What are the best toys for a baby's brain development?
The best toys for a baby's brain are simple ones: blocks, balls, pots and wooden spoons, nesting cups, a baby-safe mirror, board books and a cloth for peekaboo. They make your baby do the work and keep you talking. In one study, parents and babies used fewer words with electronic toys. Put out 4 to 6 things at a time and rotate them.
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Why simple toys win
Toy aisles are full of things that flash, sing and talk. Babies often prefer the box. There's a reason for that.
Simple objects make the baby do the work. A ball rolls only if you push it. A pot only bangs if you hit it. That's cause and effect, a baby's first physics lesson. A toy that lights up and plays a tune when touched does most of the work itself.
Simple toys also keep the grown-up talking. In one study, parents and babies aged 10 to 16 months used fewer words and fewer sounds when they played with electronic toys than with non-electronic ones. The toy did the talking, so the people did less. And talk matters: back-and-forth conversation with a baby is one of the habits most strongly linked to language growth (see serve and return).
Attention follows the parent too. Another study, summarized in the same early-childhood article as the toy study, found that one-year-olds' focused attention lasted longer when their parent was attentive, and was shorter when the parent was distracted. The best toy in the room is still you.
The starter kit (most of it is already in your kitchen)
| Toy | How to play | What it practices |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks, wooden or soft | Stack, knock down, bang two together | Grasp, cause and effect, early spatial skills |
| Balls of different sizes and textures | Roll back and forth | Turn-taking, reaching, crawling after it |
| Pots, lids and wooden spoons | A full drum kit | Rhythm, cause and effect |
| Nesting cups or plastic containers | In, out, stack, hide | Sizes, hand control, "where did it go?" |
| A baby-safe mirror | At floor level during tummy time | Faces, head lifting |
| Board books | Chew now, read later | Words, shared attention |
| Scarves or a cloth | Peekaboo | Turn-taking, surprise |
| A metal bowl and a few wooden pegs | Drop them in. Clank! | Grasp and release, cause and effect |
The AAP's 2018 report The Power of Play makes the same point. It recommends simple, low-cost things, such as blocks, wooden spoons, balls, puzzles, crayons, boxes and plastic containers, and says your presence and attention matter more than expensive electronic gadgets.
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Check your prenatal vitamin against what the research says a growing brain needs, and get Part 1 of the book free.
Toys by age in the first year
- 0 to 3 months: your face first. A high-contrast picture and a floor-level mirror for tummy time are nice extras. Newborns don't need much else.
- 3 to 6 months: soft blocks and balls to grab, a toy just out of reach to one side to invite rolling, and you on the floor at their eye level.
- 6 to 9 months: a cloth for peekaboo, toys to pass from hand to hand, pots and spoons to bang, cushions around a baby learning to sit, board books to chew and point at.
- 9 to 12 months: a metal bowl and pegs to drop, nesting cups, a ball to roll back and forth, toys spaced along a low, steady sofa for cruising.
Into the second year, filling and dumping containers, stacking 2 or 3 blocks, push toys and board books keep the same idea going. Growth comes from new ways to use simple things, not from a bigger pile. Your baby will show you what they're ready for: follow what they reach for, name it and join in.
Keep the number small
Put 4 to 6 things out at a time and store the rest. Every week or two, swap a few. Old toys feel new again, and your baby can go deeper with each one.
A study with toddlers shows why. At the University of Toledo, 36 children aged 18 to 30 months played in a room with either 4 toys or 16. With 4 toys, each play bout lasted about 2 minutes; with 16, about 1 minute. With fewer toys, children found about 60% more ways to play with each one. That was toddlers, but the habit is easy to start in the first year. More on how many toys a toddler needs.
What to skip
- "Brain-boosting" gadgets. We found no good study showing they beat responsive play with simple objects.
- Baby videos and apps. Toddlers who watched a best-selling word-learning DVD for a month learned no more of its words than toddlers who never saw it. WHO advises no screen time under age 2 (more in educational videos for babies).
- Too much at once. A room full of noisy toys can tip a baby into overload. If your baby turns away, arches or fusses, take things away rather than adding more.
- Wheeled baby walkers. The AAP says they cause injuries and can delay walking.
If you already own electronic toys, there's no need to throw them out. Try putting them away for a week and playing with pots, balls and blocks instead. Notice how much more you both talk.
Keep toys safe
- The tube test: anything that fits through a toilet-paper tube is too small for a baby or toddler.
- Batteries and magnets: check battery covers are screwed in and magnets can't come loose.
- Balls: for under-3s, pick a ball too big to fit in the mouth.
- No cords or strings in the play space.
If your child might have swallowed a button battery, go to the emergency room right away, and don't give food or drink on the way. For other possible poisons, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.
Do this
- Gather a starter kit from your kitchen: pots, a wooden spoon, plastic containers and a metal bowl.
- Put out 4 to 6 toys at a time and swap a few every week or two.
- Put electronic toys away for a week and notice how much more you both talk.
- Check every toy with the toilet-paper-tube test before it goes in the play space.
- Sit on the floor and play along for a few minutes, following what your baby picks.
When to ask your doctor
Check with your doctor or midwife first if…
- your baby has a condition that affects swallowing or chewing
- you're unsure whether a toy or magnet is safe for your baby's age
Call your doctor now if…
- your child might have swallowed a button battery (go to the emergency room right away)
- your child might have swallowed or touched something poisonous (call Poison Help, 1-800-222-1222)
- your baby is choking, has trouble breathing or turns blue (call 911)
This page is general information, not medical advice. Every pregnancy and every child is different. Ask your doctor, midwife or pediatrician before changing supplements, diet or care.
Grow a Genius
In the book: Chapter 19: Movement and the Senses
Chapter 19 lists the boring toys that work best and how to rotate them, and the Genius Play Box guide adds activities by age using things you already have at home.
- The 7 Genius Builders, stage by stage
- 16 printable guides, including the Prenatal Label Decoder
- Built on 500+ sources from 35+ countries
- 90-day Double Guarantee
People also ask
Are electronic toys bad for babies?
They aren't harmful in small doses, but they tend to crowd out talk. In one study, parents and babies aged 10 to 16 months used fewer words and sounds with electronic toys than with simple ones. Keep them few, and make most play hands-on with you joining in.
How many toys does a baby need?
Not many. Put 4 to 6 things out at a time and store the rest, then swap a few every week or two. In a toddler study, children with 4 toys played longer with each one and found more ways to use them than children with 16.
What is the best toy for a newborn?
Your face. Newborns study faces up close, so hold your baby where your face fills their view and talk. A baby-safe mirror at floor level for tummy time and a high-contrast picture are useful extras. Toys to grab come later, from a few months.
Do babies need expensive toys?
No. The AAP's report on play recommends simple, low-cost things like blocks, wooden spoons, balls, boxes and plastic containers, and says a parent's presence and attention matter more than expensive electronic gadgets. Most of a good starter kit is already in your kitchen.