Early Learning and Play
While it may look like your baby is absentmindedly moving their arms and legs, they are actually gearing up to make some big developmental leaps. However, they need some help and this is where baby toys come in!
Suspended toys to grab at and lots of tummy time can help strengthen cognitive and physical skills. Therefore, the best toys for babies 3-6 months are often ones that are super engaging and encourage them to explore a variety of fabrics, sounds, and sights.
However, it can be hard to weed out the greats from just the “okays” in an aisle chock full of baby toys. Thankfully, we have lined up a few awesome items perfect for entertaining and stimulating your three to six-month-old.
18 Best Toys for Babies 3-6 Months Old
#1 VTech Baby Lil’ Critters Moosical Beads
This adorable little cow has a lot to offer your developing little one. Babies at this age are just gaining control over their hands. The large buttons and easy to hold rings on the VTech Baby Lil’ Critters Moosical Beads are perfect for fingers in training.
The different textures and fabrics help with tactile awareness, all while letting them listen to fun songs and sounds. Want a critter that does more than cuddle as best toys for babies 3-6 months? Look no further.
- Cuddle and Learn: This stuffed animal features a variety of fabric textures for baby tactile development; cuddle up with the soft and cuddly stuffed animal cow
- Perfect for Play: An easy-to-grasp bead ring hangs around the talking cow toy; the bead ring has light-up buttons & a spinning square for fine motor skills development
- A Moosical Good Time: The talking & singing baby cow stuffed animal comes with 30+ playful songs, melodies, sounds and phrases; kids are sure to have a fun and musical time
#2 Lamaze Peek-A-Boo Forest
Reading is so important, at all ages and stages and some toys for 3-6 month old babies certainly understand this. The Lamaze Peek-A-Boo Forest introduces reading to your baby with a plush and colorful book. Soft pages are fun to play with and explore, yet packed with fun nursery rhymes.
Read it together to expand their vocabulary or let them discover it on their own to improve their fine motor skills. This is a great book for your nursery bookshelf.
Related: 20 Fun Items on the Best Educational Toys for Babies 2024
- Interactive: This soft book for babies features crinkly flaps and 3D features for your child to interact with that aid in developing hand-eye coordination and supporting fine motor skills
- Fun Rhymes and Stories: This rhyme book features entertaining children's rhymes on each page for fun during story time
- Colorful Pages: Peek-a-Boo Forest features bright, bold colors, friendly characters, and engaging patterns to attract your baby's attention and promote visual development
#3 Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy
Babies on-the-go can get easily bored in their car seats. Liven things up with the Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy. Your child will be able to easily grasp its large textured handle, this way they can get a better look at the engaging lights that flash to help develop visual perception. Their auditory development will benefit from the seven different classical melodies disguised as alluring melodies. It is a cute musical handheld device that’s all their own.
- A best-selling favorite with thousands of 5 star ratings and over 30 million sold worldwide and counting
- The Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes inspires a lifelong love of music with hours of entertainment
- Baby can switch between 10 total melodies and the lights dance with the melodies
#4 Manhattan Toy Atom Rattle & Teether Grasping Activity Baby Toy
The very unique looking Manhattan Toy Atom Rattle & Teether Grasping Activity Baby Toy is sure to grab your baby’s attention. It is interestingly shaped with twelve stems topped with a ball connected to a central sphere. Your child will love developing their fine motor skills by sliding the rings up and down the stems. When shaken it makes a great rattle. As a bonus, it is strong enough to hold up to the most avid teether. It’s one of the great all-around best toys for babies 3-6 months old!
- MULTISENSORY CLUTCHING BABY TOY: The Atom Rattle & Teether multi-sensory clutching rattle and teether encourages grasping and reaching which are important in gross motor skills development
- THE HANDS HAVE IT: Lightweight and perfectly sized for baby hands, the Atom Rattle & Teether has soft and pliable one-piece posts with rattle rings that slide back and forth to produce gentle rattling sounds
- INSPIRING SHAPE FROM SCIENCE: Borrowed from molecular science, the shape of the Atom Rattle & Teether adds to the allure of the infant and baby toy, along with the brightly colored stems and rings to help with visual and auditory stimulation
#5 Sassy Developmental Bumpy Ball
With development in the name you know it has to be designed for learning. The Sassy Developmental Bumpy Ball has bright colors and patterns, not only to attract your baby but to help them practice focusing. The bumps are the perfect size for tiny hands to grasp and explore the textures and sounds. They can work on reaching and transferring with a ball that won’t roll away from them, which is ideal for infants.
- Multiple textures & materials engage baby's developing tactile sensitivity & teach baby about variety
- Chunky sized bumps encourage reaching, grasping, and transferring from one hand to the other
- Gentle rattle sounds create neural connections in babies brains from birth through 3 years
#6 Fisher-Price Soothe & Glow Seahorse
Need help coming up with ideas for gifts for 3-month-old? Consider the Fisher-Price Soothe & Glow Seahorse. This little plush seahorse will help nap time or bed more peaceful for parents and babies alike. The belly lights up to a gentle glow while playing soothing sounds or calming melodies. Your little one will find comfort in this huggable toy as they head off to dreamland.
After five minutes the lights and music fade away setting the stage for a restful sleep. Just be sure to remove it as soon as they doze off so they can safely use it the next time they’re ready to turn in.
- Musical plush seahorse toy with soft-glowing light and volume control
- Press the seahorse's belly or give a gentle hug to activate music and lights
- Plays 5 minutes of continuous music, including 8 lullaby and classical tunes, plus ocean sounds
#7 JOYIN Dancing Walking Yellow Duck Baby Toy
Another great item in the selection of baby toys 3-6 months is the JOYIN Dancing Walking Yellow Duck Baby. This duck makes the perfect dance partner with its waddling and swinging moves. It can also blink and its baby duck sings too. Fun flashing lights will aid in your child’s sensory development while the boppin’ tunes enhance their understanding of melody and rhythm.
Pressing the bold buttons will encourage finger dexterity. When it is time to take a break, the duck can play a soothing heartbeat sound. Your baby will want to have a duck dance party every day!
- MULTIPLE MODES: A Dancing Ducky Includes 5 Buttons Playing 7 Melodies, Activating Sounds and Flashlights and Generating Heart Beats; a Baby Duck Singing from its Pouch; a Button from the Top of the Head to make the duck Dance, Blink, Swing, Walk and Sing; and the Volume Control on the Foot. 3 AA Batteries Required (Not Included)
- SAFETY MATERIAL: Made of 100% Child Safe ABS Plastic.
- HIGHER QUALITY: Super Durable. Easy to Use.
#8 Baby Einstein Glow & Discover Light Bar Activity Station
Some of the best toys for 3-6 months old are those that encourage tummy time, and the Baby Einstein Glow & Discover Light Bar Activity Station does just that. This interactive and colorful light bar can be propped up in front of your baby, making strengthening their neck and back a joyful activity.
Aside from fun tunes they can also hear animals or colors, both in three different languages. It easily transitions to a sit-and-play toy as they get older. Look forward to tummy time with this enriching toy!
- The Baby Einstein Glow & Discover Light Bar Activity Station is a multisensory toy that engages baby with colorful lights, classical melodies, and animal sounds during floor play or tummy time.
- 3 modes: Xylophone Mode helps baby create a song. Animal Mode teaches animal names and sounds. Color Mode teaches 6 color names in 3 languages – English, Spanish, and French.
- When baby presses a button or spins the rattle drum, the toy bar responds with music and lights to engage, support fine motor skills, and promote cause-and-effect learning.
#9 Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick ‘n Play Piano Gym
If you have a baby that loves to just go, go, go, they will get a kick out of the Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick ‘n Play Piano Gym. This playmat has a keyboard with large keys at one end, perfectly placed at just the right height for wildly kicking baby legs. As their feet activate the lights and sound on the piano they can practice reaching and grasping with the adjustable toy bar.
As your baby can sit up, you can flip the piano to an upright position for more ways to play. While this baby playmat is quite portable in itself, the piano can be removed so your little one can play tunes on the go, one of the best toys for babies 3-6 months old your baby will adore!
- Infant activity gym with 4 ways to play as baby grows from newborn to toddler: Lay & play, Tummy time, Sit & play, Take along
- Smart Stages learning levels with 65+ songs, sounds & phrases that introduce animals, colors, shapes, and numbers, plus real music notes
- Removeable piano has 5 light-up keys, 4 musical settings with freestyle piano play & the popular Purple Monkey “Maybe” song
#10 Hape Beaded Raindrops
There are some great simple toys for babies 3-6 months old that are great for development without being too over the top. Hape Beaded Raindrops are one such item. This rainmaker is appealing both visually and audibly. It has colorful beads that trickle down a spiral tube to create beautiful raindrop sounds while mesmerizing your child.
They will love to shake this innovative rattle and the just-right size of the tube is easy for little hands to grasp and capped with non-toxic sturdy wood. Your baby will be able to enjoy this one toy for hours among the other best toys for babies 3-6 months, and the best part? No batteries are necessary.
- SOOTHING RAINDROP SOUNDS: Turn this rainmaker over and stimulate senses with vibrant trickling beads and soothing raindrop sounds
- ROBUST DESIGN: With an easy-to-grip design, your baby can use the toy easily, developing their grabbing abilities as they play
- BRIGHT COLORS: The shake and rattle rainmaker features bright blue and green colors that will leave your little one in awe as the beads trickle up and down
#11 Skip Hop Bandana Buddies Baby Activity and Teething Toy with Multi-Sensory Rattle and Textures
Three to six months is the time for teething. And as many parents know, a teething baby is often a cranky baby. The Skip Hop Bandana Buddies Baby Activity and Teething Toy with Multi-Sensory Rattle and Textures helps to soothe little ones while entertaining them at the same time. It has a variety of textures and patterns that they can explore with their eyes, hands, and of course their mouth.
This buddy also crinkles and rattles to appeal to little ears. A perfect on-the-go teether toy and one of the best toys for babies 3-6 months, it can attach to a car seat or stroller while the bandana teether can be worn around a parent’s wrist for easy access. Beat the teething blues with this adorable buddy.
- Full of textures, patterns and sounds, little hands stay active as baby explores rattles, crinkles and more
- This colorful character’s soft bandana teether detaches for mom to wear around her wrist for quick access
- Perfect for multi-sensory play, this cute companion is ideal for fun at home or-on-the-go
#12 Playgro My First Bead Buddies Giraffe
There are many rattle toys for infants 3-6 months old, but they aren’t all created equal. The Playgro My First Bead Buddies Giraffe goes above and beyond to fit so many developmental characteristics into one toy. The perfect size for a little fist, this giraffe has a variety of textures and fabrics to explore.
Some rattle while others crinkle, the rings clack, and the silk is smooth to the touch. Each component invites your little one to explore again and again, whether it be with their hands, their mouth, or even their toes! Your baby won’t want to be without his little entertaining giraffe buddy.
- STIMULATE SENSORY EXPLORATION: Engage your baby's senses with the Bead Buddy Giraffe, a captivating newborn toy designed to stimulate touch, sight, and sound. Featuring crinkly feet, click clack rings and colored beads, it creates a sensory wonderland for your little one, fostering cognitive development.
- SOOTHE TEETHING DISCOMFORT: Address teething discomfort with the Bead Buddy Giraffe's neck adorned with durable, textured rings. Perfect for soothing sore gums, this infant rattle keeps your baby content and happy during the teething phase.
- ENCOURAGE COGNITIVE GROWTH: Promote cognitive growth from as early as 3 months with the Bead Buddy Giraffe. Its mirrored belly offers unique reflections, capturing your baby's attention and aiding in the development of self-awareness.
#13 Fisher-Price Rattle ‘n Rock Maracas
Does your little one want to become a member of the band? Let them join in with one of the easiest instruments for budding musicians to play, the maracas.
These Fisher-Price Rattle ‘n Rock Maracas are the best toys for babies 3-6 months old with their ideal size and weight for a baby to hold and shake. The bright fabrics and beads are visually stimulating. The plush poms are perfect for chewing. After all, who said you had to play the maracas only using your hands?
- Set of 2 newborn rattle toy maracas for little music-makers
- Sized just right for little hands to grasp and shake, helping to strengthen baby's gross motor skills
- Colorful beads make fun rattle sounds to engage and delight baby's senses
#14 MAGIFIRE Tummy Time Baby Water Mat
Dive into the exciting world of tummy time with the MAGIFIRE Tummy Time Baby Water Mat. Your baby can go on an underwater adventure without ever getting wet. This super durable mat has a colorful ocean background and vibrant sea-life characters that slosh around as your little one applies pressure to the mat. Not only will it help them strengthen their back and neck but also their visual focus as they follow the sea critters around.
- Tummy Time Water Mat: Introduce your baby to a world of wonders with our water play mat for babies. This baby water mat encourages neck, back, and shoulder muscle development, perfect for tummy time
- Stimulate Sensory Development: The water play matwa for babies offers a vibrant and engaging environment filled with bright colors and floating jellyfish and other sea characters, enhancing your baby's visual and tactile senses
- Durable and Leak-Proof Design: Made from heavy-duty, BPA-free materials, our tummy time water play mat ensures safe, mess-free play. The leak-proof valve keeps water securely inside for peace of mind
#15 VTech Peek & Play Baby Book Toy
Next up is the VTech Peek & Play Baby Book Toy, an excellent choice for those looking for gifts for 3-month-old babies. The soft pages, pleasing tunes, and bright colors make a baby’s first foray into reading a blast! Each bold page has a lift-the-flap feature to make discovering objects, shapes, colors, and animals more fun. The included link attaches their new favorite book to nearly any car seat carrier or stroller. Your baby will be able to enjoy this page-turner wherever the day takes you!
- The Peek and Play Baby Book by VTech is a real page turner; 6 soft, interactive book pages introduce animals through bold pictures and fun interactive features
#16 Munchkin Float and Play Bubbles Bath Toy
In the pool or the bath, the Munchkin Float and Play Bubbles Bath Toy is so fun and silly to play with. These floating spheres look like giant bubbles, each housing a vibrant character. As they bob about your baby will need to practice their hand-eye coordination to reach out and grab one.
Once they get a hold of it, they will need to strengthen their grasp as the textured ring moves freely about the bubble. Make bath time a blast for years to come with these awesome best toys for babies 3-6 months old.
Related: The Best Baby Bath Toys for Happy Bath Time 2024
- Each bubble helps stimulate baby's sense of sight, hearing and touch
- Textured rings move freely around the bubbles
- Bubbles float in water
#17 SSK Soft Baby Foot Finder Wrist Rattles
Are you tired of your baby always losing their toy in the side of their car seat or high chair? With the SSK Soft Baby Foot Finder Wrist Rattles you won’t have to search any longer.
These petite rattles come as wrist straps and little socks, meaning with every movement your baby will be delighted by sounds without having to try and hold on to the toy itself. The high contrast colors on the socks combined with the rattle will have them occupied searching for the feet for quite a while.
- 💜 CUTE DESIGN -- All Wrist Rattles and Foot finder socks have bells inside,the Wrists rattles attach with simple Velcro, easy to put on and off.
- 💜 SAFT SOFT MATERIAL -- Made of high quality environmentally friendly fabric,soft and safe for babies to use.Non-toxic and 100% safe for baby to play; it can be washed when get dirty, always keep it clean.
- 💜 BABY PARTNER -- Baby Rattles set was suitable for 0 month up babies boys or girls.The toys always keeps in hand, baby will not lose them or throw them on the ground. Best toys for babies when they're in stroller/infant Car Seat/mamaroo/bed/baby chair/Baby Carrier alone.
#18 Lamaze Freddie The Firefly
This petite toy packs it all in for the most sensory development while on the move. The Lamaze Freddie The Firefly has clacking rings, a stimulating mirror, a teether, and multiple fabrics with different textures and sounds. Your baby will be able to work on reaching and grabbing as this woodland bug swings from their car seat bar.
The teether attachment even has a cute little pocket to keep it from picking up germs when not in use. This may be the only car seat toy you will ever need among the other best toys for babies 3-6 months.
- Bonding Moments: This car seat toy promotes close, nurturing interactions between baby and caregiver and early imaginative play as you help baby discover the sensory colors, textures and sounds
- Fun Stroller Toy: This baby stroller toy promotes both tactile and fine motor skill development with engaging textures to explore and hold, as well as a tethered star that’s great for chewing
- 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
Learning & Exploring Through Play
Did you enjoy this list of recommended best toys for babies 3-6 months old? Hopefully, you were able to find a few great items to make your little one’s toy box a bit more vibrant and certainly more educational.
Babies at this age learn through play and exploring multiple different sights, textures, and sounds. That is why toys like the Lamaze Freddie The Firefly are so great! Because they include multiple developmental features in one petite package.
If your little one is a fan of any of these products be sure to let us know in the comments, and feel free to pass this article along to other parents in need!
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Last update on 2024-12-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API