19 Best Toys for 5-Month-Olds Reviewed in 2024

Educational Value

The star button on the top teaches animals and numbers, plus the side panels are numbers and are of varying colors for learning.

Durability

This ball is made with careful, close stitching. The biggest threat it will face is likely the family pet so be sure to keep it out of the reach of cats and dogs! In the hands of Baby, though, it should last you a while.

Effectiveness

The Little Critters Roll and Play ball is the perfect plush accessory for your baby. If you want to encourage your little one to get crawling, this ball is just the thing! Its motion sensor activates fun lights and sounds when its tossed, jostled or rolled around. The tabs also encourage motor skills and tactile exploration.

Safety

The soft texture makes this a good gift for little ones, as it’s less likely to be involved in accidents. There are no removable or small pieces to pose choking hazards and the ball is made with safe, non-toxic materials.

Price Range

With a below-average cost, this fabulous ball plaything has the remarkable features of bright colors and characters, soft fabrics and tags, and noises and sounds to enlighten the child during play.

Educational Value

Babies can be introduced early to the concept of reading a book with this ideal toy. This exciting book encourages bonding moments with adults and develops language, reading, sensory, and verbal skills.

Durability

This wonderful little cloth book is the idea of experts and is made by hand. Made from premium cloth and hand-sewn, it is a durable toy that will last for many years to come.

Effectiveness

The bright colors and soft, varied textures of this cloth book are bound to hold Baby’s attention. If you need something you can safely set them up with and let them explore on their own for a little while, this book is compact, lightweight, safe, and entertaining.

Safety

Safe and non-toxic, this terrific product is durable and long-lasting. It can be machine washed and dried, plus comes in a perfect box that is great for gift giving.

Price Range

With an average price, this impressive cloth book for babies is valued for its several activities and varied textures, the stuffed puppy face on the front, and the many colors and pictures throughout the book.

Educational Value

With a tummy mat, your child will be able to hold their head up a bit and strengthen the neck and back muscles. Fun mats, such as this one, encourage this sort of growth as the child is entertained.

Durability

Users praise the quality of the mat itself almost unanimously, but the toys that come with the mat are hit-and-miss as far as engaging young children and some parents also felt they were cheaply made. Some also had issues getting the pillow to stay propped up.

Effectiveness

The miniature half-pillow in the middle of this adorable tummy time mat makes it easier and more comfortable for your rugrat to lie on their belly when they play. It props them up just enough and positions them where they can easily reach many of the features and activities this mat has to offer.

Safety

The mirror, rattle, and toy attachments are all baby safe. The company’s products are all free of rubber latex and meet global BPA, phthalate, and lead limitations.

Price Range

With an above-average price, this incredible toy has the wonderful qualities of having a tented head, a plush soft body and pillow, and plenty of exciting activities for the baby.

Educational Value

There are colorful pictures and graphics on every page inviting babies to touch the book.

Durability

Durable and long-lasting, it is soft and made of cloth making it perfectly fine to chew. The infant will not be harmed by the book as it would with regular paper books, plus the child cannot do any harm to a cloth book.

Effectiveness

Infants can learn a lot from cloth books such as this one. It introduces them quite early to the concept of books and reading, plus gives them a head start in knowing how to handle a book.

Safety

This soft book has lots of fold-out fun! Melissa and Doug use explicitly non-toxic material in all of their toys, as well. It’s also machine washable, making it a top pick for families that have to worry about germs and immune systems.

Price Range

This fabulous toy has a below-average cost. it derives its value from the colorful pages and graphics, the large printed words, and the cute funny story that is told throughout the book.

Educational Value

Perfect for a baby shower gift, it gives practice in visual, audible, cognitive, recognition, and motor abilities.

Durability

Kleeger’s Safari Buddies Set is made with top-quality materials and built for longevity. They’re so confident in the durability and ingenuity of their products, they offer a one year warranty with this cute, plush little kit.

Effectiveness

It is never too early to start learning about the many animals in our world. This sweet toy brings four popular ones to the attention of your infant for play and exploration into their appearance and sounds.

Safety

All of the animals pack well into the tree-shaped carrier, so the child can enjoy these anywhere and at any time. It has a soft plush handle and a Velcro closure to hold them in safely.

Price Range

This amazing jungle toy has a price that is above-average. It has the fantastic qualities of being a toy with several pieces, having soft and cute jungle stuffed animals, and of being highly portable for travel.

Educational Value

Tactile learning is enhanced with the ribbon tags, crinkly feet, and textured rings that adorn this cute lion. It is the perfect size to take anywhere and can be clipped to strollers, diaper bags, carriers, and car seats.

Durability

As a whole, this piece is well made and can stand the test of time. It even seems to survive the washing machine! The mirror is attached via a blue ribbon that some users found to fray and eventually break so keep an eye on that to avoid Baby swallowing any thread.

Effectiveness

There are so many things this little lion can do to entertain a baby. It has plenty of sounds and songs, varied textures, and a mirror that the child can discover and use.

Safety

This VTech Lion is made with baby-friendly materials and is super easy to clean. Since the only electronic component is the sound box, which is detachable from the belly, you can simply hand wash this like you would other plush animals if you’re trying to protect Baby from bacteria and dirt. The mirror is made with baby safe reflective material but kids can rip it from the lion with enough force so watch for loose threads.

Price Range

This adorable lion plaything has a below-average price. It is valued for its soft plush body, a mixture of colorful fabrics, and the many sounds and activities that will keep the baby busy.

Educational Value

It encourages vision and focus skills with the bold bright patterns and colors, plus spurs the imagination and the formation of words. This incredible cloth book is durable and cannot be destroyed by the child and is safer than regular paper books. Easy for small hands and fingers to manipulate the pages, it teaches about different forest animals. This fun Lamaze item includes multiple textures and crinkly fabrics and has soft flaps for discovery on each page. It can be machine washed and dried when needed.

Durability

These cloth pages are thick and stitched carefully to make this a long-lasting and favorite toy. Most of the 3D animation achieved with the fabric still sticks close to the page so Baby can’t pull on anything long and rip pieces away.

Effectiveness

Motor skills and coordination of the hands and eyes will be exercised with this adorable book of forest animals. Babies will learn all about how to use a book, starting them early with reading skills.

Safety

Cloth books for babies are great to use for bonding time, but they can also entertain the child by themselves. They can look at the colorful pages and animals on their own and be safe.

Price Range

This cute cloth book has a below-average cost. It derives its value from the soft durable pages, the cute rhyming phrases, and the colorful animals and graphics depicted throughout.

Educational Value

When babies are teething, it seems like everything to them is something to put in the mouth. This little teething toy will relieve the stress of this issue and make them less fussy.

Durability

This can be wiped clean but careful not to submerge it in water as that can get trapped in the transparent area and damage the toy. It seems to hold up well even when subjected to excitable baby hands but in terms of entertainment, they’ll likely lose interest in this within a few months.

Effectiveness

Along with the teething surfaces on this terrific plaything, the child gets a colorful rattle and some interesting rings to move around the bigger ring for hours of entertainment.

Safety

Infants need several types of teething toys to get through the stages of their first teeth coming in. it can be quite painful and stressing to them, so the more toys that have varied surfaces, the better.

Price Range

This cute item has the lowest cost of all the products listed. It has the terrific features of being colorful, durable, and giving the baby several different textured surfaces for teething relief.

Educational Value

The lovely squeaker ball teaches the cause-and-effect principle, and there are many knotted soft ropes for teething. Freddie has a clip-on ring on the head to attach to cribs, strollers, car seats, and diaper bags for travel fun anywhere and anytime.

Durability

A wonderful sensory object. Your child can learn about different textures and it can be even used for cuddling. Versatile for various playtime activities and will last a while.

Effectiveness

Freddie the Firefly is very popular with parents and babies. It has so many things for the child to do, explore, and experience that it is quite hard for them to put it down.

Safety

Freddie is made to be baby-safe with soft velour midsections and antennas that are perfect for teething. He is BPA-free as well as phthalate-free.

Price Range

With a below-average cost, this adorable firefly plaything is very full of activities, has loads of colors and contrasts, and includes several noisemakers to entice the child into play

Educational Value

This ideal plaything develops the skills of gross motor, sensory, wonder, curiosity, and early academics, plus includes three levels of playing by age. In the beginning months, babies enjoy as much as twenty minutes of constant fun sounds, lights, and music for the senses.

Durability

Thanks to the three-stage design of play and four different ways for kids to engage with their piano gym, this toy isn’t likely to get old anytime soon. The attachable toys are made of plastic, so keep those away from pets, though!

Effectiveness

This lovely piano gym gets the infant to reach, kick, push, and pull on the toy in exciting fun for hours of enjoyment. Use this magnificent item at home, while traveling, or away from home. It comes apart and can be used in sections and in different formats according to what the infant likes to do.

Safety

Made with baby-safe materials, this adorable activity mat is a nice, comfortable place for little ones to explore and engage while you relax beside them.

Price Range

This great piano gym has the highest price of all item listed of course. It has tons of activities for the child, is a huge rainbow of various colors, and can be used in multiple formats according to child growth.

Educational Value

The colorful spinning mobile will give your baby lots of visual and touch sensory stimulation. The toy will also encourage language development and will improve your baby’s sense of hearing when listening to the 30 minutes of uninterrupted music. 
 
Durability

This mobile features a hard-wearing plastic frame that has soft fabric animals hanging from it. The mobile can easily be attached to most strollers, bassinets, and play yards, making this item extremely durable and versatile. 
 
Effectiveness

This colorful mobile includes a selection of friendly fabric animals including a fox, hedgehog, and bird that will entertain your baby. The mobile also offers a collection of relaxing melodies that will soothe your baby if they become upset or need help getting to sleep. 
 
Safety

This mobile offers a variety of attachments that are easy to secure, however, some users have commented on them becoming loose. 
 
Price Range 

This mobile is one of the more affordable buys in our collection. Effective, durable, and educational, you are getting a lot for your money with this item. 

Educational Value

Made from a soft material, this cloth book that features a variety of colors, shapes, textures, and patterns is a fabulous way of providing your 5-month-old with sensory stimulation. The book also encourages language and reading skills, communication, and imagination. 
 
Durability
 
This book from SUNEN has been made from a high-quality material that is exceptionally durable. It is lightweight, tear-resistant, and washable so when your 5-month-old dribbles on it, the book can easily be washed without being damaged. 
 
Effectiveness
 
The book features a series of animals that have been captured using vibrant colorful images and features lots of patterns and textures. The 8-page book has something different on each page for your baby to explore. It is also super easy for a baby’s hand to grab and hold. The book is a great way of encouraging bonding time for you and your baby to read. 
 
Safety

This cloth book is made from non-toxic baby-safe material and has no loose pieces that can be choked on. The toy meets the US Toy Standard, making it safe for your baby to play with. 
 
Price Range 

Every 5-month-old should have one of the SUNEN cloth books because it is affordable and is great for sensory stimulation.

Educational Value

This is a fantastic toy to help your 5-month-old to develop their fine motor skills. Playing with these soft blocks, they will learn how to grasp, pick up, and build. The blocks also offer lots of sensory stimulation, including the touch of new textures like satin. The sound of the crinkly fabric, rattles, and a jingly bell will also stimulate their hearing. These blocks are a great introduction to language and numbers and offer plenty of visual stimulation. 
 
Durability

These blocks are exceptionally durable and can be easily be washed if they become dirty. 
 
Effectiveness

This set of 4 multi-sensory blocks will allow your baby to explore new textures, colors, and sounds. Whether they play with the block on their own or with a parent, these blocks will provide much fun and enjoyment for your little one.
 
Safety

These blocks are made from a soft squidgy fabric that is safe for your baby to play with. The blocks are also lightweight and have a curved rimmed edge making them easy to pick up. 
 
Price Range

This is another of our more affordable toys. Sold for a lower price, you are getting a lot for your money with this set of 4 blocks.

Educational Value

This mirror and flashcard set will encourage your baby’s curiosity and will support their cognitive development. The high contrast black and white patterns featured on the cards will also stimulate your new-borns vision. 
 
Durability

The activity is exceptionally durable and can be played within a variety of locations including a car set, pushchair, or on the floor at playtime. 
 
Effectiveness

The great thing about this mirror and flashcard set is that is can be stood up on the floor next to your baby while they do tummy time. You will be able to watch their eyes grow wide in fascination and interest as they look in the mirror and at the cards. The discovery of patterns and designs will certainly make your baby curious and will support their cognitive development. 
 
Safety 

The mirror is baby safe, and the flashcards have been gathered on a stroller link allowing you to keep them securely together.  
 
Price Range 

This set from Baby Einstein is a great buy for newborns+ as it will stimulate their senses and keep them engaged. 

Educational Value

A key part of the toy is the piano keyboard that will encourage your baby’s fine motor skills. The hand keyboard and foot keyboard will help them develop their coordination and will boost their gross motor skills. Through light-up drum and music, the toy will offer your 5-month-old lots of visual and audio stimulation. The bright colors, patterns, textures, buttons, and music will also keep them entertained. 
 
Durability

This 4-in-1 toy from Fish-Price is exceptionally durable. The seat pad is machine washable and the rest of the toy can be easily wiped over keeping the toy nice and clean.
 
Effectiveness

This highly engaging 4-in-1 play piano toy will keep your baby entertained. It features more than 12 individual toys, giving your baby lots of activity to choose from. 
 
Safety

Made with baby-safe materials, this toy is a great way for your baby to explore and learn new things.   
 
Price Range 

This is one of the most expensive toys in our collection. If you have a larger budget and are looking for a toy that they can play with until they are a toddler this is a great option. 

Educational Value

When used as a mobile, the soft colorful animals will capture your baby’s attention and keep them engaged while soothing them through a special motion. When your baby is a toddler the stand-alone music box will help them develop their fine motor skills. The toy will also develop their language and communication skills. 
 
Durability

The main structure of this toy is made from plastic material, making it exceptionally durable. 
 
Effectiveness

This lovely mobile will soothe your baby at bedtime, settling them to sleep. When your baby gets old, the music box will help develop your baby’s fine motor skills and encourage their communication and language skills. 
 
Safety 

Made with baby-safe materials this mobile and music box are safe to use for your baby as they grow and develop. 
 
Price Range

Even though this is mobile is slightly more expensive, you are getting a lot in return for your money. 

Educational Value

Featuring different colors, shapes, and textures this 20-piece set is a brilliant way of encouraging sensory development. These toys will excite your baby’s sensory skills making them want to touch and look at the toys. They will also develop their fine motor skills by grasping the pieces and building the blocks. Unfortunately, the pieces do not make a noise however your baby will be able to squeeze the blocks and learn about cause and effect. Some of the blocks also feature numbers on them, helping your baby develop their numeric and language skills. 
 
Durability

This set is suitable to go in the dishwasher however each piece must be dried thoroughly to avoid mold. They can also withstand wear and tear from your baby, particularly when they are teething. 
 
Effectiveness

The set features 8 textured sensory balls, 8 numbered counting blocks, and 4 animal buddies. They will give your baby lots of enjoyment and will encourage sensory and fine motor skills development. 
 
Safety

Suitable to play with from a new-born you can feel confident that your baby can play with these safely. The pieces are made from soft smooth material making them extremely easy to pick up and play with. 

Price Range 

This Infantino activity set is an affordable buy. If you want something that your baby can play with from newborn to toddler, this is a great buy. 

Educational Value

This Take Along Tunes Musical Toy will give your baby lots of sensory stimulation. Featuring bright colored lights and engaging melodies, this toy will stimulate their visual perception, sensory skills, cognitive development, and fine motor skills. Suitable to play with from 3 months + they will enjoy holding the musical toy, pressing the buttons, and discovering what the toy does. The toy invites your baby to think, explore, and figure out how the toy works, encouraging them to develop cognitive skills. The toy also promotes auditory development by introducing your little one to baby-friendly classical music like Mozart, Chopin, Vivaldi, and Rossini. 
 
Durability

This toy is durable and compact. It can also be easily wiped down and cleaned if it becomes dirty. 
 
Effectiveness

This Take Along Tunes Musical Toy is an extremely effective toy for your 5-month-old. The toy features lots of colors and music, making it very appealing for your little one to play with. If you are out and about and need something to entertain your baby, this small and compact portable toy is a great solution. It also only requires 2 AA batteries. 
 
Safety

This solid chunky musical toy is very safe for your baby to play with. 
 
Price Range 

This affordable toy will provide your baby with a lot of visual and musical stimulation, making it a great buy. 

Educational Value

Playing with this Lamaze toy will stimulate your baby’s vision by seeing bright patterns and colors. The moose will stimulate their auditory senses by hearing the moose squeak, rattle, and crinkle. The toy will also encourage the development of your baby’s fine motor skills by enticing them to grab and pick up the moose. 
 
Durability

Lamaze Mortimer The Moose, is a well-made robust toy that will withstand lots of wear and tear from endless play. It is also easy to clean with soap and water. 
 
Effectiveness

Your 5-month-old will have a lot of fun exploring this moose that features lots of different textures, materials, patterns, and colors. The moose’s ears are also made from teethers making the toy suitable for when your baby is teething.
 
Safety

All the materials and textures used to create this toy are baby proof. The toy can easily be clipped to a car seat, pushchair, or crib, keeping it safe and secure. The moose also features teething ears and plastic rings that are safe for your baby to chew. 
 
Price Range 

This toy from Lamaze is a fantastic buy for your 5-month-old. With plenty on offer, you are getting a lot for your money.