Best Educational Toys for Babies

In the newborn stage, simple things like singing, counting, and nursery rhymes are all you need to make playtime fun and educational.

As your little one grows, choosing toys that encourage tactile play can help to develop their five senses, including touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing.

When do babies start playing with toys?

Young babies spend most of their time watching and listening until they discover their hands at around two months. At this stage, grasping for things (like their toes and your hair) becomes a leg-kicking daily delight and is an excellent time to introduce age-appropriate toys.

Below, we round up the best baby toys and Purebaby products to help your baby explore the world through colour, shape, texture and sound.

1. Comforters and soft toys

A comforter, for some babies, becomes their first (and most treasured) best friend. From settling to sleep to saying goodbye at daycare, a comforter can soothe and reassure your baby as their independence grows.

Invest in a high-quality option (or three!) that will weather unconditional love and hold up to frequent washing. Purebaby favourites include the soft-as-butter Koala Snookie, plush Lita Lamb Comforter and knitted Bear comforter.

TIP: For things like comforters, their favourite teddy bear, etc. it's worth buying spares incase one gets damaged, lost or misplaced.

2. Baby rattles

A well-designed rattle will provide hours of fun for your baby, helping them practise eye-tracking and grasping, and teaching cause and effect with every shake.

The baby toy market is flush with rattle options, so how do you choose the best one? Most babies delight in shaking and gnawing on their favourite rattle, especially during teething. Search for a rattle made with chew-friendly materials like natural rubber or wood.

Also, consider the design—a good rattle will be lightweight and easy to hold. Like all baby toys, sharp edges and small parts can pose a safety risk, so opt for traditional simplicity over bells and whistles.

The Purebaby Natural Wooden Rattle is a top-selling baby rattle, loved by parents for its smooth and stylish design. Made with 100% Beech Wood, it is non-toxic, naturally antibacterial, and comes with a convenient carry bag. 

For a softer style, shop the adorable knitted animal range of rattles featuring 100% Cotton Knit with Recycled Polyester filling. 

3. Teether toys

When your baby begins to sprout teeth, they'll seek out anything and everything to soothe their sore, inflamed gums. Investing in a handful of baby-safe teethers can reduce the pain and pressure of eruption without reaching for gels and creams.

Look for teething toys made with non-toxic and BPA-free materials, like the 100% Natural Rubber Ducky Teether or Rabbit Ear Teether. Each style is thoughtfully designed for easy gripping, to keep little hands busy while soothing irritated gums.

Purebaby's teething toys are a popular baby shower gift, paired with a Quilted Play Mat and Natural Wooden Rattle.

4. Educational baby toys

The best baby learning and activity toys balance education and entertainment to aid the development of motor skills, sensory skills, and problem-solving abilities.

When it comes to educational baby toys, the Purebaby Story Cubes are a crowd favourite. Adorned with Australian native symbols illustrated by Nikita Rotumah, a Gunditjmara Bunitj artist, the cubes inspire cultural storytelling and symbol recognition. Made from 100% Beech Wood, they're also great for stacking to practice hand-eye coordination.

Likewise, Purebaby's non-toxic Egg Shaker offers sound-filled fun and skill development for growing minds. 

5. Books

It is never too soon to introduce your baby to the magical world of reading. Books provide the building blocks for language and vocabulary development, among a raft of other social and emotional benefits.

Plus, every story you read helps your baby expand their imagination and spend quality time bonding with their favourite person - you.

Tactile books with flaps, textures and mirrors are popular with babies who seem more interested in biting and sucking than reading. They're still learning despite the drool, so be patient.

Board books, like Purebaby's Let's Count Wooden Book, introduce your little one to fundamental concepts of numbers, colours, shapes and letters. With time, they'll begin to recognise patterns, ideas and words, giving them a head start at kindergarten.

As their appetite for reading grows, you can focus more on storytelling and repetition through picture books like Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes.

Read together often and rotate your book selection to show your baby that reading and learning are fun. You'll have a little bookworm on your hands in no time!

6. Play mats

Playtime and tummy time call for a cosy, baby-safe play mat, like the Purebaby Quilted Play Mat. Made with a blend of Organic Cotton and Linen, it's comfortable, portable and machine washable—everything you need in a play mat. 

Shop Purebaby's range of wooden, soft or rubber baby toys and accessories, lovingly crafted with safety and sustainability in mind.