Toys to stimulate your baby's vision and hearing.
Your little one’s senses are still brand new and wonderfully delicate. In the first three months of your baby’s life, so much is happening in their sensory development and overall growth that it’s almost hard to believe how that tiny brain takes it all in. Even in the womb, your baby had their eyes open underwater and could hear the world around them. You’ve probably read in pregnancy books about how babies respond to familiar sounds. They could hear the vacuum cleaner, your favourite song, and the rhythm of everyday conversations. In fact, babies recognise their parents’ voices from the very moment they’re born.
Your baby’s eyes and ears are already developing before birth — but once they arrive in the world, these senses truly begin to flourish. We humans connect through what we see and hear, and your baby is no different. That’s why it’s so important to gently stimulate vision and hearing during those first precious months.
Here you’ll find a lovely selection of toys for babies aged 0–3 months, designed to spark curiosity and support learning through playful exploration of sounds and sights.
What kinds of toys stimulate your baby’s vision and hearing?
When little ones play, their eyes and ears naturally take in lots of sensory impressions — unless your baby is playing with their eyes closed, which doesn’t happen very often. Usually, babies only close their eyes when it’s time for sleep.
It’s also very rare for babies to be in an environment that’s completely silent. For some babies, silence can actually feel a bit unsettling, simply because they’re not used to it. During pregnancy, babies are surrounded by a symphony of sounds — the gentle bubbling inside a parent's body, mixed with noises from the outside world filtering in.
Both eyes and ears work perfectly well from birth. Of course, babies can’t yet process complex sights and sounds the way adults or older children can. It’s not that their senses aren’t working — it’s that the brain is still learning how to sort, recognise, and understand all those new impressions. The connection between the senses and the brain needs time to grow. Playtime with suitable baby toys is a lovely way to gently stimulate your baby’s eyes and ears and support the development of vision and hearing.
At Toy Academy, we’ve gathered a wide selection of baby toys for babies aged 0–3 months. With gentle sounds and a variety of shapes, designs, and patterns, these toys invite playful exploration and speak directly to your baby’s senses and curious little mind.
How much can your little baby actually see and hear?
In the first little while after birth, your baby will still have their eyes closed much of the time. At first, those tiny eyes can sense light and dark, and not much else. But very quickly, vision begins to develop, and your baby starts to notice contrasts.
That’s why many toys for newborns come in high-contrast colours like black and white — a slightly different colour scheme from what we often associate with tiny babies. These bold contrasts are simply much easier for newborn eyes to see.
At first, your brand-new baby can make out simple shapes, contours, and patterns. Soon after, they begin to perceive colours too, and that’s when visual development really takes off.
So if you’re choosing sensory toys for your newborn, or looking for a baby shower, christening, or naming-day gift, toys in high-contrast colours are a great place to start.
It’s even better if the toy also makes a gentle sound — perhaps a little bell or some crinkly fabric. Small sounds quickly capture your baby’s attention.
Not long after birth, your baby will start wanting to turn towards interesting sounds. At first, they won’t quite be able to control their eye movements or turn their head on purpose, but those skills develop surprisingly fast.
Baby toys with gentle sounds are a lovely way to encourage this development, helping your newborn first follow the toy with their eyes and then gradually turn their body towards it.
Here in this category, you’ll find a wide selection of baby toys designed to stimulate newborns’ eyes and ears. You can also find inspiration and learn more about your baby’s senses and signals on our blog Smart Through Play.