Playmats and baby gyms are suitable from birth, and make great developmental toys for those first few months. We have a great selection in our range, including Bright Starts and Fisher-Price gyms. One downside with water mats is they tend to require some light assembly (in this case, inflating the mat and filling it with tap water) as well as some maintenance (parents say this mat can get some mold inside after a few months, so be sure to refresh the water regularly). Multi-purpose. All of the toys on this list helped entertain and motivate infants during tummy time play, but could also be used when baby has moved on to other milestones like rolling over and sitting up.

We brought this toy whenever we’d visit my mother and mother-in-law, since it easily fits in a suitcase and provides so much entertainment,” says Leah. “Even when we’d turn off the sound, my daughter was happy to spin the ball in the middle and press the buttons.” Development: Consider your baby’s current age when purchasing a tummy time toy, as well as how you might use it in the future. Is the toy developmentally appropriate for your baby now, but also offer opportunities for him to play with it when he’s a little older?We referenced guidelines from leading experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). We also interviewed three pediatricians: Gina Posner, M.D., F.A.A.P., a board-certified pediatrician practicing at MemorialCare Medical Group in Fountain Valley, California and member of the What to Expect Medical Review Board; Charisma Garcia, M.D., a pediatrician at Texas Children’s Health Plan and The Center for Children and Women; and Taryn Hill, M.D., a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, for additional information on tummy time play. In line with these recommendations, all of the products on this list: Finally, the toy requires three AA batteries, which may be a turnoff for some parents who would prefer not to have to continuously replace them. Easy to use. You won’t want to reach for toys that have a complicated setup or aren’t straightforward to use. Many families find that water mats can be a fun addition to a baby’s tummy time routine. These mats usually contain small toys, and when your baby pushes up on his arms, the water moves the toys, capturing his attention. Over time, these kinds of products can help teach cause and effect, since your baby will realize that his movements are helping to shift the toys. This mat has a fish tank design and six colorful toys inside, and What to Expect parents say the design is a hit with their babies. We spoke to three moms on the What to Expect editorial team who have three children between them and have tried several of the products on the list.

As one of Lovevery’s most popular products, The Play Gym offers countless ways to entertain your infant during tummy time and beyond. There are five play zones on the mat, and your little one will love rotating through each on his tummy, interacting with the embedded crinkly fabric, squeaky toys and textured fabrics. The gym also comes with high contrast cards, photo cards and a mirror that slide into a tummy time-friendly frame, so you can rotate them out regularly and keep baby’s view fresh. Tummy time, i.e. placing your baby down on his belly to play, is a crucial part of your little one’s development. It may not look like much of a workout at first, but tummy time helps him develop motor skills that eventually lead to big milestones like rolling over, sitting and crawling. Longevity: As with all baby gear, the best use of your money will be on products that you can use for as long as possible. For example, a mirror and high-contrast cards are ideal for the newest babies, but they might not hold the attention of an older baby for quite as long as toys they can manipulate. But even with the sound off, toys that light up and play music aren’t for everyone — some babies, and parents, too, find them overstimulating. If that’s the case for you, this is one to skip. Christine added that it was the perfect travel toy, “because it folds flat and is soft and unbreakable.” Also nice: The high-contrast cards include a removable stroller link, so you can bring them with you on the go or remove the stroller link to loop the cards onto the mirror mount.The baby-safe mirror is held by a small fabric floor mount that places an infant’s reflection at their exact eye level during tummy time. Babies like to grab onto the soft fabric on the mount while interacting with themselves in the mirror, and parents say that the included high-contrast cards are also a big hit. Because it’s on the small side (just over 6 inches tall and wide) and offers a few different ways to play, this is a great tummy time toy to bring with you when traveling. Despite being small, however, it’s not ideal for small spaces. Melissa found that the bee traveled wide, even when sitting on the cloud. When choosing a baby activity gym, look out for colours, textures and fun features to help stimulate baby’s senses. Rattles, teethers and baby-safe mirrors encourage baby to reach and stretch, while overhead toy bars are great for lay and play fun. Some of our baby gyms feature prop pillows for a comfier tummy time, while others come with detachable toys for on the go. With gentle music, buzzing sounds, and the ability to move in either a circular or random pattern, What to Expect parents say that this small but mighty toy engages babies well during tummy time play. This light bar is incredibly popular with What to Expect parents, who say that the music and lights help grab their babies’ attention during tummy time play in particular. It has three modes — animals, colors and xylophone — and lights up with your baby’s touch.

Leah also liked that you could use elements of the toy separately from the playmat. She, for instance, would unclip the handing toys to bring in the car or on walks in the stroller. This multipurpose element is a big plus with other parents too. Once your little one is comfortable sitting up, you can switch the positioning so he can access the keyboard more easily. And after your baby has graduated from sitting-up play, convert the light-up keyboard into a piano toy that parents say is popular with their toddlers — some reviewers say their 3- and 4-year-olds are still using it as a standalone piano. It also scores points for being easy to assemble and disassemble, with many families saying they’ve taken it with them while traveling.Melissa also said it doesn’t work great on carpet: It’s best on hard wood and foam mats without any texture to them. The only downside, if there is one, is that the story itself likely won’t captivate older babies or toddlers, so it has a shorter lifespan than some other products on this list. But for the price, it’s a great buy to entertain younger babies during tummy time and help encourage an early love of reading, too.