Car trips can be stressful with a screaming baby.
Having some fun toys and car seat accessories that your baby can play with in their car seat can help keep your little one occupied and entertained during a long ride.
We’ve put together a list of the best car seat toys for car seat entertainment. It doesn’t matter if you’re headed out for a quick run for groceries or going out on a road trip, with the right toys for car seats, parents and kids both get to enjoy the best stroller rides!
Read on to check out all our selections!
- Our 5 Top Picks Summarized!
- 11 Best Car Seat Toys You Can Get
- 1. Manhattan Toy Baby Whoozit
- 2. Infantino Hug and Tug Musical Bug
- 3. VTech Baby On-The-Moove Activity Bar
- 4. Lamaze Freddie the Firefly
- 5. Infantino Spiral Activity Toy
- 6. Lil' Jammerz Baby Music Toys
- 7. Blppldyci Baby Hanging Rattles Toys
- 8. Tiny Love Meadow Days Sunny Stroll Stroller Arch
- 9. Taf Toys Koala Car Wheel Toy
- 10. Lamaze Muffin the Moose
- 11. Skip Hop Silver Lining Cloud Jitter Stroller Toy
- Car Seat Toys Buying Guide
- Conclusion
Our 5 Top Picks Summarized!
11 Best Car Seat Toys You Can Get
1. Manhattan Toy Baby Whoozit
Baby Whoozit from Manhattan Toy has been a favorite for many years since 2003! The soft multisensory activity toy has a smiling face in the center and has seven arms, each featuring a different sensory activity.
The arms have rattles, crinkly paper, squeakers, and grasping loops. There’s also a hidden mirror underneath the nose. The toy has a top loop that allows you to attach it to car seats, strollers, and baby cribs.
The bright, high-contrast colors and fun features will keep babies occupied for hours. The toy is not too big for babies to hold and play with on their own if you don’t want to hang it on the car seat.
Pros:
- Multi-sensory features
- Encourages early learning skills
- Easy to transport
- Suitable for 0-12 months
- Fun, bright colored soft toys
Cons:
- Some products may not be genuine
- Bad quality control among the soft toys
- Inconsistent manufacturing
- FROM THE CLASSIC WHOOZIT COLLECTION: Manhattan Toy's multiple award winning Baby Whoozit continues to intrigue and engage babies worldwide - Baby's Favorite Friend since 2003!
- MULTISENSORY CLUTCHING BABY TOY: Baby Whoozit is a classic, soft multisensory activity toy, with a big smiling face that babies love. Features include high-contrast fabric arms, rattles, squeaker, crinkle paper, grasping loops, and a hidden self-discovery mirror under the bid red nose.
- INFANT AND BABY TRAVEL TOY: Whoozit's large yellow embroidered eyes are unmistakably welcoming and other bright colors, star patterns, and various textures will capture and hold baby's attention. Baby Whoozit has a top loop that attaches easily to cribs, car seats and strollers with hook and loop closures - a perfect travel toy and go everywhere companion.
2. Infantino Hug and Tug Musical Bug
A great baby car seat toy, the Infantino Hug and Tug Musical Bug is sure to be a hit with baby and will keep them occupied for hours, especially once they are able to pull it on their own.
The fun, multicolored bug hangs from the handle of a car seat or anywhere it can be fastened in your car. When you pull down on the bug, it expands, and then starts to shrink back up while playing a cute melody.
There are also two clacker rings and a mirror on the car seat hanging toy that baby can play with.
Pros:
- BPA free
- Stimulates several senses
- Gentle, not too loud, music
- Can hang from a variety of surfaces
- Variety of stimulating features
Cons:
- Head is too big for babies to grasp
- Can be too stiff for babies to pull
- Inconsistent music quality
- Pull down for fun music, motion and activities
- Plays music for 90 seconds as this huggable bug slowly moves back-up
- Includes 2 clacker rings, peek n' see mirror and knotty legs
3. VTech Baby On-The-Moove Activity Bar
The Vtech Baby On-The Moove Activity Bar is car seat light up toy that can be fasten onto either side of the handle of a baby car seat, on a stroller or crib. It can easily be adjusted to whatever height is appropriate for your baby.
It features three cute critters that do different features: the cow swings back and forth and makes sounds and phrases and also lights up, the bird has a textured ring and beads inside its tummy that rattle, and the ladybug has a mirror hanging from it that baby can look into.
The toy provides lots of fun and entertainment for your baby during car trips.
Pros:
- Adjustable strap
- A variety of different features
- Easy for baby to manipulate
- Suitable for up to 36 months
- Bright, fun colors and shapes
Cons:
- Doesn’t fit all types of car seats
- The cow’s button resets and plays the same sound every time
- Velcro straps can come off easily
- Press the cow's button on the On-the-Moove Activity Bar to hear cheerful phrases and playful songs and melodies; 45+ songs, melodies, sounds and phrases
- Swing the cow back and forth to activate the motion sensor and hear interesting sounds
- The bird holds a textured ring that's easy to grab to build motor skills; ladybug's baby-safe mirror helps to build self-awareness with peek-a-boo fun
4. Lamaze Freddie the Firefly
Freddie the Firefly is a fun car seat hanging toy for babies of all ages. The cute firefly is made out of a variety of colors and textures to awaken baby’s tactile senses in many ways.
The clacking colorful rings and jingling help awaken auditory senses, the multiple textures provide tactile stimulation, and the mirror allows baby to learn about themselves and to focus and track images. The toy clips onto both a stroller and a car seat for easy access.
You may be interested in: How to Choose Between a Travel System and Stroller
Pros:
- Fun, bright colors
- Multiple sensory stimulations
- Great for teething
- BPA and phthalate free
- Comes in a variety of different animals
Cons:
- Can have inconsistent manufacturing
- Can be too large for baby to hold on their own
- Some parts can cause a choking hazard
- High Contrast Baby Toys: Freddie the Firefly has bright high contrast colors and bold and vibrant patterns to help stimulate baby's visual perception as they develop
- Baby Development Toys: This baby sensory toy includes multiple textures, shapes, and crinkles that encourage touch and help stimulate your baby's tactile development
- Tummy Time Mirror: Freddie the Firefly's attached mirror helps baby learn to focus, track images, and explore the face to sharpen their visual development and understanding of the world around them
5. Infantino Spiral Activity Toy
This Infantino car seat toy features a spiral design that wraps securely and easily around the handle of a car seat so baby can look up at it.
The car seat spiral toy is made out of four different colors in different textures to help with baby’s sensory development. A fun shape hangs from each section. The hanging shapes have different purposes, such as a teething toy, a crinkly sound toy, and a mirror.
Baby can reach up and play with the hanging toys or just look at them.
Pros:
- Fun, bright colors and shapes
- Can be placed anywhere on the handle
- Doubles as a pad for carrying
- Comes in two different designs
- BPA free
Cons:
- Often bunches up and doesn’t stay stretched out
- Small hands can get stuck in the rings
- Baby car seat toys may not hang low enough for baby to reach
- Design: Plush, bright and mixed fabric spiral design which wraps easily around the handle bar of any stroller to spark curiosity and keep baby engaged no matter where you go together
- Developmental benefits: Soft and interactive fabrics featuring varied textures and shapes that encourage baby to reach, bat grab and enjoy sensory play
- Great for gifting: This set is packaged in easy-to-wrap packaging and is a suitable gift for any occasion including baby showers, birthdays, Christmas, Easter and more
6. Lil’ Jammerz Baby Music Toys
The Lil’ Jammerz Baby Music Toys are a great musical toy for infants of all ages. They were developed by a mom who wanted to give her baby the developmental benefits of music without exposing her baby to the harmful rays of a cell phone.
The set comes with three characters: Mazzy, JoJo, and Joon Bug. Mazzy has a tiny Bluetooth speaker that allows you to play any music or white noise through her, JoJo squeaks when you squeeze him, and Joon Bug rattles.
Listening to music helps babies improve many different skills, so this musical toy will be a great benefit to your little one.
Pros:
- Bluetooth streaming
- Speaker lasts for 2 hours
- Incoming calls do not ring on the speaker
- Straps onto car seat or stroller handles
- Fun, bright colors
Cons:
- Requires a phone or device to work
- Only one of the baby car seat toys has a speaker
- Doesn’t work with iPhone in the U.S.
Lil’ Jammerz Baby Music Toys
- Free downloadable Lil Jammers Music App. Whether you want to keep them entertained or lull them to sleep you’ll have the right music for the mood.
- Wireless so It’ll go anywhere you go – portable a& rechargeable.
7. Blppldyci Baby Hanging Rattles Toys
The Blppldyci Baby Hanging Rattles Toys come in four pieces. You can hang them all up for baby to enjoy, or just choose one or two.
The set includes a monkey, an elephant, a kitten, and a lion, all made in bright, plush materials. Each toy has a hanging clip, a gentle wind chime, and a teething accessory.
They’re just big enough for little hands to grasp, and the wind chime will be soothing to your baby. They are fun car seat toys for your baby on their own, or all together.
Pros:
- Non-toxic material
- Four individual animals
- Bright and interactive colors
- Teething accessory
- Great for sensory play
Cons:
- All have the same chime sound
- Teether can be a little hard
- Can be a little too long for car seats
- Keep Baby Entertained: The cute shapes of hanging rattles toys catch baby eyes, and soft texture surface of animals is perfect for little hands to explore, so your baby will stay entertained during walks and car rides.
- Advance Early Development: The animals have hanging rattles and cute shape baby teethers, playing with them help for infants fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, auditory and visual enhancements.
- Provide Versatile Use: The cute toy does not just fit easy on car seat, but can also be used in a variety of settings such as during tummy time, stroller bar or in the crib etc, this makes them a great investment.
8. Tiny Love Meadow Days Sunny Stroll Stroller Arch
The Tiny Love Stroller Arch works for strollers, car seats, and any kind of baby bed – be it a bassinet or crib, where it can be attached. The arch folds up for easy carrying and storage.
This toy is great for teaching babies about cause and effect – when they do something to one of the toys, it will have a more fun effect.
The arch has several different baby car seat toys that babies can interact with, including a propeller, a rattling ball with crinkly texture, a teething toy, a rattle bee, and a sun prism. The clips at the ends of the arch allow it to be easily attached to car seats. It can easily be angled so baby can reach it.
Pros:
- Very versatile
- Clips onto almost anything
- Wide variety of activities
- Can be adjusted to different angles
- BPA free
Cons:
- Can be hard to tighten
- Older babies can pull it down easily
- Can be hard to remove baby from car seat if toy is attached
- Tiny Love's clever design provides eight engaging activities to entertain and promote your baby's development, while the adjustable arch allows you to customize the level of interaction to avoid overstimulation.
- Each toy features fun and engaging textures that stimulate their senses and encourage play.
- Easily grasped by small hands, each baby toy is designed for durability.
9. Taf Toys Koala Car Wheel Toy
A fun toddler car toy is a pretend steering wheel. The Taf Toys Koala Car Wheel Toy is a fantastic toddler driving toy from Taf Toys Store that allows your little one to drive just like mom and dad while practicing tactile senses and motor skills.
The mat clips onto the headrests of the front seats so that it lays on baby’s lap. It has a steering wheel that turns and makes noises, including a horn sound, a ratcheting gear lever, and various sounds and lights in the driver’s seat department.
The mat also has a mirror so that baby can watch themselves while they are driving. This car seat steering wheel for toddlers will help keep your little one occupied during a long drive.
Pros:
- Allows baby to imitate mom and dad
- Low sounds that don’t distract the real driver
- Great for kids who love cars
- Textured surfaces for sensory stimulation
- Clips securely to seats
Cons:
- Not recommended for rear-facing car seats
- Might not be long enough to reach baby’s lap
- Requires batteries
- CHILD’S ENTERTAINMENT WHILST DRIVING - Taf Toys infant Koala Car Wheel Toy keeps your child happy while car travelling. The toy makes your toddler sit in a forward facing car seat, allowing him to imitate the driver's actions. The toddler is kept occupied and remains happy when in the car while playing with the activity center. This toy is best for 12-18 month old. toddlers 1-3. Must haves travel essential toy for baby girl & baby boy.
- GREAT FOR BABY’S DEVELOPMENT - Baby develops imagination and emotional intelligence by imitating the driver’s actions. Rotating the steering wheel and gear lever and pressing the various buttons, help develop baby’s motor skills. EASY TO INSTALL – The Koala car wheel toy can be easily attaches to the front seat headrest poles, for baby’s reach and for keeping in place while not in use.
- CAR STEERING WHEEL IMITATION - The toy includes clicking steering wheel, ratcheting gear lever that helps your child to imitate driver’s actions. While child enjoys playing with a toy he can see himself in the mirror. ADVANTAGES – Helps keep baby calm and entertained on car rides, allowing parents to enjoy a quiet & calm Drive. Best car accessories for babies.
10. Lamaze Muffin the Moose
Muffin the Moose from Lamaze is a very popular car toy for babies.
Muffin is a super-soft stuffed animal toy with a squeaky tummy, clacking rings, and teething antlers. His colorful satin legs come with knots in them for texture, and his hooves have fun crinkles and jingles in them.
The plastic clip allows you to easily clip Muffin the Moose onto a carseat handle or stroller handle, or anywhere you need him to go. Babies love cuddling him and playing with his fun features.
Pros:
- Great for sensory development
- Vibrant colors
- Non-toxic materials
- Light and small enough for baby to carry
- Attaches easily to a variety of objects like a diaper bag
Cons:
- Teething antlers can be too big to fit in baby’s mouth
- Antlers can be poky
- Color can vary
- FUN TOY FOR BABIES: Super soft baby toy that baby will love to touch and snuggle
- BABY DEVELOPMENT: Mortimer's squeaker tummy awakens auditory awareness and keeps baby entertained; Soft teethable antlers soothe baby
- SURPRISE CRINKLES: Colorful, satin knottie legs and multiple textures on his hooves with fun crinkles and jingles
11. Skip Hop Silver Lining Cloud Jitter Stroller Toy
Another favorite in baby toys for car rides, the Skip Hop Baby Stroller Toy is a cute baby mirror toy in the shape of a cloud that is awake on one side and asleep on the other.
The mirror that hangs from the center of the cloud has a retractable handle that makes the cloud vibrate when it is pulled. There are also a crinkle raindrop and sun/moon, and a star squeaker.
The cloud is in gentle colors except for pops of neon to stimulate baby’s sight. It attaches easily onto a car seat or stroller handle with a plastic ring.
Pros:
- BPA and phthalate free
- Double-sided
- Great for sensory play
- Gentle colors with pops of neon
- Vibrating feature
Cons:
- Plush can come off easily
- Car seat toys can have inconsistent quality control
- Doesn’t work very well on curved car seat handles
- With a plush, two-sided character face, our friendly cloud vibrates and shakes when the teether toy's handle is pulled
- A crinkle raindrop and sun flap—along with a star squeaker and ribbon accents—offer multisensory engagement, with pops of neon to stimulate baby’s sight
- Like all our stroller toys and portable baby toys, it has a built-in loop so you can easily attach it to the bar of your stroller, infant carrier or other gear
Car Seat Toys Buying Guide
It can be hard to decide on what to buy when you’re looking for car seat toys for toddlers or infants, as there are many options available. When you’re looking for toys for your child’s car seat, consider the following criteria to help you narrow down your choice.
- Safety – Make sure the car seat toy you buy is safe for babies. Check that it is free of harmful chemicals and dyes, and that it is sturdy enough to stand up to baby pulling and chewing on it.
- Age appropriate – Make sure the infant car seat accessories you choose are appropriate for your baby’s age, whatever that may be. If your child is still a baby or a small toddler that puts things in their mouth, avoid toys that have small pieces that may come off and pose a choking hazard.
- Materials – Avoid buying car seat toys that may have toxic chemicals or materials. Always look at what the product is made out of, and don’t be afraid to reach out to the manufacturer to ask about materials. Montessori toys for babies are a great option of a natural-material toy.
- Ease of cleaning – Many car seat toys cannot be machine washed. Look for other toys that are easy to hand wash or can easily be wiped clean.
- Develop milestones – Look for toys that help your child’s development. Look for features that give your child practice in shapes, colors, hand-eye coordination, etc.
- Attachable/Portable – Make sure the toy you choose can be easily attached and removed without too much trouble. Look for toys that aren’t hard to carry around and can be moved from car seat to stroller , diaper bag, or crib.
Conclusion
If you can’t decide which of these great toys from our car toy review to try out first, you can’t go wrong with our favorite toy, Manhattan Toys Baby Whoozit. This popular toy from the trusted brand is just the right size for babies to hold on their own.
The many different features and colors will keep baby occupied for hours. It’s made completely out of cloth, so if you don’t like your baby to have plastic this is a great option.
- FROM THE CLASSIC WHOOZIT COLLECTION: Manhattan Toy's multiple award winning Baby Whoozit continues to intrigue and engage babies worldwide - Baby's Favorite Friend since 2003!
- MULTISENSORY CLUTCHING BABY TOY: Baby Whoozit is a classic, soft multisensory activity toy, with a big smiling face that babies love. Features include high-contrast fabric arms, rattles, squeaker, crinkle paper, grasping loops, and a hidden self-discovery mirror under the bid red nose.
- INFANT AND BABY TRAVEL TOY: Whoozit's large yellow embroidered eyes are unmistakably welcoming and other bright colors, star patterns, and various textures will capture and hold baby's attention. Baby Whoozit has a top loop that attaches easily to cribs, car seats and strollers with hook and loop closures - a perfect travel toy and go everywhere companion.
With any one of these great car seat toys, you will enjoy a quieter, more peaceful car ride with your little one. Not only will your baby be occupied and entertained, but many of these toys provide essential developmental skills.
Don’t worry if your baby isn’t interested at first, or isn’t able to interact with the toys at first; as they grow and develop more of their skills, they will be able to do much more with their car seat toys. Happy baby, happy driver!
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Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
