Newborn & Baby Toys That Help With Development and Learning by Age & Stage

Choosing Safe Toys for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Toys are an important and fun part of every child’s development. The best toys engage a child’s senses, spark their imaginations and encourage them to interact with others. Here are some general guidelines to keep in mind when shopping for toys:

• Toys made of fabric should be labeled as flame resistant or flame retardant.
• Stuffed toys should be washable.
• Paint on any toys should be lead-free.
• Art materials should say nontoxic.
• Crayons and paints should say ASTM D-4236 on the package, which means that they’ve been evaluated by the American Society for Testing and Materials.

Safe Toys for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers — birth through 6 months

Things they can reach for, hold, suck on, shake, make noise with — rattles, large rings, squeeze toys, teething toys, soft dolls, textured balls, and vinyl and board books

Best Toys for 7-Month-Old and 12-Month-Old Babies’ Development

• Things to play pretend with — baby dolls, puppets, plastic and wood vehicles with wheels, and water toys (bath toys)
• Things to drop and take out — kitchen set, large beads, balls, and stacking toys
• Things to build with — large soft blocks and wooden cubes
• Things to use their large muscles with — large balls, push and pull toys, and low, soft things to crawl over, walkers

Guidelines for Choosing Toys for Toddlers

• Things for solving problems — wood puzzles (with 4 to 12 pieces), blocks that snap together, objects to sort (by size, shape, color, smell), and things with hooks, buttons, buckles, and snaps
• Things for pretending and building — blocks, smaller (and sturdy) transportation toys, construction sets, child-sized furniture (kitchen sets, chairs, play food), dress-up clothes, dolls with accessories, puppets, and sand and water play toys
• Things to create with — large non-toxic, washable crayons and markers, large paintbrushes and finger paint, large paper for drawing and painting, colored construction paper, toddler-sized scissors with blunt tips, chalkboard and large chalk, and rhythm instruments
• Picture books with more details than books for younger children
• CD and DVD players with a variety of music (of course, phonograph players and cassette recorders work too!)
• Things for using their large and small muscles — large and small balls for kicking and throwing, ride-on equipment (but probably not tricycles until children are 3), tunnels, low climbers with soft material underneath, and pounding and hammering toys