The first few months of your newborn's existence seem to be all about feeding, changing diapers, and sleeping—or not sleeping at all.

However, did you know that playing plays a significant role in your child's growth as well? There is no denying the value of play for everything from emotional and social development to cognitive and physical development. Children of all ages—even newborns—can learn about the world and themselves through play. You can also enjoy the fun: playing with your baby can promote language development, help them reach significant physical milestones, and build their (rapidly developing!) brains. It can also teach them about emotions and social skills.

What Are Baby Milestones?

The fundamental developmental accomplishments that denote a baby's healthy and appropriate growth are known as milestones. Multiple milestones can be accomplished at the same time.

There are three main categories of developmental milestones: cognitive, physical, and social and emotional. A baby reaches the most important and critical milestones throughout the first year of life.

Baby Milestones for the First 6 Months

During the first six months of life, your baby will start to reach certain basic milestones. (Remember that every baby develops at a different rate. These are only recommendations; if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to speak with your pediatrician.) The CDC lists these as the milestones to watch for.

Baby milestones 0–2 months

• Holding up their head on their own
• Smiling
• Making eye contact and following objects with their eyes
• Cooing and gurgling
• Turning their head toward sounds

During stomach time, holding a soft toy in front of your 2-month-old infant can aid with their head, neck, core, and visual development.

Baby milestones 2–4 months

• Social smiling
• Copying facial expressions
• Babbling
• Reaching for toys with one hand
• Rolling from tummy to back
• Holding and shaking a toy

As your 4-month-old baby "wakes up" from those early newborn days, you may help them develop skills like reaching and hand-eye coordination by rolling a soft ball to them and setting toys approximately 12 inches in front of them.

Baby milestones 4–6 months:

• Looking at themself in a mirror
• Knows familiar people
• Blows “raspberries”
• Reaches to grab a toy
• Rolls from tummy to back
• Beginning to sit without support

You can begin teaching your 5-month-old infant complicated concepts like object permanence and social development with a quick, easy game of peekaboo.

What Are the Best Developmental Toys for Babies?

When selecting toys for your newborn, choose safe, basic items that promote experimentation and unstructured play. In addition to offering a rich sensory experience, items like balls, exercise gyms, board books, rattles, and other grabbing toys are excellent for promoting developmental milestones in your baby throughout the first six months of life. For this, Montessori toys are particularly beneficial.

If you're looking for a little more for your money, there are even age-specific milestone subscription boxes available; the boxes from Monti Kids and Lovevery are especially good for developmental play.

What to consider when buying toys for newborns

Be sure to consider the following while buying a toy for a newborn:

• High-contrast images. Your baby will probably pay attention to high contrast images and patterns because their eyesight is still growing and they are simpler for them to notice. "Babies really focus on when one color ends and another begins, which helps them notice edges and shapes," explains child development and education specialist Jody LeVos, Ph.D. Opens a new window. Give your baby toys with black-and-white pictures and patterns to gaze at, and move the item in front of her face to help her practice tracking.
• Sound. A basic soft toy with sound is also a terrific gift for a baby, according to Lori Caplan-Colon, speech-language pathologist and creator of Montclair Speech Therapy. brings up a new window. Baby will benefit from practicing tracking as they seek out the source of the sound. Additionally, you can sing to your baby, play quiet music, or simply change the tone of your voice while you read to her or converse with her to introduce her to new noises. brings up a new window. In addition to toys that crinkle or squeak, look for ones that produce sounds or music. Additionally, keep in mind that reading to a baby can help them develop their language skills at any age.
• Interactive elements. Play and learning are not separate in early childhood. When there's an opportunity to engage, it's that much more enriching. A baby can tell that mom appreciates what they're doing by hearing even a simple affirmative sound. They begin to understand boundaries in this way." Sing and talk to your child as much as you can, and tell stories about your actions (e.g., shaking a rattle, showing the baby herself in the mirror) to make playtime more enriching. Even early milestones will be developed with your assistance. opens a new window with information about social and language skills.
• Safety. This age group of babies should always be watched carefully, especially when they are using toys. Because the sleep standards state that there should be no unsecured items in the baby's cot The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises against leaving toys, plush animals, or blankets next to a child as they sleep. Additionally, you should carefully check toys for any loose items, such as buttons or beads, that could present a choking hazard. Generally speaking, ensure sure all pieces and toys are bigger than the baby's mouth. According to the AAP, it opens a new window so they can safely gnaw on them.

Also keep in mind that your baby doesn't need a chest full of toys; all she needs to enjoy is your voice or your face. Nevertheless, you can still show her toys and utilize them while you spend time with her, even though she might not play with them much at this age.

One more thing to consider: You don't need to look for toys with elaborate features or expensive price tags for your infant. Nice playtime activities include reading library books together, looking at intriguing pictures (remember, your face is the best for her to look at!), singing and dancing softly, and gently using a record player.

How We Choose Soula Best Toys

All the data that we provide passes through the hands of our experts, including dole, pediatricians, as well as specialists in the field of child development, because we attach great importance to the quality and reliability of the information that we offer to parents.