The Best Toys for 5-Month-Old Infants, According to Families

Before my daughter was born, my mother, who worked with kids professionally for years, sent us three Indestructibles Board Books. Given my mom generally knows her stuff, it was no surprise to learn Indestructibles are also recommended by the experts—Miller loves these books too. They’re rip-proof, tear-proof and, most importantly, chew-proof. Plus, the thick pages are easy to turn. In fact, my daughter loves trying to turn the pages of these books on her own.

I’m a huge reader, and I’m hoping my daughter will be one day too. Unfortunately, right now she’s a little more interested in trying to eat her books than read them. When she’s in her calmer moments, I’ll read her one of my own childhood favorites as she nods off to sleep. However, during her more active phases, I’m happy to read her an Indestructible Book and let her touch and mouth the pages. Occasionally, I even throw one on the playmat during tummy time and let her have some independent playtime as well. These books have been a great way to help reading to my daughter be an activity we both enjoy.

Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: N

Another expert-recommended product, the Sassy Peek-a-Boo Activity Book is a great choice for interactive play. Jana Sarno, BCBA, a board-certified behavior analyst, explains that parents can say things like, “where did it go?” before helping babies lift the flap again to reveal their favorite animal characters. This encourages your baby to start playing with the book in turn, helping them to develop invaluable hand-eye coordination.

Sensory books have been a big hit in our house. Sassy Peek-a-Boo Activity Book is a particularly great choice. At 5 months, your baby will be perceiving a lot more colors. This book’s pages come with bold high-contrast colors to grab your little one’s interest, and even teach babies words like “yellow” and “green” in both English and Spanish. While you can and should, as Sarno suggests, read the book to your little one, I know from experience this works for solo play as well. My daughter can’t get enough of those crinkle pages. In my opinion, you can never have too many sensory books, and Sassy Peek-a-Boo Activity book will make a great addition to your collection.

Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: N

Stacking cups are exciting for babies newly figuring out how to piece things together. An invaluable toy for muscle development and hand-eye coordination, you’re going to want at least one high-quality set of these perennial favorites on hand, and Mushie Stacking Cups are a great version of this classic! Made from high-quality, natural material with a modern, subdued color scheme, Mushie Cups will be a favorite of babies and parents alike.

Made from durable material free from additives like BPA and PVC, these simple stacking cups will provide your little one with hours of fun as they try to build and then knock down towers. While 5 months is a great age to introduce these cups, rest assured these aren’t a flash-in-the-pan toy. Parents reported their kids loved playing with Mushie Stacking Cups well into toddlerhood, using them as props in more imaginative role playing games. Plus, they double as a bathtoy according to Sarno, who says, "They’re especially fun in the bath, as baby can fill, pour and watch the water sprinkle out the bottom for an extra sensory experience."

Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: N

At 5 months, it’s time to get your little one reaching. This can help build muscles, promote hand-eye coordination and encourage rolling over if your baby hasn’t reached that milestone yet. Munchkin Float and Play Bubbles Bath Toys are not only adorable but can get your baby actively reaching and moving during bathtime. These bright little balls, the ideal size for little hands, are irresistible for babies. Toss a few in your baby bath and your 5-month-old will be doing gymnastics to reach their new friends.

Each “bubble” comes with a textured ring to promote sensory exploration. Bubbles hold adorable eye-catching toys like a miniature rubber duckie or some seashells and starfish. Your baby will delight in not only reaching for their new friends but holding them and turning them over in their hands to examine all angles and hear some rattles. When babies are as young as 5 months, you don’t need a lot to keep them engaged. While Munchkin Float and Play Bubbles may look simple, trust me—to babies, they’re mesmerizing.

Age range: 4+ months | Batteries required: N

Independent play becomes increasingly important as your baby ages—and not just because it gives parents a much-needed breather. It promotes creativity, imagination, problem-solving and other essential lifeskills. Baby Einstein is a brand well-known for products ideal for independent play, and their Take-Along Tunes Musical Toy is no different. This tiny iPad-shaped toy plays 10 different melodies to keep babies engaged from 5 months and beyond.

With a handle perfect for little hands, your 5-month-old can hold their Take-Along Tunes toy and explore the buttons to toggle through different songs. These aren’t your generic kiddie songs either. Rather than ditties about purple monkeys in bubblegum trees (which, don’t get me wrong, are delightful in their own right), Take-Along Tunes exposes your little one to the likes of Chopin and Mozart. In addition to sound, you get colorful lighting to create the kind of multi-sensory experience ideal for independent play. Plus, there’s a volume control button accessible for parents, meaning you can always turn the tunes down if you need some quiet time. All in all, this is an enriching option that exposes your kids to classical music while encouraging them to entertain themselves.

Age range: 3+ months | Batteries required: Y

Need a simple way to get your baby moving? You can’t go wrong with rattle socks and Bigib Baby’s versions stand out on the market. Cute, colorful and not too noisy, these little rattles are an easy way to get your baby honing their gross motor skills while learning about cause and effect. Just slip them on your little one’s hands and feet and watch them go. My daughter loved these little rattles and could easily spend up to 15 minutes alone on her playmat just wiggling.

What makes Bigib in particular so great? First, the price. For just under $15, you get two wrist rattles and two rattle socks. Second, they’re simple to use. With one-size-fits all options, there’s no scrambling to ensure you’re selecting the right fit for your little one’s feet. Plus, the wrist rattles strap on with a convenient velcro flap. These require virtually no set-up while providing your baby with countless hours of fun that will help them develop invaluable motor skills. There’s little not to love here.

Age range: 3+ months | Batteries required: N

If your baby is anything like mine, they’re probably thrilled to see their effect on the world. From around 3 months onward, my daughter has been captivated by how she can make sounds, move objects and more. Baby Einstein Discover & Play Piano Musical Baby Toy helps little ones direct their curiosity about cause and effect toward an enriching place. This tiny toy piano made with soft cloth keys is easy for little ones to activate with their hands and feet, making for long fun-packed play periods for growing minds.

The piano appeals to babies’ senses on multiple levels with music and flashing lights. It comes with three modes: Music mode, which includes sounds like drums, horns and violins; numbers mode, where each of the keys reads off the numbers one through five (in multiple languages!) and animal mode, where your baby can hear the animals on the keyboards meow, woof and quack along with the music. This toy is an ideal choice for your curious 5-month-old in need of more interactive entertainment.

Age range: 3+ months | Batteries required: Y

Jingling your keys to entertain a baby is a cliche by now, and one that, honestly, rarely actually happens. At 5 months old, you don’t want to dangle anything in front of your baby’s face that you wouldn’t want them to grab and put in their mouth. Luckily, PlanToys has a solution with their Wooden Rattle Key Toy. This simple wooden rattle in the shape of a keyring with three keys attached is safe for your baby to hold and chew.

This rattle provides a multisensory tactile experience for your baby. The keys clang together to make a nice rattling sound and your baby can also safely chew on it all they want. This not only helps them explore the world via mouthing but can help alleviate sore gums via teething. Parents report the size and shape of the toy keys helped babies soothe hard-to-reach places near the back of their gums. Overall, this is a cute, simple rattle perfect for the 5-month-mark and beyond. Plus, it’s small enough to take on the go and provide a quick distraction if your baby gets fussy in public.

Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: N