Best Gifts for Babies and Toddlers, Tested and Approved by Our Own Kids

Featured in this article

• A Crib Soother

  

  Photograph: Nicole Kinning

  Baby Einstein

  Sea Dreams Soother

  The Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother has been in rotation in our house since day one. It’s part sensory toy, part sound machine, and doubles as a tummy time prop with its glowing lights and gentle motion. At night, the machine attaches to the crib and plays lullabies with a soft glow. I love that it combines multiple uses into one machine, so it’s a small but mighty tool that gets a lot of use during both playtime and bedtime. —Nicole Kinning

• A Cute and Functional Teether

  

  Photograph: Nicole Kinning

  SweeTooth

  Ice Cream Cone Shaped Baby Teether

  The SweeTooth Teether feels a little extra, but it’s totally worth it. Shaped like an ice cream cone, it’s just the right size for little hands to grab, and it happens to be the teether my daughter reaches for every time. Maybe it’s the subtle sweet vanilla scent that reels her in—can you blame her? Bonus: It’s easy to clean and dishwasher-safe, which makes me love it almost as much as she does. —Nicole Kinning

• Sip-and-Squeeze Cups

  

  Photograph: Nicole Kinning

  730 Project

  Honey Bear Straw Cups

  I skipped sippy cups altogether and went straight to straw training with this Amazon dupe of the Honey Bear cup. It’s simple but effective: Give the bottle a little squeeze to help your baby learn how to use the silicone straw. It fits neatly in a diaper bag’s bottle pocket, and it made the transition to straw cups pretty seamless. It’s also easy to take apart and clean—no fussing with tiny pieces—and it’s sturdy enough to survive the occasional roughhousing or chewing. —Nicole Kinning

• A Car Seat Toy

  

  Photograph: Nicole Kinning

  Kids Preferred

  Goodnight Moon Soft Book

  This Goodnight Moon soft book is one of those things I picked up on a whim, thinking it wouldn’t make a difference in my day-to-day life as a mom. Boy, was I wrong! This crinkle book has kept my baby entertained on countless road trips, in restaurants, or any time I realize I forget to pack a little distraction for her in the diaper bag. It’s packed with textures, sounds, flaps, and even a teether on the corner, and it clips right onto a stroller or car seat. Selfishly, the condensed story is also nostalgic for me (I grew up with the classic), while my daughter just loves to grab, chew, and crinkle to her heart’s content. —Nicole Kinning

• A Baby Bottle Washer

  

  Photograph: Nicole Kinning

  Grownsy

  EaseClean Bottle Washer Pro

  A baby bottle washer is worth every penny. I said it. In fact, I wrote a whole guide to them, and this was my top pick. This gift might be geared toward parents, rather than babies, but let’s be honest: The less time spent washing bottles, the more time you get with your baby. The Grownsy’s deep interior fits everything from 8-ounce bottles to pump parts, so you can load up a day’s worth of gear at once. With customizable wash modes, this machine quietly and efficiently handles all the work of cleaning grimy bottles without soaking, scrubbing, or chapped hands. —Nicole Kinning

• A Beautiful Swaddle Blanket

  

  Photograph: Nena Farrell

  Mushie

  Muslin Swaddle Blanket

  This swaddle was the superhero gift of my baby shower. My son used it every day for his first two years. He was a summer baby, and receiving two of these from his aunt was an absolute necessity to have something to wrap him in without making him too sweaty. We were constantly using it as a layer between him and us so that we wouldn't just sweat all over each other when he wanted a contact nap. These swaddles were large enough to help cover his infant car seat from sunshine in the car or stroller, and now that he's a toddler it's still big enough to use as a summer blanket for bedtime. It's winter now, and we're still using these swaddles as one of his blankets at bedtime. I can't rave enough about them. If you're giving these as a gift, grab two so that Baby will have a backup when they spit up on the first one. There are a ton of pastel colors and cute prints to choose from. —Nena Farrell

• A Tummy Time Playground

  

  Courtesy of Target

  Tiny Love

  Tiny Love Super Mat

  My favorite thing to do when my son was really small was place him on different colorful blankets and play mats and watch him experience the kaleidoscope of entertainment 2 inches from his face. His favorite play mat was a hand-me-down from my own childhood, but I've been testing Tiny Love's massive, beautiful mats with my best friend's baby. The Super Mats are super for a reason: They're huge! We're talking over 3 feet on one side and just under 5 feet on the other. But that means plenty of room for Baby to wiggle and explore. The mat is nice and soft, too, which is great to gift to a friend with hardwood floors. There's tons of built-in entertainment, like a little mirror and chewable attachments, which Baby can learn to crawl to as they explore. —Nena Farrell

• A Pacifier Sanitizer

  

  Courtesy of Munchkin

  Munchkin

  Mini Portable UV-C Sterilizer+

  If your favorite baby is a pacifier lover, gift them this little sanitizer so Mom and Dad can keep those pacis clean on the go. It comes with a little strap to hook it onto a diaper bag and uses UV light to sanitize the pacifier in about a minute. It's a handy gadget to have on the go after the pacifier is dropped yet again. You'll still need a wipe handy to clean off any true dirt or grime, but I loved using this to feel like I at least tried to get rid of unseen germs. —Nena Farrell

• Fun (and Sturdy!) Board Books

  

  Photograph: Nena Farrell

  "Never Touch A..." Board Books

  Look, babies destroy books. I can't tell you how many books in my son's room no longer have covers, or have ripped-off flaps and straight-up eaten-away corners. But one of the sturdiest book series my son has loved is this colorful one by Rosie Greening. There are a handful of different ones, all with similar titles: Never Touch a Spider, Never Touch a Dragon, Never Touch a Polar Bear … the list goes on. It's all about never touching a certain animal or creature unless it's doing something silly that they'll only find in the pages of this book. These books are great for so many reasons: Nice and short! Fun and colorful! Lots of sensory parts to the pages! Hard to rip! My son got one as a gift, and now I'm just continually adding more to our collection. —Nena Farrell

• A Toddler Tower

  

  Photograph: Nena Farrell

  Guidecraft Jr.

  Contemporary Kitchen Helper Step-Up Tower

  I waited too long to get one of these for my kid. He was still into it at age 2 ½—it was his favorite spot to eat dinner, mix cupcakes, and even draw or use Play-Doh at our kitchen island. But I missed out on how we could've had all this kind of fun so much sooner. Especially since this Step-Up Tower from Guidecraft is the new junior version, and it's slimmer than the usual one. That slimmer size makes it easier to add to my kitchen, letting it fit in nicely size-wise without causing any obstructions, and the smaller size makes a smaller kiddo feel more secure. The tower is designed for 18 months and up, and if I have another kid, this tower will be ready and waiting on their half birthday. —Nena Farrell

• Cuddly Jellycats

  

  Photograph: Nena Farrell

  Everyone has heard of Jellycat stuffed animals these days; even the teens want their own. They make a great gift for newborns and toddlers, first as just a little buddy they can look at, and eventually a snuggly friend for bedtime and couch cuddles. Don't be afraid to get a fun Jellycat just because it's for a baby, either: My son has half a dozen of these, but his number one favorite is Grizzo Gremlin. —Nena Farrell

• An Early Start on Lego Love

  

  Courtesy of Target

  Infantino

  Super Soft 1st Building Blocks

  These aren't real Lego bricks. These building blocks, which have a Lego look, are made by Infantino from a super soft, squishable plastic (BPA-free!) that's easy to stack, squeeze, or even chew on. It's a fun sensory toy as well as a chance to learn to stack and build Lego-style without needing to worry about sharp corners or Baby eating the pieces. My son mostly wanted me to build stuff he could knock down, but I'm hoping the early exposure leads to a love of Lego and building that we can enjoy together for years to come. —Nena Farrell

• Baby’s First Barefoot Shoes

  

  Courtesy of Vivo Barefoot

  We're big fans of barefoot shoes around here, and it turns out babies can enjoy them just as much as adults. My son loved Vivobarefoot's Pluma Knit shoes right after he got the hang of walking. These shoes were nice and comfy to pull over his chunky feet, and he used the barefoot texture to his advantage to learn to climb up the slide at a ridiculously early age. He noticeably slipped less when wearing these, so I highly recommend them for new walkers. He had these right after turning 1 in a size 6, but they come in smaller sizes if the baby you're shopping for will be walking sooner (or has less-fat feet than my kid!). Plus, these shoes get a ton of compliments on the playground. —Nena Farrell

• For the Gamer-to-Be

  

  Photograph: Nena Farrell

  Fisher-Price

  Game & Learn Controller

  We play a lot of video games in our house, so it's no surprise we wanted to snag this baby video game controller for our kid. But it's been a fantastic toy to bring for long drives or when waiting at a restaurant for the food to come out. There are two settings—Learn and Game, per the name—each with its own set of sounds, so it doesn't get too boring to use repeatedly. It's small enough to throw in just about any diaper bag. My son has liked this version a lot better than the similar remote control toy ($15). —Nena Farrell

• An Adorable Record Player

  

  Photograph: Nena Farrell

  Fisher-Price

  Classics Record Player

  This little record player is for 18 months and up, but that didn't stop my son from playing with it as soon as he could belly-worm his way over to it. The Fisher Price Record Player comes with five colorful records, each playing two songs, and is sturdy enough to survive the following: constant chewing from a teething baby on both the records and the player, said records being ripped from the player mid-song multiple times, and an unknown number of bumps and throws to the device itself. My personal favorite song is “The Ants Go Marching.” It's a bop. —Nena Farrell

• An Indoor Balance Bike

  

  Photograph: Adrienne So

  Made for ages 10 months to 2 years old, the Early Rider Bella Velio is an indoor balance bike that's fun for the little ones and pretty enough that no one will mind it's been abandoned in the middle of the rug again. The massive wheels are easy to maneuver while still providing plenty of challenge for a toddler to learn how to stay upright and go in the direction they want. The low profile means they won't have far to fall, and starting indoors where there's soft carpet is less stressful on Mom and Dad. —Nena Farrell

• A Foam and Water Table

  

  Courtesy of Little Tikes

  Little Tikes

  Foamo 3-in-1 Water Table

  I bought my son a water table for his first birthday, and he's loved it both summers of his little life. I actually bought him the Step2Rain Water Table ($85) and added on this rechargeable water pump ($17) so that water would constantly rain down. But if I could go back in time, I'd get him the Foamo 3-in-1 Water Table instead. It's got a bubble machine and a foam machine built into it, and let me tell you: Toddlers go crazy for it. My son's friend has one, and he has never been so focused (or quiet, praise be) as when he's playing with foam on this water table. It's designed for 2 and up, but my 1-year-old was obsessed. —Nena Farrell

• A Truck They Can Build

  

  Courtesy of Amazon

  John Deere

  Build-a-Buddy Dump Truck

  This cool toy, made for 18 months and up, lets a toddler disassemble and reassemble a dump truck with an included toy drill and large screws that attach the truck's pieces together. The hardest part for my son, even now as a 2-year-old, is remembering how to switch the drill's direction to either put the screws in or out. It's a really cool toy that will satisfy the mind of any budding builder or puzzle solver. —Nena Farrell

• Screen-Free Music

  

  Courtesy of Yoto

  Technically, the Yoto Player (Read our review here) isn't for children under 3 years old. My 2-year-old loved the Mini, though, and I wish I'd gotten it sooner to use as a music box or storyteller in his room during the months of being too young to do more than tummy time and another walk around the block. The Yoto uses cards with an NFC tag that you register with the Yoto app, and then they can play a variety of music and stories. My son's favorite cards are the Super Simple Songs Collection ($35), followed by the Moana soundtrack ($15) You can even buy blank cards ($18) and make your own custom playlist of content. While the device is designed for ages 3 and up, there are still cards you can buy designed for babies and toddlers; you just need to be the one clicking the buttons. But before you know it, they'll be the DJ. —Nena Farrell

• Backup Crib Gear

  

  Courtesy of Kyte Baby

  Babies are so cute, and so gross. One minute they're sleeping peacefully, next they've managed to spit up all over the bed and themselves. Get your favorite baby an extra couple sets of sheets for those nights when accidents happen, because nothing's worse than running out of sheets at 2 am after another spit-up or leaky diaper incident. I like this set from Newton Baby ($40) since it's soft, organic, and comes with two crib sheets, plus there are lots of color combos to choose from for Baby's nursery.

  Another good backup is extra swaddles or sleep sacks, depending on how old Baby is. (Swaddles are for newborns who can't roll, while sleep sacks are for all other baby stages!) I really like Kyte's gorgeous sleep sacks—they're nice and long, so my son didn't grow out of them as fast as he did Halo sleep sacks. I'd recommend a 1.0 TOG weight for most times of the year, but 0.5 is great for summer, and 2.5 is good for winter. —Nena Farrell

• Make Chores Fun

  

  Photograph: Amazon; Getty Images

  Melissa & Doug

  Toddler Toy Cleaning Set

  As soon as my son could walk and start grabbing things, he wanted the kitchen broom. My mom saved the day by buying us this Melissa & Doug toy cleaning set that gave him his own pint-sized broom, mop, duster, hand broom, and dustpan. It's been great to placate him when he sees me sweeping or for him to grab on his own. It also works well enough that I can use it in place of my own broom when he won't give it back. Kids learn fast, so don't make my mistake and have a cat bowl nearby. They'll realize the mop is perfect for dipping into it. —Nena Farrell

• A Play Kit by Month

  

  Courtesy of Lovevery

  Nervous you won't find a gift that's perfectly age-appropriate? Especially with how much babies can change between just 3 and 6 months, it can feel intimidating to try to find a toy they'll love and be able to use. Lovevery's Play Kits are organized in two- or three-month increments (e.g., 3-4 months, 5-6 months, 22-24 months), making it easy to nail a gift that's right for their developing skills. My son really loved the toys he tried from the various 1-year-old boxes, and the options range from newborn to 5 years old. —Nena Farrell