The best toys for 3- to 6-month-olds, according to moms and child development experts

The Fisher-Price Kick and Play DeluxeOpens a new window is a particular favorite of parents because it grows with babies. Parents say their minis are fascinated by the toys on the arch above, watching them move as they lie on their back and tummy. The mirror toy can be strapped anywhere on the arch, with parents adding they place and angle it so their babies can see themselves from where they're lying. The mat also has fabric loops on it so you can fasten linking toys onto it, which parents say pleasantly distracts their babies during tummy time. 

When your baby's old enough to sit up, you can reposition the toy arch and piano so your baby can play from a seated position. Or unscrew the piano entirely to take it off and play with it anywhere; parents say their babies love sitting and banging on the piano. 

Like other Fisher-Price toys, the piano on this gym has a Smart Stages switch so you can change the piano's sophistication as your child grows. It starts out playing simple songs, then progresses to teaching animals, colors, shapes, and numbers. You can also set the piano for freestyle play. And it has possibly the two most important features for any noise-making toy: volume control and an off switch. 

Lohiser and Eggleston recommend toys that appeal to a baby's senses and work for multiple baby ages and stages, and the NogginStik checks both boxes. Parents say that the textured handle of the rattle is easy to hold onto, and their babies are attracted to the high-contrast black-and-white swirls on the base, and the smiling face at the top.

But what babies really love about this rattle, parents say, is that the face lights up and cycles through colors as the baby interacts with it. Touch the face's ears or shake the NogginStik, and the color changes from blue to red to green, and back again. Babies are delighted to figure out how to make the change happen and happy to repeat it, parents say. 

This rattle sits up on its base so it can sit on the floor and entertain babies during tummy time. It's small enough to throw in your diaper bag, too, if you need something for your baby to play with when you're on the go. 

This “winkleOpens a new window” is beautiful to look at and makes a gentle rattling noise when babies shake it. And babies just love chewing on the colorful PVC- and BPA-free tubes, say parents. Stephen Klop, BabyCenter's Director of Product Management, says this toy was particularly popular with his two children during the teething phase, and they just loved chewing on the "skinny loops." It's true, say parents: the tubes have a neat chewable softness that babies really go for. 

Before your baby can really reach out to pick up the toys that interest them, this is a good toy to hand to your baby: there are so many interlocking pieces that it's easier for your baby to get a grip. Parents particularly like popping this toy in the refrigerator for soothing relief when their babies have sore gums. (However, don't freeze it: the cold could hurt your baby's delicate lips and gums.)

Oball is a brand parents love, because babies go wild over these flexible plastic balls and rattlesOpens a new window. Oball balls are not solid like a soccer ball, they're made of a mesh-like material formed into a ball shape. There are little holes all over the surface that are the perfect size for small hands to poke at and hold onto. Parents say that their babies get excited when they bring this ball out and love watching it roll around. 

Parents also say Oballs are easy for babies to grip, which makes everybody happy. Your baby will probably be a toddler before they can roll a ball,Opens a new window but this toy can take them up to that milestone. And in the meantime it's fun for babies to hold, poke at, and watch as you roll it around the floor and toss it from hand to hand. 

Babies love holding on to the curved handles of these rattlesOpens a new window, and parents note that the colorful beads inside the handle tend to mesmerize babies who are newly able to distinguish between shades of colorOpens a new window. They make an appealing sound while they spin and whirl, and babies enjoy having an effect on the toy, or just holding it and watching the colors move around. It all adds up to a sensory experience for babies. 

Best of all, parents say if babies bonk themselves in the face while playing, the soft fabric ends are gentle and won't cause tears. Many parents say that their babies are surprised at first to be able to make this noise by themselves, and then supremely happy when they figure out how it's done. 

This soft and squishy matOpens a new window is a sensory delight that can transform tummy time haters into tummy time lovers. Fill the outer ring with air and the inner ring with water. As your baby leans on it, they’ll enjoy the sensation of the water moving around under them. When their vision improves and they get more control over their hands, they can pat or push on the mat and watch the floating toys inside move around. 

Lisafé Carreon, Senior Product Manager at BabyCenter, says her daughter's been using the Splashin'kids play matOpens a new window since she was born, and it makes her more comfortable during tummy time. At first, Lisafé says her daughter just stared at the toys inside, but as the months go by, she's starting to use her hands more purposefully to push the water and toys around. 

Named BabyCenter's best overall baby activity centerOpens a new window, parents love the longevity this Skip Hop option Opens a new windowoffers. "We started using the activity center with each of my boys when they were about 4 months old, and they were both immediately fascinated by the toy attachments," says BabyCenter's Senior Director of Strategy and Growth Robin HilmantelOpens a new window. "We did have to put a pillow underneath the platform so their feet could reach it in the beginning, but as my boys got bigger, they loved practicing their standing and turning skills (since the seat inside rotates)."

To Robin’s point, there are many ways to play with this activity center. At first, your baby sits in the cloth seat, bouncing up and down on the platform or swiveling to play with sensory toys. Once they’re able to stand with support, you can convert it to an activity table that's steady enough for beginning walkers to hold onto as they cruise around it to play. Finally, it converts to a flat play table for preschoolers to use for art and pretend play.

As your baby learns to sit up unsupported, toys that encourage them to sit and play can be beneficial. This sensory toy is perfectly aimed at a 5-month-old's capabilities and interests. It's a soft-sided "tissue box" with a weighted base so it sits sturdily while your child pulls out the fabric tissues inside.

Parents say babies love to pull them out and feel them; the fabric has different textures to touch and feel: bumpy, silky, ribbed and velvety. Older babies love sorting the fabrics by color or by their own system and enjoy collecting all the scarves to put back in the box as well as pulling them out one by one, parents say.  

It's cute, sure, but parents say this toyOpens a new window simply has it all in terms of age-appropriate sensory exploration: Every part of his body has different texture, from his fuzzy fur to the grooved antlers that babies find irresistible for chewing.

Each of his hooves is a different pattern and crinkles when squeezed, and the whole toy squeaks when hugged firmly. His tail rings clack together when your baby shakes the moose, and his knotted legs shimmy enticingly. Parents love that it clips on to their stroller and say it helps keep their babies calm and quiet when otherwise they might fuss. 

It's hard for babies to sit and wait for anything, but this wheel toyOpens a new window makes babies stop and stare even when they're heading into a cranky mood. Parents say their babies will watch this toy spin for moments at a time, and it keeps them busy for long enough at mealtimes for parents to finish (or at least get a good start on) their food. The wheel suction-cups to any flat surface (highchairsOpens a new window, tables), and has brightly colored beads that ricochet around when the wheel is spun to make a lovely rattling noise. The center of the wheel is a ball with a high-contrast pattern, surrounded by three small toys on the wheel's spokes that each spin on their own axes. 

This toy hits on several of the 6-month-old interests that Lohiser spells out: it gives visuals and noise in response to your baby's purposeful movements (and at 6 months, most babies are newly able to control these movements), and it encourages babies to sit up and play. It's small enough, too, to fit into a diaper bagOpens a new window to be brought out in moments when you need your baby to be quiet, still, and happy. 

While reading to a child at any age gives benefits from bonding time to soothing to development, this beloved bookOpens a new window has a special bonus for babies: all kinds of "touch and feel" things to stroke, poke, lift and smell. Listening to your voice helps your baby develop an ear for the cadence of language; the tactile features here can help you play with varying the pitch of your voice, using accents, singing and vocalizing to make reading together much more interesting to your child. 

Lohiser says that 6-month-old babies love books with pictures of people or objects. This book is a favorite for many families, mine included: my daughter loved getting to the pages that instruct babies to feel Daddy's scratchy face (with an inset of sandpaper), and to fit her finger in Mummy's ring (with a hole in the page). The book even has its own little mini-book inside with pages babies are charmed to turn (or attempt to turn, anyway).

Stacking rings are simple and classic toys, and this setOpens a new window of nine rings on a sturdy central post is our personal favorite. Though the rings are different sizes, the hole in the center is the same on each, and the center post doesn't taper. This means you can stack the rings in any order, which is pleasing to children who want to sort the rings by color, pattern, texture, weight or any other category that occurs to them. Parents say that this toy fascinates babies for moments at a time as they take the rings off and put them back on again. Each ring is numbered for early counting lessons, too.

A lot happens during the 3- to 6-month-old period. Babies learn to move their hands and feet, begin babbling, and some even begin to crawl. They also learn how to manipulate toys: grabbing them, banging them, and mouthing them at first, and then exploring them with newly dexterous hands.

Toys that allow your baby to practice their latest skills and encourage new ones are a best bet, So are toys that work for more than one stage: A stacking toy is at first a bunch of colorful rings for your baby to mouth; later, the many-into-one magic of stacking the rings on their peg is a new delight. Here's what your baby is working on at each stage, and toys they're likely to enjoy. 

Best toys for 3-month-olds

Your baby is getting stronger and more coordinated. Now they can reach for things that interest them, and bring them close to their body to get a better look. Expect them to mouth whatever they grab too, even though they may not be actually teething yet (most babies get their first toothOpens a new window between six and 10 months), because babies explore the world with their senses, Lohiser says. 

To help with sensory development, Lohiser suggests toys or rattles that are easy to hold, have lots of textures to explore, and have bright contrasting colors or mirrors for your baby to look at. Musical toysOpens a new window are fascinating to most babies too, she says. 

Lohiser is also a fan of play mats with wedges to support babies and toys, textures, mirrors to keep them busy during the 30 minutes of daily tummy timeOpens a new window recommended by advocacy groups like the AAP and World Health Organization.Opens a new window Lohiser calls play mats "great distractors," and notes that though some babies protest tummy time, it helps babies develop the core and neck strength they'll need for rolling over and then sitting up.

Best toys for 4-month-olds

As your baby transitions from a newborn into an infant, hand-eye coordinationOpens a new window takes a leap: your baby will reach and grab for anything that catches their eye (though they still may need you to place toys in their hands for some time yet). Eggleston says that playing with balls is a natural next step: "Through ball play, children build hand-eye coordination, motor development, spatial awareness, and balance," she says. Toys with nubs or holes in them will be easier for babies to hold onto. 

Your baby's vision has also improved, and they can now see a full range of colors.Opens a new window Expect brightly colored objects to attract your child's attention, along with any toy that reacts in response to your baby's actions. Your baby is just beginning to realize they can have an effect on the world,Opens a new window and they love repeating actions like a tiny scientist who's testing and experimenting. 

During tummy time, your 4-month-old will soon be able to push up onto their elbows and roll from stomach to back. Your baby is continuing to develop the skills needed to sit up, crawl, and walk. Encourage these skills by scattering interesting toys in front of your baby and spending plenty of time on a play mat with toys, textures, or other items for your baby to discover and manipulate. 

Best toys for 5-month-olds

Your baby's ability to interact with you and his surroundings is growing as they start to understand cause and effect.Opens a new window Toys that make some type of pleasing noise when your baby does  something with them (hits a button, shakes the toy, rolls it) are a good choice for this stage, and banging, shaking, and mouthing toys are all part of his experiments.

Your baby may now be able to get into a sitting position from his back, or may stay upright if you put them in a sitting position, using the core and neck strength developed over months of tummy time. Lohiser points out that babies are still learning to sit up and may need to be propped for support, but toys that encourage them to sit and play will help those skills continue to develop. Don't be surprised if your energetic baby bounces up and downOpens a new window when you hold them, and adores any toy that lets them bounce: It's all a normal progression to sitting, crawling, standing, and walking. 

Best toys for 6-month-olds

By 6 months, babies are very interested in playing and exploring their world. "They’re becoming more confident sitters, can usually get from place to place by rolling, and they love to interact with someone else," says Lohiser. "Look for toys with a variety of textures to explore, simple action/reaction activities, and toys that are easy to hold."

Stacking ring toysOpens a new window are classic for babies 6 months old and up that experts recommend for both gross and fine motor skill practice. Though they won't be able to stack the rings for a while yet, they love mouthing them and practicing moving them from one hand to another.Opens a new window 

Your baby uses all the senses to explore the world, and toys that appeal to two or more of them are a good bet: toys that both make noise and spin, for instance, or balls with interesting textures. "They love repetition in songs and actions like drop-through play, rollers, doors, and spinners. Their fine motor skills are more developed and they are ready to use those fingers," says Lohiser. Books are also of new interest: "Babies at this age also love pictures of objects or people in book format, or colorful patterns," says Lohiser.

Kelly Bailey contributed to this story.