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.
Hey! While we’re doing our best to make sure the products we feature will arrive in time for Christmas, shipping times are tricky and can vary depending on where you live, which product you purchase, and more. Shop early and be sure to double check the retailers’ websites for shipping information to ensure that your gift will arrive in time for the 25th!
1. A vibrant stacking toy with a ~spin~ — literally! Is it splurgy? Yes. Will it keep little ones mesmerized as they drop the discs onto the threaded corkscrew pole and watch them spiral down? Absolutely.
Promising review: "Very cool toy. I like the new twist on old toy. Bought for our 9- month-old daughter. Her older siblings think it's cool too, ages 3, 5, 7. She can't stack it yet but likes watching it spin, holding the gears, and using the pole. This is her favorite part at this stage" —AllisonP
Shipping Info: Current shipping time is 4–8 days for Prime Members, non-Prime shipping options will still arrive by Christmas (see Amazon's full shipping information here).
Get it from Amazon for $29.95.
2. A sophisticated wooden xylophone with lights that plays real tunes (aka not annoying) when mini Mozarts tap on the intuitive keys. Especially great for encouraging development of fine motor skills.
Promising review: "Wow!!! I absolutely love this xylophone! My almost 9-month-old daughter truly enjoys the music and the lights! Such an amazing price for such an engaging and quality learning toy! My special needs child truly enjoys it as well. I honestly am so tempted to purchase a couple more to put away for later and for gifting! I highly recommend this xylophone!" —Kindle Customer
Shipping Info: Available on Amazon Prime with 2-day shipping, non-Prime shipping options will still arrive by Christmas (see Amazon's full shipping information here).
Get it from Amazon for $23.32.
3. A 3-in-1 tent, tunnel and ball pit to transform any home into an ~exciting play zone,~ where little ones can crawl, explore and fling balls (don't ask!) for hours on end, while the grownups kick back with a glass of wine.
Promising review: "I got this for my 9-month-old for Christmas. He was a little scared of it at first until I got in it with him. Now he loves it!! I’m so glad I bought it. Even my older kids (10 and 8) like to play in it with the baby. So easy to assemble! The ball pit and tunnel fold away quickly as well. I have not tried to put away the rocket ship yet." —Tabitha G
Shipping Info: Available on Amazon Prime with 2-day shipping, non-Prime shipping options will still arrive by Christmas (see Amazon's full shipping information here).
Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in 10 styles).
4. A VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker because it'll help little ones transition from their wobbly first steps to zooming across the living room gleefully. Plus, I can personally attest they'll play ~nonstop~ with the barn door, phone, and piano keys on the front.
Promising review: "A must purchase! My son learned to pull up and walk with this contraption. He is 3 years old and still requests to walk around our neighborhood with it. He loves it!!! My 9-month-old daughter is pulling up on this thing as well and is about to start pushing it to walk. She loves using the phone and opening and closing the barn door. This whole product is just such a well-thought-through thing. Thank you to the team that created it! It really works and has been recommended by my sister, whose two boys learned to walk with it. It’s a hit. We love it! Highly recommended!!!!!" —Meet The Jacksons
Shipping Info: Available on Amazon Prime with 2-day shipping, non-Prime shipping options will still arrive by Christmas (see Amazon's full shipping information here).
Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in four colors)
5. A Fisher Price 4-in-1 robot boasting 120+ songs, sounds, and phrases to teach little ones their ABCs, counting, and colors. The best part? It'll grow with them from infant to toddler to preschooler stages.
Promising review: "I love that this toy came with batteries already installed! My 8-month-old is learning to crawl and sit up. She LOVES this robot. She’s so entertained by the lights and enjoys the songs. Not much to it, but it’s enough to be her favorite toy. I think it was well worth it!" —Amazon Customer
Promising review: "It's a hit in my house. My boys (9-month-old and 2-year-old) absolutely love this toy. It's nice and sturdy." —Freedom35
Shipping Info: Available on Amazon Prime with 2-day shipping, non-Prime shipping options will still arrive by Christmas (see Amazon's full shipping information here).
Get it from Amazon for $35.99.
6. And a classic Fisher Price shape sorting bucket that'll challenge their dexterity and problem-solving skills as they dunk the vibrant blocks through the matching slots in the bucket lid. It has 23,000 5-star (!!!) reviews for a reason.
Promising review: "I bought this for my daughter and it became a favorite toy ... in the 1980s! Now I bought it for her 9-month-old daughter. She loves playing with the shapes and enjoys dropping them in the basket without the cover (too challenging for right now). But it will eventually be added, as she grows into it and continues using it. Perfect for developing fine motor skills!" —Bookworm
Shipping Info: Available on Amazon Prime with 2-day shipping, non-Prime shipping options will still arrive by Christmas (see Amazon's full shipping information here).
Get it from Amazon for $9.97.
7. A cult fave Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? board book because you'll read it over and over again until you have it memorized. Trust me, it brings an exponential amount of joy to babies.
Get it from Amazon for $4.55 or from Bookshop for $8.36 to support local bookstores.
Amazon Shipping Info: Available on Amazon Prime with 2-day shipping, non-Prime shipping options will still arrive by Christmas (see Amazon's full shipping information here).
Bookshop Shipping Info: The last days to place an order to receive it in time for the holidays are: Hanukkah: Dec. 4 (standard); Dec. 9 (expedited) Christmas and Kwanzaa: Dec. 11 (standard); Dec. 18 (expedited).
8. 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 melodies by the musical maestro. They can also press the orchestra button to have them all play together.
Promising Review: "A wonderful musical toy. This is one of my 9-month-old grandson's favorite toys. At first I had to push the panels but he can now do it himself. I love how you can have all the instruments playing or select just one or two. There is a nice selection of music and my grandson rocks back and forth when it plays. He has dropped it and it is very durable. He watches the lights flash as the instrument plays. I highly recommend." —M.A.
Shipping Info: Available on Amazon Prime with 2-day shipping, non-Prime shipping options will still arrive by Christmas (see Amazon's full shipping information here).
Get it from Amazon for $28.99.
9. 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: "Best toy ever. We gave this to my 9-month-old granddaughter, and it quickly became her best friend. She was and still is enthralled by the moving ears and is learning to clap to the musical tune. She even giggles every time the elephant does. The toy is very soft and is a good size. Quality and fun!" —Sari
Shipping Info: Available on Amazon Prime with 2-day shipping, non-Prime shipping options will still arrive by Christmas (see Amazon's full shipping information here).
Get it from Amazon for $31.95 (available in six styles).
10. 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: "Best toy I've bought — and so inexpensive! My 9-month-old has been playing with these for the past month and a half since receiving them and loving it. She enjoys banging them together or just flipping them around. We can stack them for her and she loves knocking the tower over. I love that there are elements targeted for as she gets older (each cup is numbered from smallest to largest and has the same number of shaped holes in the bottom). They seem so basic, but truly — that's the beauty of them. I can see her playing with, using these, and learning from these for years to come. Baby gifts I give from this day forward will contain a set of these cups." —Staynegative
Shipping Info: Available on Amazon Prime with 2-day shipping, non-Prime shipping options will still arrive by Christmas (see Amazon's full shipping information here).
Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $4.99.
11. 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: "We ordered this toy for our son after seeing multiple videos about it on Instagram. We do not regret it at all! Although our 9-month-old was a little nervous about playing with it at first, he soon realized how much fun it was. Now he chases it both crawling on the floor and in his walker (where he has the tactical advantage). Definitely recommend as a gift for the baby in your life." —Krissa
Shipping Info: Available on Amazon Prime with 2-day shipping, non-Prime shipping options will still arrive by Christmas (see Amazon's full shipping information here).
Get it from Amazon for $30.99+ (available in three colors).
12. 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: "My 9-month-old baby girl loves it and now she wants to bathe every day with his new toy. I’m impressed with the suction power and the sensors work really great." —Omark Reyes
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
Shipping Info: Current shipping time is 7–9 days for Prime Members, non-Prime shipping options will still arrive by Christmas (see Amazon's full shipping information here).
Get it from Amazon for $20.98 (available in two colors).
13. A VTech activity cube perfect for teeny hands 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: "I got this when my baby was almost 9 months old. When he began to crawl and started sitting up, he really began to like this cube. Now he is 9 months plus and this is his favorite toy. I think it's the only toy that keeps him busy for a while. My baby hasn't learned how to use the musical instruments to play sounds but nonetheless he touches them randomly and the music keeps playing. Same goes for the shape buttons with animals. What he loves the most about the cube right now are the spinners and the alphabets that spin too. He also enjoys rolling the cube, banging on it, and using it to stand on his feet. I think the cube is a winner, and I'm very glad that I purchased it." —Tabby
Shipping Info: Available on Amazon Prime with 2-day shipping, non-Prime shipping options will still arrive by Christmas (see Amazon's full shipping information here).
Get it from Amazon for $18.88+ (available in two colors).
14. 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: "I was given a few apron style bibs as a baby shower gift and was excited for those, but found that they were difficult to clean and stained easily. Plus, they were too large at the neck. This bib is amazing. I purchased this as a back up and am so impressed with it. It cleans easily by just rinsing it off. The ruffle shoulders add an unexpected flair and a bit of coverage against food. The print is adorable and I am excited to try more by Tiny Twinkle!" —Trixie L
Shipping Info: Available on Amazon Prime with 2-day shipping, non-Prime shipping options will still arrive by Christmas (see Amazon's full shipping information here).
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in sizes 6 months-4 years and in 27 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 Pinterestworthy.
Promising review: "This is the first review I’ve ever written. Watching my nephew enjoy these blocks has been too much fun to not share. He was about 9-months-old when I gifted them and the blocks have quickly become his (and his parents’) favorite toy to have nearby. The tactile quality, teething friendly factor, and stackable shapes are great for early development explorations. And I can’t wait to see how the set grows with him when shapes, animals, and numbers become meaningful to the next stages of his development. An excellent, modest investment for the enjoyment that comes from this simple blocks set." —Corinne E. Barthelemy
Shipping Info: Available on Amazon Prime with 2-day shipping, non-Prime shipping options will still arrive by Christmas (see Amazon's full shipping information here).
Get a pack of 12 from Amazon for $16.99.
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.