We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A bestselling Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy with catchy, classical melodies (by Mozart, Vivaldi, and other masters) and twinkling lights that any parent will tell you is their secret weapon to immediately calm down a fussy baby.
Promising review: "I purchased this for my six month old to keep him occupied in the car and he loves it. It’s age appropriate with two volume settings for volume control which is really convenient. He enjoys the music and blinking lights, plus he is teething so he likes chewing on the handle piece." —Alecia Renee
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
2. A TikTok-famous crawling crab that'll clatter across the living room enticing little ones to chase after it. How can any baby be ~crabby~ interacting with this adorable Mr. Crabby?
Promising review: "I bought the crab as a baby gift several months ago when the baby was doing tummy time. She loved it screaming with delight when she saw it. When she started to crawl her mom called me and said she was trying to chase it. Never did catch it though. Now she is 10 months old and starting to take steps and is still trying to catch the crab. I will buy this again for any baby I need to buy a gift for. I bought it originally because I thought it was hysterical." —Gigi 58
Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (clip the coupon on the product page to save $3; available in five colors).
3. And a whale bath toy you may have seen on TikTok that lights up automatically and starts spouting water the minute it hits the water. Who wouldn't want to play with this ~whaley~ cute buddy during bath time?
Promising review: "Bought this for my 6-month-old and it's a complete hit! Only toy she cares to play with now." —Justin Loxterman
Promising review: "Worth every penny! My little one loves bath time, and this makes it even more fun! The water spout is awesome and gets taller the longer it sits in the water. The lights are an extra bonus! If you're thinking about buying — do it! Your little one will love this." —Ahliilai
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in six colors).
4. A VTech activity cube that teeny hands will love to tinker with because there's so much to explore and learn — from spinning the ABCs to pressing on the light-up buttons to hear animal sounds! It has 29,000 5-star reviews (!) for a reason.
Promising review: "Where do I even begin...this toy is a MUST HAVE. Yes, the songs and voices are annoying, and you will find yourself singing the songs in your sleep, but it is worth it. My 6-month-old is obsessed with this toy. It is one of the few toys I can set her on the floor with and do housework without her getting bored and angry. The top side has four buttons (circle, triangle, star, square), each with an animal picture in them (circle-bird, triangle-cow, square-cat, star-dog). They have animal sounds, sing songs, play musical tunes, count to 3, play games, etc. My baby hits the buttons over and over again and loves the sound and lights. There is also a spinning cylinder on the top that rattles. There is a side with spinning letter blocks (A, B, C, D) and another side with spinning shapes. There is a side with musical instruments (shakers, drum, symbol) and a side with a spinning ladybug. The bottom is just blue with letters (not an exciting side). This toy is fun for my baby and is teaching her motor skills and cause and effect. I highly recommend it." —Christina
Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in two colors).
5. A Fisher-Price kick and play piano that I can personally attest will keep any kiddo's attention for HOURS — whether they're kicking the light-up piano keys like a karate champ, playing with the toy arch, or rocking out to the music.
Promising review: "My daughter seriously loves this mat. First she was kicking the piano and lying down now she's 6 months and lives to sit up and play the piano. She smiles when the songs play and the songs will get stuck in your head. It has a nice variety of music that is not repetitive. She loves the hanging toys at first; she would try to grab at them, and now it's nice to remove them for her to play with. This toy is so versatile and brings so much joy each day; it's seriously a great deal. One of the best play gyms you'll buy. I had a pricey, less colorful play gym that got no love. Trust me your baby will live the colors and activity that this toy offers." —N. Ford
Get it from Amazon for $45.17.
6. And a cult status Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo because all that bouncing is guaranteed to get them tuckered out before bedtime. But let's be honest: This is ~actually~ a godsend for new parents, who can finally get stuff done around the house.
Promising review: "I purchased this for my granddaughter. She is 6 months old and LOVES this. It is her favorite toy. She is what I refer to as a super bouncer... She bounces hard. LOL! To give a general idea of the strain, she puts on this toy; she is around the 95th percentile for her growth and puts all her force into the bounces. She has been bouncing away for two months now, and the toy shows no sign of loosening or breaking. The elastic straps are still very springy. The toys and lights keep her entertained. She was very pleased with herself the other day that she could finally reach one in particular to her mouth. All in all, very pleased with this product." —Adrienne L.
Get it from Amazon for $89.99+ (available in four styles).
7. A pack of brightly colored stacking cups guaranteed to become any baby's fave open-ended toy. Just trust the 70,000+ 5-star (!!!) reviews and the many, many reviewers who have said "this is the best $4 I've spent on a toy."
Bonus: These have holes in the bottom for water play and come with a cute star ring to keep them together.
Promising review: "Daycare said these were her favorite so I bought them when she was 6 months old. She is now a year and three months old, and this is still the first toy out in the morning, last toy put away at night. She has chewed on them, stacked them, knocked them over, smashed them together, nested them. They are the first toy she has helped pick up at night. These will be my go-to gift for the rest of whatever." —J. Jorgensen
Promising review: "I got these as a shower gift and sort of ignored them until I was digging around looking for stuff for my 6-month-old to play with. He LOVES these things! I stack them, he knocks them over. He crawls around carrying one in his mouth to play with it in a different spot. He’s 9 months now and still obsessed. I got a second set to keep at my parents house so we’re never without them. Highly recommend!" —Bri
Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $8.
8. A Lamaze Peek-a-Boo Forest soft book because it'll keep little ones enthralled as they lifting the ~crinkly flaps~ to reveal colorful hidden animals. The best part? It'll hold up to teething babies chewing on it during story time.
Promising review: "Six-month-old loves this book. We've made it part of our night-time routine. He pretty quickly figured out how to grab the pieces that fold down to reveal the different animals. The flap pieces crinkle so attract attention and are fun for baby to chew on. Not that he knows or cares at the moment, but the words/story is simple but fun. Other similar-style cloth books seem to mostly just list single words on the pages of what they're depicting, but this one has cute rhyming questions about whose hiding behind the flap piece." —Sara Johnson
Get it from Amazon for $12.99 (available in four other styles).
9. A magic cube to introduce kiddos to Mozart's classical music masterpieces. With a touch of a button they can play the harp, flute, French horn, piano, and violin instrument sounds from eight works by the musical maestro. They can also press the orchestra button to have them all play together.
Promising Review: "This hands down is our 6-month-old son's favorite toy. I hate noisy toys. Lights, too, as they just scream cheap. This cube, however, is amazing. He plays with it for up to 15 minutes many times a day. I never get sick of the songs. Like another reviewer said, it's the perfect size for the baby to use as a counter balance while learning to sit up. Every baby/parent needs this toy. If they came out with another cube with new songs/instruments I would buy it in a heartbeat!" —Kevin
Get it from Amazon for $27.45.
10. An easy-to-grasp bumpy ball boasting a combo of vibrant colors, bold patterns, textures, materials, and rattle sounds to provide a sensory experience that little ones will find oh-so-exciting.
Promising Review: “This toy has just come into its own at our house. After having it for about three months, my 6-month-old is now fascinated by its bumpy and rattly ways. It was great for staring at previously, but now he loves to bump it, toss it, and crawl after it. Easy to grip and light enough for little arms to toss, but weighty enough to not go too far or too fast, it's the perfect ball for babies. And older kids love to toss it too." —ezmerkat
Get it from Amazon for $14.98.
11. A snuggly otter that actually "breathes" and has a heartbeat sound to soothe little ones to sleep. Perfect for those looong, tiring nights when your arms ache from holding them against your chest.
Promising review: "If I could give this 10 stars, I would. The best purchase we have ever made!! I bought this for my son when he was 6 months old hoping it would help with calming him before bed time.... fast forward to today... he's now 1 and LOVES this thing. He looks for it when it's time for sleep and it instantly calms him and gets him ready for bed. He loves to snuggle with it and he even looks for it when he wakes. He learned how to turn it on himself and now puts himself back to sleep at night. If you want your child to sleep 12+ hours at night... BUY IT NOW!!!!!!" —Logan’s Mommy
Get it from Amazon for $44.94.
12. An oh-so-cute Smily Mia Penguin pacifier designed to mimic a boob that'll stay put on a baby's hand — so parents don't have to retrieve dropped pacis from the floor a gazillion times a day!
Promising review: "Well our son, who is now 6 months old, has never liked a pacifier. If you try to put a pacifier in his mouth he will spit it out or throw it. Yes we tried several different kinds but this little device is amazing. He absolutely loves this penguin. He doesn’t really use it as a pacifier but chews on it and will usually just hold it in his hand for hours at a time." —Neil Snyder
Get it from Amazon for $6.99 (available in six other styles and in two-packs).
13. An InnyBin for a challenge that any curious tot will relish — to plunk chunky shapes through the elastic bands into the cube and then pull them back out (all while fine-tuning motor skills!)
Promising review: "This is really enticing and well made. My 6-month-old grandson was intrigued right away as was his 3-year-old brother. The pieces that fit inside the cage are fairly hard, but light, and when they bump against each other inside the cage, the sound is enticing. It's easy enough to reach inside and grab a 'block' and pull it out, but there is enough challenge to make the toy more interesting. I thought maybe the cage would be too big for the infant but nope! he was able to grasp it with one hand and move it back and forth easily enough. it's a perfect size to sit between his legs when he gets old enough to sit up by himself." —drinking tea with mittens on
Get it from Amazon for $27.95.
14. A huggable Gund animated elephant stuffie that flaps its ears, sings, and plays peek-a-boo to make any baby coo, laugh, and gurgle with pleasure all day long.
Promising review: "I seriously ordered three of these suckers in the past month for gifts — yes, I’m at that cute age where everyone around me is popping out babies. I got tired of giving the same boring baby gifts — how many monogrammed onesies does a kid need — so I started gifting this elephant. BEST NEWS? Every parent I’ve given it to absolutely loves it…and so do their babies! It’s great to use at the changing table to occupy a wiggly baby and I've witnessed the power of this toy transforming a terrifying screeching baby into a giggly little toot. I typically like to gift this toy around 4-6 months and have found that most babies enjoy it until age 18 months and beyond. The voice on the toy is tolerable and the volume level is just right. The material is good quality and feels silky soft. Comes with the batteries already installed so no need to add those to your cart, too! Great price, great gift!" —Caitlin S Bella
Get it from Amazon for $29.57 (also available in five other styles).
15. A set of safe-to-chew-on pastel silicone stacking blocks to encourage shape and number recognition in little ones. These will make any playroom look Pinterest-worthy.
Promising review: "Bought these cute soft chewable blocks for my granddaughter. She loves them! At 6 months old, she likes to feel things and of course, put things in her mouth. Teething is an issue at this age, so it feels good against her gums. They are very easy to keep clean. She can learn from them also when she gets a little older. Numbers, shapes, letters. They come in a cute sturdy box as a bonus!" —Sunnybrook
Get a pack of 12 from Amazon for $19.99 (clip the coupon on the product page to save 20%; available in two styles).
16. An ultra plush personalized name minky blanket perfect for pictures *and* naptime snuggles.
Sugar House Swaddles is a small biz based in Salt Lake, Utah that specializes in personalized baby blankets, muslin swaddles, and more.
You can personalize the name and font. Just add your notes in the personalization box or comment section when placing your order.
Promising review: "I’ve ordered several blankets as baby gifts and loved all of them. Super soft, great colors, and I love getting the small one because it’s perfect for the car seat/diaper bag!" —cassidyriden
Get it from Sugar House Swaddles on Etsy for $15.50+ (available in 49 colors and in three sizes).
17. The Dimpl aka a portable sensory toy designed for babies and toddlers. It simply has five vibrant silicone bubbles — yet if the 15,000 5-star (!!!) reviews are to be believed it'll hold your munchkin's attention for a while.
Promising review: "One of our daughter's favorites. This has been on my wishlist for a long time and I'm glad I finally got it for my baby girl. She can hold onto it easily and really likes to look at it and I am sure she will figure out how to 'pop' the bubbles backwards and forwards on purpose soon, though right now it happens just on accident. It keeps her entertained for minutes at a time, which for a 6-month old is a lot...lol. I have pulled and pushed the silicone 'bubbles' to test out this Dimpl for both and durability and am confident with it as my daughter plays." —A Beut
Get it from Amazon for $9.95.
18. A machine-washable Tiny Twinkle rainbow apron bib with possibly the cutest ruffles to make messy eating fashionable.
Tiny Twinkle is a small biz based in Phoenix, Arizona that prides itself on creating high quality, safe products for babies, children and parents.
Promising review: "My 6-month-old daughter started to pick food from her tray 3x times a day and we would have to change her clothes 3x a day. I then found this bib and it was just what we're looking for. Easy to slip on without her being fussy and trying to pull off. The ruffle around the shoulder is just too cute. The optional use of pouch is convenient. I can flip it out to clean and flip it back when she's using the apron to catch all the crumbs. The material is made of high quality water resistant fabric and soft. I only use one for the whole day, breakfast after she eats I rinse it out with soap and hang dry, by lunch time it's already dry and ready for use then repeat the process for dinner. This product really pays it self and saves me a lot of time without having to change her clothes after every meal." —candycane
Get it from Amazon for $11.99 (available in sizes 6 months-4 years and in 32 styles).
19. A "Taco Tuesday" gift set if you literally CANNOT WAIT to introduce future little ones to your weekly tradition.
The gift set comes with three food-themed sensory toys including a crinkle shell taco, an avocado rattle, and lemon and lime clackers.
Promising review: "Get it… it’s super cute, durable and my baby loves it. I bought this as a gift for my baby’s 6-month milestone celebration which was Taco Tuesday themed. We love to host Taco Tuesdays at our house. When opening his gifts I saved this til the end and 'knighted' our LO by tapping his shoulders with the box in front of everyone (YES, I'M THAT MOM)! Anyway, this was the cherry on top for everything else he received. Im so happy to have found this super unique gift set. Its perfect!!." —Whitney Miller
Get it from Amazon for $13.45+ (available in three styles).
20. A bestselling aquarium crib soother chock-full of classical melodies, ocean sounds, and glowing light effects that'll help them fall asleep and stay asleep (fingers crossed🤞).
Promising review: "My daughter loves this. I got this when she was 6 months old. She is now 8 months and she will stare at this thing when she wakes up in the middle of the night. I go turn it on for her and she stays occupied and falls back asleep with the sound of the ocean waves. The mechanism is a little noisy, but to an infant its a comforting hum it produces. The crib light is helpful at night when we have to search for her binky or just to see to pick her up. The full light feature is very bright in a dark room, but my daughter has no issues falling asleep with it. Batteries can go by fast if you use the motion at all times. But I've used it for a good couple of months with no dead batteries yet. Plan on buying rechargeable for it soon. We mostly use it every night for the ocean sound no motion or lights. UPDATE 2/10/2020: My daughter is now over 10 months old. She randomly wakes up in the middle of the middle of the night and she will stand up in her crib and push the button to turn this on, then off, then on again. It helps her go back to sleep without waking us up. Best purchase ever." —BP-JP
Get it from Amazon for $39.98.
21. And an inflatable water mat with floating foam fishies to cast a mesmerizing spell on your bubba — until they temporarily forget that they, um, detest tummy time.
Promising review: "Cute tummy time toy! My 6-month-old grandson really enjoys it. The water inside moves the pieces inside so there is motion to keep him interested. It has a cushion of air too and is comfortable for him to lay on on tummy for play, or back to watch his siblings play." —Magmae
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in two colors).
22. A lightweight plush rocker that'll not only give little dudes and divas ~oodles of joy~ each time they sit on it but will also become the pièce de résistance of a kid's room. Bonus: it comes *fully assembled!*
Promising review: "Perfect in my niece's bedroom! At only 6 months, she sits in it all the time while mommy picks out her outfits. It's even sturdy enough to hold 2-year-old big brother while she's being changed! Love this!" —Katie Green
Get it from Amazon for $89.76.
23. An elephant bath sprayer you'll love because it'll keep your tiny human entertained for the duration of bath time and provide you with an easier way to wash soap off of them/out of their hair — however, considered yourself warned they can potentially turn this adorable hose on you at any given moment. 😅
Watch this sprayer make bath time even more fun on TikTok.
Promising review: "If you have babies or toddlers this is a must buy! I saw this on TikTok and decided to try it out. I love this and my kids love this. My kids were so scared for me to rinse their hair and now that we have this they even want to do it themselves! I also just had a baby and she loves it as well! We have had it for a couple of months now and the batteries are still going strong....which if you have kids you know some stuff it feels like you can never get the batteries to last because they are always playing with them. I highly recommend this to every parent!!!" —Amber
Get it from Amazon for $24.95+ (available in five colors).
24. An iconic Sophie the Giraffe teether your little one will love putting in their mouth, even if they don't have all their tiny pearly whites yet.
BuzzFeed editor Heather Braga bought Sophie and said: "Sophie the Giraffe has become a valued member of our family. I ran out to buy it when my son started teething (badly) as he simply refused every other type of teether we already had (of course). I was skeptical as to why a toy giraffe would cost nearly $30, but I soon learned it clearly had magical powers. Sophie has apparently been around for over 55 years (who knew!) and is made entirely of natural rubber. She has various chewable parts (ears, horns, and legs) that Noah was able to grasp onto himself way easier than any other teether. She's becoming my go-to baby shower gift, and we simply don't leave the house without her!
PSA: Do not wash Sophie with water or if you do, do not get water into the squeaker hole! I've seen a number of TikTok videos noting that if you do this the inside can potentially get moldy."
Promising review: "I was super hesitant to spend $25 on a teething toy. It’s honestly just a regular squeaky toy, but the other reviews were spot on, and my child absolutely LOVES his Sophie. Something about that rubbery smiley giraffe is just so darn appealing to babies. She is without a doubt one of his very favorite toys, especially once he started teething." —Courtnee Thompson
Get it from Amazon for $26.54.
25. A singing puppy with a wagging tail and flapping ears that's the ~pawfect~ toy for your kiddo — they can interact with this furry friend and enjoy adorable music.
26. The Pigeon Needs a Bath waterproof book by much-loved children's author Mo Willems that'll fill tub time with funny stories and antics.
27. A play kit subscription that'll take the guesswork out of making playtime enriching for little ones with stage-appropriate, developmental toys that reviewers say are built to last and passed down among siblings.
28. A copy of Hear Bear Roar by Eric Carle full of unique animal illustrations and 30 corresponding sounds, which'll help them learn new words, or even *first* words! At the very least, it could be baby's first RAWRRRR.
29. A sophisticated wooden piano that plays real music (not annoying kiddie tunes) when mini Mozarts tap on the intuitive keys. It even comes with beginner *sheet music* so future prodigies can gradually learn to play classic melodies.
30. A beautiful set of stacking cups in earthy, muted tones to inject some ~hygge~ into any home. Plus, they're made in Denmark and are 100% free from BPA, PVC and phthalates.
31. A Lakeshore Learning what’s inside? box for any toddler who won't stop pulling tissues out of boxes. This soft, machine-washable box packed with 10 exciting things (like a crinkly butterfly, a cute lion and more) will invite little hands to reach and find out exactly what’s inside!
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.