A Shortcut Guide to the Best
Educational Infant Toy
For Your Child

Selecting any educational infant toy can be a daunting task at best. And finding the best one... well, that's even more difficult.

What we've rather done on this page is to give you a thumbnail picture of the toys which we believe are evergreen ones and continue to rank with the very best. Click on any thumbnail to automatically jump down to the short description of what we found. Note: you won't lose your place on this page.

Toy Selection

Educational Infant Toy #1

Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper

I first encountered the Busy Ball Popper in a doctor's office and was amazed by its popularity. My 18 month-old son loved it as did ALL of the other kids in the office -- from about 9 months to 5 years. The kids could not get enough of this toy. I got it for our own home, and its popularity remains high. The kids really do play with it endlessly. On that note, though, please know that this toy makes some noise, so if you are a person who can't stand noisy toys, this is NOT the toy for your house.

I was having trouble putting my two year old to bed at night and so asked my pediatrician if there was a problem. He said that it seemed that the baby was not getting enough exercise and so was not tired by the end of the day. Also the afternoon naps seemed to be adding fuel to fire.

I live in a two bedroom apartment in the heart of the city and therefore can rarely take my kid out to a park very often. He does not run around too much within the apartment itself since there is not too much space. So I was in a fix about how to tire him out without tiring myself out in the bargain.

The Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper came to the rescue and rather well. This educational toy was actually spotted by me at my pediatrician's clinic and seeing the kids run around after the popping balls got me thinking that this might work.

The toy does come with a warning that it has small parts and thus can be a chocking hazard for children under the age of three. However, I found that all it required was some adult supervision in my case, since my kid does not put stuff in his mouth too often. Apart from this there are no more safety issues with this baby toy.

The balls are soft and light so they do not hurt the kid or break stuff around. The edges have been well finished and therefore cannot hurt the child at all. The plunger is well located and prevents the skin or the finger of the child from being pinched.

The five balls are each of a different color which makes it easy for me to teach my son the various color names. I often tell him to go get the pink ball and then the red one and so on.

There is a lot this educational infant toy does for not only your child’s visual senses but also the auditory ones, since there are about eight songs that add music to the ball play. My son sings most of the songs by now like ‘pop goes the weasel’ etc.

Since my main aim was to provide my kid with some exercise, this is the aspect I was looking to give most attention too. Once my son puts in the balls and presses the plunger, the balls begin to pop out. When the balls fly out of the toy and run across my apartment floors, my son runs behind them to get them right back. educational toys for infantstoys for infants

This goes on for long periods of time and I find that my boy does stay entertained as well as manages to get some exercise. toys for infants

In fact I find that after using the Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper, my son has also learnt to enhance his hand eye co ordination. There are many times when he catches the balls in mid air and almost always manages to put the balls in their designated place without needing any assistance.

The music of the toy can be a bit loud since there is no volume control, but I find that covering the speaker with a thick cotton pad helped me keep the volume down. educational toys for infants

The yellow funnel comes off if my son kicks the toy or something like that, but it can be fixed on back within seconds. Overall this educational infant toy is pretty strong and the batteries also last quite long.

My son sleeps better now and between eliminating the afternoon naps and bringing home this toy, I think we managed it rather well.

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Educational Infant Toy Educational Infant Toy #2 Educational Infant Toy

Tiny Love Follow Me Fred

Follow Me Fred it is a popular toy with my 7 month old and even my almost 3 year old. My 7 month old loves to play with his crinkly ears! She still doesn't crawl yet, but it is perfect to help her learn.

My 18 month old adores dogs; and this is an understatement. Of all her stuffed toys, she plays only with the black cocker spaniel that she calls Elsa and dog shows seem to please her more than any circus in the world.

So when her grand mom got her the Tiny Love Follow Me Fred toy, I was not surprised, despite the fact educational infant toy is essentially for a 6 to 8 month baby.  I thought my daughter would play with it for a few days and then stack it with her never to be touched again toys.

But that was not the case at all.

The dog has a flexible belly that allows kids to make it go straight or even round and round in circles, which is a pleasant surprise as opposed to other similar toys that are stiff and only move in a line. Since the pull along baby toy is built keeping the safety of a six month old in mind, I was sure that it was absolutely safe for my daughter.

There are no pointed or sharp edges and absolutely no small parts that can pose as choking hazards. The belly though soft, does not pinch the skin of the child. The toy is quite sturdy too since my daughter has even ridden it on occasions and it’s still going strong.

When it comes to stimulating the child, I think the educational toy did wonders for my daughter. She was mighty amused that the toy barked and invited her to come and play with him. The melodies and the doggy bark combine to not only cater to the child’s auditory needs but also soothe her while playing. There is a mute option too, which I feel is a must from the parent’s point of view. The colors of the toy are primary and quite alluring to the child. The crinkly ears seem to be a huge hit and allow the child to understand textural differences too.

Most of all, I found that this baby toy helped my daughter in understanding how her own body balance works. She runs round the toy in circles or with in it a straight line and each passing day, I find that she is getting more and more stable on her feet. The first day she kept falling down while trying to keep pace with the toy, but after a few days could play along without any problems.

While it is fact that this educational infant toy does not work well on the carpet, it did very well on the tiles and had my daughter excited and jumping all over it. The batteries were inclusive in the package and are still going strong, despite the toy having been around for over a month now.

My daughter is so delighted with the dog that sometimes I feel she forgets it’s not a real thing and if you ask me, I am not going to break her bubble either.

The dog seems to be the perfect playmate for my 18 month old, even though primarily designed for the crawling child. It is the cute and adorable look that has been lent to the toy along with the lovely green tail that makes it such a hot favorite with my daughter.

I guess Elsa will have to wait with the other soft toys in the cupboard, till my daughter has had enough of the Tiny Love Follow Me Fred toy.

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Educational Infant Toy Educational Infant Toy #3 Educational Infant Toy

Vtech - Move & Crawl Ball

The Move & Crawl Ball can be a great aid, especially for encouraging babies to crawl. My boys absolutely LOVE this toy. Also, when they start to lose interest, this toy starts to move and make noise again to get their attention.

I am a physiotherapist and a lot of kids often come to me for therapy. My constant endeavour is to find baby toys that I can use to encourage the kids to push themselves physically in order to flex their muscles better and overcome any problems they may be facing.

The Vtech - Move & Crawl Ball emerged as one such toy that got my little patients excited both mentally and physically.

Children unlike adults do move their limbs simply for the exercise and it is very important that their interest levels are maintained in order to keep them flexing their muscles properly.

When I bought my first Vtech - Move & Crawl Ball, I began by inspecting it from the safety point of view. It is crucial that the kids don’t hurt themselves while playing with the toys in our clinic. The ball is sturdy to say the least, since even after throwing it around for years now; the ball is still going strong. There are absolutely no small parts that could come off and pose a threat to the safety of the child.

From the child’s point of view, I found that the ball attracted children way above the normal soft balls did. Apart from the lovely attractive colors of the ball, there are several animals placed all over the sphere to stimulate the kid’s visual senses. The parrot’s green and the dog is white with blue ears and so on and this helps children get a fair idea about the various colors. When the ball rolls kids find the colors all coming together and try and grasp the ball in order to understand it better.

I highly recommend the ball even to those parents whose kids do not need physiotherapy, but they would like to encourage their child to crawl around. educational toys for infants 

What’s even better is that the ball comes with auditory sense stimulators too. On pressing the right button the name of the animal and its sound comes on. Another button helps teach the name of numbers and even shapes. educational toys for infants

So, I find that over and above the physical appeal, the toy offers children a complete package in terms of stimulating the senses in more ways than one. This is one of the main reasons why I leave the ball even in the waiting room, so that kids can stay entertained with it.

The ball is a self rolling one and so I don’t need to toss it again and again as is the case with other balls. The bottom line is that the kids who come for therapy find it such an exciting package of light, sound and color that most of them consider it worth making the effort to crawl forward for a better look and feel. educational toys for infants

While this educational infant toy is technically meant for kids about 6 months old, I find it has almost universal appeal when it comes to children. I have a lot of older children walking about trying to kick the ball or flinging it across the room to watch it come alive.

This is one of the educational toys for infants I have been using for a long time now... and it has completely replaced the normal balls in my clinic. Personally, I think the move and crawl ball is fantastic for almost all children and that is one of the main reasons why I have the four balls in the storage at all given times. educational toys for infants

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Educational Infant Toy Educational Infant Toy #4 Educational Infant Toy

Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube

The Mozart Music Cube is also exceptionally durable, having now been dropped, kicked, licked, and knocked out the car window. No cracks, no broken pieces, and still plays as well as it did the first day out of the box.

Many of us are not aware but it is a fact that most of your brain cells connect before we are three years of age. While this does not mean that we should over burden our kids with complicated algebra formulas, it will help to expose them to various information in order to allow the child to make connections and choices. educational toys for infants

This is one of the main reasons why when I look for baby toys, especially for infants and toddlers, I try and choose those that stimulate the brain cells of the child in a variety of ways.

The other day I came across the Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube while going through the toy alley of one of the supermarkets close to my place. The toy seemed a pretty good package to me and I decided to buy it for my music loving son who apparently also suffers from the Aspersers' syndrome.

Safety is of prime concern to me whenever I buy any educational toy for my son. He is a bit hyper active too and often tends to hurt himself with toys that have sharp edges. Small parts almost always find their way into his mouth and so I am very careful about the toys I take home to him. educational toys for infants

The cube is absolutely safe of these fronts since all the edges have been rounded off rather well and in fact all the eight edges of the cube have been covered with different colored ball so as to ensure complete safety. My son likes to sleep with this baby toy on since he finds it very soothing. I on the other hand am ok with it because I know that there are no sharp parts that can hurt him.

The cube is about 6 inches, which makes it a perfect fit for those tiny baby hands and does serve rather well in acting as a physical stimulator too. However, it would not be wrong to say that the toy’s primary aim is to excite the metal capabilities of a child.

Since the cube comprises of eight Mozart masterpieces, it is a treat not only for the kid’s auditory senses but also the adults. In all the time that I have had the toy, it has never seemed too loud or offensive to me; even if I am on the phone while my son is playing with it.

There are five different instruments and kids have the option of listening to the orchestra version or simply working with a few combination of the various instruments. Needless to say, my son, whose passion lies in music is completely mesmerized with the toy. educational toys for infants

While the auditory stimulation of this toy is its strongest point, this is not to say that it does not have visual appeal. The colors on the cube are bold and easy on the eyes. One face of the cube has one color and it helps teach the concept of color recognition to your baby. Each face also has the print of a musical instrument on it and I find this quite useful.

My son has learnt to identify the picture of the instrument and associate it with the type of sound it produces. educational toys for infants

The cube does require three AA batteries, which are not included in the package, so do purchase them before you take the toy home, since most kids will like to make it play instantly. educational toys for infants

When I bought this educational toy, I did feel it was a slightly expensive one, but its durability and performance has made me change my mind completely.  educational toys for infants

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Educational Infant Toy Educational Infant Toy #5 Educational Infant Toy

LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table

I was surprized to find that two to five-year-olds are also amused by the Learn & Groove Musical Table. I would not buy it specifically for older children, but if your baby has older siblings, this will be a hit with them too.

If there's one of the educational toys for infants I must pick as an evergreen one, it's this one! We got the LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table, for our twins when we moved from San Jose. I come from a family of several siblings and raising my twins in a foreign land was making me quite apprehensive.

I have to accept that the biggest appeal of the toy, to me, was the bilingual aspect. I was keen that my kids grow up with Spanish getting just as much attention as their English did, so that they can keep in touch with their cousins back home.

However, what the twins gained from the LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table was much more than a few Spanish words. I got this baby toy when the kids were about 8 months old I think. They would lay it flat on the floor and sit across pressing the various keys.

Even now after almost a year, the table is still going strong. There are attachable legs, but I prefer to keep them off since my kids tend to try and climb on the table and jump on it, which I think can turn into an accident. On other safety aspects the table fares well since the corners are rounded off and the material is quite sturdy.

With its more than a dozen activities and over 40 songs, the table keeps my twins entertained for long periods of time. And it is not like leaving them in front of the television.

The table has activities specially designed to nurture the auditory, visual and even metal capacities of the child’s mind. There are activities related to learning about numbers, shape and even the concept of counting.

There is a fair lot of information about alphabets and even opposites that helps build a strong foundation in these areas. The colorful piano keys are a hot favorite with my twins and I feel it helps them learn a lot about hand eye co-ordination too over and above learning the musical notes. My sons have learnt about almost all the colors on the table and do give me both the English and the Spanish version when I ask them for it.

The large variety of problem solving games included in the table is what makes it a complete hit if targeting the overall development of the child. One of my boys loves to flip over the book and keeps reciting the alphabet song while he goes along. There are several push and pull buttons that are great to enhance the child’s gross motor skills. All in all, I feel it does a lot more for my kids rather than just exposing them to Spanish. educational toys for infants

I would recommend keeping a few extra AA batteries handy since the table can frustrate your child a lot, if not working properly. If you do use the legs of the table make sure that the kids don’t climb on top of it, even though it is sturdy enough to let your child pull himself up using the sides. educational toys for infants

The table is worth every penny that I paid for it and is still in very good condition despite us having it around for long. The appeal of this educational infant toy is quite long lasting and my twins are still happy to play with it while I am glad they are getting their share of Spanish words too. educational toys for infants

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Educational Infant Toy Educational Infant Toy #6 Educational Infant Toy

Hasbro Playskool Step Start Walk 'n Ride

The Step Start Walk 'n Ride provides just enough support to aid infants in taking their first steps. Works best on carpet areas.

I am a first time mom and follow the book ‘What to expect in the first year’ like a bible. As all other mom’s, I am very cautious about what I expose my daughter to. I stick to pure fabrics when buying clothing as opposed to synthetic ones, do not buy toys made out of poisonous paints or plastic and am very critical of television exposure.

My husband of course thinks I am a freak and therefore was not too surprized when I shouted my head off when he brought the Hasbro Playskool Step Start Walk 'n Ride home.

You see, I am dead against walkers. I have heard and read of horrible accidents due to walkers and the sheer thought of one sends shivers down my spine. It was only after my husband convinced me that he would not expose our daughter to the toy unless I was agreeable that we opened the packing.

I wanted to inspect it for safety first and foremost. The toy is definitely sturdy and the wheels are designed to not go too fast even when on a slippery floor. There are two modes of the toy and once locked both the walker mode and the ride on mode ensure that the child’s skin is not pinched in any way. There are no small parts or sharp edges either.

I was comfortable with the safety aspect but still could not see the logic of exposing our kid to this toy. I mean, what was it going to teach my daughter? educational toys for infants

When it comes to gross motor skills, the Hasbro Playskool Step Start Walk 'n Ride toy is definitely a winner. Apart from the obvious assistance that this educational toy offers in terms of helping the child learn to take her first step; it is also great in developing the push back action of the legs.

The handle of the walker mode is sturdy and allows for an easy and strong grip by the child. There is a rolling toy, an antenna and even a rotating object that helps the kid to practice these motions. The clicking gear shift had me smiling, while I thought the glove storage compartment was a sweet touch too. educational toys for infants

Over and above simply assisting the child in gaining control over her bodily movements, I also realized that the toy offers mental stimulation too. There are some sounds that this baby toy gives out which help learn about the cause and effect relationship apart from exciting the auditory senses. The colors of the toys are great visual stimulators and at the same time not too over powering for young children.

There are several textures that have been used in the walker, and these work perfectly in assisting the child’s learning process in this sphere.

I did give in to letting my daughter try her hand and it and she seemed to love the walker tremendously. However, I still have not gained enough confidence to let her do it all on her own. I tend to walk closely with her when she uses the walker mode, which is rare now since the ridding is what she enjoys more.

She holds on to the handle quite firmly and I have not had a 'topple backwards' episode as yet. educational toys for infants

Indeed the Hasbro Playskool Step Start Walk 'n Ride proved to be a great educational infant toy. I guess it is true that mothers nurture and protect their babies from the world while holding them close, while fathers show them the view of the world by introducing them to independence. educational toys for infants

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Educational Infant Toy Educational Infant Toy #7 Educational Infant Toy

Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes

The music quality of the Take Along Tunes is great and the songs play for longer than most similar toys.

Buying educational toys for infants demands a lot of thought, since these kids are very vulnerable and almost anything can hurt them or annoy them.

This is one of them main reasons why I was feeling a little foxed when looking to buy a baby shower gift for one of my friends. I don’t have too much experience with kids and at the same time do not want to give a non thinking present for either an infant or for that matter and adult too.

Another problem, I face when buying for infants is that there is not much that they seem to do apart from feed and sleep and fitting in a toy somewhere does seem difficult.

But the Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes scored highly on my search for the ideal baby toy for infants and maybe even toddlers. I of course bought it for my friends baby shower but also decided that it is worth repeating for other similar events.

Manufactures, it seems have paid special attention to the safety aspect of this toy. educational toys for infants

Take along Tunes is very safe and all the edges are nicely rounded off, so there is no fear of injury. Also since the toy weighs only about less than four ounces, it is not too heavy and therefore can be easily lifted by the child and also will not hurt him if he drops it over his head. There are absolutely no small parts that could choke the child and even if the kid puts it in his mouth there is no danger to the child.

The caterpillar handle makes it easy for those tiny hands to grip the toy well and juggle it around too. educational toys for infants

There are roughly seven classical tunes that have been incorporate into the toy and none of them are offensive or too loud even for the parents; though they have also provided the high and low volume switch, over and above the off button too. 

The auditory development that this baby toy targets, is of special mention since it is very meticulously planned and executed. The face of the toy is mostly white with the beads bearing primary colors only. This prevents the toy from over whelming the visual abilities of the infant.

The size and weight of the Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes makes it very convenient to carry along in a baby bag to almost any place where that baby may need to go. Right from a visit to the park to even a trip overseas, one can carry it almost everywhere. Keep in mind though that most airlines don’t allow batteries and therefore taking it as a soother for an airborne trip may not be a very good idea, since without the batteries the toy is no fun. educational toys for infants

This is an educational infant toy I have begun to buy very often, when looking to target new born kids or those about 3 months old, since my friend told me it helped soothe her baby a lot. It is a durable toy and a very safe choice too. educational toys for infants

All in all its a good thoughtful gift for babies and not too heavy on the pocket either. educational toys for infants

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Educational Infant Toy Educational Infant Toy #8 Educational Infant Toy

Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Stacking Action Blocks

Many infants simply love the 'action' of these stacking blocks.

I have three kids and my youngest is a girl, who is 9 months old. My house looks like a store house of toys and strangely I find that all my kids keep complaining about lack of toys. educational toys for infants

One day my husband pointed out that the kids were irritable since they were all being exposed to the same toys that were of course not age appropriate for all of them. So while the musical piano was great for my four year old boy, it frustrated the hell out of the nine month old daughter and was a sheer waste of time for my ten year old.

Grudgingly accepting the logic in that, I decided to sort out the toys so that the kids could have a better time.

While I was sorting the stuff out, I found this unopened stack of presents that the kids got over time which I had put away to open gradually later. One of these presents was the Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Stacking Action Blocks, which was given as a present for my now four year old boy when he was about six months old. It was given by Martha, one of my play date mom group member.

When I gave the blocks to my nine month old, I did not have too many expectations, but I was going to be pleasantly surprised.

I always check to see of the toys I give my kids are safe. On this front the blocks fared rather well. There were no pointed tips that could hurt the kids in any way. No tiny parts that came off and became potential choking hazards and absolutely no tiny slots that could pinch the skin of the babies. educational toys for infants

There were three blocks and each one of them had its own activity and movement. Children simply needed to press the head on the top and the activity would begin. I thought it was a great way to drive the cause and effect point home. In fact the colors on the blocks were also impressive and the range stuck to the primary ones like blue, yellow, green, etc. My youngest kept squeaking in delight while she would press each cube and watch the motion on the block get going.

The size of the blocks also seemed to be the perfect fit. There were not too tiny and neither too large. My nine month old could hold them easily and even raise them up and fling them across without a problem. In fact it was this very activity of hers that attracted my four year old towards the toy too. He joined in the play and began to stack the toys in a tower like fashion and then press all the heads at one go to make the movements begin all at once.

Both my youngest daughter and four year old son seemed to laugh a lot seeing this crazy movement tower. educational toys for infants

This got my 10 year old daughter out of her room too. She came with a frown to complain about the noise the younger ones were making, but the blocks caught her attention. She soon started explaining to my four year old the difference between the motions of each block. ‘This is a spinning movement’; ‘this is revolving, while this one is rotating’. I had no clue she even knew these words, leave alone their corresponding movements. educational toys for infants

It struck me then that all my kids were sitting together and playing with the same educational toy and having fun at it. Indeed children make everything magical, if only we adults would not try and sort out their lives for them. educational toys for infants

I called Martha to thank her for the blocks that seemed to be one of the best stimulating educational infant toys, not only for the nine month old kid but also my older ones.  educational toys for infants

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Educational Infant Toy

Educational Infant Toy

Educational Infant Toy

educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants
educational toys for infants