22 Best Sensory Toys, Tested by Babies and Tots

Young children love repetitive play tasks, such as pulling tissues out of a box and making a major mess! This sensory toy by Itzy Ritzy satisfies the urge, with less cleanup for adults. The soft barn is filled with colorful scarves that are easy to take out and put back in once playtime is over. For an added boost of tactile stimulation, some of the scarves have crinkly textures and touchable tags. “The scarves on their own were a huge hit,” says product tester Shannon, who tried the toy with her 6-month-old and 3-year-old. “I love the bright colors and this helped them to be very enticing to my son,” she continues.

The best part? If you have a baby and a toddler at home, this sensory toy offers ways for both to play. Aside from being fascinating to young infants, the scarves have numbers and animals printed on them so toddlers can practice their counting skills and animal sounds. “I like the longevity of this toy by seeing how my 3-year-old played with it, identifying the numbers, animals, colors, etc on the scarves,” says Shannon, who also noted that it has a very “infant-friendly design” as there are no hard pieces.

Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No | Assembly required: No

With a plush rattle ball, smooth wooden teether and crinkly fabric leaves, this stroller toy gives little hands several textures to explore. Holly, our product tester and a mom of two, gave this multi-texture toy to her baby and was over the moon with his reaction: “My 5-month-old was as excited as he could be. He’s starting to be more aware of his surroundings and was excited to touch it to engage!” She noted that although he still tends to get overwhelmed by play, the toy “entertained him for about 10 minutes.” His favorite feature? “My son likes the crinkle part at the end the best, where he can touch it and it makes a noise. It got him excited to play with it more,” said Holly.

Designed in collaboration with Montessori educational experts, the three pieces can be played with separately or connected for use on the go. Shake the plush ball to hear the rattle sound inside, roll it across the floor to baby or hand over the smooth wooden teether and watch as baby explores the crinkly fabric “leaves” with their mouth and hands. Connect the pieces to attach to a stroller or car seat—a feature Holly appreciated on walks and outings. It also inspired some sibling play. Holly noted that “my toddler loved the toy and kept trying to show her brother how to play with it.”

Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No | Assembly required: No

When people speak about sensory toys they often mention Play-Doh—with good reason. This tactile modeling compound allows for creative exploration and sensory stimulation. This dinosaur-themed starter set is suitable for ages 2 and up and comes with 11 accessories for open-ended play. Our product tester Kristi B. says her toddler’s face lit up when she saw the toy set for the first time. “She likes all the different shapes and colors,” adds Kristi.

Play-Doh also gives little hands plenty of fine motor practice as children pinch, press and roll the dough. And it’s great for imaginative play too! During playtime Kristi says her daughter likes to pretend that she has a cooking show and is “making different shapes with it and selling cookies to her sisters.” How sweet is that?

Age range: 2+ years | Batteries required: No | Assembly required: No

Our product tester Megan loved the variety of colors, textures and squeaks in this set of sensory balls, which were “great for us to expose our child to different textures,” she said. The set comes with eight textured balls, eight stackable blocks and four squeezable animals. Megan appreciated that the pieces were sized for little hands to grasp, and felt the semi-hard plastic would hold up well to repeated play. The balls’ bumpy surfaces give baby different textures to explore with their hands and mouth.

At 4 months old, Megan’s son was still developing his grasping skills, so she felt the sensory ball set would offer more hands-on play as he grew. Still, she said, “This is a great tool for learning and skill- building. Whether matching shapes (eventually), mixing textures or building with the blocks, this will be good down the road.” There are also some creative ways to play with sensory balls with younger infants. “When playing with a newborn, you can shake or bounce a sensory ball during tummy time to get their attention and help them work on extension,” Hamilton suggests. “If baby is lying down, you can use those same components to practice visual tracking and reaching across the body.”

Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No | Assembly required: No

We’re always fans of multi-use products that grow with your child, including this rocker-bike combo. Suitable for use for children as young as 12 months, this toddler bike attaches to a stationary base for rocking play. Then, once they’re ready to hit the road, it detaches from the base and functions as a regular balance bike. How cool is that?

Very cool, was the verdict from our product tester Katt, a mom of five with a 13-month-old and an almost-3-year-old who each got a rocking bike to take for a test drive. She said her kids use them frequently, and her older son was “thrilled” to try his bike without the rocker base. As for her 13-month-old, his reaction speaks for itself: “Once we put him on the rocker for the first time, he screamed with joy! He absolutely loves it. He was very excited to rock next to his big brother.”

Katt also appreciated the transition between rocking and riding. Her older son practiced balancing in rocker mode, which she felt helped him feel more comfortable when using it as a balance bike. Once assembled, the bikes were very user-friendly: “My 2-year-old can easily get on with no help. My 13-month-old can be put on one and rock all on his own (with supervision of course).”

Katt did find it difficult to assemble the rocker base, explaining that “it takes quite a bit of force to put together.” However, she said that the bike itself was easy to put together and was assembled within 15 minutes. Durability was another highlight: Despite the fact that the bikes and rocker bases have been “dragged, thrown, jumped on and dropped,” she hasn’t noticed a single scratch or any loose parts thus far. Let’s just say these road-worthy toys are ready to be put through the paces!

Age range: 1 to 5 years | Batteries required: No | Assembly required: Yes

Kicking piano keys, batting at hanging toys and reaching toward a mirror give baby plenty of ways to get moving on this interactive playmat. It was a smashing success with our product tester Rachel’s two babies. “My 11-month-old was extremely excited to play with this toy,” she told us. “I think the colors and patterns really excited her, plus she loves piano toys.”

With three different stages for use, the toy offers different ways to play as baby grows. It functions as a newborn play gym and tummy time mat, and once baby is able to sit upright they can practice their music skills on the light-up piano (which can also be removed for toddler music sessions on the go). This flexibility was appreciated by Rachel: “I love how the toy can be used multiple ways for different ages and play styles,” she said. “My 11-month-old liked the mirror and the piano, and my 2-week-old liked looking at the hanging toys from the arch.”

“Toys with high-contrast colors that also make noises” are particularly good for little kids, Hamilton says—and this toy offers both. Repositionable hanging toys give baby different things to reach for, while the piano is preloaded with more than 85 songs, sounds and phrases for auditory stimulation. Rachel appreciated the variety of sensory features: “This toy encourages sensory exploration through sound (music), vision (all the colorful shapes and animals!) and touch (piano and toy grabbing).” She also noticed her older daughter exploring cause-and-effect, as the piano made sounds when she engaged with it.

While assembly was “slightly difficult,” once the pieces were put together Rachel found it super-easy to adjust the toy for lay-down or sit-up play. Batteries are included, which Rachel loved—once set-up was complete, her kids could start playing straight away. She also felt the toy was durable and easy to wipe clean. For Rachel, that combination made it good value: “the quality and the features are well worth the price!”

Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: Yes | Assembly required: Yes

Ball pits are inherently fun, with plenty of balls to grasp, throw and roll around in. The B.Toys Ball Pit Mini Playspace allows kids to have their own ball pit at home without hogging up too much floor space. This ball pit comes in a zippered pouch and springs into its full size when opened. The balls come in a mesh bag, allowing you to dump them in and enjoy. "The ball pit exceeded my expectations due to the softness and size of the balls, the cute design, easy storage, and the interest and long periods of play my child gets with it," says our tester Samantha, mom of a 20-month-old.

Samantha praises the toy's petite size and how much her son enjoyed it. "He climbed right into it as soon as it was set up and showed a lot of interest in this toy," she says. "He loves the balls—they're just the right size and weight for him to play safely." Samantha notes that the pit can double as a small fort if it gets flipped upside down, which her older child enjoyed doing. The pit's sides collapse when pushed on, but Samantha says that means her son can easily climb in and out of the toy while playing with it daily.

While the toy comes with 42 balls, some families might want more. Samantha says that amount "barely fills half the bottom of the pit." (B.Toys offers additional balls 3 for sale if you want to add to your collection.)

Age range: 12+ months | Batteries required: No | Assembly required: Yes

This bowling set by Melissa & Doug offers an immersive experience for busy tots. The wacky pins feature a variety of fuzzy, soft textures to touch and explore, while the colorful “monster” styling of each character will capture your child’s visual interest and spark their imagination—not to mention the excitement and physical skill required to roll the “bowling ball” and knock down the beastly pins.

Our product tester Noura and her almost 2-and-a-half-year-old daughter enjoyed playing with this toy together. “When she first saw the toy, she was very excited. The different colors, fabrics and faces on the pins intrigued her!” she said. “The pins are a unique material that typically wouldn’t be seen in a bowling set.”

Noura added that her daughter adopted the fuzzy pins as pets (of a sort!): “She petted them like she does our dogs, and started to carry them around like her stuffed animals. I think because they had faces, it made her want to use them in other ways!” How sweet is that?

Although the concept of bowling was new to our tester’s daughter, “she practiced her hand- eye coordination skills, and independent play as she was setting up the pins after each bowl.”

The fun game comes with a mesh bag to keep things together, and Noura felt that the sturdy pieces would “last for several years, even with boisterous play.” However, she disliked the fact that the fabric pins and ball could easily collect dust, dirt and dog hair. Despite this minor inconvenience, our product tester said she would recommend this sensory toy to other parents. “In fact, I have sent it to a friend as a gift idea for her child’s second birthday!”

Age range: 2+ years | Batteries required: No | Assembly required: No

With colorful lights and music to accompany every doodle, this drawing tablet offers plenty for little eyes and ears to take in. Inspired by finger-painting (without the mess), this drawing tablet from Crayola encourages tactile, hands-on play, as kids use their fingers to draw on the gel surface. But it’s the light-up options that really won us over: The drawings are illuminated in 12 different colors that stand out against the blue gel background. Our product tester Emily, a mom of three, said her kids were fans of the background’s “squishy texture” and glowing colors. Adding to the sensory fun, toddlers can activate six different songs on this doodle board to jam to while making their light-up art.

The board was a hit with Emily’s daughters, particularly her two eldest. She told us that “they have fun drawing on it, seeing the lights and dancing to the music,” adding that her 2.5-year-old daughter relished in pushing the button to change the songs. (While Emily isn’t the biggest fan of musical toys, her daughters loved this auditory element, and she appreciated that there is an “off” button at the back.)

The toy also offers plenty of learning opportunities, as Emily noted that her daughters used it to “practice writing letters and numbers with their fingers” and said the names of the colors out loud as they appeared. She also liked the “mess-free” nature of this toy, saying that it’s “nice to have a creative drawing toy without markers or clean-up involved.”

Age range: 24+ months | Batteries required: Yes | Assembly required: No

Glo Pals' Sensory Play Jar offers a unique take on sensory toys. The water-filled jar has special "fun fillers" that float around inside as the toy cycles through nine soothing colors. You fill the jar, lock the lid into place and let your child watch as the contents swirl and the lights change.

Our product tester Shelby tested the toy with her 2-year-old and 3-year-old, noting that her younger child was the most intrigued. "The color changing lights reflecting off of the sparkles earned quite a few ooo’s and ahhh’s," Shelby says. "We played eye-spy with the different animals hiding among the sensory elements."

Shelby says that set-up was "straightforward," although she waited to assemble the toy until she had a AAA battery. "My toddlers were really excited about the toy initially," she says. "They cuddled close and squished their little faces up against the jar to see what was floating around inside."

Shelby praises the "totally unique" and "zero mess" aspect of the sensory activity. "I half dread setting up sensory bins for my kids because of the inevitable mess I know I’ll be cleaning up after they’re finished," she says. "I appreciate that it is a stimulating toy, but not over-stimulating."

The fillers can be swapped out over time, too. Shelby’s younger child was the most intrigued by the toy, but her 3-year-old’s interest didn’t last long: "My 3 year old lost interest rather quickly," she points out.

Age range: 18+ months | Batteries required: Yes | Assembly required: Yes

This light-up spinner by Bright Starts gives baby a colorful introduction to cause-and-effect. When baby pushes down on top, the toy comes to life with spinning lights and melodies.

Our product tester Jennifer F. said her 10-month-old daughter “smiled and grabbed for the toy almost immediately.” The light-up toy isn’t overly complex and her child was able to play with it independently. “I showed her how to press the button once and she caught on fast,” Jennifer explained. She was also happy to discover that her other kids liked it too: “My older son (3.5 years old) and daughter (6.5 years old) were both very intrigued by the toy and wanted to play with it also.” We love toys with sibling appeal!

Not only does the Press & Glow Spinner stimulate babies’ visual senses, but it also gave Jennifer’s daughter a chance to practice pushing and pulling. Even better, it’s a plaything that’s built to last. “The toy is very well built and will definitely withstand a baby’s wear and tear,” she said. “I think the toy would last years amongst many children”—perfect for folks that like to pass along hand-me-downs.

Age range: 6+ months | Batteries required: Yes | Assembly required: No

Thought sensory toys and books were a newfangled invention? Think again. Originally published in 1940, Pat the Bunny is a classic touch-and-feel book, and a Best of The Bump award winner. Dr. Elias says this book offers a wealth of sensory stimulation. “More than just reading a ‘2-dimensional book,’ kids love the texture that goes along with the words,” he says. “They feel the bunny, the scratchiness, smoothness, etc.”

It also proved a hit with our product tester Monica and her 13-month-old son. She told us that her son smiles and reaches for the book every time: “He's always excited to flip the pages and play with the different elements on each page,” she said. And we’re not surprised by his reaction, as the book has tons of interactive features, including scented flowers, pop-up surprises and even a child-safe mirror, not to mention the iconic bunny rabbit complete with soft, strokable fur. Monica said her son was “immediately engaged” with the book, but his favorite was the “peek-a-boo” page. “He lifted the cloth flap and smiled so big. Each time we hand him the book, he goes straight for that page,” she says.

Monica was also a fan of the spiral-bound pages, which her son can easily flip through on his own, and which held up well during testing. “[My] toddler has been playing with this book pretty consistently for a couple of weeks, both inside and outdoors, it's holding up perfectly!” she said. It’s even proven to be a welcome distraction during diaper changes, an event that her son isn’t usually a fan of: “He will hold the book and engage with the touch features like the furry bunny, peek-a-boo and the mirror without getting bored,” Monica reported.

Pat the Bunny is also a favorite in The Bump offices. Daniel Carroll, associate director of e-commerce content and dad of one, says, “My daughter loved this book so much. We have so many fond memories of reading it to her that 10 years later it’s sitting in our baby memory box, alongside her first shoes and the newspaper we picked up the day she was born.”

Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No | Assembly required: No

The Manhattan Toy Wimmer-Ferguson Nursery Novel feels like a plush toy, while delivering interactive play you and your little one can enjoy together. The soft book uses high-contrast colors and shapes to give baby something eye-catching to study. The book doesn't just look good — it has plenty of interactive elements, like a mirror and crinkle paper, to keep little ones entertained.

"My baby loves this book," says our product tester Laurie, mom of a 4-month-old. "She’s right at the age where all the crinkles from the book are super fun and engaging and she loves pawing at it." Her daughter enjoyed it during tummy time, car rides and on stroller rides. "It’s a hit wherever she plays with it," Laurie says. She found it particularly helpful during tummy time and praised its durability, saying she could see herself keeping it for another child.

Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No | Assembly required: No