Best Toys for Newborns, According to Child Development Experts and Parents

“Books with simple lines, bold patterns and black-and-white pages are the best for your baby to ‘read’ when developing,” says Caplan-Colon. This book fits the bill with cute and friendly drawings of butterflies, grasshoppers, bees and other garden bugs that are in black-and-white to help develop baby’s vision.

The story is simple, too. With only a few words per page, baby will eventually be able to associate the specific bug with the exact drawing to expand her vocabulary. And while she won't seem super interested at this age, stick with it — the AAP recommends parents read to children starting in infancy, as it helps improve literacy skills later in life.

Book length: 20 pages

Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 6 inches

No, your newborn isn’t too young for tummy time. The AAP recommends newborns start tummy time as soon as they’re home from the hospital (supervised and for short increments of time, of course).

Giving your newborn a toy during tummy time, like this Baby Einstein activity mirror, will encourage her to stay there longer, Caplan-Colon notes. The toy features a baby-safe mirror framed with contrasting black-and-white and primary-color images and patterns, all of which will help develop baby’s vision. The flip-through flashcards attach to the wedge and are also removable, so you can stash them in your diaper bag for an on-the-go toy.

Weight: 12 ounces

Dimensions: 10.6 x 7.5 x 4.7 inches

What’s better than baby hearing “Itsy Bitsy Spider?” Having baby’s caregivers read it to her, of course! Each page of this classic nursery rhyme book from beloved brand Melissa & Doug is full of interactive details, like ribbons for rain and peek-a-boo suns. As your baby gets older, she’ll enjoy practicing motor skills by turning the plush pages, lifting flaps and playing with the textures throughout the book.

Book length: 8 pages

Weight: 4.8 ounces (packaged)

Dimensions: 7 x 2 x 8.5 inches

The Sassy Peek-a-Boo Activity Book features those important high-contrast, black-and-white (and red!) images that will captivate your newborn. Plus, one-word “stories” help baby connect the pictures with the words to develop her vocabulary as you read to her. The soft fabric pages also crinkle, adding a sensory layer to the experience for your little one. The book has an attached hook, so you can tether this to your stroller for on-the-go entertainment.

Weight: 2.3 ounces

Dimensions: 5 x 1 x 5 inches

Babies are endlessly amused with toys that crinkle, especially as they learn that they can use them to make sound. This sweet little elephant crinkle toy has a squeaky interior to teach baby cause-and-effect, and it comes with ribbon tags that baby can grasp and play with as she gets older.

Weight: 1.41 ounces

Dimensions: 6 x 6 inches

Your baby will love staring at these sturdy, high-contrast black-and-white pictures. Each of the six double-sided cards features a bold black-and-white image of an animal that baby can see and use to build tracking skills as her vision develops. And because these cards are easy to throw in your diaper bag, you can use them for on-the-go playtime and learning.

The cards feature rounded corners, so baby won’t poke herself on a sharp-cornered edge. They also have a matte lamination finish but aren’t waterproof. So if your baby is in a "put everything in my mouth" phase, you may want to consider handling the cards yourself, or they could become warped.

Dimensions: 5 x 7 inches

This First Years rattle is a multi-textured toy that’s decorated with bright colors and patterns designed to encourage visual tracking, says Caplan-Colon. Caregivers can move the toy up and down and from left to right for baby to follow with her eyes. Your little one can also readily grasp its easy-to-grip limbs. It also comes with soft teething surfaces, ideal as your baby begins sprouting teeth or is just exploring by putting items in her mouth.

Weight: 3.2 ounces

Dimensions: 6.69 x 1.77 x 7.68 inches

This cuddly soft owl rattle is another popular option for newborns and is intended to be a sensory delight for your little one. Its body is shaped like an “O” for baby to easily grasp, while the different textured fabrics give her a lot to experience by touch.

The owl’s head has a ringing ball and the wings have crinkly paper, all of which baby can feel or hear. Plus, the brightly contrasting patterns and large black-and-white eyes can be used to practice visual tracking with baby on as you slowly move the rattle from left to right and top to bottom.

Weight: 1.76 ounces

Dimensions: 5.11 x 4.33 inches

One of Caplan-Colon’s top picks for newborns is the Fisher-Price Kick and Play Piano Gym. “This mat allows for a variety of ways to play: lay and play, tummy time, sit and play and take-along,” she explains. It has light-up piano keys for babies to kick their feet at, which also helps with motor skills and introduces cause-and-effect. Baby can develop her vision with the included mirror and patterned archway, while the flashing lights and music bring additional sensory stimulation to keep her engaged.

Although the toy takes up a lot of floor space, you can easily fold the mat part and lay it against the wall when not in use. As your child becomes more mobile, you can remove the toys from the arch to be used as individual play items, increasing the longevity.

Power: 3 AA batteries (included)

Weight: 4.5 pounds

Dimensions: 36 x 27 x 18 inches

Playing music for your baby might help improve their brain development — and we love how this Finding Nemo-themed activity mat plays 20 minutes of tunes along with a sweet little light show from the Mr. Ray canopy. Engage baby’s senses by letting her lay on the mat and watch and listen to the musical light show. Many caregivers raved about how they were finally able to keep their newborns entertained with the light show, some saying it kept them interested for up to an hour.

As she grows, she can start practicing motor skills by batting at and grasping the toys that hang overhead. And, she can practice tummy time while entertained by the interesting sounds by using the included pillow.

Power: 3 AA batteries (not included)

Weight: 4.3 pounds

Dimensions: 32 x 36 x 18 inches

Boppys are ideal for tummy time — and once your baby is 2 months old, she’ll be ready for a mini Boppy all of her own. This tummy time pillow sports a black-and-white rainbow fabric designed for baby to be able to see and has a crinkle rainbow toy and a teething ring attached for her to practice motor skills. The toys are also removable, so as your baby grows, you can swap out them with other favorites. And, when the pillow gets dirty, you can toss it in the washing machine. Just note that it’s only intended for tummy time support as it isn’t large enough to help baby sit up on her own.

Weight: 1.12 pounds

Dimensions: 12.2 x 15 x 3 inches

If you haven’t seen a Mortimer the Moose attached to every other stroller handle or diaper bag by now, you will be soon. While it has tons of features great for newborns, such as high-contrast patterns to help with vision tracking and chewable antlers, many parents love it especially for being an easy toy to bring on-the-go. It has a hook so it can attach to strollers and is small enough to toss in your diaper bag, perfect for entertaining baby on a walk, running errands or at a restaurant.

The plush toy features a squeaky tummy, knotted fabric legs and playful fabric hooves that will stimulate baby’s developing senses with sounds and patterns and develop fine motor skills with various textures to touch. The toy also comes with a squeaky tummy which helps with auditory awareness and further captivates your little one. She might start to stick the antlers in her mouth now to explore, or chew on them later as it makes a great teething toy.

Weight: 7.2 ounces

Dimensions: 11.5 x 5.3 x 2.8 inches