Toys for newborns and babies aged 0-3 months

A tiny new human has arrived in our wonderful world — and has already turned everything upside down for their parents and family.

Nothing is quite the same anymore.

And that goes for the little one, too. When a baby is born, it’s a complete reset of everything they’ve known so far inside their parent’s safe and cosy tummy.

It’s no surprise that arriving in a world filled with light, sounds, smells, temperature changes, movement, and countless new impressions can feel overwhelming. Most newborns aren’t shy about letting everyone know that there’s a lot going on — and their cry is one of the most important ways they communicate with us. In fact, connecting with a newborn involves all our senses. You can read more about communicating with your baby on our blog.

Brand-new babies under 3 months can’t do much more than move their bodies and use their voices. That’s why we, as adults, must quickly learn to read their signals, so we can meet their needs and make life feel safe, cosy, and joyful right from the start. And this is where toys for babies aged 0–3 months can be helpful. 

Many little ones receive gifts from family and friends at birth, for a naming ceremony or christening, or perhaps as a baby shower present. There’s always great interest in toys for newborns and 0-year-olds, which is why we offer a carefully chosen selection — perfect as thoughtful gifts or as a little hint of all the fun and learning still to come.

The best toys for newborns are those that gently stimulate their brand-new senses. The stimulation shouldn’t be overwhelming, as newborns’ senses are still fresh, sensitive, and wide open to the world.

Soft, cuddly toys, comfort blankets, and dolls are always a great place to start for newborns and babies up to 3 months. Or perhaps a nice mobile toy to hang above the changing table. During the first three months, your baby may begin to grasp a soft comfort blanket and enjoy holding it against their cheek — especially if you’ve kept it close to your body first, so it carries your familiar scent. There’s no need to wash a baby blanket too often; your baby’s sense of smell plays a big role in feeling safe and secure. 

At around 1 or 2 months, many babies enjoy toys in high-contrast colours — perhaps a baby gym or a play mat. And from around 3 months, your baby may start to enjoy toys that support both fine and gross motor skills. You’ll find it all here at Toy Academy.

At Toy Academy, we believe in toys that help children learn through play. So of course, we also have a category dedicated to toys for babies aged 0–3 months.

Brand-new babies don’t actually need toys as such — they’re already busy discovering that they have a body, a voice, and eyes they can open and close. But development happens at an amazing pace, and during the first three months there are plenty of gentle ways to stimulate your baby’s senses and support learning and growth. The key is to take it slowly and pay close attention to your baby’s signals. Stop when they’ve had enough. That new chiffon scarf floating down through the air might be fascinating — but perhaps only for five minutes.

And when the moment is right — when your baby is full, feeling safe, and content — that’s when it’s time to bring out the toys.

We recommend toys in high-contrast colours, as these are the first things very young babies can see. Toys that can be used for gentle massage of your baby’s little body are also a lovely choice, as are toys that make soft sounds, such as a rainmaker, small bells, or egg shakers.

Just make sure to choose toys that are suitable and safety-approved for mouthing and for the occasional drop on the head. Very young babies haven’t yet learned how to hold on to or let go of toys in a controlled way. Their fine and gross motor skills are still at a stage where most of their energy goes into opening and closing their hands, or waving arms and legs around. More coordinated, purposeful movements are just around the corner — but for now, it’s all about discovering everything that little body can do.

From 0 to 3 months, it’s all about closeness and calm. Your little one is getting to know their parent(s) through scent (so maybe skip the perfume), voice, and touch. That’s why this stage is a lovely time to introduce gentle massage tools and simple sensory toys. You can start by stimulating your baby’s vision with high-contrast black-and-white toys, and later move on to brighter colours as their eyesight develops.

For very young babies, the primary senses take centre stage. These are the vestibular sense, the tactile sense, and proprioception. At the same time, the more familiar senses — vision, hearing, smell, and taste — are also developing at an impressive pace. 

The primary senses involve the interaction of several different sensory motor skills and combine sensory input from your child's environment with motor output (physical movement). They support your child’s ability to learn and thrive. When the primary senses are working well together, your child feels comfortable in their own body and is ready to embrace the world with confidence.

You can read more about the primary senses and how to stimulate them on Toy Academy’s blog, right here in our shop. You can also explore our lovely selection of sensorimotor toys.

No, absolutely not. All of our baby toys meet current safety standards and comply with all applicable regulations, including EN 71.

Every toy at Toy Academy is carefully approved to meet the strict requirements for toys made for the very youngest children — from newborns and infants to babies aged 0–2 months and beyond. In short, you can trust that our toys are designed to be completely safe for little hands, mouths, and curious minds.

Yes, all toys sold within the EU must carry the CE mark. Toys designed for children under the age of 3 are subject to especially strict safety requirements. Among other requirements, they must not pose a choking hazard, have sharp edges, contain harmful substances, or cause harm when used as intended.

Yes — and it’s one of the most important things you’ll do as a parent of a little one. Did you know that human babies are actually the most helpless of all mammal babies at birth? And then just look at a one-year-old! Many little tots can clap along to a rhythm, feed themselves small bites of food, crawl or even walk, throw things (of course), and clearly let you know when they need help. 

You can gently support your baby’s incredible growth and development — and make it even more fun — with the lovely baby toys you’ll find here in this age group.