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Once your sweet little one reaches 4 months, they are much more ready to play, and we’ve found that these are the best toys for 4 month olds that they actually love engaging with!
Things become SO much more fun when baby starts actually enjoying and interacting with toys! That said, you might not be sure which are the best toys for 4 months old! I am a new mom to my 4 month old son and have tested out a variety of toys at this point and found the clear winners that he actually engages with consistently.
He has started playing independently a lot more often because of these toys! Love watching his little mind at work.
Babies don’t need a ton when it comes to toys, so stick to the toys below and your baby will be more than happy for hours on end to play with these. Whether it’s for tummy time, learning how to hold things and bring them to their mouth, chew, kick, or whatever other skill they might be working on, these toys will encourage not only them to sharpen their skills but also have a ton of fun while doing so.
This post is all about the best toys for 4 month olds!
Tummy Time Toys
1. Fisher-Price Baby Playmat Deluxe Kick and Play Piano Gym
This playmat is hyped up for a reason! My baby boy has adored this just about from day one. Well, maybe not completely, but tolerated it as a newborn, and his love for it grows each and every day!
You can move the toy arch around so it’s lower for reaching, or good for viewing while on their back or during tummy time. Baby can face either way to look up at the arch with feet out or to kick the piano.
There are a few different options for music. A regular piano, calling out shapes and numbers, and some songs that play. Be warned – they WILL get stuck in your head.
My son absolutely LOVES watching the piano light up for tummy time, I really think this is what made the difference for him in tolerating it more and more and even growing to enjoy it.
Just recently he’s gotten into kicking the piano keys and going crazy with his legs! It’s so funny to watch.
Easily our most used toy and I don’t see that stopping anytime soon. Highly highly recommend!
Plus, the mat comes off for easy washing and it’s not too bulky. We’ve traveled with it no problem.
The piano is also adjustable to be at different angles depending on how baby is using it. I think he will continue to love this even as he starts sitting up and we can have it so he can play with it with his hands.
2. Mirror Book
This mirror book has a bunch of contrast cards, colorful pictures, each one being made of crinkle paper, a teether, a tag, and a mirror. To be totally honest, he loves the mirror the most. I think it really helped him enjoy tummy time a lot more. He liked the contrast cards too!
That said, I do think he will get plenty more use out of it as he improves his hand skills and can play with the pages of the book more.
For now at 4 months, the mirror is his favorite (and has been since around 2 months), but I think he will grow to love this toy more and more as he gets older.
Grip + Bringing Toys to Their Mouth
3. Bright Starts Oball
This is a super inexpensive toy that my baby adores. It is great for working on grip and holding things, as well as bringing to their mouth. I will hold out in front of him, and I can watch his brain at work going through the steps of bringing his arms out, bringing them to the toy, opening his hands, then closing. It’s really cool!
It’s easy for him to hold and he was able to start playing with it pretty early on, but has grown to love it more and more as he’s gotten older.
He now plays with it during tummy time too, which is a new skill for him.
4. Bright Starts Oball Rattle
Along the same lines as the ball, but this one comes in rattle form. He loves it just as much!
Teething Toys
5. Smily Mia Penguin Buddy
This one also helps with building grip and learning how to open and close their hands! But my baby LOVES chewing on this thing. It’s designed so it’s easy for them to hold and then has little nubbins on the side to suck and chew on. He adores this thing! Love that it’s easy to wash too.
I usually help get it on his hand with the inner part for holding but then he takes it off and rotates it around and chews it from every angle. I feel like it’s helping him learning how to rotate and hold toys, as well as moving toys from one hand to the other.
6. Teether Straws
Another one that’s a mix of building the skill of holding and bringing things to their mouth, and also something for them to chew on. This one is definitely a teether first, but he is always moving it around in his hands and passing it between his hands.
These have different textures on either side and it feels good on their gums. He loves these things!
This set comes with a bunch of different straws, as well as a tool to clean them. They are specifically designed so baby can not choke on them.
Pro Tip – For both of these toys I’ve cleaned by using hot soapy water (the straws I believe you’re supposed to boil, but I’ll be honest, I haven’t). I keep these pacifier wipes nearby too for day to day cleaning when they need it because they are silicone so little bits stick to them easily.
Chairs with Hanging Toys
7. Toy Arch
I’m guessing you’ll probably have some kind of baby chair, and if so, grab yourself a toy arch! We have the baby bjorn, and the toy arch we have is cheaper than the baby bjorn one and my son adores it. It rattles and jingles as he bounces.
It’s adjustable to be closer or further. It can also be used on a stroller or carseat for entertainment on the go!
It almost feels like the baby bjorn chair doubles as a toy itself because he is learning how to bounce himself in it!
Crinkle Toys
8. Crinkle Fox
My boy loves playing with his crinkle teether fox! Got lots of textures to explore from soft, to crinkle, to hard for teething. It has a ring in the front to grab or chew on. He loves the crinkly texture most of all!
Soft Toys
9. Demdaco Rattle Lovey
This was a gift and an unexpected favorite. At first we used this strictly during diaper changes to make him less fussy, but now at 4 months, he adores this thing. I think he will really enjoy having a lovey at bedtime once it’s safe to give him one.
For now, he likes holding it and playing with the texture. He likes all soft things really, but this is really easy for him to hold and move around. Plus, it rattles! Always a bonus.
I hope this gives you some good ideas for toys for 4 month olds that they will actually enjoy and will help them to grow some skills. Do you have any go-to toys for your little guy or gal? Please leave them in the comments below!
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