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Even if you’re still in the days of figuring out which swaddle blanket to use or which diaper brand is really the best one for your infant, it’s never too early to start thinking about the best learning toys for babies to really give your own a head start.
Even if your baby starts off with a toy that they don’t quite know how to play with, they will eventually get the hang of it and start to learn along the way. Of course, there are the colors, shapes, and letters that you want to expose your baby to as soon as possible, but there are also toys for babies that help them hone their fine motor skills, which I also very important at this stage.
And while most of these toys should be used from the time your baby is a few months old or around six months old, some can even be enjoyed well beyond that, so really it’s a win-win.
Jump to a specific section
- 1. VTech Baby’s Learning Laptop
- 2. Baby Einstein Discovering Music Activity Table
- 3. Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Toolbox
- 4. Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn First Words Smart Puppy
- 5. Little Tikes 3-in-1 Activity Walker
- 6. VTech Learn and Dance Interactive Zoo
- 7. Infantino Go GaGa 4 Modes Learning Peacock
- 8. Little Tikes Giggle Surprise Blocks
- Final Thoughts
1. VTech Baby’s Learning Laptop
In some days, babies notice everything their parents or caregivers do and chances are, they’ll eventually see you with a laptop and want to mimic that behavior, even if they’re still young.
The VTech Baby’s Learning Laptop has the basic shape of a real laptop and even a built-in mouse for little hands to use, but it also has large buttons that make sounds, while teaching your baby about feelings, shapes, and common everyday objects. The large buttons are easy for little clumsy hands to use and the toy laptop has more than 90 different songs and melodies for them to enjoy.
- Child Age Range: The VTech Baby’s Learning Laptop is for babies and toddlers ages 6 months – 3 years old.
- Where To Buy: You can find the toy laptop on Amazon and in-store at Target and Walmart.
- The Best Part: There is a variety of learning features to cover more than just one aspect of learning for babies.
- The Not So Great: When open, it doesn’t “lock” into place, so you may find yourself constantly opening it back up for your baby.
2. Baby Einstein Discovering Music Activity Table
As any parent can attest to, having a good learning activity table is key when trying to have the best learning toys for your baby.
The Baby Einstein Discovering Music Activity Table is about music at its core, but in addition to the piano, drum station, and guitar on the table, your baby can begin to learn about both colors and numbers in English, Spanish, and French. Plus, you can keep the legs off for easier floor play while your baby is younger, and then attach the legs when he or she begins to stand.
- Child Age Range: The Baby Einstein Discovering Music Activity Table is for babies and toddlers ages 6 months – 3 years of age.
- Where To Buy: You can find the table on Amazon or in-store at Target.
- The Best Part: The table has removable legs, so you can use it with your baby long before and after they’ve begun to stand and walk on their own.
- The Not So Great: Although it’s an activity table, it isn’t necessarily sturdy enough to support babies using it to stand on their own, so supervision is definitely needed once you attach the legs.
3. Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Toolbox
The learning aspects of the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Toolbox are all in the Smart Stages formula of including three different levels, which helps your baby learn as he or she grows and develops.
The first level of play in the formula, which is the same for this particular toy, is for ages 6 months and up and involves learning first words and sounds to spark their curiosity, with level two for babies ages 12 months and up and meant to prompt babies through questions and directions.
The last stage promotes pretending for babies ages 18 months and up. With the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Toolbox, babies will learn about shapes and colors while also practicing their fine motor skills, and also some first words in both English and Spanish.
- Child Age Range: The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Toolbox is for babies and toddlers ages 6 months – 3 years of age.
- Where To Buy: You can find the toolbox toy on the manufacturer’s website and on Amazon or in-store at Walmart and Bed Bath & Beyond.
- The Best Part: Since there are three stages of learning for your little one, they can learn as they go without being exposed to something out of their level of understanding.
- The Not So Great: Although it’s for children up to three years old, most babies will grow out of the toy long before then.
4. Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn First Words Smart Puppy
Even without the help of toys, your baby will get to those first words sooner or later, but it certainly couldn’t hurt to bring the Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn First Words Smart Puppy into the mix. It comes with eight “first-word” blocks that your baby can place on the puppy’s magical reader.
Through sounds and other sounds, they’ll learn what item is pictured on the block and, in turn, eventually, learn the remember the words themselves. There is also some shape and color learning involved with the toy to help continue to teach your little one along the way.
- Child Age Range: The Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn First Words Smart Puppy is recommended for babies and toddlers ages 9 months – 3 years of age.
- Where To Buy: You can find it on the manufacturer’s website or on Amazon and in-store at Toys ‘R Us.
- The Best Part: It offers a totally hands-on learning experience for your baby or toddler and is very useful in helping them to learn, even if they don’t realize they are.
- The Not So Great: The actual pictures on the blocks might not be clear for some, resulting in potential confusion as your baby learns the words based on the photos.
5. Little Tikes 3-in-1 Activity Walker
Any growing baby will eventually need a walker to help them take those first few precious steps, but the Little Tikes 3-in-1 Activity Walker as even more to it. The activity panel of the walker has a monkey slider, peek-a-boo lion, and music and sounds to promote early learning of numbers and fun songs. But the biggest advantage is the fact that even before you can use it as a walker for your baby, they can get used to it through play.
- Child Age Range: The Little Tikes 3-in-1 Activity Walker is intended for babies and toddlers ages 9 months – 3 years of age.
- Where To Buy: You can find it on the manufacturer’s website or on Amazon and in-store at Walmart or Target.
- The Best Part: It stars as a floor play toy and eventually converts to a walker for your baby.
- The Not So Great: Some parents or caregivers may find that one of the wheels frequently locks up too much to get the walker moving properly.
6. VTech Learn and Dance Interactive Zoo
With a moving monkey character that your baby can control with the tiny joystick,
five animal buttons to help introduce animal names, sounds, and characteristics to your little one, five different songs, and two different play modes, the VTech Learn and Dance Interactive Zoo is a learning toy that not only entices any baby, but also helps with their fine motor skills, which is of course just as important in the early stages. Younger babies can lay on their tummies to play with it, while babies who know how to sit up can then play with it that way.
- Child Age Range: The VTech Learn and Dance Interactive Zoo is for babies and toddlers ages 6 months – 3 years of age.
- Where To Buy: You can find the zoo toy on Amazon or in-store at Toys ‘R Us and Target.
- The Best Part: The sound effects and songs are easy to understand, which is a plus since some baby toys might have more muffled sounding music.
- The Not So Great: On the flip side, the music and sounds might be a little too loud for some parents or caregivers to handle after a while.
7. Infantino Go GaGa 4 Modes Learning Peacock
Stuffed animals are great for kids of any age, but with the Infantino Go GaGa 4 Modes Learning Peacock, you get a stuffed animal for your baby that can also teach them as they play. Babies of all ages can touch the different feathers to learn about colors, letters, musical notes, and songs.
It also encourages fine motor skills with babies and continues to help them learn as they grow. Plus, it was named as one of the 2018 Toy of the Year finalists from Amazon.
- Child Age Range: The Infantino Go GaGa 4 Modes Learning Peacock is for babies newborn and up.
- Where To Buy: You can find the peacock on Amazon and in-store at Target.
- The Best Part: Your baby can play with and learn from the toy right from the start.
- The Not So Great: The music part of the toy might be a little irritating to adults after some time.
8. Little Tikes Giggle Surprise Blocks
Any blocks are always a good idea for your baby, so the Little Tikes Giggle Surprise Blocks which are soft and squishy enough for little hands, are always a safe bet.
The different textures, colors, and sounds help babies with fine motor skills, plus there’s even a surprise finger puppet within the giraffe. And since they’re stackable “blocks,” they also promote sensory exploration skills within babies, which is also important from a young age.
- Child Age Range: The Little Tikes Giggle Surprise Blocks are for babies newborn and up.
- Where To Buy: You can find them on the manufacturer’s website or on Amazon and in-store at Toys ‘R Us.
- The Best Part: Since they’re soft and squeezable, you won’t have to worry about your little one getting hurt when the blocks tumble down.
- The Not So Great: Not all of the blocks have special noisy features, which may take away from some of the fun as your baby explores each one.
Final Thoughts
Any toy that can be used to help your baby learn is a smart toy to have around, especially since babies are growing and learning literally every single day.
Some might be more beneficial than others, but there is so much for them to learn right off the bat, that as long as you’re giving them something that taps into what they need to learn, you can’t go wrong. These might not be all of the best learning toys out there for babies right now, but they’re sure to get you started off right.
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