Toys are not only recreational, but they are also critical educational tools to help with your baby’s development. It is important that you select age-appropriate toys. So what are the best toys for infants newborn to 3-months?
Babys spend the first three months adjusting to the world outside the womb. They are either eating, sleeping, or crying most of the time. While trying to adapt to the new world, they absorb a lot of information that comes to them. The touch of mommy’s hand, the sound of a lullaby, the feel of soft cotton clothes…these items all play a role in stimulating your baby’s brain and advancing their sensory development.
Based on the sensory development progress, these are the best toys for infants newborn to 3-months toys that parents should consider.
#1 Activity Gyms
Best Activity Gyms for Infants Newborn to 3-Months
1. Best Activity Gym that Grows with Your Infant
Kick and Play by Fisher-Price
Why Do We Love It?
- Can be configured and used in many ways
- Attractive music and colors to infants
You may have already heard from your pediatrician the importance of doing tummy time. The Kick and Play by Fisher-Price is an exceptional baby gym that has a lot going for it. The colorful hanging toys can easily grab your baby’s attention. You will be surprised how much infants like to look at themselves in the mirror. This gym has a lot of detachable components so that you can use them separately. For example, you can use the mat by itself, or take off the piano keyboard for your future toddler to take along. Rocking a 4.8 out of 5 stars by more than 7,000 happy customers on Amazon, it’s easy to see why this is one of the best toys for newborns infant to three months.
Read More: Best Activity Gyms for Babies
2. Best Activity Gym and Ball Pit Combo for Infants
5-in-1 Gym Combo by Bright Starts
Why Do We Love It?
- 5 ways to use the baby activity gym
- Can be walled or flattened for different occasions
Most parents don’t want to buy a gym that is only suitable for newborns. If you prefer one that is multi-functional and can offer more activities down the road, the 5-in-1 Gym Combo by Bright Starts is the best choice. Not only is this activity playmat suitable for tummy time but it is also a ball pit to further strengthen your little one’s motor skills. Once your baby is ready to practice crawling, this mat can be flattened. The entire gym only weighs 2.84 pounds.
Benefits of Activity Gyms for Infants Newborn to 3-Months
An activity gym is a colorfully designed mat with toy accessories. It can be used for newborn babies as well as toddlers. The main benefits are:
- It provides a comfortable place for babies to practice tummy time to strengthens their neck muscle.
- The hanging toys on the arches or bars offer small babies something to look at. This helps develop their vision and train them to focus.
- Once the baby can grab or kick, the hanging toys help enhance the baby’s fine and gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Some hanging toys or kicking components can make music or sound. It improves the baby’s vocabulary and language skills.
#2 Floor Mirrors
Best Floor Mirror Toys for Infants Newborn to 3-Months
1. Best Overall Floor Mirror for Infants
Flip for Art by Baby Einstein
Why Do We Love It?
- Comes with high-contrast flash cards
- Easy to clean and highly portable
We all know how important tummy time is but getting your little one on the tummy is not easy because newborns hate it. This Flip for Art by Baby Einstein is a great tool to keep your little one engaged during tummy time so that she can be distracted from the pain. The greatest bonus of this toy is that it comes with detachable flashcards, which have high contrast patterns that are easier on babies’ foggy eyes.
2. Most Attractive Floor Mirror for Infants
Flip for Art by Baby Einstein
Why Do We Love It?
- Features crinkling pages with different textures
- Features infants’ favorite black and white patterns
Infants from newborn to three months have very poor eyesight. As a matter of fact, they can’t see colors except for black and white. The Flip for Art by Baby Einstein is catered just for little infants. Each page is printed with high contrast patterns and is made with crinkling pages that are appealing to infants. In addition, the unbreakable mirror is lightweight and safe for your little tot. It’s also very easy to carry and take along. That’s what makes it one of the best toys for infants newborn to three months.
Benefits of Floor Mirror Toys for Infants Newborn to 3-Months
Tummy time is a very important activity right from when a baby is born. It helps your baby develop a strong neck and shoulder muscle and helps promote their motor skills. In addition, placing the baby on their tummy can help reduce colic pain.
The recommended tummy time is about 10 minutes for a newborn and 30 minutes for a 3-month-old. However, not every baby can put up with tummy time easily. They either find it painful or boring. That’s why it’s important to make tummy time interesting the fun.
- A tummy time mirror encourages the baby to look at their own faces. This improves their cognitive skills. Babies won’t necessarily know that the person they are looking at is themselves. They will still find it entertaining to look at a moving object in the mirror.
- A tummy time mirror usually has accessories such as flip cards and toy attachments. The bright colors attract the baby’s attention and help develop their visual skills. They also encourage tactile exploration.
- It provides fun things to look at and distracts the baby from boredom. It makes tummy time exercise more tolerable.
#3 Crib Mobiles
Best Crib Mobiles for Infants Newborns to 3-Months
Benefits of Crib Mobiles for Infants Newborn to 3-Months
Small babies cry A LOT! On average, a newborn baby cries for two hours each day. As a matter of fact, that is how they spend most of their awake time.
A mobile is a colorful rotating toy that can be mounted on the crib. It has hanging toys for the baby to look at. They also play fun music or soothing sounds while rotating.
- It distracts a baby and keeps them entertained. This helps reduce a baby’s crying time.
- The toy accessories with bright colors help boost the baby’s visual development and creativity.
- The soothing music helps keep the baby calm and teaches babies to self-soothe.
- Some mobiles offer extra features such as galaxy light projection or light-up toys. These fun elements invite babies to discover and explore, which in turn cultivates curiosity.
#4 Wrist and Foot Toys
Best Wrist and Foot Toys for Infants Newborns to 3-Months
Benefits of Wrist and Foot Toys for Infants Newborn to 3-Months
A wrist and foot finder is a fun object that can be attached to the baby’s feet or arms. It is an effective and fun way to grab your baby’s attention.
Newborn babies don’t have clear eyesight. As a matter of fact, they can only see objects within 10 inches from their faces. By the time they are 3 months old, they can see objects up to 15 inches away. Therefore, toys that are close up will be more effective.
- It helps baby locate their hands and promote their gross motor skills.
- It helps the baby to strengthen their hand-eye coordination.
- Some wrist and foot toy can make rattle noise to stimulate the baby’s hearing skills
- Some toys are chewable therefore can be used as a teether to help reduce teething pain.
#5 Car Seat Toys
Best Car Seat Toys for Infants Newborns to 3-Months
Benefits of Car Seat Toys for Infants Newborn to 3-Months
Whether you need to take the baby for grocery shopping, bring them to visit a friend, go out for a walk, for just to calm them down, sooner or later your little one will ride in your car. Some babies love car rides and fall asleep instantaneously as soon as the engine starts, while others hate to crawl up in a cramped space and cry throughout the entire trip.
A car seat spiral is a great way to keep baby entertained and engaged during a car ride. While your little tot is busy playing with the toys, you can be distraction-free and keep your focus on the road.
- The different materials and texture help promote the baby’s tactile senses.
- When the baby pulls, grabs, and bites the toys, it helps develop their motor skills and problem-solving skills.
- Having familiar toys and colors nearby make babies feel safe and help them establish a sense of security.
#6 Cloth Books
Best Cloth Book for Infants Newborns to 3-Months
Benefits of Cloth Books for Infants Newborn to 3-Months
A cloth book is for more than just educational purposes. They are a fun tool to help parents interact with their babies and spend time together.
A newborn baby or a three-month-old will not understand what the book is talking about. However, your baby is absorbing all the information such as the color, the graphic, and the sound of the words.
- Cloth books are made with durable non-toxic fabric that is safe for small babies. The different materials and texture encourage the baby to touch and feel, therefore stimulate their senses.
- The colors, features, graphics on the book promotes imagination and boost the baby’s cognitive skills.
- Some books have squeaks, mirrors, or teething tips. It adds extra fun and keeps the baby occupied and entertained
- By reading to the baby and playing together, parents or caregivers can establish a stronger bond with the baby. It also helps train the baby to focus and pay attention.
Read More: How to Entertain Babies? 8 Ways to Interact with Your Baby
#7 Teething Toys
Best Teething Toys for Infants Newborns to 3-Months
Benefits of Teething Toys for Infants Newborn to 3-Months
Teething is the process of new teeth erupting through the baby’s gums. This process can start as early as 2 months of age.
The average time for a baby to have their first tooth is about 6 months of age. Though some babies may have the first tooth when they are only 3 months old.
Teething is a painful process. Your baby may feel soreness in their gums and become more irritable.
A teething toy is there to help the baby cope with the teething pain and get through the teething process.
- It helps alleviate the teething pressure by giving the baby something to chew on.
- Some teething toys can be placed in the freezer. They help reduce gum pain.
- By alleviating the pain, it reduces the baby’s fussiness and discomfort and prevents the disruption of the baby’s routine.
- It helps prevent babies from chewing or biting other hazardous materials that can cause toxication or choking
Read More: Best Teething Toys for 4-Month-Olds of 2020
Why Are Toys Important To Babies?
Though most of a small baby’s senses are still underdeveloped, babies are like a sponge that quickly absorbs the information they receive. A research done by the Department of Psychology and Development of Brain and Cognitive Science found out that the efficiency of infants’ exploratory play affects their cognitive development later in life.
Toys provide stimuli to feed your baby’s curiosity about this world. Music and sounds are beneficial for their language skills. Bright colors, especially colors of great contrast such as black and white, attract their attention and help develop their visual skills. Hanging toys and moving objects help develop their fine and gross motor skills.
Besides the physical development, toys are also important for babies’ emotional development and well-being.
Newborn babies are new to this world and feel insecure. Toys can help soothe the baby and calm them down. As your baby grows older and learns to use their hands and feet, playing with toys helps boost problem-solving skills and enhance their confidence. That is why it is important to provide age-appropriate toys for infants newborn to 3-months.
Wrap Up
Babies like to explore the world and discover their surroundings. This process starts from the moment that they are out of mommy’s comfortable womb. It is never too early to offer toys that stimulate their senses and invites exploration.
The best toys for infants newborn to 3-months toys can facilitate the discovery process and make it fun and educational. They also help make the bonding time more interesting to both your little tot and yourself.
Cecilia Yeung is a successful entrepreneur and product researcher. She has a background in psychology and children’s education. As a working mother of two, she loves to write about children’s education and development.
