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13 hours ago
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The Best Baby Toys, from Birth to 12 Months
This article may contain affiliate links that Yahoo and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links. Play is truly a baby's work. Staring at a waving rattle is how they practice tracking with their eyes, reaching for a toy is how they get motivated to crawl and grasp, and getting attached to their favorite toys is an early way babies learn to regulate emotions. If that all sounds intense for a person who can't even talk yet — it is! But also, pretty much anything is a toy to a baby. 'Babies are just starting to process the world through touch, sound, and movement, so anything soft, safe, and sensory-rich is wonderful,' says Haley DeSousa, head of curriculum and instruction at Haven childcare centers, which use a play-based, Montessori approach. (She's also a first-time expectant mom, so she understands how overwhelming the baby aisles can be!) 'I tell people to keep it pretty simple. Wave a scarf during tummy time, hand them a soft kitchen spatula to explore. You'll purchase toys, too, but it's helpful to know that you probably have many rich play materials right at home.' Always note age grading, but especially with kids this young. A toy marked for 6 months and up will likely be frustrating or useless for a 3-month-old. A 4-month-old has vastly different skills and interests than a 10-month-old, and manufacturers try to signal age-appropriateness to parents so kids are presented with developmentally appropriate toys. Avoid toys that 'perform' for your little one, and look for toys that are meant to engage them and that allow them to drive the play. You'll want a fairly robust number of toys and household distractions around. Babies can seem to have a really short attention span, because after 5 or 10 minutes they might get overwhelmed. It will be a few years before you can expect your child to play with something for a half-hour. But the good news is that sitting in their bouncer or high chair and watching you, a sibling, the dog, or even a waving tree can be just as much fun for your baby as playing with a toy. Amazon $6 Oballs are ideal for young babies who are learning to grab objects. This ball is very easy to grasp, which helps your baby be successful and avoid frustration. Once they grab it, they can shake it around to rattle it and even start work on releasing objects by throwing it (look for that skill closer to their first birthday). Buy Now Maisonette $17 Infants see objects with high-contrast most clearly — it's why they stare at people's hairlines, or at men with beards, or at trees out the window. These beautiful black-and-white cards will catch their eye, too, and hold their attention. Set them on the ground at tummy time, or prop one where your baby can see it while they're in the bouncer seat. When your baby can grasp onto them, the cards are made to withstand manhandling, chewing, and exploring with sticky hands. Buy Now Nordstrom $35 The high-contrast black and white of this simple grasp ball makes it positively baby bait — they'll reach for it and work on learning to grasp it early on. It's made of organic cotton and has a ring attached so you can add it to their stroller or play gym. Buy Now Amazon $40 (was $115) While there are plenty of great play gyms for a baby (see our reviews of three other play gyms we love), this new one from longtime brand Melissa and Doug combines best features for a very affordable price. The arches are sturdy wood, the mat reverses (black and white for infants, a colorful ocean for older babies) and the plush toys are high-quality. The whole thing folds down easily to stash away. Buy Now Amazon $18 Tens of thousands of five-star online reviews don't lie — this is a great toy for a young baby. It looks wild, but all those loops give a somewhat-uncoordinated little one plenty of places to grab on and hold. It's lightweight, and sometimes one of the first toys an infant can manage to bring up to their mouth — a major victory! Buy Now Walmart $17 Have a lovey around for your baby to get attached to. Self-soothing is a developmental milestone, so rather than fear they'll get dependent on clutching a blankie or plush friend, accept it as a way they'll calm themselves. Learn from our parenting experience: Help them get attached to something like Carter's Elephant blankie that is inexpensive and easy to replace, because the day will come when Ellie (or whatever your baby loves) will get misplaced and you'll need another, or a backup. Buy Now Walmart $15 Babies spend a hilarious amount of time enchanted by their own hands and feet. Make it even more fun with these socks and wristlets that turn their limbs into waving, rattling toys. Lay your baby on their back on a safe spot and they can entertain themselves looking at the high-contrast designs. All can be machine-washed. Buy Now Haba $18 The handle of your car seat or the bumper on a stroller practically cry out for something interesting for your baby to look at — this spiral toy fits the bill. Your baby can watch the shapes wave and sway, and eventually reach up to grab them. It's a much-appreciated distraction on a drive or long outing. Buy Now Amazon $14 (was $16) Simple, classic baby toys get a clever spin with this set of three infant toys. The taco crinkles and has tomato-shaped teethers, the avocado rattles and has a roller ball, and the lemon and lime clack together with a satisfying sound. Buy Now Amazon $40 This set of plush sensory toys — the textured veggies can be pulled out and set into a field of 'dirt,' the seed packets crinkle — can also be sat upright so the reverse side, a play mirror, attracts your infant during tummy time. It stays interesting the entire first year — first for gazing, then for grasping, then for 'gardening.' Buy Now Fat Brain Toys $11 See the phenomenon in action: Just as kids get excited about the box a toy comes in, babies get thrilled by the tags on toys. This brand capitalizes on that by having tags all over their toys! Babies can rub the silky loops, pull the elephant's tail, grasp the ear for a crinkling sound — and the whole thing can go in the washing machine if you've got a drooler. Buy Now Walmart $4 This might be the best bang for your toy buck ever. Babies love how the 'keys' knock together, and each of the three are actually a teether that's meant to be chewed on to provide some relief from teething pain. Cool it in the fridge and it can provide some numbing relief, too. It's easy to hook onto your diaper bag and have with you on outings. Buy Now Lovevery $92 If you've not already discovered these age-and-stage-based toy kits, now is a good time. The toys are spot-on for what your young baby is interested in and capable of handling, and the parent guide will walk you, the grown-up, through ways to engage your baby and promote development. If you love it, know that there are kits available for every three-month period through age 4. Buy Now Maisonette $50 Such a pretty sensory toy! This coral-reef-themed activity ball gives your baby many textures to explore, and includes both a teether and a small baby-safe mirror. It's lightweight and relatively small, about 8 inches by 7 inches, and has a loop for attaching it to a play gym or elsewhere. You'll want to hand-wash this one if it gets over-loved. Buy Now Lalo $95 There's nothing that will make you more self-conscious about the floors in your home than your infant being ready for rolling and crawling, and putting their hands in their mouth in between workout sessions. A cute floor mat will look good and give your little one a soft, easy-to-clean spot for playtime. Buy Now Amazon $142 Your baby might be ready for an upright activity center like this one at 4 or 5 months, but 6 months is more of a sure bet, when they have good neck control and their feet can reach the bounce mat with the keyboard. There are toys everywhere your baby turns on this! Later, remove the seat and turn this into a play table for other toys. It can stay useful for years. Buy Now Walmart $21 Halfway through the first year your baby will already be showing a sense of humor and a love of all things silly. This highly rated toy can be tipped over but pops back up, which leads to a total gigglefest for babies. It plays songs and sounds and lights up, too. Set it just out of reach to give your baby some incentive to crawl over and play with it. Buy Now Fat Brain Toys $13 As your baby starts to use a high chair for meals, we suggest a stick-on toy to keep them entertained and sitting longer. PipSquigz Loops adhere to the tray and provide tactile, rattling fun. They're food-grade silicone and safe for chewing, too. Buy Now Walmart $35 At 6 months your baby is at the 'fill and spill' stage, where taking objects out of something and then putting them back in is endlessly entertaining. This toy, a pretend fishbowl with little sea creatures, makes the exercise even better with lights, sounds, and songs if you choose to turn on the electronics (the batteries are included). Buy Now Amazon $5 Your baby's teeth continue to come in during the second half of the first year. This teether is easy for your baby to hold, and the massaging bristles can clean their gums too. Buy Now Target $28 Between 9 and 12 months your baby will become fascinated by the idea of object permanence — the concept that when something is hidden, it still exists. It's what makes peek-a-boo fun for them, and what will crack them up about this set of a wooden box and yellow ball. They drop the ball inside (practicing hand-eye coordination) then fish it out through the little door — over and over again. Buy Now Amazon $8 (was $9) Didn't we all play with this rocking set of stacking rings? It takes a surprising number of fine motor skills for a baby to get each of the five rings onto the peg, which is why we suggest it for 9 months and up. The top ring has rattling beads inside. Buy Now Lalo $13 By this age, you're going to start to need bath toys to make bathtime more like playtime. Nesting, stacking cups are one of the simple toys that DeSousa recommends. Lalo's six-piece set has drainage holes on every piece for water play, and they also nest together to make a pretty, pleasing shape. Buy Now Amazon $29 (was $35) At under a year old, your baby will likely just bang away on these keys, but that's all good fun. Later, they might be able to follow the color-coded music sheets to pick out simple tunes. You can set this wooden piano so that your child is making the music, or so that it plays familiar songs for them to move to (Beethoven's "Ode to Joy,' Mozart's "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"). It has volume control. Buy Now Haba $20 Soon your baby will graduate to stacking wooden blocks, but in the meantime they can learn to set these soft blocks on top of each other. Each of the five is printed with a different animal and there are textures, crinkly noises, and squeakers, too. Buy Now Walmart $85 (was $100) You're going to want to encourage your baby's gross motor skills, too. This playhouse is huge for your baby but only 36 inches long for your playroom. They can crawl through the swinging door, pull up on the table, and walk around the house. They can also turn the light switch on or off, ring the doorbell, put pretend mail through a slot, or do any of dozens of other activities. The sounds and phrases the toy makes can be set to any of three stages, from simple sounds for a baby this age to lessons about numbers and colors for a toddler. Buy Now The Best Zipper Sheets to Solve the Worst Bed-Making Task 49 Stylish Nursery Ideas for the Unique Baby Room of Your Dreams This $16 Find Is One of the Best Purchases I've Ever Made at IKEA
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
I Tried Out A Bunch Of Popular, Viral, And Cool "Mom" Products — These Were The Game Changers For Me
Hi! I'm Crystal, and I'm a first-time mom. As someone who is new to this whole parenting thing, I found myself, over the last year or so, obsessively researching "mom" products. And by "researching," I mean scrolling TikTok, Instagram, and the internet in general while my baby slept (which, if you're a parent of a newborn, you know, is rare and precious time that's so easy to waste away on social media 🙃). Now, I'd like to preface this by saying there are a billion and one baby products out there, and these are simply products I came across in my own time, kept seeing pushed to me on social media, or were sent to me to try out. Also, many of these products are very expensive, so please don't think I'm suggesting you HAVE to have ~all~ the items on this list. But if you've been considering one or a few of these items, I hope my thoughts are helpful to you! Also, what works for one mom does not work for ALL moms, so while my experience with all these products was positive, you may have had a very different one (and that's fine!). Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below! OKAY! So, here are a bunch of popular, viral, and really cool "mom" products I tried out that I found to be complete game changers: KleanPal Pro Bottle Washer, $299.99 Now, when I use the term "game changer," this product is pretty much my definition of that. As a mom who combination feeds (meaning I both nurse and formula feed my baby), I have A LOT of bottles and breast pump parts to clean on a daily basis. For the first few months of baby's life, we hand washed and then sterilized all those parts. And that not only wrecked my hands (I STILL have eczema that won't go away), but also added to my exhaustion as a new parent. But this bottle washer, that ALSO sterilizes, reaaallly helped take a load off. This washer/sterilizer does everything I had been doing by hand in one machine. All you have to do is load it up, drop in a detergent tablet (you have to use their specific tablets, which come with the machine), load up the water, and press a button. So, what used to take me like 20-30 minutes at the end of a long day, now takes about 5, and that extra time is GOLDEN. I love this machine so much. Side note: The instructions say to use distilled water with the machine, but it uses quite a bit of water (and almost an entire jug of distilled water) each time you run it. I contacted Momcozy, and they confirmed you CAN use regular old tap water (which is what I do), it just has a tendency to cause scale buildup (which makes sense). FWIW, I have been using just tap water in my machine for 7 months now and have not seen any scale build-up yet. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Zeitgeist Baby Carrier, $420 and up. Known as the "celebrity" baby carrier, the Artipoppe Baby Carrier has something of a cult following (people apparently collect limited edition patterns/fabrics). Now, I won't sugarcoat it; this carrier is PRICEY. They start at $420* and go all the way up to $4,300 🥲. Truth be told, I was very skeptical about this carrier. I thought, certainly, this is just expensive because of ~fashion~. But, spoiler alert, I was wrong. *When I first started writing this post, the prices started at $360. Sadly, it seems tariffs have already affected pricing because now, at the time of publishing, there is a "duties incl." notation next to the pricing. Artipoppe is based in the Netherlands. I could immediately tell this carrier was a higher-end product compared to all the other baby carriers I'd tried (I went through FIVE others before landing on this one). The difference was almost night and day. The material on the Artipoppe is SUPER soft and, more importantly, structurally very well made. The sturdy waistband is a lot wider than others, which provides excellent support, and the padding on the shoulder straps and waistband extended further than other carriers I tried, making it way more comfortable overall. Crystal Ro / BuzzFeed I also find this style (with the cross-back straps) the easiest design to put on by myself. Other carriers have this design, too, but because the Artipoppe's material is so soft, I found when I tossed the straps over my shoulders, it wasn't a struggle to reach them (as it was with other carriers). As a parent who walks with their baby every day in a carrier, it was really important for me to find one that worked perfectly. And this one does. So, if it's in your budget, I would 1000% recommend it. As a side note: I also tried out a Mabē Baby Carrier, which is considered an Artipoppe dupe at $129. The Mabē was decent, but I found the back side of the waist strap to be quite uncomfortable as it put a lot of pressure on my lower back — that's not to say it doesn't work well for others, this was just my experience. Momcozy also makes a dupe, and I was impressed with the softness of the material; though, it's still not as structurally strong as the Artipoppe. But it's even more affordable at $59.99, so absolutely worth considering! Crossbody Diaper Bag, $160 I almost exclusively used a crossbody purse in my pre-baby years. So, having to switch to using a large diaper bag on top of carrying a purse was a pain in the butt. When I discovered (thanks to Instagram) this crossbody diaper bag a light went off in my head. Why didn't I think to look for this before?! What I love about the Poppy bag is its simple, but classy, "camera bag" design. This literally looks like a purse I would use even NOT as a diaper bag, but the fact it has double compartments and tons of pockets for all your ~baby stuff~ is awesome. It's well designed and is made from a very soft and durable "bio-based" vegan leather. I opted to use a wider strap (which was a free add-on) to make it look more casual. TBH, wouldn't be surprised if I keep using this bag even after we make it out of the "diaper" phase and beyond! Stardust Pop-Up Play Yard, $279 When my baby was younger, the only place I felt safe putting him in when I had to go to the bathroom or answer the door was a playpen. The thing about playpens is that they're all pretty bulky, making them difficult to move around and store. But the Bugaboo Stardust has a slim profile and closes up in, like, 10 seconds. I also like that the base part is sturdy compared to others, which tend to slope in the middle. Also, before my son could get up on his hands and knees, having the Stardust set up at the higher bassinet setting was super convenient. Of course, like ALL pack and plays, my son isn't a fan of being in there too much anymore, but the nice thing is it stores REALLY flat and is so easy to move from room to room. I have yet to try it out in a travel situation, but I have high hopes it'll work well! Hip Carrier, $85 I love carrying my baby around in all forms (as you could maybe tell from my obsession with finding a carrier that I mentioned earlier). But sometimes you just need to toss them on your hip and get going (or they're fussy and want to be on your hip one minute and then off the times!). But not all of us have great baby-carrying hips, making this simple thing very hard (and straining on your arms and back!). That's where a baby hip carrier comes in handy, like the Tushbaby. Now, there are many hip carriers on the market, but the Tushbaby was HEAVILY marketed to me. Like, I saw this thing on Instagram, TikTok, and even Reddit. So, I finally broke down one day and bought one to try. And I'm glad I did. What I love is that it's SUPER sturdy. The seat the baby sits on is hard (I'm assuming plastic), and the belt, while soft and comfortable, is also strong. For me, I find it works best when I wear it very high and tight because my baby's weight really pulls down on the whole thing. But every time I've used this, it's worked great and given a TON of relief to my arms, shoulders, and back. Side note: I also tried this with the "Snug" attachment (as pictured above), and it basically turned the whole thing into a regular baby carrier. The Snug attachment is good for younger babies who don't have the back and neck strength to sit up on their own (usually before 6 months of age). In fact, it was so cozy for my baby he napped like that a couple of times when he was younger. The Snug attachment is extra, though, FYI. Electric Nail Buffer, $34.99 If you're afraid of trimming your baby's nails (and TRUST ME, you are not alone if you are), then a nail buffer is a great alternative. This nail buffer has three speeds, can change directions, comes with four different buffer pads (the pads get a little grittier as baby grows), and even has a "task" light, making it easier to get a clear view of those teeny tiny baby claws. Until you've had to do it, you have no idea how hard it is to trim a baby's nails. They are SO tiny and delicate, and you don't want to accidentally cut too deep! And as baby gets older they tend to wiggle A LOT and don't like their nails being trimmed, LOL. The buffer helps in this case (though it's still a difficult task to accomplish), and this one is verrrry easy to use. In fact, I use it on at least a weekly basis because getting scratched on the face is never fun! Hands-Free, Wearable Breast Pump, $549.99 Touted as the world's first silent wearable breast pump, this is another "celebrity favorite" item. According to Elvie, some celeb fans include Hilary Duff, Ciara, and Katherine Schwarzenegger. And, apparently, was even given out to Oscar nominees in their "goody" bags in 2019! (I would love to know if anyone at the Oscars was actually using it while at the show!) I've tried a few different breast pumps and all of them have worked for me for the most part. However, the Elvie was a "step up" from the other ones I'd tried (BTW, in case you didn't know you can get a breast pump for free, or at a significant discount, through your health insurance, so be sure to look into it if you're in the market for one!). I fully admit the Elvie was intimidating to set up at first, it had a few more parts than the other ones I'd use, and you can connect it to an app to track how much you're pumping and, like, set a timer, which is nice. I personally like to pump while watching TV, and while I wouldn't call this truly "silent," it's quiet enough that I don't have to crank the volume up while watching TV. But, most importantly, does it pump milk well? Yes! For me, it does! Crystal Ro / BuzzFeed / Elvie, Crystal Ro / BuzzFeed 8.Ñuñuy Sofia Nursing Jumpsuit, $178 As a new mom, I generally just wear whatever is comfortable and I'm not worried about getting stains all over. 🙃 So, looking for ~fashionable~ nursing clothing was never really on my radar. But, turns out, you can be comfortable, cute, and have functioning nursing clothes all in one! I was honestly SHOCKED how well this nursing-friendly jumpsuit fit me. Mainly because I am short (I'm 5'2"), and regular jumpsuits almost always look terrible on me. But the cut is really flattering and the material (which is made from organic cotton) is super soft and very forgiving. I felt so confident in this I actually wore it to the LA premiere of the film Babygirl. 10/10 would recommend (both the jumpsuit and the movie). Bonus: it has HUGE pockets! And I love a good, deep pocket. Adjustable Nursing Pillow, $49.99 I'm not ashamed to admit that at one point, I had four different nursing pillows. You'd think they'd all be the same, but they're not! You can get big ones, small ones, travel ones, the list goes on... The thing I really liked about the Frida Adjustable Nursing Pillow is, well, the fact it's adjustable! I wish I'd had this sooner, TBH, because, by the time I tried it, my son was big enough that I didn't need the biggest "setting" (i.e., with all the pillow inserts, how it comes). But I like that it has a strap that can go behind your back, so it doesn't slip, and I also love the adjustable heights for this. Now, I just use it at its smallest setting, which is basically just the squishy pillow part, and toss it in my car for when I might need it on the go. This thing has longevity! Tripp Trapp High Chair, $299 The Tripp Trapp high chair was another baby item that came up A LOT in my feeds and one that took a lot of convincing for me to commit to buying. Off the bat, the price seemed high (especially compared to the equally popular IKEA high chair, which is a steal at $20). But, after some convincing from friends, I broke down and went with the Tripp Trapp. And I'm glad I did. First of all, you should know this thing is super easy to clean. All the parts come off and on very easily (the seat, the tray, etc.), and you can easily hose them off in the kitchen sink or wipe them down with a wet paper towel or cloth. I also love that the legs don't stick out the way most high chairs do — this seems trivial, but tripping over high chair legs is a THING, and that NEVER happens with the Tripp Trapp. It's also SUPER sturdy and easy to move around. Win, win. The other big selling point for me was that the Tripp Trapp is designed to grow with your child, literally until they're adults (the final "configuration" is basically just a chair, LOL). So, you definitely get your money's worth out of this product. The Tripp Trapp also has a "Newborn Bundle," (pictured above) which is useful for when your baby isn't able to sit upright yet (roughly, the first six months of their life!). It does cost extra because it's a separate addition, but I loved having our baby up at table-ish height when we had our meals. It was also a cozy, safe place to have our newborn nearby when I was working in the kitchen. Ultimate Baby Kit, $99.99 There are A LOT of little products you need as a new parent, and frankly, it can be overwhelming to figure out what you do and don't need. Heck, a year in, we're STILL buying things as we go (and I imagine that'll keep happening!). So, it's reallllly nice that a lot of it comes all together in this kit by Frida. YES, you can get all of these things individually and by other brands, but this just makes things simple. This kit covers everything from health and wellness — so things like a snot sucker, medicine feeder, thermometer — to teething and grooming. We're almost a year in, and have used almost everything in this kit and it's nice to know we have all of it on hand when you need it, especially in the middle of the night (which happens more than you would hope!). Side note: There is a "basics" version of this kit as well, which has many of the same things, just pared down. It's also a great idea to have on hand IMO! Full HD Baby Monitor, $169 There are a million and one baby monitors you can choose from, but the main things I like to look out for are: non-Wifi (so they're less susceptible to hacking) and are they easy to install and use. The MomCozy monitor ticks off both those boxes while also offering a few other fun things. Now, I've only tried one other baby monitor, from Babysense (another popular monitor), and that one, after just a few months, had sound issues where it randomly cuts out, and the device needed to be restarted to fix it. I have NOT had that issue with the Momcozy. The Momcozy also has a clearer picture, and one big bonus I like about it is that you can take screen captures with the monitor! Great for capturing cute moments. It's easy to setup, use, and I like that the monitor itself has a thin profile (making it easier to fit into my pockets when going from room to room). 3-in-1 Air Purifier, $59.99 This HEPA air purifier is "3-in-1" because it also includes a sound machine and nightlight. So, off the bat, you're killing three birds with one stone. You can choose from two sleepy sound options, three fan speeds, and four nightlight colors. It's also small enough to fit on a shelf or dresser. This is one of the EASIEST baby products I've had to use yet. You literally plug it in, press one button, and the thing gets going. Amazing. I also love that you only have to change the filter every 90 days, making it very low maintenance. I actually don't use the sound machine function of the device (we have something else for that), but the fan in the filter alone makes a nice white noise sound that is very calming. Considering we had awful wildfires in the LA area earlier this year, I was very happy to have had this HEPA filter already going in baby's room. Callisto G 360 Car Seat, $699.95 We've been using an infant car seat for almost a year now, and it was awesome when our son was younger/smaller because it's so easy to take them in and out of the car without disturbing them. But now that he's getting A LOT bigger and heavier, it's a huuuuge pain in the butt (and on the back) to get him in and out of the car. This is where the ~fancy~ Callisto G 360, a rotating All-in-One car seat, comes in handy. First of all, as intimidating as it looks, this car seat is very easy to install. But my FAVORITE part about this car seat is the fact that it rotates (360 degrees!), which saves my back and arms A LOT. It's also handy for getting him out of the car seat on the opposite side of my car when I'm parked in our garage (it's a small garage!). Another bonus of the Callisto is this really deep-reaching sunshade, which is perfect for protecting our baby from that strong SoCal sun (and for napping!). It's a pricey purchase, but it's also designed to last until your baby is (roughly) 10 years old, so over time, money well spent IMO. As an "infant to booster" car seat, you can use this car seat from birth up until roughly 10 years old (depending on their weight and height meeting the safety guidelines, of course)! It simply converts with your child as they grow! finally, the Hey Kids, Watch This! book from A24, $38 OKAY, this one is probably more for ME than it is for the baby, but this is a mom products post, after all! As someone who loves movies, when I heard about this book it immediately grabbed my attention. Our baby hasn't started watching movies yet, but I'm already working on a list in my head. And while there are plenty of classic family films that come to mind, I looooove that this book includes movies more off the beaten path. (We're a Criterion Channel family, after all.) Note: Some of the products in this list were sent to me for free for review. However, I was under no obligation to give a positive review.
