Buying guide
Toys for the first year
A baby needs few toys and a lot of you. What to choose by age, how to check safety and what to leave aside, from rattles to blocks.
In short
- In the first months, the best toy is you – your face, voice and hands. Toys come later.
- A few simple, age-appropriate toys are worth more than a full basket. Rotate them, don't buy them all.
- Look for the CE marking and the age limit. What fits through a toilet roll tube isn't for under 3s.
- Button batteries, small magnets and long cords have no place near a baby.
The baby toy shelf is the most colourful in the shop and the easiest to fill. A three-month-old needs nothing from it: they need your face at 30 centimetres, your voice and some tummy time on a blanket. Toys become interesting as their hands start to grasp, and then a few are enough.
By age
| Approximate age | What they do | What they like |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 months | Look at faces and contrasts, listen | Your face, black-and-white books, a safety mirror for tummy time |
| 3–6 months | Grasp, bring things to the mouth, roll over | Light rattles, teething rings, soft toys with textures |
| 6–9 months | Sit up, pass objects from one hand to the other | Soft blocks, textured balls, boxes to put things in and take them out, board books |
| 9–12 months | Crawl, pull up, bang, throw | Blocks, stacking cups, push toys, simple instruments |
Board books deserve a place of their own. You’ll find an annotated selection in books for babies.
What to check
- The CE marking and the minimum age on the packaging. Toys sold in the EU must comply with European safety rules – Directive 2009/48/EC, gradually being replaced by the new Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 – and those with small parts carry the warning “not for children under 36 months”.
- Size. What fits through a toilet roll tube can be swallowed or inhaled.
- Parts that can come off: eyes, noses, buttons, wheels. Pull on them.
- No cords longer than a few centimetres and no loops that a neck could fit through.
- Batteries closed under a cover held by a screw.
- No small magnets that can come loose.
- Washable. Anything that reaches the mouth must be washable.
What you don’t need
- “Educational” toys with screens, lights and sounds. They don’t make a child smarter, and some are very noisy. A simple toy lets the baby do something.
- Activity centres and bouncers where they sit for hours. On the floor, on a blanket, they learn more.
- The baby walker. Discouraged by paediatricians; see what not to buy for a baby.
- A full basket. You’ll get toys as gifts. Keep a box in the wardrobe and rotate them.
Second-hand
Simple toys made of wood, plastic or rubber are a very good second-hand choice. Teething rings and anything that spends a lot of time in the mouth are bought new. Check the rest as above, wash them and look up the model on Safety Gate, the European portal for dangerous products. Very old toys may have paints that no longer meet today’s rules.
Our recommendation
For the whole first year: a rattle, a teething ring (new), two or three board books, a soft ball with textures, a set of stacking cups and a few blocks. The rest comes from relatives. And a blanket on the floor, where almost all the playing happens.
Frequently asked questions
How many toys does a baby need in the first year?
Very few. A few age-appropriate objects within reach at any one time – a rattle, a teething toy, a board book, a soft ball, a few blocks – are enough. Children play more attentively with fewer toys. Keep the others in a box and swap them from time to time.
What does the warning “not suitable for children under 36 months” mean?
It means the toy has small parts that can come off and be swallowed or inhaled. The warning is mandatory in the European Union and has nothing to do with how “smart” the child is, only with the choking risk. Toys like this aren't given to small children, even under supervision.
Are second-hand toys safe?
Generally yes, if they're complete, with no cracked, loose or sharp parts, and can be cleaned well. Be careful with old toys with peeling paint, with batteries whose cover isn't held by a screw, and with soft toys with glued-on eyes. Check on Safety Gate whether the model has been recalled.
Think it could help someone else?
Send the guide to your partner or to a friend who is expecting a baby.