The Best Developmental Toys for 4-Month-Old Babies

The Oball’s open-lattice design gives little fingers an easy place to hook, which is why Stiles specifically recommends lattice-style balls for babies who are learning to grip and bring objects to their mouth. Its flexible, BPA-free plastic is lightweight enough for tiny hands to lift—and soft enough that it won’t hurt when dropped on a chubby cheek. Plus, parents love its versatility: Molly, a mom in The Bump community, calls it a favorite for tummy time and eye tracking, adding that it’s “easy for Mom to throw in the diaper bag.”

Because it’s squishy and full of holes, the Oball is also easy to hold during mouthing play. Marquez named it her favorite toy at this age because babies can grip it as they explore with their hands and mouths, supporting early oral motor skills and tongue movements that prepare baby for starting solids. The built-in rattle adds a fun lesson in cause and effect—Kami, mom to a 6-month-old, says her son loves to “shake the ball over and over to get our attention.”

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

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As babies start reaching with more purpose, toys that dangle just within reach give them plenty of practice reaching and, when they’re ready, grabbing on to explore. The Infantino Spiral Activity Toy Raccoon wraps around a play gym, car seat or stroller bar. Its three dangling toys––a selfie apple mirror, a bird rattle and a flower teether––bounce and sway when baby bats at them, or as you roll along on a walk. Our tester Jennifer, a Bump contributor and mom of four, found it was just as much of a hit off the bar. Her 3-month-old held onto it easily while rolling from her back to her sides, chewing on the teething ring and crinkling the apple and the raccoon’s ears.

Priced at under $15, it's also held up well in Jennifer’s experience. Her family has used another version of this same Infantino toy for nearly six years, across multiple kids, and it's still in great condition. She praised the spiral toy’s durability and value for the money. With several textures and danging features to explore, it offers opportunities for reaching practice at home and entertainment on outings.

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

When babies are beginning to reach for and grab objects (and faces!), a toy that’s easy to hold gives them plenty of chances to practice. The Itzy Ritzy Bitzy Shake & Smile Rattle Teether features a sweet-faced bear with an easy-grip textured handle that small hands can wrap around, while the soft, hollow top with a gentle rattle inside makes a sound when baby shakes it.

One mom told us her son “can grab it, shake it and chew on it. I think he likes the face on it as well.” The soft silicone offers a surface for mouthing, and the lightweight, easy-grasp design makes it a great fit for babies who are just starting to explore with their hands.

Age range: 3+ months | Batteries required: No | Assembly required: No

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The Taf Toys Tummy Time Book’s bold, eye-catching pages give baby something to look at as they practice lifting their head and pushing up on their forearms during tummy time. Standing the book upright creates a clear focal point at eye level, which product tester Carrie loved: “The way that the toy stands on its own really helped my baby.”

The dual-sided pages feature high-contrast black-and-white designs on one side and vibrant colored patterns on the other. Carrie notes her baby “especially loved the black and white contrast pages and I found that she reached for the toy often,” while the colorful side will offer even more visual interest as baby’s color vision continues to sharpen over the next few months.

Overall, Carrie says the book was a huge hit with her daughter and appreciated that it offered plenty to look at without screens, batteries or flashing lights. "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.”

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

Babies love kicking their legs, but what if every kick played a song? That’s the magic behind Fisher-Price’s Glow and Grow Kick & Play Piano. When baby kicks the keys, music, lights and animal sounds give them an immediate response to their movements. Parents in our community described their babies enjoying these features at different ages. “When the toy sings, he smiles and laughs. When the animals make their noises he smiles and wants to press the keys more,” says Emma, mom of a 7-month-old. And Elena told us that at 3 to 4 months, “it becomes a favorite toy in our experience.”

The fun doesn't stop once baby moves on from playing on their back or even tummy time. The piano can be repositioned or detached, so baby can play it once they’re ready for seated play, or take it along wherever they want to play as a toddler. “A friend gifted this toy for our first baby, and my boys (four years old and 17 months old) still enjoy it,” says mom of two Christine. “We love the engaging songs—I think I sing ‘Maybe you could be a purple monkey in a bubblegum tree’ in my sleep.” Our product tester Carrie agrees, saying, “The songs of the keyboard drew my baby in very quickly.”

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

Few things are sweeter than watching a baby discover they can make music—and that their body can move to it! With its large interactive button for switching melodies, the Baby Einstein Take-Along Tunes turns cause-and-effect discovery into a mini dance party. As baby begins experimenting with pressing the button, music offers an immediate response. Cargeivers can also activate the songs while baby’s hand control develops. It features a colorful, easy-to-hold handle and plays 10 classical songs for baby to groove to, even if “dancing” at four months looks more waving their arms or kicking their legs.

“This was the first toy my daughter ever danced to,” says Daniel C., e-commerce director at The Bump and dad of one. “‘Dancing’ at that age meant waving her arms up and down, but she knew she could hit the button and get music, and she loved it.” Dr. Tracy Tyson, a board-certified general pediatrician, notes that musical cause-and-effect toys offer longevity, too: “Sounds they can recreate themselves at four months can become music toys for singing and dancing at 12 months.”

Age range: 3+ months | Batteries required: Yes | Assembly required: No

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Bath time is full of cause-and-effect moments, and these simple boats add a few more. When baby pushes a boat, it bobs and floats; as it fills with water, it sinks; when you lift it out, water streams through the drain holes. Munchkin’s lightweight, easy-grasp boats come in vibrant colors that attract baby’s attention and encourage them to reach out and grab. We love that they’re easy to clean and have an open design for drying between baths, helping to avoid mold––an absolute must for the best bath toys.

Best of all, these boats grow with your child. They link together to form a boat train (my two-year-old is very much in her train era), and the number on each boat corresponds to its number of drain holes. That means older toddlers and preschoolers can take cause and effect to the next level––noticing that boats with more holes fill and sink faster––while practicing number recognition and counting along the way.

Age range: 4+ months | Batteries required: No | Assembly required: No

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If your baby is part of the mouthing crew (and many are at this age!), you can look for teething toys with lots of textures because “4-month-olds love to explore textures,” says Marquez, adding that offering a variety helps develop their sense of touch. The Nuby Teethe N’ Pop Sensory Play Teether delivers plenty: its soft food-grade silicone arms and legs feature raised bumps, ridges and massaging nubs made for mouthing.

“It has different textures on it, and he loves to chew on the different arms of the turtle,” says Nicole, mom of a 5-month-old, who adds that her son smiles and reaches for this toy when he sees it. The brightly colored turtle also has a friendly face and push-and-pop silicone shell for caregivers to demonstrate as baby explores its shape and textures. Nicole’s only wish? A hole or loop for attaching a pacifier clip, since her son tends to toss it on the floor.

Age range: 3+ months | Batteries required: No | Assembly required: No

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With crinkly fabric, textured tentacles and a mirror to peer into, this cheerful squid offers several ways for curious little ones to explore. Each of Captain Calamari's long tentacles has a different texture for baby to touch, squeeze and mouth, and its body crinkles with every grab. Better yet, a child-safe mirror on the underside lets baby gaze at their own reflection when it's clipped onto a stroller or play gym.

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

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Reading to baby from an early age offers opportunities to hear words and enjoy your voice. This soft cloth activity book by Melissa & Doug gives caregivers a familiar rhyme to read or sing, with fabric pages for baby to explore. According to our product tester Caitlyn, this book was great at keeping her son entertained on car journeys or while he sat in his high chair as she prepared meals. “This book keeps him entertained for around 20 minutes and during this time he will turn the pages, play with it and chew on it,” says Caitlyn, noting that it quickly became one of his favorite toys to play with.

“I appreciate the soft texture and plushness of the pages as well as the pull out design elements that make it easy for him to grab,” says Caityln. At four months, caregivers can turn the pages and sing along while baby looks, listens and reaches for the fabric features during supervised play. And her son clearly enjoyed exploring it: “He squeals when looking at this book and I believe it is helping both physical and cognitive skills for his age,” shares Caitlyn.

Age range: 1+ months | Batteries required: No | Assembly required: No

Reading to baby offers a chance to connect while introducing the sounds and rhythm of language. I’m personally a big fan of puppet books because they offer even more ways to interact during storytime: I can wiggle our little friend to hold baby’s attention, make silly sounds or give baby a gentle tickle on the cheek.

Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic that belongs in every nursery, and this finger puppet version will have baby watching, cooing, giggling and reaching as the caterpillar wiggles through every page.

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

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Roger Priddy’s First 100 Words offers plenty of familiar objects to name during shared reading with your 4-month-old and beyond. When it comes to books and games, Kristen Miller, director of education for Celebree School, prefers options with realistic depictions of animals and people—and this book definitely fits the bill.

As you read to baby, point to the photographs and name what you see, giving them a chance to hear words alongside the pictures. This simple, inexpensive book is not only a fun one, but a wonderful learning tool to promote attentive listening, even at a young age.

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

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