When it comes to giving gifts, whether it’s for Christmas or as a special “welcome to the world baby gift”, or because you’re buying a toy for your own child you want to give them something that will be fun, useful and that will last longer than a few months. That’s why I curated this baby toy guide so you don’t have to spend more time looking for great, safe and engaging baby toys!
In all honesty, babies don’t need much. They are happy being next to their loves ones and engaging in real life situations. And for the first few months you will see that they are not engaging much with toys but as soon as they can start grabbing things, their interesting in toys starts increasing.
It takes babies a few months before they start truly enjoying toys. For the first several months of their life they will be drawn to toys with bright colors, that make sounds, that have different textures, and they will chew on every single one of these toys.
Since babies love to chew on stuff, the toys they get should be non-toxic and made with materials safe to chew on. You also want to make sure your baby is playing with toys made for babies because this means they are designed with pieces that will not pose a choking hazard.
I’ve curated this list of baby toys that babies will play with for the first few years of their life, but also that are safe and made with non-toxic materials so you don’t have to worry about baby chewing on these toys. The following toy gift ideas are based on what my daughters, her baby friends, and my online community said their babies liked between 0 and 6 months and beyond.
These toys are great for babies any age, and babies will play with toys these past a year old. However, I’ve decided to split baby toy recommendations into two groups. The toys on this list, for babies 0-6 month, focuses on toys that babies who are not mobile can enjoy as much as babies who are mobile.
If you’re looking for toy ideas for babies that are mobile, between 6-12 months, check out this list instead.
The best non-toxic baby toys for babies 0-6 months old
The Best Toys for Babies 0-6 Months Old
These toys are great for younger babies who aren't mobile yet, but entertaining enough that babies will play with them past 6 months old. This curated gift guide has toys that actual babies were obssesed with and that moms loved too. They're developmentally appropriate and non-toxic.
HABA On the Farm Water Play Mat Tummy Time Activity
My baby can’t get enough of this toy! It's a great toy for tummy time as it keeps baby engaged and entertained by moving around the water.
LaviElle Non-Toxic Wooden Baby Gym
This is such a fun toy for babies and what I love about it is that it's very easy to swap up the toys! This is one of those toys that would keep my baby busy long enough for me to do something, like eat or use the restroom. We love this one because it's made with organic wood and non-toxic materials! This is great gift to get for a baby shower too since I can be used from day 1 of baby's life.
HABA Baby's First Basic Block Set
This is a great set to get your baby started with building toys. We love how versatile but simple it is. Plus you don't have to worry about the paint chipping off of these toys. They are made with non-toxic materials and to withstand a baby chewing on them.
Under the Nile Scraptopus
I don't know what is it about this octopus but both of my babies were obssesed with it! It was one of those toys we carried everywhere we went. I love that is made from 100% GOTS certified organic Egyptian cotton.
Green Toys Baby Toy Starter Set
This set contains some of my baby's favorite toys! They were such a hit we kept them for baby #2 and she loved them too. They love to chew on the keys and love the sounds they made when shaking them. The stacking cups are also great for bath time, not only play time. The elephant car is perfect for little hands. You can't go wrong with this set!
Vulli Sophie The Giraffe
This toy is a must! I haven't met a baby who doesn't love their giraffe toy. What's great about this one is that it's very easy for babies to hold onto this toy and the legs make for a great teething toy. Once my babies started teething, I couldn't leave the house without this.
HEVEA Kawan Mini Rubber duck
Rubber duckies are such a fun bathtime toy! What I love about this one is that it's sealed, so you won't have to worry about mold growing inside of it.
HABA Color Snake Clutching Toy
This is a great toy for little hands. Babies love holding on to this and it's an easy toy to carry with you anywhere you go.
Hape Country Critters Wooden Activity Play Cube
Activity cubes are a must have! They're one of those toys that baby will play with for a long time because there's lots to keep them engaged in the activity cube. My baby played so much with this that we ended up keeping it for when baby #2 came around. This toy will be used the most once baby can start sitting unassisted.
Manhattan Toy Skwish Natural Rattle and Teether Grasping Toy
This is not a brand I would put under the non-toxic category, but this toy is the exception. It's so entertaining and every baby I've seen playing with one of these looks highly engaged! I highly recommend getting this one since the colorful ones don't fall under the non-toxic standards at Mama Instincts.
PlanToys Sensory Tumbling
These little balls are eye catching for babies and fun for them to hanlde. They are a great toy for when babies start crawling!
JOHN N TREE Organic Baby First Friends
Babies love soft, plushy things that are safe for them to chew on. These little toys are awesome because their design makes it easy for baby grab and they're pretty sturdy. They can withstand lots of chewing!
HABA Clutching Toy Star Silicone Teether
A baby silicone teether is a must and this one is a favorite because of the different textures on the toy. This is a great toy for teething and keeping them entertained when out and about.
HABA Rainbow Activity Spiral Car Set and Stroller Toy
We love this toy because it kept our babies busy when they were in the stroller or on infant car seats at restaurants. We even attached extra toys on this.
HABA Nursery Room Wooden Mobile Rainbow Balls
If you're looking for a beautiful wooden mobile, made with non-toxic materials and paint, this is it. It's a good size and keeps babies engaged, especially if you make it spin.
HABA Rainbow Discovery Mirror
A mirror for babies is a must! We got this one because it's non-toxic so it's safe for baby to chew on. This is very versatile and can be used on a play mat, crib, or stroller. Definitively a must!
Under the Nile Giraffe Doll 8"
If you're looking for a small plushy, this is the perfect size. It's feels soft and it's made with organic materials so safe for baby to chew on.
HABA Magica Wooden Baby Clutching Toy & Teether
Both of my kids loved this toy so much! I'm amazed at how well it held up over the years. It is now our baby cousin's favorite toy.
PlanToys Wooden Bell Rattle and Teether Toy
This toy is loved by babies because it makes sounds when the wooden balls tap against each other. The toy also has wood and silicone, which makes it great for the teething phase!
Indestructibles books
These books are amazing - they're literally indestructible which makes them perfect for babies. Our books got so dirty that we even hand washed and air dried them and they are still in perfect shape. I highly recommend getting a few of these.
Green Toys Tugboat
We love this toy because when baby was not mobile we could use it instead of a cup, to rinse out soap, and once they started playing in the bathtub they loved playing with this so much!
HABA Roly Poly Elephant Soft Wobbling & Chiming Baby Toy
This is a fun toy because it wobbles! Babies figure that out pretty quickly and love to tap it. This toy is also great for tummy time.
HABA Crackly Mouse Machine Washable Sensory Crinkle Cloth Baby Toy
This little mouse crinkles when you touch and squeeze it. Both of my babies loved playing with this and making it crinkle. I highly recommend getting this or another toy that crinkles!
HABA Rainbow Worm Clutching Figure
This is a very versatile toy - baby can play with it anywhere or you can hang it to a play gym, stroller or car seat. It's soft and just the right size!
HABA Teether Cuddly Rainbow Round
This is such an entertaining toy! It's bigger than you'd expect and babies love all the different textures around the toy.
Toy Straps for Baby 5PK Silicone Toy Leash Holder
This is not a toy but a must-have! You can attach toys to one end of this strap and attach the other end to a stroller, car seat, baby carrier, or high chair. I can't tell you how many times this saved us from losing a toy or getting a toy dirty because my baby was throwing it.
A toy subscription box:
I would have loved to have this option when my babies were born! A baby toy subscription box saves you time by not having to research which are the right non-toxic baby toys for each stage of development.
You sign up and get non-toxic toys delivered to your door at the right time. You can see before signing up what toys you would get in each box. Check out the playkits here!
Non-toxic toy brands:
If you didn’t like these toys or are looking for something different, there are several brands that make non-toxic, baby-safe and developmentally appropriate toys for babies.
Here are some of the best non-toxic toy manufacturers:
- Plan toys
- Haba toys
- Palumba Camden Rose
- Uncle Goose
- Hape
- Bears for Humanity
- Under the Nile
- Hevea
- Green Toys
Babies also love to chew on things, so a great gift idea for babies or a baby shower would be to make a little gift basket with teething toys. You can find our favorite non-toxic teething toys here.
Another great place to find more non-toxic baby toy ideas is on our gift guide on Amazon. I constantly update it with the newest, non-toxic, engaging and worth-while baby toys.
And if you’re looking for toys for babies who are mobile, check out our baby toy gift guide for babies 6-12 months old. All the toys on that gift guide are toys babies will play with past a year old!
Now, we’d love to hear from you, is there a toy your baby loved and is not on this list? Leave it in the comment so we can add it to this list.
Jennifer | The Deliberate Mom says
I totally love this gift list! I know of no one with babies this age right now! Awwww.
Sophie the Giraffe is CLASSIC! Every baby needs one of those! The baby buddy – awesome!!! Such a life-saver.
Thank you for sharing (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).
Wishing you a lovely week.
xoxo
Carolina says
Sophie should come with your birth at a hospital. Haha! Thanks for stopping by. Hope you have a great Christmas season.
Amber says
My youngest will be almost 5 months old (how did that happen!) this Christmas and he’s getting one thing under the tree: a Sophie giraffe. Each of our kids, even my daughter who came home to us as a toddler, has had one and we love them. The only downside to the Sophie’s is how throwable they are so toy leashes are a must with them 🙂
Great list!
Amber at OurCharmedLife.net
Carolina says
Haha! I feel that at this age most toys are throwable. I had to use leashes with every toy. I bet your youngest will love sophie, it’s such a great toy. We joked that it was like “baby crack”, especially when teething.