Play time - Activity Toys

Help bub explore and learn safely with a range of trusted baby toys

Kickstart your little one’s learning with toys that make play time interesting, fun and safe. Whatever age, personality and development stage you’re buying for, there are endless quality toys to accommodate.

Range of baby toys available

There is a huge variety of baby toys available for all different age groups and interests. From classic building blocks, ring toys, rattles and stuffed animals to activity centres, play gyms and elaborate doll houses, there’s a vast range of many options available for every age, stage, preference and budget.

What makes a good baby toy?

Babies explore the world around them using all five senses, so a good baby toy will be visually interesting, perhaps make a noise and be safe to squeeze, shake, drop or chew. The best toys encourage imagination, creativity, physical and brain development. And once baby starts playing with other little ones, toys also help to develop social skills.

Toys that can develop baby’s physical skills

As your baby grows his or her physical ability will develop. From only being able to grasp large objects like rattles and rings to learning how to pick up and place smaller objects, like peg puzzles. Here are some ideas of the types of toys that help develop gross motor skills (large muscles) and fine motor skills (smaller muscle groups):
● Balls to toss and catch
● Stacking cups or rings
● Building blocks
● Puzzles
● Bath crayons
● Buckle toys

Best baby toys for one year olds

To keep your curious one-year old busy for hours, parents choose fun and creative toys that help develop bub’s play skills, logic and motor skills. Some of our best baby toys for one-year olds include:

• Stacking toys: Like Mushie kids' stacking cups and Liewood’s stacking ring toys help to develop hand-eye coordination as well as balancing skills. Available in a range of gorgeous colours, stacking toys also helps to develop language skills.
• Activity table: An activity table offers endless hours of busy play. Janod’s Cocoon Adjustable Activity Table will keep bub busy with spinning cogs, shapes to sort, coloured balls and looping toys.
• Plush toys: Always a hit with little ones because there’s no such thing as too much cuddly softness! The Miffy Plush Teddy Eco Collection is a classic favourite made from 100% recycled PET bottles, available in cream, pink and blue.
• Ride-ons: These are always a great gift for active toddlers on the move, designed to delight and strengthen legs and motor skills. Wheely Bugs’ critter-inspired bright and friendly designs has wobbly feelers and padded body, perfect for bubs learning to walk through post toddler years.

Toys for your toddler’s imagination, from bath toys to dress up

Ignite your toddler’s imagination with toys designed to spark creative play. Great ways to encourage original play include musical instruments, interactive games, bath toys, and figurines and animals to create imaginary worlds. Dress up costumes are also great to facilitate pretend play.

Toys that develop educational skills

Almost any toy (and not only educational brands like Bright Starts or Lamaze) is an educational toy for a baby who is rapidly learning about the world around them. Age appropriate books, alphabet cards, stacking cups, activity centres, walkers, kinetic sand, counting toys and sensory balls all teach bub valuable educational skills.

Multi-sensory toys, from teethers to squishy and crinkly

Brightly coloured and contrasting toys with textured, squishy or crinkly material, mirrors, rattles, vibrating parts or spinning wheels are all examples of sensory toys. Sensory toys are designed to offer a variety of visual, tactile and auditory rewards to develop baby’s focus, concentration, problem-solving, hand-eye coordination and motor skills. Silicone teethers, which can double up as a bath toy, also help to develop motor skills as well as soothe aching gums.

Popular toys for newborns and babies: shop play mats and more

Here are some popular toys for newborns and babies:
● Mobiles
● Soft toys
● Rattle toys
● Play mat and activity gyms
● Balls and rings
● Board or soft material books
● Bath toys

Popular toys for infants and toddlers

Toddler toys offer more complexity for a developing baby’s mind and motor skills. Baby walkers like pretend shopping carts or lawn-mowers and toys you ride on like animals, trucks and scooters, help develop physical skills and strength. Always popular ball games help develop hand-eye coordination and challenge an infant to partner with someone in play. Playsets that allow role play are also good ideas for infant or toddler toys. Stacker toy sets can also provide endless hours of fun and help develop a range of skills.

Perfect present for an upcoming birthday

The choices are endless when it comes to choosing the perfect toy for an upcoming birthday or any baby gift. Because there’s so much choice, it can often get confusing and overwhelming. Start with a trusted brand that meets the Australian and New Zealand child safety standards. Then look for toys that are age-appropriate for the birthday you’re buying for. Then consider your options, which may include:

• Gift ideas for 0-6 months: Night lamp, stroller toy, plush toy, teethers, bath toys, crawl ball, activity mat (great for tummy time!), activity toys and bath books.
• Gift ideas for 6-12 months: Feeding teethers, stacking cups and sorters, wooden toys, cause-and-effect toys, alphabet cards, teether balls, activity toys, water mat, activity centre and musical toys.
• Gift ideas for 1-2 year olds: Stacking cups and rings, activity tables, sippy cups, fridge magnets, ride-ons, push walkers with blocks, musical toys, looping toys, and colouring activities.
• Gifts ideas for 2-3 year olds:  Wooden stacking toys, inflatable kiddie pool, beach set, water bottles, shapes and sounds puzzles, magnetic alphabet letters, pull-along toys, ride-ons,  scooters and backpacks.

Popular toddler toys for pre-school kiddies

If you’re searching for a great toy for a preschooler, there’s a long list of options to choose from. Popular toddler toys include thread and looping toys, pull-along toys, musical toys, music box, arts and craft toys, wooden blocks, dress-up, role play games, interactive toys, dolls, plush toys, toy cars and trucks, doll house, board games, ride-ons and scooters.

Does size matter?

As babies take a few months to start to develop their fine motor skills, toys that are easy to grip and designed for little hands are important. Be careful to not allow a baby to play with small parts that they could place in their mouth (and possibly choke on). To keep your child safe at any age, always check the manufacturer’s guide on age suitability for the toy you buy for your bub (or any toys you may get as a gift).

Different materials and fillings

As baby toys come in a variety of materials and can be filled with foam, water, gel or beads, always make sure that whatever you buy is safe, suitable for your child’s age, durable and non-toxic. Especially important for smaller children who place everything in their mouth – through many months and years of teething!

Baby toys you can take with you when you are out-and-about

Keeping bub entertained while out-and-about is essential for all types of reasons and all types of families. Fun, compact, and durable toys to take when travelling include toys that attach to each other or to a pram; toys that can be rolled or folded (like a squishable fabric cube); small cup sets that can be stacked into each other; toys that come in bags; and soft cloth books.

Toy safety features

When buying toys and baby gifts, always check that they comply with Australian safety standards, are age-appropriate, non-toxic, are not a choking hazard, and made from safe and durable materials.

Brands we know and trust

Metro Baby are Australia’s trusted online one-stop baby shop offering an extensive range of deluxe and specialty baby products from local and international brands. Our extensive selection of quality brands includes Skip Hop, Haakaa, Disney, VTech, Pure Baby, Weleda, Avent, and Infasecure, to name a few. Bestsellers nursery items includes cots, bassinets, swaddles, change tables and change mats. Other popular ranges -- also popular as baby gifts -- include prams, strollers, bouncers, rockers, breastfeeding products, travel and nappy bags, high chairs, baby toys, gift sets, clothing and more.

Buying baby toys online with Metro Baby

Metro Baby are careful in selecting the best quality baby products to cater for your little one's many and changing needs -- from tiny new arrival to teething toddler to trampoline jumper. All our products adhere to Australian and New Zealand child safety standard. And our exceptional customer service includes easy checkout, Price Promise, and gift cards to fulfil a parent's wishlist.

FAQs:

Are toys important for babies?

Play is very important for a baby’s development and toys help facilitate play. Toys also help children discover the nature of cause-and-effect and help encourage imagination, creativity and problem-solving skills. Remember to add toys to your baby shower gift registry!

How do you choose a toy?

For all baby and child products, always start by choosing a trusted and safe brand. In choosing a toy specifically, select a toy based on your child’s age, developmental stage and interests. Babies love brightly coloured toys, animal themed (from giraffe to koala!), wooden toys, toys that make sounds and interactive toys. Toddlers are also developing physical skills so they enjoy building blocks, pegs, containers to pour, stacking toys, or toys you can place items in, and of course anything that makes a noise. The older a child gets, the more involved their play will become so consider toys that help develop imagination, problem solving and social skills. These include puzzles and role playing games.

What to look for in toys for infants?

When buying a toy for an infant, whether for your own bubba or as a baby gift, make sure it is age-appropriate and safe for use. Once you’ve found a toy that is safe for your baby’s age, then look for a toy that will delight and stimulate your little one. Also consider how easy it is to clean, if it’s durable, and if it’s made from non-toxic materials. Many parents avoid buying noisy toys and toys that make a big mess – which are personal preferences. (It's probably also best to avoid noisy and messy toys if you're buying a baby gift!). If you have any questions about buying a toy, contact us to speak to one of our helpful customer service team members.

What toys can help a child’s development?

There are many toys that help a child’s development, although open-ended toys that allow your child to use the toy in many different ways, are often regarded as good choices. Some examples of open-ended toys are balls, boxes, blocks, arts and crafts, as well as toys that facilitate role play. Browse Metro Baby’s extensive range of trusted baby toys whether you’re shopping for your precious bub or searching for the perfect baby gift.