The Best Educational Toys for Your 0-6 Month Old

Updated November, 2023

Your brand new bouncing baby is going to explore and learn so much over the next few months. The big question I often get for this age is how to entertain your child. In their waking moments, how do you engage your new little one, and what are the toys that will most enhance their development? I’ve put together my list of best baby toys for 0-6 month olds.

The Best Toys

If we are completely honest, a newborn baby doesn’t really need toys. Yes, offer them lovely things to look at (they prefer your face and black and white patterns most) and explore with their eyes, but they don’t really have the motor control to closely explore most items. By 6 months of course, they will have a lot more physical control and have more ability to explore some of the things you provide them.

With your littlest one, just spending time with you is the best way to engage and teach your child. Explore the house with them and show them everyday objects. Have a quiet chat or listen to some music. Honestly, just spending time smiling, holding, and cuddling your brand new baby is all they really need.

Around 8 weeks your child is growing a little more independent and can amuse themselves for up to about 15 minutes. It is around this time that you can really start introducing some exciting new toys for them to explore and grasp.

Toys for 0-6 Months

Books

Don’t be surprised that I am going to mention books in every single age group. The love and enjoyment of reading is instilled in our children through us. Take time to read with your child every day, even when they are very young.

For very young children, you want to offer board books and soft books. This way they can read and explore on their own without you worrying about them damaging the books.

A few favorites:

More Book Suggestions

Music

Children love music. They learn and explore through it. I highly encourage offering a music box or a mobile for your child to enjoy music any time. Even just putting on a music playlist and dancing with your child can be a lot of fun for them. I have already written a review about some of our favorite mobiles, which you can view here.

Soft Toys

Soft and cuddly toys are pretty hit or miss with children. Some kids love them and will have a favorite blanket or teddy bear, and other kids couldn’t care less. Offering a soft toy for your child to cuddle or talk to or laugh with can help them build social skills. As they get older, they may even begin to demonstrate empathy by hugging a soft toy that was dropped on the ground.

Wobbly Toys

Even as an adult, I find weebles to be weirdly satisfying. A weeble offers your young child something to reach for that will always come back. This steady movement can be both soothing and curiosity inducing.

Squeaky Toys

Not every parent loves squeaky toys, but they do help your child learn cause and effect. If they squeeze the giraffe, what happens? If they shake the monkey, what happens? Offering squeaky toys can provide some serious entertainment and exploration.

Rattles

Rattles and shakers that are easy to grasp for your young one is great. Even better if they can safely put it in their mouths and gum it. Music, clackers, bells, or just the rattling of a ball is always interesting for your child.

Dolls

Infants find faces to be the most interesting thing to look at. Their own, yours, or even a dolls can be fascinating to them. Offering them dolls with realistic faces will help engage them in this world of humans.

Mirrors

Mirrors are such curious things. Babies don’t even realize the other person in the mirror is them until they are quite a bit older. Placing a baby safe mirror on the ground or low on a wall can offer your child something to look at while they are practicing tummy time or laying on their backs.

Play Mats

Play mats offer your child a safe place to play with a number of interactive toys. They are perfect for tummy time, solo play, and family play. Play mats are also a great place to let your child have some nakey time so that they can experience the feeling of movement without the burden of clothing. You can read my review of the best play mats here.

Crackly Paper

Any toy that contains crackly paper will be fun for your child. You want it to be easily grabbed and very crinkly. This will encourage your child to continue attempting to grab it, working those fine motor skills in their fingers.

Teething Toys

As your little one starts getting those teeth right around the 6 month mark, you may want to invest in some teething toys. Giving them something to gum that has patterns and soft edges can offer relief for swelling gums.

Balls

At this age you want to make sure all balls are easy to grasp for your child. Encourage them to throw or kick or even just squish and explore. Something large and hard to grasp such as a soccer ball or beach ball is best reserved for when they are a little older.

Paint

Painting, often in a diaper or supported in a chair, offers an amazing sensory experience for young children. For those who are hesitant to touch a new substance, offering them paint brushes or sponges as a means to explore paint as they become more comfortable with the texture is often appreciated.

Experimenting with Babies

Ok, this one is more for the adults than the child, but Monster’s Grandpa got us this book and I loved it! It offers fun ways to experiment with your baby, ranging from reflexes when they are very young all the way to developmental milestones as they get older. It’s just a really fun book.