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Get ready for giggles and discoveries!
Your baby is becoming more active, curious, and eager to explore the world.
These toys will support their growing motor skills, encourage exploration, and make playtime extra fun.
Find helpful videos, play activities, DIY and expert-backed resources on child development to support your journey.
Table Summery of Toys & Benefits
| Toy Type | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Interactive Playmats | Supports gross motor skills, tummy time, sensory stimulation |
| Sensory Balls and Blocks | Encourages grasping, exploring textures, develops tactile awareness |
| Musical Toys | Introduces music, sound exploration, cause-and-effect |
| Soft Books | Develops early literacy concepts, visual stimulation, and tactile engagement |
Its never too early to get your baby on the right pathway, according to UNICEF-Parenting “Just 10 to 15 minutes a day with a book is enough to spark your little one’s interest” Whether it’s picture books or story books, reading helps build baby’s vocabulary from the time they’re born. Even just looking at pictures helps in development. In the below video Pathways Org demonstrate how you can practice book exposure from infancy.
Popular & Trending Baby Toys & Gifts 3 – 6 Months On amazon.com
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Musical Toys
Introduce your baby to the joy of music and encourage them to discover cause-and-effect!
Choose toys that respond to their touch with songs, melodies, nature sounds, or animal noises.
Musical toys can be brightly colored or shaped like animals for an added layer of engagement.
The below Mini Parenting Master Class Video by UNICEF Parenting explore the importance of music to babies.
Interactive Playmats & Play Gyms
Tummy time just got a whole lot more exciting! Playmats provide a safe and stimulating space for your baby to practice rolling, reaching, and exploring.
Look for playmats with a variety of features like lights, sounds, detachable toys, mirrors, and a variety of textures to engage your baby’s senses.
Playmats support gross motor development while offering loads of sensory stimulation.
This video by Pathways Org demonstrates how you can use play mats with a 4 – 6 months baby.
Sensory Balls and Blocks
Perfect for little hands, these toys allow babies to grasp, squeeze, and explore a world of textures.
Choose balls and blocks with bumpy, smooth, crinkly, and squishy surfaces to develop tactile awareness.
Include options with gentle chimes, rattles, squeaks, or even light-up features for extra sensory fun.
Baby Soft Reading Books
It’s never too early for story time! Soft books introduce babies to colors, images, and the concept of reading.
According to UNICEF Parenting – Just 10 to 15 minutes a day with a book is enough to spark your little one’s interest.
Look for books with bright pictures, simple words, and interactive elements like flaps to lift, crinkly pages, finger puppets, or peek-a-boo features.
Include options with themes like animals, food, or familiar routines for added engagement.
For more, check our article on Montessori Baby Toys 0-6 Months to get Montessori crinkle books options.
DIY Solutions
Not only are DIY toys budget-friendly, but they also allow you to personalize them for your baby. Here are some simple ideas to get you started:
- Sensory Bottles: Fill an empty plastic bottle with colorful materials like water beads, dried rice or beans, glitter, and small safe objects (buttons, pompoms). Secure the lid tightly with super glue and let your baby explore the sights and sounds.
- Crinkle Cloth: Sew together scraps of fabric with different textures (fleece, satin, corduroy, etc.). You can make it into a simple square or shape it like an animal for extra fun.
- Sock Puppet: Upcycle a mismatched sock into a silly puppet! Use embroidery floss, buttons, or felt to create eyes and a mouth.
- Stacking Rings: Collect cardboard tubes of various sizes (toilet paper, paper towel). Cover them in colorful tape or fabric and let your baby practice stacking and knocking them over.
DIY Safety Note: Always choose safe, non-toxic materials and supervise your baby closely while playing with homemade toys.
Infant Play Activities
Baby Play Activities for your 3 – 6 months baby:
- Tummy Time Fun: Continue tummy time, but increase the challenge. Place toys a little further away, encouraging reaching and rolling towards them. Add small ramps or soft pillows to create new obstacles.
- Mirror Play: Babies will enjoy mirror play even more as they gain head control. Prop them up to see themselves in different positions or hold a mirror as they move. Make silly faces together!
- Sing & Shake: Add active movement while singing! Bounce baby to the rhythm, use bigger gestures, and introduce musical instruments they can grasp (shakers, tambourine, etc.).
- Touch & Feel: Expand the textures! Include household objects: soft blankets, wooden spoons, plastic containers. Hide textured toys under a scarf for a ‘find-it’ game.
- Funny Faces: Continue with exaggerated expressions! Pair them with sounds, simple stories, or peek-a-boo. They may start to mimic you!
Tips
- Keep it Clean: This remains crucial as babies become more mobile and likely to put things in their mouths.
- Rotate for Renewed Interest: Include a wider variety of toy types as recommended above (balls, blocks, simple books).
- Choose Wisely: Safety is even more important as babies gain strength. Avoid small parts, opt for toys that encourage grasping, crawling, and sitting up.
- Supervise for Safety: As babies become more mobile, never leave them unattended during play. Keep play spaces clear of hazards.
- Introduce Toy Storage: As your baby’s toy collection grows, start using simple toy storage solutions. Colorful bins, baskets, or low shelves help make clean-up part of playtime, teaching early organizational skills.
Resources
- UNICEF Parenting – How to teach your child to love reading
- Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) – Playtime with your baby: Learning and growing in the first year
- Zero to Three – Supporting Thinking Skills From 0-12 Months
- Stanford Medicine – Buying Guidelines for Safe and Fun Toys
- American Pediatric Association – Toy Buying Tips for Babies & Young Children
- Harvard – Center on Developing Child – Activities for Infants, Toddlers, and Children
- Pathway Org – Baby Crib Safety: Tips Every Parent Should Know