Toys: A Companion to Support Your Baby’s Intellectual and Sensory Development. What toys should you buy for a baby aged 3 to 6 months? This is a question many parents ask. Let’s explore 10 toys for 3- to 6-month-olds that promote intelligence, with AVAKids!

Developmental Characteristics of 3- to 6-Month-Old Babies

To choose the right toys for your 3- to 6-month-old, parents first need to understand their baby’s developmental characteristics during this stage. This will help you select toys that promote your child’s overall development.

• Cognitive Abilities: Babies aged 3 to 6 months can already recognize objects around them and familiar faces. Furthermore, they can react to sounds and the interaction and attention of others.
• Social Awareness and Emotional Development: At this stage, babies can express emotions through laughter and crying. Even 3-month-olds can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people and show different preferences for each.
• Language Skills: By 6 months old, a baby’s brain and vision have developed significantly. At this stage, they may start repeating simple, familiar words like “mama” or “dada”.
• Physical Activity: Between 3 and 6 months, babies learn to grasp objects and crawl to get their favorite toys. Therefore, 3- to 6-month-olds will love baby toys with eye-catching colors and sounds, such as robot toys, paper toys, educational toys, Antona toys, etc.

Duka DK580004 Flower Bell Rattle Toy

What Parents Can Do to Help 3- to 6-Month-Olds Develop

In addition to regular toys, parents need to engage in activities and interact with their babies to promote holistic development.

• Talk and Sing to Your Baby: Children learn language by listening to adults speak and responding with their own babbling. The more parents talk and interact with their children, the larger their vocabulary will become.
• Read and Tell Stories to Your Baby: Hold your baby and point to the images in books and stories while reading to them. Over time, your baby’s mind will begin to connect images and words, helping them develop better thinking skills.
• Let Your Child Interact with the World Around Them: Give your child the opportunity to experience the world around them by exposing them to sunlight in the early morning. You can carry your child around and introduce them to animals, vehicles, flowers, etc. This will help stimulate the development of their vision and hearing.

Minh Long Environmental Exploration Book – Household Items Theme

Top 10 Toys for 3- to 6-Month-Olds to Develop Intelligence

1. Baby Bouncer

Baby bouncers or vibrating chairs are great for babies under 1 year old. They help keep your baby entertained and within your sight while you do other things.

Joie Dreamer Starry Night Bouncer (0 – 15 kg)

2. Stuffed Animals

Stuffed animals are not just toys; they become close companions for young children. Through stuffed animals, babies can express their nonverbal emotions. Hugging a stuffed animal at bedtime provides a sense of peace and security.

Stuffed animals are close companions for young children.

3. Stacking Toys

Children aged 3 to 6 months cannot yet play with complex construction toys. Therefore, simple stacking toys help them form basic concepts of arrangement, size, and shape.

Duka DK580014 Seven-Color Stacking Cups Toy

4. Cloth Books

Cloth books for 3- to 6-month-olds last longer because they don’t tear easily, even if your baby chews or tears at them. Furthermore, your baby’s hearing and sight will develop better when parents read and point out the images to them.

Cloth books help develop a baby’s hearing and sight.

5. Teethers

Teethers help babies break the habit of putting their hands in their mouths and develop their grasping abilities. They also help relieve discomfort during teething.

ROVCO Bear-Shaped Teether RK-3345 (from 5 months) – Random Color

6. Stretchy Toys

Stretchy toys stimulate vision, touch, and grasping skills. When choosing stretchy toys, prioritize those with bright colors and made from safe materials.

Stretchy toys stimulate a baby’s vision and sense of touch.

7. Baby Activity Gym

Activity gyms with various plastic toys in different shapes and colors are often attached to baby cribs or strollers. This attracts a baby’s attention and encourages them to reach and explore, helping to develop their vision and brain.

Antona Childhood Home A-Frame Toy Rack – Random Color

8. Baby Rattles

Babies aged 3 to 6 months often enjoy making noise. Parents can provide a few rattles for them to shake and create sounds. While the baby plays, parents can play upbeat music, as babies at this age enjoy rhythmic sounds and will sway to the music.

Fisher Price 19 GRR45 Macaron Rattle Toy

9. Soft Plastic Balls

Colorful plastic balls rolling on the floor will encourage your baby to crawl after them. This toy is beneficial for developing motor skills and grasping abilities.

Colorful plastic balls stimulate a baby’s motor skills.

10. Battery-Operated Electronic Toys

Battery-operated electronic toys, especially electronic keyboards, are a fun option for 3- to 6-month-olds, helping them explore music and develop their hearing. Parents can teach their babies to press the keys to create different sounds and explore various tunes to stimulate their curiosity and intellectual development.

Duka DK580017 Baby Rock Star Piano Toy

Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing Toys for 3- to 6-Month-Olds

Babies aged 3 to 6 months cannot yet play safely with toys. Babies at this age often put toys in their mouths. Parents should choose toys with a clear origin and made from safe materials to avoid harming their baby’s health.

Parents should also choose educational toys that promote physical and brain development and are suitable for their child’s gender (e.g., boys’ toys, girls’ toys). Toys for 3- to 6-month-olds should not have sharp objects or small, detachable parts to prevent accidents.

In this article, AVAKids has introduced 10 smart toys to help develop the intelligence of 3- to 6-month-olds. We hope parents will find the most suitable products. If you have any questions, please visit avakids.com or contact our hotline 1900.866.874 (8:00 AM – 9:30 PM) for assistance!