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

Jellycat is well-known for its collectible stuffed animals, but the brand also makes adorable toys for babies too. This soft cloth book is full of sensory delights. The plush pages have a crinkly texture that stimulates baby’s hearing. Plus, fluffy, smooth and wrinkly “cat tails” emerge from each page satisfying your little one’s urge to grab and touch new objects. And, if cats aren’t your thing, Jellycat offers a menagerie of animal-themed cloth books.

Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required No

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This activity table offers multiple modes of use as a self-propelled bouncer and activity table, but is a particularly good toy for 5-month-olds. At this age most babies can sit upright with support and this activity center is the perfect aid as your little one masters this gross motor skill. “The baby activity mode was my favorite as it really captured my baby’s attention and helped develop her motor skills,” says product tester Kayla P.

When used as an activity table, baby can sit, swivel or bounce up and down. “The rotating seat was a hit with my baby, providing 360-degree access to the toys, which kept her entertained for quite some time,” says Kayla. Speaking of which, this activity center has tons of built-in toys designed with baby’s development in mind. A light-up piano rests at their feet, swaying stars move back and forth and a bead maze is within easy reach. “The textured toys encouraged exploration, while the light-up elements and rattles engaged her visual and auditory senses, promoting sensory development,” explains Kayla.

Age range: 4+ months | Batteries required Yes

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The Senser Play Kit by Lovevery contains seven toys for 5-month-olds—plus a play guide for parents. Curated by developmental experts, each toy targets key skills like crawling and learning concepts such as cause-and-effect. To be specific, this set includes a wooden rainbow spinner, a “magic” tissue box and tissues, a soft cotton ball, a wobbler, play socks and a board book that focuses on different parts of the body. According to product tester Kayla the toys were pretty versatile. “They could be played with during tummy time, or on the back,” explains Kayla, adding that “some were useful while sitting up and learning to sit (like the spinning rainbow) [while] others were great for distraction during diaper changes (like the play socks or the rainbow ball).”

Kayla also appreciated the play guide, and told us that: “the educational materials that come with the toys were really helpful in explaining the purpose of each toy and how it helps baby develop.” She also appreciated the fact that the guide provided advice on how to engage with baby outside of using the toys. After using the toys and following the tips provided by Lovevery, Kayla said she saw some noticeable differences in her child's behaviour over the course of a few weeks, which she attributes to a surge of development. “I am really impressed with Lovevery and will absolutely consider buying more of these boxes in future months as our daughter continues to learn and grow,” concludes Kayla.

Age range: 5-6 months | Batteries required No

If your 5-month-old is still learning to sit up unassisted this activity chair is a wise investment. The activity chair has a deep, padded seat and comes with a detachable piano toy to keep your mini maestro entertained. “The toy functions exactly the way it should and it was the right size for my baby to sit in comfortably,” says product tester Macie S. At the time of testing, Macie’s child could already sit upright on her own. But Macie said: “I do think this seat would help a baby who couldn't.” Her daughter sat in the chair for about 10 minutes before she showed signs of frustration, but it’s worth noting that this type of activity toy should only be used for a maximum of 20 minutes at a time.

One aspect of this toy that went down a treat was the light-up piano. “My baby was super excited to see this toy as it included music and lights,” says Macie, adding that her daughter started to move her arms with excitement. As well as making music, the piano lights up and plays animal sounds—plus, you can set it up in different positions depending on your baby’s preference. “There are different ways you can play with the piano as it can be attached at the top of the chair for baby to hit with their hands or it can be placed at the feet with an attached stand so [they] can hit it with their feet,” explains Macie. It’s worth noting that this chair also comes with a snack tray and, once your little one outgrows the seat, the piano can be used solo.

Age range: 4-24 months | Batteries required Yes

If your 5-month-old is anything like mine, their grasping abilities have grown fast over the past few months. My daughter still wants to grab anything and everything within her reach, but her motor skills and overall cognitive awareness are much stronger now. This means she needs multisensory grabbing toys she won’t tire of fast. I’m happy to report the Manhattan Toy Squish is an excellent option if you’re looking for ideal grasping toys for 5-month olds.

As one mom told us, “there are a lot of possibilities with it.” A wooden rattle made up of wood dowels connected with elastic ties and sporting rattling wood balls, this colorful toy has been a great addition to our tummy time routine. My daughter loves that she can grab it with both her hands and feet and enjoys turning her Skwish around and around to look at the different colored balls. She’s even begun starting to attempt to slide the wood pieces across the dowels, although she hasn’t quite figured out the logistics yet. One bonus? As any parent knows, sometimes the noise from kid toys gets a bit grating, but the Squish emits light little jingles that are definitely easier on my ears than other rattles. All in all, this one’s a winner that’s sure to keep your baby engaged for long play periods.

Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No

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At 5 months, your little one is probably developing preferences. I’ve personally noticed my daughter seems to gravitate toward some of her plushies much more than others. Having a go-to comfort object can help your child feel instantly secure, helping to settle them during tantrums and encourage napping. The Nookums Fox Pacifier Holders are a great option, especially if your little one is still on the pacifier. These adorable plush animals with pacifiers conveniently attached provide multiple outlets for self-soothing.

Your baby can snuggle their super soft Nookums plush while simultaneously sucking on their pacifier, providing a multi-sensory experience to keep your little one calm. Parents in our survey reported their babies loved snuggling their plushies, and that these toys even help encourage sharing as they often pass their friends off to adults. Plus, Nookums Plushies have the more practical benefit of providing an anchor that ensures pacifiers don’t get lost, as they so often do. (I’m pretty sure my husband and I lost at least three pacifiers in the first week our daughter was home.) If at any point you’re ready to wean your baby off the pacifier, the Nookums Plush helps ease the transition. After all, you’re just removing one aspect of their comfort object and not taking the object away altogether. When you’re ready to move on with the pacifier, you can swap it out for add-ons like chillable teethers.

Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No

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Part of the challenge of teething with a five month old is finding a teether they’re able to hold easily. As our daughter becomes more independent, she has little patience for toys she can’t manipulate on her own—including teethers. When a few vibrating teethers that she couldn’t activate with her tiny hands failed us, Frida came to the rescue. The Frida Baby Get-A-Grip teether is easy for little ones to use solo, encouraging them to learn how to self-soothe during those agonizing early teething months.

Parents love how easy this teether is for their babies to hold. The thin bar handle running through the middle is easy for baby to grasp, and the side loops hug their wrist to keep the teether in place. The teether provides multiple shapes and textures that can get into those hard-to-reach sore spots on the gums and provide baby with much-needed relief. While the materials do easily gather dust and dirt, one plus side is that this teether’s very simple to clean. It’s machine washable and can be sterilized in boiling water, a microwave bag or a steam sterilizer.

Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: N

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Getting my daughter interested in reading from a young age requires books that grab her attention fast. Moo Baa La-La-La is an excellent choice for parents on the hunt for 5-month-old-friendly reading material. This cute sound book encourages parents to make animal sounds to grab their little one’s attention. For older kids, it promotes active listening by inviting kids to moo, baa and la-la-la along. “We had a handful of Sandra Boynton’s board books in our house, and our daughter loved them all,” says Daniel C., dad of one and associate director of e-commerce for The Bump, “but this was the one she kept asking for at bedtime into her toddler years.”

At just 16 pages with only a line or two of text per page, this book hits a sweet spot. It’s long enough to get in at least a few minutes of reading time but short enough to prevent your kid from getting restless. (After tying to read my daughter The Velveteen Rabbit, I learned the hard way you’ve got to start small with storytime). The animal noises are bound to get a giggle out of your little one. Plus, as they grow and begin to attempt talking, they’ll love trying to repeat back all your moos, ruffs, and oinks.

Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No

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