The Best Toys for 3-Month-Old Infants, Tested by Moms and Babies

This Fisher-Price Glow and Grow Kick & Play Piano is a beloved baby toy—in fact, it was the most popular baby toy in our survey! We had to try it out for ourselves, and it really stood out in our testing, offering terrific support for tummy time strength and early head control. Our tester Carrie D. saw these benefits firsthand with her 3-month-old, and tells us, “Her tummy time strength has improved since using this toy.I believe that this toy has significantly helped her head control as well.”

Assembly was quick and intuitive (it took about five minutes), and the lightweight design made it easy to move around the house. The removable toy arch can be repositioned, the mat wipes clean easily, and the included batteries meant her baby could start playing right away. "I think at first when my baby was trying to learn about the toy she was a little hesitant," Carrie tells us, "but now that she has heard the songs and played with the toy, she is obsessed! She loves to look at herself in the mirror and babble. She loves to look at the lights and hear the songs." (The purple monkey song was a particular hit!)

Holding baby's attention like this paid off—during testing she got a workout, using the toy in multiple positions including her tummy, back and side. Carrie says, "She thoroughly enjoys swinging her arms to hit the detachable toys along the arch as well as kicking her feet to make sounds with the keyboard." The motivating music also kept her engaged for meaningful stretches. The mat is on the narrow side—Carrie warns that "The only downside is there is not much room for babies to roll over if they want to go from tummy to back or vice versa," adding that this sometimes frustrated her child—and padding is minimal, but the overall play experience was a daily win for this household.

Dimensions: 36" (L) x 27" (W) x 18" (H) | Weight: 5 lbs. | Age rating: 0 to 36 months | Care instructions: Wipe clean

Touch plays an important role in early development and how babies perceive the world around them. It’s how they take in information about shape, size, temperature and texture. The Winkel’s unique design of smooth, bendable loops encourages tactile exploration and hand-to-mouth coordination. Once they get a little older, it can also be refrigerated and used to provide cooling relief for baby's sore gums while teething—although you might find that baby enjoys exploring the slick, chilled tubes even sooner than that.

My 3-month-old loved the Winkel and immediately was able to grab it without assistance, thanks to its lightweight design and narrow loops. Unlike other handheld toys, she was able to hang onto it for extended periods of time and if she dropped it, she was able to grab onto it herself again. She was amused by the soft rattle sound when she waved the Winkel around, but she especially enjoyed rolling from her back to her side while licking and chewing on the smooth tubes. Although she isn’t teething quite yet, she was fascinated with the Winkel after it had been refrigerated and always seemed to enjoy the cooling sensation on her hands and mouth.

Compared to other toys we’ve used, the Winkel kept her entertained the longest, despite its simple design and lack of flashy features, earning it 10 out of 10 scores in every category. It has been a favorite for my baby and it continues to be one of the first toys that we reach for every day. Its smaller design is perfect for throwing it in the diaper bag when leaving the house and I often find myself reaching for it during diaper changes when she’s extra squirmy. If you’re looking for an easy-to-hold rattle and sensory teether, the Winkel will be a quick favorite for you and baby!

Dimensions: 5" (L) x 4" (W) x 3.8" (H) | Weight: 6 oz. | Age rating: 0+ months | Care instructions: Wipe clean

The Lovevery Play Gym offers a rich sensory environment that’s ideal for 3-month-olds who are slowly beginning to explore the world. With built in “developmental zones” for baby to discover, they can investigate new textures, colors and sounds as they shift positions or when a caregiver adjusts what’s in their view. Our tester Niki A. loved the way each session revealed something new for her daughter, and tells us, "[she]really enjoys this gym and it seems like every time we play on it there's something new to explore or discover, whether it's looking around at the high contrast tent or practicing tracking with one of the removable sound squares."

The different zones might be best suited for different ages of play—as Niki tells us, “Some seem like they'll be more interesting to my daughter when she's a bit older, which is great (most play gyms are starting to bore her a little already) while others are capturing her attention right now.” She adds that her daughter likes exploring the textured fabrics and ribbons while in tummy time and kicking the sound squares when she's on her back. "We also take the various hanging toys down for her to play with at times, and she's been going to town on the rubber teething ring wrapped in brightly colored crinkly fabric."

Set-up takes a few extra minutes, but once assembled, the gym feels sturdy and thoughtfully designed. The included high-contrast canopy adds a cozy, visually focused environment, especially great for young babies who thrive on bold patterns, and all the toys, including the hanging elements and sound squares, detach for standalone play, while the mat’s machine-washable fabric makes upkeep manageable (even if it tends to attract lint and pet hair).

Dimensions: 43" (L) x 38" (W) x 24" (H) | Weight: 7.6 lbs. | Age rating: 0+ months | Care instructions: Play mat is machine washable, wooden frame can be wiped with damp cloth

If you want to support baby’s visual development at 3 months, this tummy-time book delivers exactly what young eyes need: bold contrast, simple shapes and a clear focal point. The dual-sided pages (which can be stood up for tummy time) are designed with black and white images on one side for the newborn months, and high-contrast color images on the other, perfect for baby's development from three months onward. There's even a mirror! Product tester Carrie says the toy was a big hit with her daughter, and Carrie appreciated that it offered visual stimulation without electronics. "My baby was very excited to use the toy," she shares. "This toy is stimulating in different ways than something with music or lights… [it] helps them use their brain and sight to learn about the world."

For the point in visual development that Carrie's daughter had reached during testing, the black and white pages were a particularly good fit. "She especially loved the black and white contrast pages and I found that she reached for the toy often," Carrie says. Standing the book up during tummy time gives baby a clear point to focus on, which Carrie appreciated—she says, “The way that the toy stands on its own really helped my baby.” What's more, the toy engages senses beyond the eyes, with crinkle pages and an attached teether.

Dimensions: 8" (L) x 7.6" (W) | Weight: 0.4 lbs. | Age rating: 0+ months | Care instructions: N/A

Created specifically with little fingers in mind, the Bright Starts Oball Easy Grasp Shaker Rattle features flexible, yet firm material on each end for baby to squeeze and hold. The textured handle contains colorful beads that create a soft rattle sound with every move.

As 3-month-olds are still working on developing their grasp, I found many rattles to be too heavy or simply too big for my baby to hold on her own. Thanks to the easy-grasp design of the Oballs, this was my 3-month-old’s favorite rattle since she could loop her fingers through the ends and actually hold it herself. She enjoyed the soft sounds it made when she moved it around and even chewed on the ends of it like a teether. Although some customers found the rattle sound to be too soft, I found it to be perfect for my 3-month-old as it was loud enough to get her attention without startling her or being overstimulating.

While this rattle earned high scores in every category, I awarded it 10 out of 10 scores for durability and value for money. I was shocked that it was priced at less than four dollars! We’ve owned other Bright Starts Oball products in the past and they’ve lasted for many years, so there’s no doubt in my mind that this rattle will stand the test of time. I anticipate that it could be passed down to multiple children, which I don’t typically expect from toys at this price point.

Dimensions: 2.2" (H) x 5.5" (W) x 2.2" (L) | Weight: 1.4 oz. | Age rating: 0 to 36 months | Care instructions: Wipe clean

Another standout pick in our roundup is this adorable animated penguin; an excellent choice for gentle stimulation at 3 months old. The soft, singing plush is a favorite of Sarno’s because its simple movements and calm interaction support cognitive development and help introduce early skills like imitation and object permanence. But my favorite thing about this toy? It was stimulating for baby and kept her entertained despite not having an array of bright, flashing lights or contrasting colors. In fact, she was actually engaged with this toy longer than many other toys that we’ve used, earning it 10 out of 10 scores for child’s reaction and ease of use.

My baby loved watching Kissy the Penguin’s arms move while it sang and talked about blowing kisses. I laid her on her tummy in front of it and she pushed herself up as long as she could to watch the penguin move. Unlike other toys that use flashing lights to attract baby’s attention, I appreciate that it wasn’t overstimulating no matter how long we played with it. My baby is also just starting to roll over more regularly, and there were numerous times where she would roll herself toward Kissy The Penguin, so I loved that the super soft, cuddly plush wouldn’t hurt her if she rolled into it.

Dimensions: 12” (L) x 5” (W) x 5” (H) | Weight: 1 lb. | Age rating: 0+ months | Care instructions: Spot clean

If your little one isn’t a fan of tummy time, an interactive toy like this one from Baby Einstein is sure to make the experience more enjoyable. This stimulating light bar is easy for small hands to activate and is full of auditory and visual delights. Plus, it’s easy to wipe clean (in case of inevitable messes), and its sounds can be played in English, Spanish or French, depending on your preference.

My daughter was intrigued by the variety of sounds, which included music, animal noises and words in multiple languages, for short durations during tummy time, and I found it to be especially useful to keep her attention once she started getting tired or fussy while on her tummy. At 3 months old it's hard to keep a child entertained for more than a few minutes, but this toy was able to keep her entertained for just a bit longer, which was sometimes all I wanted.

At just under $20, I gave the Baby Einstein Grow & Discover Light Bar Activity Station 10 out of 10 scores for durability and value for money. While the lights and music are entertaining for baby at a young age, I appreciate that it can also help them learn animal sounds and colors in three different languages as they get older. It can also be propped up using the stand on the back for seated play once baby is able to sit up.

Dimensions: 8.9” (H) x 12.6” (W) x 5.9” (L) | Weight: 1.1 lbs. | Age rating: 3 to 36 months | Care instructions: Wipe clean

Curated specifically for 3-month-olds, The Charmer Play Kit delivers a mix of toys that each target a different sense: sight, touch, sound and even early mouthing, making it our pick for best multi-sensory toy. Unlike the Lovevery Play Gym, which offers a single environment with layered sensory zones, The Charmer is a collection of standalone toys, each designed to be explored separately and in different ways.

Overall, this play kit was an easy favorite for both me and my baby, earning 10 out of 10 scores in every category. I found many of the toys, such as the mirror, crinkle paper and soft book to be perfectly in line with my 3-month-old’s current abilities, and there were other items that she will grow into in the coming weeks. I was especially impressed with the mirror, as it was at the perfect angle for my baby to actually see herself and we didn’t have any issues with getting it to stand up, unlike other floor mirrors we’ve used in the past.

A subscription, which delivers a play kit every two months for the first year, is required. However, you don’t have to worry about signing your life away, as you can easily skip a delivery or cancel the subscription at any time by logging into your online customer account. In the past, I've felt that the Lovevery kits were higher priced than what I was willing to spend myself. But after handling the kit myself, I’m actually impressed by every aspect of it; it’s well worth the money.

Dimensions: N/A | Weight: N/A | Age rating: 3 to 4 months | Care instructions: Wipe clean

Not only will the Infantino Spiral Activity Toy Racoon keep baby entertained during stroller rides, but baby won’t be able to resist reaching for the three dangling toys as they bounce and sway, which is why we awarded it the top spot for best 3-month-old toy for encouraging reach. The spiral design wraps around the stroller bar and features a variety of contrasting colors, textured fabrics and sound effects to engage baby’s developing senses.

My 3-month-old loved watching the dangling toys, which include a selfie apple mirror, a bird rattle and a flower teether, move with each bump and turn. She stayed busy during our morning walks trying to grab for them but was too little to reach quite yet. Although it was designed to wrap around stroller bars, my 3-month-old even enjoyed playing with it on the floor, and was especially interested in the crinkle sounds from the selfie apple mirror toy and the raccoon ears. She was able to hold onto it easily while rolling from her back to her sides and chewing on the teething ring.

Priced at under $15, I know this is a toy that will last a long time—we’ve had another version of this same Infantino toy for nearly six years, and used it for multiple kids, and it’s still in great condition—that’s why I awarded the Infantino Spiral Activity Toy Racoon 10 out of 10 scores for durability and value for money. If you’re looking for a high-quality toy that will help encourage baby to reach, while also keeping them entertained while on the go, this is the perfect toy for you.

Dimensions: N/A | Weight: 7.8 oz. | Age rating: 0 to 3 years | Care instructions: N/A