The best toys for baby
As a pediatric occupational therapist, I am picky about toys for infants. (let’s be real-most toys on the market are junk👀). You want to choose toys that promote visual focus and tracking in newborns, early fine motor skills like grasping and sensory exploration. These are my top OT-approved Christmas gifts for your baby!
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If I could give every baby one toy, it would be this one. These are less than $10 and have endless developmental benefits. Using the wrist rattle encourages baby to bring their visual attention to their hands, which is huge for their fine motor development. Similarly, the sock rattles bring baby’s attention to their feet – which is huge for strengthening their core.
This is the big ticket item I would buy for a newborn! (And, if you have this play gym, don’t sleep on the sensory strands.)
This is one of my favorites for helping newborns develop visual focus, either while laying on their back or during tummy time. The interactive sensory strips on the mat encourage baby’s fine motor development, and help keep baby engaged and distracted during tummy time. The sensory strands are perfect for encouraging reaching from supine at 2-3 months+, and practicing sitting balance from 5+ months!
This is one of THE best, low-stimulating musical toys for babies. The keys on the piano are perfect for practicing reaching during tummy time, setting in front of baby for dynamic sitting balance from 5ish+ months, and practicing alternating weight shifting to promote crawling skills from 6+ months.
Teethers are so important for baby’s fine motor and oral-motor development (yes, even LONG before your baby has teeth!). Starting around 2-3 months, your baby will gum on their hands during play. When they start doing that, it’s your sign to introduce a few high-quality teethers!
The clover teether is one of my favorites because it is perfect for baby to grasp with both hands-promoting bilateral coordination and bringing hands-to-mouth. I’d choose 2-3 of the teethers from this list to add to your baby’s stocking!
5. Melissa & Doug Tummy Time Fish
This is the best tummy-time toy. Each of the flaps is textured, encouraging baby to reach and explore with their hands. The mirror flap helps baby develop visual focus skills, and the teether flaps on the tail make it a favorite for older babies. This is one toy that every baby is obsessed with.
This offers so many sensory opportunities for babies. The center of the ball is high contrast, which helps newborns develop visual focus skills. The bumps are the perfect size for babies to grasp with both hands, promoting fine motor skills and bilateral coordination. And the rattle feature makes this perfect for practicing visual tracking skills.
This is one of the most underrated toys of all time. Each sensory bee offers a different tactile component, promoting baby’s fine motor skill development. This toy is perfect for practicing reaching, grasping, sitting balance, and putting items into containers. The beehive has a cute little mirror on the door, that makes it very engaging for baby!
