Contrast” Stage
This high-contrast soft book was used daily when Naomie was a newborn. The high-contrast colors (not just black and white) had her focusing and engaged. The soft feature of the book had many benefits, including that it was an easy and light item to take on the go and I didn’t worry about her somehow getting hurt with a relatively big heavy book. Now, don’t get misled by the item name (Visual Quiet Book), as there are plenty of crinkly sounds, but that made it more engaging. The book also allows for development of motor skills, from flaps to grasp and lift, various textures to touch and feel and even a small soft mirror on one of the pages. I also used this book a lot during tummy time as it was a super engaging and motivating item to persevere through the tummy time struggles.
Other items I love in this category are the Look Look Book, the classic Hello, Baby Animals and these artistic high-contrast alphabet and animal cards (this one is a bit of a splurge but it is useful for later stages in learning the alphabet, animals and playing recall games by having the animal side face down and seeing if they remember what animal is associated with the letter).
Tummy Time Interactive Playmat
I’m not going to sugarcoat this part, but Naomie absolutely hated tummy time and I constantly felt as if I was failing in supporting her. I tried so many thing to get her interested in being on her tummy, and while I can’t contribute the success to one single item, it took a very bright item that I resisted for so long to distract her to go for longer periods without crying.
Enter, the Fisher-Price Baby Playmat. This eye-catching item stood out against our soft-tones aesthetic, in particular our main Morris & Co. print playmat. However, it was home to so many fond memories and lends itself to be very versatile with the various configurations and elements.
The Fisher-Price Playmat is easy to assemble and disassemble for storage, has a soft easy-to-wipe playmat and arch that is adjustable and comes with additional accessories that can be moved around the structure to keep your little on entertained.
Not only did this item help Naomie power through Tummy Time, it also is a rite of passage item for parenthood. Don’t overthink this one – just buy it and thank me later. You’ll soon be part of the Monkey in a Bubble Gum Tree club, forever and always.
A few notes on this playmat:
- it helped Naomie roll over for the first time when she was a few months older by moving the arch to a diagonal position.
- The keyboard can be adjusted for when baby is sitting or removed entirely to use separately.
- Don’t even get tempted by cuter versions of this. The green version is the classic and has something magical about it. Gosh, I can’t wait for you to bring it into your home and for all those moments you’ll sharing laying next to your little on it.
If you’ve already got a similar item and are looking to expand your tummy time arsenal, I loved this Tummy Time Arch, which has multiple languages, and adjustable kickstand and is the right level of stimulating for little ones without being annoying for grown ups is a great addition as well as being portable! It pairs well with a tummy time pillow or wedge for the littles.
Sensory: grab and move
The O-ball is a classic item and for good reason. It gives your little lots of practice to develop and refine their fine motors skills, like their pincer grasp, as well as learning cause-and-effect. You can also the O-ball to roll on the floor in front of them during tummy time or place in front of them to reach for it when their stronger, and I particularly like the one we got with segments that produced a gentle rattling sound when shaken or moved.
While we got the O-Ball in pink, it also comes in blue, green and black/white (another contrast item, which is a bonus).
Possibly the best teether ever created
I don’t know if I would have found this item if it weren’t for my mommy-and-me group. The Smily Mia is an adorable teether that is so well-designed. It has a “grab bar” in the middle of it and forms a mitt around baby’s hand giving them an easy way to hold and chew to soothe those gums.
There are two designs of the Smily Mia, of which we have multiples of both (they were that amazing). The version geared towards younger babies has two rounded areas to chew on (Mia’s arms), while the more advanced version has textured arms and antlers. They come as individuals, sets of the same type and mixed sets. I highly recommend getting two of the mixed sets so that you have two for the younger months and two for when they can handle more texture on their gums. Super easy to clean, thread a toy strap holder through (avoid the drama of items falling on the floor as much as possible) and come in cute designs and colors!
Dropping in another teether that helps develop fine motor skills and has a lot of interactive features is this fun one.
Another teether we used was the Frida Baby Push Pop Silicone Feeder – initially with frozen breast milk and then with frozen fruit. I still remember Naomie’s reaction to it the first time she used it – it was so soothing and what I believe sparked her love for cold drinks and food. The main reason I chose this silicone feeder over others is the unique “push pop” design – the stepped insert allows you to push the contents of the feeder down as it gets low so that it becomes full again without needing to refill it. It also comes with a variety of feeder attachments and a lid for storing. With the Frida Baby marketing issue that has come to light, I have included an alternative options that also includes a mini freezer mold. We had one similar to this and it worked great at the younger months as the teether portion is much smaller.
Another cold teether if you’re not ready for introducing solids it this Nuby one with a convenient case, though I typically stored our cold teether in Stasher Bags, which we later used for snacks on the go or for freezing meal prepped muffins. The standup versions also make the best pump storage solution if doing the fridge hack!
NOT the Dancing Crab
Storytime: I gave in to the dancing crab after being heavily influenced (again for tummy time goals) but it triggered some phobia in me with the way its legs moved (I am literally shuddering as I write this) and I ended up shutting it into the bathroom and had to wait for Preston to come home to turn it off. I felt defeated by a dancing crab, but was determined to find a solution. Enter the duck, or Duck Duck as Naomie calls it. Duck Duck actually made a reappearance in our toy rotations as I was putting away toys for storage and Naomie (now 19 months) refused to part with it after not seeing it in months. This cute dancing duck moves elegantly while playing a rotation of songs and has interactive buttons that make noises when pressed. This helped Naomie during tummy time as well as later when learning to roll over and crawl. It is somehow now a fond toy for her that she refused to let me store it away! I seriously think that the Dancing Duck far exceeds that crab (shuddering again) and is a little treasure trove of a toy that will find its place at many stages.
The Baby Bath I Wish I Found Sooner
Okay, so not a toy, but something that makes bath time more enjoyable at this age…so I guess you could stay it’s a toy?!. I could probably count how many days there were in the first few months were something wasn’t being delivered. Granted, Naomie came ahead of her due date and I was high focused on work at the end and didn’t have that pre-maternity leave bubble I was dreaming of. So any break where we could have been trying to get some rest was instead filled with researching baby items as well as the “is this normal” online search queries.
While bathing babies makes for cute photos, it can also lead to much questioning. Are they in the right position for their airway?! Are they going to slip?! Are they warm enough?! Our initial, very popular, baby bath just didn’t seem like it made for a comfortable bathing experience and the popular alternative just didn’t seem as secure.
This baby bath was the perfect solution – soft for them to sit in while keeping baby in a good position, staying warm due to the washable soft fabric with integrated wrap “wings”. As it is inflatable, it is perfect for travel , and it also condenses down for storage. The Puff can work in both your kitchen sink and also in the bathtub (we used it in both) and has a removable cover that is easily washable. I honestly wish I found it sooner and avoided a lot of slippery baby fish moments, while also knowing she was warm and snug in her bathtub.
If you are using your bath tub, save your knees (and arms) with this kneeling pad and arm rest set with integrated toy storage. It wasn’t until we were traveling and didn’t have the comfort of the pads that we realized how invaluable these simple items were.
The Spin Club
Not quite the Spin Club you were used to before baby, but you’ll see this item everywhere. These suction spinners are useful at home but are also so easy to throw into a diaper bag or stroller and lend themselves to lots of entertainment. The suction cups allow them to be attached to most tables (helpful in overcoming high chair struggles later on) and windows – they are indeed a top travel must-have for infants.
While it is easy to feel like there’s something else you need when trying to make purchasing decisions as a parent, most times, the little ones do just fine with a few high-quality items that will be useful for different stages of development and also make your life as a parent easier.
If there are more lists or reviews of items you’d like me to share, please pop it in the comment bar below. Similarly, if there are any items that you feel are missing from this list that you love, please share for others as well.
To all you new parents – you’re doing great, even when you feel like you’re in survival mode. You’re the best parent to your baby, even when you feel like you’re still figuring it all out.
