When my little one was born, I was excited to start exploring all the different types of toys for his development. Learning about sensory toys and how they can help your baby grow is an important step as a parent.
| Age Range | Recommended Sensory Toys |
|---|---|
| Newborn to 6 Months | Soft toys, textured balls, teething toys, mobiles, and rattles. |
| 6 to 12 Months | Musical toys, shape sorters, stacking toys, and toys with different textures and colors. |
| 1 to 2 Years | Play tents, sensory bins, sand and water tables, and toys that promote imaginative play. |
| 2 to 3 Years | Puzzles, blocks, building sets, and toys that encourage exploration and problem-solving. |
| 3+ Years | Arts and crafts supplies, dress-up costumes, board games, and outdoor toys like swings and slides. |
You want to make sure that you are introducing them to a wide range of activities that will help strengthen their motor skills and teach them how to play on their own. Here’s what we found:
Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo
- The Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo can be used from 8 to 25 pounds.
- The recommended age is 6 months to 3 years old, but it may be used for longer than that.
- It can be used indoors or outdoors, and it has a wide range of motion so your baby will not get bored with the same movements over time.
It’s easy to adjust the height so you can use this toy for your growing baby who might have outgrown other onesies by this point in their life but if they’re still small, no worries!
The seat also has an adjustable insert so you can move it closer or farther according to your child’s specific height needs at any given moment (and trust me: they change).
Sensory play is an important aspect of a toddler’s development, helping them to enhance their learning and motor skills. Learn more about the benefits of sensory play in our guide on how it can enhance learning and development for toddlers.
Oball
The Oball is a soft, flexible ball that is easy for your baby to grasp and throw. It’s made from soft, durable plastic so it’s safe if your baby drops or bites it.
The Oball has colorful designs on the outside and a rattle inside to make the sound of rattling maracas that will delight your little one.
Babies love the different textures of their toys, so having this toy with its smooth surface can help with sensory development as well as fine motor skills (the muscles in your hands).
Great Beginnings Baby Soothers
Sensory toys, like the ones we’ve introduced above, are great for your baby’s development. They can help with motor skills, speech and language skills and more.
If you want to learn more about sensory toys and how they can benefit your baby’s development, read on!
Baby Einstein Caterpillar and Friends Play Gym
The Baby Einstein Caterpillar and Friends Play Gym is an awesome sensory toy that can help your baby develop motor skills.
It helps your baby learn to reach, grasp and manipulate objects, which helps them develop eye-hand coordination. It also helps in the development of balance and agility in a fun way!
This play gym has several different activities for your child to explore. There are music buttons for them to push, a mirror for them to see themselves in, lights that flash on when your child moves their hands over certain sections of the mat (making it like a game), little beads that rattle when you move the caterpillar around – there’s so much!
This gives parents plenty of options for activities they can do with their babies at home or out on errands throughout the day.
As a beginner, choosing the right sensory toys for your toddler can be a daunting task. Our beginner’s guide to sensory toys for toddlers provides valuable insights on why sensory toys are important and how to choose the right ones for your child.
Matching Games
Matching games are a great way to teach your baby about shapes, colors and numbers. In fact, there are many different kinds of matching toys that can help your little one learn these things.
For example:
Shape sorters: Shape-sorting toys like the one pictured below allow babies to play with different shapes in a safe way. And with its brightly colored pieces, it’s also fun for them!
Match-to-count activity cube: This activity cube has five sides with different activities on each side that helps children learn shapes, colors, numbers and more. The best part? There are no batteries needed to use this toy!
Benefits of Sensory Play for Babies
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Cognitive development | Improves problem-solving and memory |
| Physical development | Improves gross and fine motor skills |
| Social-emotional development | Helps with self-awareness and social skills |
| Sensory processing | Helps with processing and integrating sensory information |
| Language development | Promotes communication and vocabulary |
Colorful Activity Balls
Activity balls are great for developing your baby’s motor skills. The soft texture of these sensory toys provides a fun way to practice rolling and grasping.
They’re also great for developing their cognitive abilities, as they encourage exploration with different textures and shapes.
You can introduce activity balls by letting your baby roll them in their hands or feet. You can also put them on the floor and let your child push them around while you try to catch him or her from behind! If you’re still not sure what to do with activity balls, here are some ideas:
Place an activity ball inside one of your hands, then place it into another hand with a closed fist resting on top of it like an old-school telephone operator does when hiding messages in his palm during work hours.
Place an activity ball under a blanket so it feels like there’s something alive under there! This is a perfect way for babies who aren’t ready yet (or maybe never will be) for newborn animals; just remember that this game should only last until they realize exactly how boring it really is once again.
Simply place several different colored balls together so each one makes noise when moving around–this is especially good if there’s more than one person playing with these things at once because no one wants anyone else making noise while trying out new sounds themselves!
Looking for the best sensory toys for your toddler? Our list of 15 sensory toys every toddler should have in their toy box will give you ideas on what to add to your child’s collection to enhance their playtime and development.
Rattles
Rattles are good for helping your baby develop their fine motor skills. Babies can learn to hold things, and work on their sense of touch by playing with a rattle.
Rattles can also help babies learn about cause and effect as they discover that shaking the rattle makes a sound.
Slides and Climbers
There are many different types of slides and climbers. They range from simple wooden stairs to large, elaborate structures with multiple levels and obstacles. Slides and climbers can be found in all sorts of places, from playgrounds to indoor play spaces to your own home.
Slides are great for physical development because they encourage children to use their bodies more actively than other toys do.
If you have a slide at home, you can use it as an opportunity for your child to practice using her muscles and if she doesn’t like sliding down the slide, she might enjoy climbing up it instead!
Sliding introduces new challenges that help improve coordination: running fast enough so that you don’t fall off the end; keeping your balance while going down the slide; making sure not to hit anyone who is already there (especially important when you have younger siblings).
These types of challenges can help strengthen hand-eye coordination skills as well as gross motor skills like balance and coordination.
Sensory toys can play a vital role in your infant or toddler’s growth and development. Check out our guide on the best sensory toys for infants and toddlers to learn more about the importance of these toys and how they can help your child’s development.
Musical Instruments
Musical instruments are a great way to introduce music and rhythm to your child. Playing with an instrument is a fun activity that can also help develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. It’s also a great opportunity to create memories as you all make music together!
The best way to start introducing musical instruments is by simply putting them in front of your baby so they can come across it on their own and explore it.
Once they’re interested, then you can start playing along with the instrument or helping them hold it correctly (if needed).
If you want more ideas on how to get started playing together, check out some tips for introducing musical instruments below:
- Start with rhythm toys first since these don’t need any skill or training; once these become familiar objects in your home environment, then move onto other types of instruments like drums, tambourines etc…
- Consider purchasing multiple types of instrument so there will always be something available when someone wants to play but none are around at that time (elderly relatives who visit often could bring their own set from home).
Wooden Massage Rings
Massage rings are a great way to introduce your baby to sensory play. They’re also a great way to introduce your baby to the different textures and materials around them. As they get older, massage rings are a great way for them learn about cause and effect!
Sensory toys are not just a fun way to play, but also an effective tool for your child’s development. Discover how sensory toys can help your child’s growth in our guide on how sensory toys can help your child’s development and the benefits they provide for their learning and motor skills.
Conclusion
The best part of all of these toys is that they are intended to be used with your baby. They can help your child develop their motor skills and cognitive abilities, while also providing fun opportunities for you to bond with them.
As you may have guessed from the name “sensory” toys, there is something about each one that stimulates your child’s senses in some way from the bright colors of a ball or rattle, to the soft textures found on a teether ring or musical instrument.
No matter what type of toy you choose for your baby, remember that it should always be safe and free from toxic chemicals such as lead paint!
DIY Sensory Toys for Babies
| Toy | Description |
|---|---|
| Sensory bottles | Fill clear plastic bottles with colorful items like glitter, beads, or small toys |
| Sensory bags | Fill a ziplock bag with hair gel, small toys, or other items, and seal it tightly |
| Texture board | Glue various textured items like sandpaper or felt onto a board |
| Sensory scarf | Tie various textures of fabric onto a long scarf for baby to touch and explore |
| Discovery bottles | Fill small bottles with different items like rice or beans, and glue the lids shut for a baby-friendly version of a sensory bottle |
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to learn more about sensory toys for babies and children:
Baby Chick’s guide to baby toys for sensory development, including recommendations for different age ranges.
Parents.com’s guide to sensory toys for different age ranges, from newborns to preschoolers.
Nuby’s blog post on the best baby sensory toys, with detailed descriptions of each toy and how they aid in development.
FAQs
What are sensory toys?
Sensory toys are toys that engage a child’s senses – sight, touch, hearing, taste, and smell – and help them to explore and learn about the world around them.
Why are sensory toys important for child development?
Sensory toys are important for child development because they help to stimulate and develop the different senses, as well as promote cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development.
What are some examples of sensory toys?
Examples of sensory toys include textured balls, rattles, musical toys, teething toys, and toys with different colors and patterns.
What age range are sensory toys suitable for?
Sensory toys are suitable for children of all ages, from newborns to preschoolers and beyond.
How can I choose the right sensory toys for my child?
When choosing sensory toys for your child, consider their age, interests, and developmental needs. Look for toys that engage their senses and encourage exploration and learning.
Meet Hellen James, the multi-talented writer and nurturing mother who takes young readers on a thrilling journey through her sensory-infused blog. Drawing inspiration from her own experiences as a parent.
