What are sensory toys?
Sensory toys stimulate a child’s five senses: sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. Sensory toys can be anything that fills one of these needs. Examples include light projectors, light reflectors, music playlists, rattles, crinkle books, mirrors, wooden blocks, a pile of jewellery or some perfume on a scarf (and that’s only a small sample of sensory toys and play you could try).
Are sensory toys good for babies?
They develop age-appropriate social, communication, motor, cognitive, and emotional skills. Sensory toys are an excellent way for children to manoeuvre the developmental stages and learn skills they will need in everyday life. They help children explore and understand the world around them while presenting opportunities for self-soothing.
Specially-made sensory toys are great as they have been safety tested and are specially designed to help babies, but you don’t have to break the bank to do it – you can find plenty of budget-friendly sensory toys around your home. However, whether you have a homemade or shop-bought toy, you should always supervise your baby while they play.
Do babies need sensory toys?
Yes and no. No, in the sense that you don’t need to rush out and buy all the latest up-to-date products. However, children benefit from interacting with the world around them through sensory stimulation, which is incredibly important for early development. From textures, colours, sounds, smells and sights, your baby from three months up is more aware of their surroundings and learning more each day, but many sensory toys can be used from birth too.
How to choose a baby sensory toy
Safety: Before choosing a toy, you must ensure it conforms with the Europe-wide toy safety standard EN71. If, for example, it is a toy specifically for chewing, you should ensure that it is food-grade and toxin-free. You should also judge whether the toy suits your baby’s age range. If a toy comes with small parts, consider that babies often put things in their mouths as part of exploring and should never be left unattended with a toy.
Durability: Some toys can come with a hefty price tag, so ensure you pick durable, good-quality products by reading reviews extensively before buying. Speak to people you know who might have purchased that product themselves. Ensure you shop around before you settle on one.
Cost: Babies develop and grow fast, so although it is tempting to go for the big-name brands, it is essential to weigh up what is more important to you when purchasing a particular product. For example, foil is cheap but is single-use. However, a multi-use play gym will last longer and grow with your child but is often much more pricey.
Your baby: Babies are like snowflakes, and no two persons' babies are the same. So, ignore the trends and hype regarding sensory toys and go with what you think your baby will benefit from and enjoy the most. If your baby is sensitive to loud sounds, there is no point in purchasing a toy with loud sounds and no volume control.
What is the best sensory toy for autism?
As mentioned above, that depends on the child. Children with autism will have particular sensory needs that are special to them. Consult Mumsnet’s forums for ideas and to find support from other parents of autistic children. There is some excellent advice on where to go for sensory toys and honest feedback on particular products. In our article, we’ve included one of the most popular: bubble tower lamps.
At what age should parents introduce sensory play?
Sensory play can start from the moment a baby is born. Newborns can benefit from night light projectors and playlists of music, hearing you talk to them and sing to them and the feeling of clothing of different textures, for example. As they grow older, the sensory toys and play mature to meet their developmental stage.
Can sensory play be budget-friendly?
Yes, absolutely. Simply talking and singing to your baby plays an important developmental role. Sensory toys can be found in everyday household objects; even tummy time outside on a baby mat will do the trick.
How we chose our recommendations
Mumsnet recommendations
Our first stop was Mumsnet’s forums so that we could find and collate honest recommendations and advice from parents. With over 10 million unique users per month, we look for those that Mumsnetters repeatedly rave about, excluding any that don't meet the mark.
Expert opinions
Once we had our initial list of the best sensory toys for babies, we cross-referenced them with industry experts and vetted which ones were high-quality, cost-effective and safe. We used comparison lists, awards and expert opinions to analyse them.
Verified reviews
Finally, we analyse and weigh up the pros and cons of each product in our shortlist using verified customer reviews to triple-check their quality. We particularly look for those with the most 5* ratings.
Celebrated sensory toys for babies
Using this three-step verification process, we’ve whittled our list down to the best sensory toys for babies, which you can find above.
About the author
Victoria David is a freelance content writer at Mumsnet, specialising in product reviews and round-ups.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles, which helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.