If you are a parent of a toddler, you should consider investing in the best sensory toys for toddlers. Sensory toys stimulate the five senses of taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing. These toys come in different shapes, textures, colors, and sizes to grab the baby’s attention. Children with special needs, such as autism, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, or intellectual disabilities, may greatly benefit from these sensory-stimulation toys (1). In this post, we’ve put together a list of the finest sensory toys that will stimulate one or more of the senses in your toddlers. So, keep scrolling and pick one to aid in your toddler’s development.
15 Best Sensory Toys For Toddlers
1. Best Lightweight:Learning Resources Spike The Fine Motor Hedgehog
If you do not want to get home bulky toys, you may consider this hedgehog toy. The colorful peg-shaped pieces fit the back of the toy when not in use, while the quills are soft and easy to hold for a toddler or a preschooler. The set includes a two-piece hedgehog and 12 quills with an activity guide. Check out the review of this product for more information. Pros
Stimulates color recognition, curing and sorting skills Lightweight and convenient to hold Hones fine motor skills Plastic construction is durable Easy to clean
Cons
Baby’s fingers may be stuck in the holes Spikes may not fix into the holes smoothly
2. Best Portable:Crayola Musical Doodle Board
Your little one might enjoy this musical doodle board that plays around six songs. It has a gel-based surface board to doodle on, which makes it one of the best sensory toys for toddlers. It runs on three AA batteries and is suitable for children aged two to ten years. If you want to know more about the benefits of this product, check out this quick review on YouTube. Pros
Improves hand-eye coordination Musicals develop the baby’s auditory system Lights stimulate visual perception Mess-free and portable Reusable coloring tablet
Cons
Gel has to be spread manually after each drawing Gel in some areas may become thick and clumpy Does not include batteries
3. Best Easy-To-Clean:Fisher-Price My First Fidget Cube
The Fisher-Price cube is loaded with unique activities on all six sides. It has metal and rubber buttons, a rubber joystick, a toggle switch, spinning rollers, fingerprint scanner, and a notch. All of these with different colors, textures, and sounds stimulate the baby’s senses. Here’s an honest review of the product. Pros
Teaches cause and effect Easy to grasp Improves dexterity Develops tactile and auditory senses Easy to clean and compact
Cons
Too big for small babies May not be as durable
4. Best Leakproof:MAGIFIRE Tummy Time Baby Water Mat
Your baby would be delighted with this tummy-time toy as it has a fascinating sea graph and floating toys in the water. They could have fun catching the floating toys and may learn to support their weight, with time. The mat is made of 100% BPA-free and non-toxic PVC materials. Pros
Leakproof and durable Strengthens arm muscles and legs, preparing the baby to crawl Environmentally friendly mat Enhances hand-eye coordination Easy to use and pack
Cons
Requires high maintenance to keep it away from mold or mildew Gives strange PVC odor
5. Best Non-Toxic:Manhattan Toy Tree Top Adventure Activity Center
The Manhattan treetop adventure toy is fully packed with exciting features. It comes with four quadrants having a variety of activities – six bead runs with colorful wooden beads, spring flower, six tracks of animal-themed gliders, and more. Pros
Strengthens coordination skills and helps flex the hands as they move the animal gliders Boosts creativity Develops communication skills Promotes curiosity and adventure Non-toxic and water-based finish
Cons
Assembling may be difficult Base may keep wobbling
6. Best Quality:Gleeporte Colorful Counting Bears with Coordinated Sorting Cups
The Gleeporte toy contains 60 bears of six different colors. It also includes six stacking cups to help your little one sort the bears. They help pre-K and kindergarteners learn abstract mathematical concepts such as addition, subtraction, and also multiplication. Pros
Aids in visual stimulation Develops coordination skills Improves hand-eye coordination High quality and non-toxic
Cons
Some bears may have sharp edges and could be a choking hazard
7. Best Versatile:BettRoom Geometric Board Blocks Stack Sort
Here is another sensory development toy for toddlers that keeps your little one busy in sorting and piling the shapes and colors. Each shape contains a specific number of holes and place on the board. Small hands could easily grasp the stacking blocks, and playing with them could prepare the baby’s mind for future learning. Pros
Teaches shapes, colors, and sizes Improves vision Promotes creativity Heightens hand-eye coordination skills BPA-free, phthalate-free, and non-toxic
Cons
Wooden pegs are not sturdy and may fall off Emits an unpleasant smell
8. Best Compatible:Educational Insights Shapes Beanbags
These beanbags for babies come in eight different colors and shapes, including a triangle, square, pentagon, hexagon, rectangle, circle, star, and oval. Each bag has the name of their shape embroidered on it, and measures around four to five inches in size, perfect for tiny hands. It comes with a ‘tip sheet’ packed with fun activities, which would make learning shapes an exciting thing. Pros
Teaches shapes and colors Develops balance and hand-eye coordination Handy drawstring bag for storage Keeps the child entertained and engaged Lightweight and easy to clean
Cons
Fewer beans, and may get punctured easily Ripped seams may cause a choking hazard
9. Best Interlocking Pattern:Infantino Press & Stay Sensory Blocks
With this Infantin block set, your baby can have a simple and nice selection of blocks in different contrasting colors. The set contains 24 blocks measuring two inches each. Your baby would love to pull apart and put them together from any angle. They can be stacked one above the other or built sideways. Pros
Encourages imagination Ideal blocks to develop early engineering skills Great interlocking pattern Plastic construction, and easy to clean Suitable for babies above six months of age
Cons
Restricted pyramid shapes Hard with sharp corners May give an unpleasant odor
10. Best To Develop Fine Motor Skills:TOP BRIGHT Magnetic Toddler Toy Game Set
How about bringing nature to your home? This magnetic toy set would help you teach your baby about nature, insects, and birds. It is constructed with hardwood and has a mom bird, a younger bird, and cute caterpillars. Play with your child and pretend to feed the young bird while teaching them how to take care of nature and animals around us. Pros
Improves communication skills Feeding the birds could instill compassion and a sense of responsibility Develops fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination Smooth paint finish and rounded edges Build color-recognition skills Prepares their minds for future learning
Cons
Paint may wear off Worms may get stuck in the trunk sometimes Magnet may not be that strong
11. Best Easy-To-Carry:Kenley Toddler Busy Board
The Montessori sensory board will help your child practice the necessary skills of getting up, dressing, and going outdoors. Created with soft welt wool, it features nine different ties, buttons, and buckles to teach them to put on a shirt, pants, coat, and shoes. It could be one of the best sensory toys for toddlers, covering broad areas of development. Pros
Teaches essential dressing skills Promotes hands-on learning and fine motor skills Buttons and buckles designed with varying difficulty levels Challenging and soothing activity Removable carry strap suitable for travel
Cons
Some parts may be a choking hazard Puzzles may seem too close to one another
12. Best Durable:Toy Chest Nyc Colorful Shape Cube Sorting Puzzle
This sorting puzzle has spaces to sort and fix the right shapes in them. The 12 different, brightly colored shapes have unique spaces on the cube. This allows your child to learn how to sort, which helps improve their coordination skills. Fixing the right shape in the slot will also strengthen their muscles. Pros
Develops problem-solving skills Boosts creativity and imagination Teaches colors and shapes High-quality BPA material stained with water-based and non-toxic paint Sturdy and durable blocks with smooth edges
Cons
Paint may chip off with time Lid slides off easily
13. Best Easy-To-Assemble:Happkid Toddler Bath Toy
Keep your toddler engaged and excited during bath time with this Happkid bath toy. It comes with a little brush and water cup with spinning gear, water jet, and a cute water faucet. Pour water into the yellow cup and let the baby turn on the tap for flowing water or let them press the bright orange button to activate the water jet. When your baby pours water into the cup, their hand-eye coordination also improves. Pros
Hones fine motor skills Suitable for children aged from one year to three years Easy to assemble and store Non-toxic, soft rubber materials
Cons
Rubber suction has mixed reviews Cup is too small to hold enough water
14. Best Entertaining:iPlay, iLearn Baby Music Activity Cube
Add some musical fun to your child’s playtime with this iPlay iLearn music learning cube that has a jazz drum, a guitar, and a trumpet. It has three buttons to change and control the songs, along with volume and power control buttons. There is a microphone set too, for your child to perform karaoke. Pros
Develops auditory skills Keeps them engaged and entertained Promotes interaction and exercising of hands and fingers Develops fine motor skills Portable headset encourages active play on-the-go Soft volume settings for gentle baby ears
Cons
Volume may get low at times
15. Best Easy-To-Store:morwant Bristle Interlocking Building Blocks
morwant 3D building blocks feature soft rubbery bristles that easily allow children to interlock the pieces together at different angles. The set contains 126 pieces that offer endless possibilities to your little one’s imagination and creativity. It also has 16 rolling wheels to add motion to the built objects. Pros
Develops the baby’s muscles Improves hand-eye coordination Teaches colors and shapes Improves memory, attention, and concentration Easy for small hands Free from BPA and phthalates, and safe to keep in the mouth Comes in a portable bag that is easy-to-store
Cons
Pieces are flimsy or fragile Building may fall apart easily
How To Choose The Right Sensory Toys For Children?
To invest in the best sensory toy for your child, you should consider the following criteria.
Color: Consider bright and vibrant toys with contrasting patterns and colors that are visually appealing to the child and catch their attention. Texture: Find toys that have raised or soft textures which the small hands and fingers can feel. It will be fun for the baby to touch and discover different textures. Sound: Toys that make noise or play music are ideal. Look for ones that play a sound when buttons are pressed, or toys are squeezed. Safety: Choose toys made of high-quality wood, fabric, or plastic that is free from BPA, phthalates, lead, or PVC. There should be no rough edges, loose screws, or small parts that may become a choking hazard. Toys by age: Invest in toys that grow with the child and keep transforming with your child’s growing age, so that they can use them for a really long time.
Why Trust MomJunction?
Priti Bose is an experienced writer specializing in toys and gift product reviews. Using her skills, she brings you the best sensory toys for toddlers that are crucial for their physical and mental development. Not only do these toys keep toddlers engaged with their bright colors and unique shapes, but they also help develop social and communication skills. Apart from comparing toys from different websites, she has also looked at user reviews before presenting you with the best ones.
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