Fisher-Price Tummy Time Llama Plush, Grow-with-Me Baby Toy with Rattle, Mirror & Teether for Sensory Play, GLK39

Product Information

The right tummy time toy will keep your baby entertained while also encouraging them to move and build muscles. How we chose the best tummy time toys I loved that thing,” Christine Mattheis, What to Expect’s Editorial Director, says of the Baby Einstein mirror. “My daughter loved looking at herself, and grabbing at the blue panda knob because it made a crinkly sound.” The downside is that it’s on the more expensive side, and many parents understandably balk at the price. That said, you can easily get a year’s worth of play out of it. We retired it each time when my sons were around 18 months and became a bit too tall to fit in the tent as comfortably. If, however, you think you’d just use one or two of the included elements, you might be better off purchasing them individually).

Many families find that water mats can be a fun addition to a baby’s tummy time routine. These mats usually contain small toys, and when your baby pushes up on his arms, the water moves the toys, capturing his attention. Over time, these kinds of products can help teach cause and effect, since your baby will realize that his movements are helping to shift the toys. This mat has a fish tank design and six colorful toys inside, and What to Expect parents say the design is a hit with their babies. Easy to use. You won’t want to reach for toys that have a complicated setup or aren’t straightforward to use.True, its primary use is for nursing, but the Boppy is so much more than a breastfeeding pillow. With its clever C-shaped design and dense padding, the Boppy is useful to support your baby during tummy time and eventually, to prop him up as he learns to sit. Tummy time, i.e. placing your baby down on his belly to play, is a crucial part of your little one’s development. It may not look like much of a workout at first, but tummy time helps him develop motor skills that eventually lead to big milestones like rolling over, sitting and crawling. Finally, while all toys on this list are designed to be used when your baby is fully alert and awake and with your full supervision, that’s especially important with plastic materials. Make sure to always watch your baby closely while he’s using this mat to make sure his face doesn’t get pressed up against the plastic, Dr. Posner says.

Melissa also said it doesn’t work great on carpet: It’s best on hard wood and foam mats without any texture to them. But even with the sound off, toys that light up and play music aren’t for everyone — some babies, and parents, too, find them overstimulating. If that’s the case for you, this is one to skip. This bee does a particularly good job of growing with your baby, too. It has three different play modes: one as a simple bee rattle;, another where the bee sits in the cloud and moves in a circle, which is ( ideal for tummy time;little ones on their tummies who can’t yet move to chase it around) and a third stage where it moves in a random pattern, which (great once your baby can start crawling after it).

Medical Review Policy

Development: Consider your baby’s current age when purchasing a tummy time toy, as well as how you might use it in the future. Is the toy developmentally appropriate for your baby now, but also offer opportunities for him to play with it when he’s a little older?

We brought this toy whenever we’d visit my mother and mother-in-law, since it easily fits in a suitcase and provides so much entertainment,” says Leah. “Even when we’d turn off the sound, my daughter was happy to spin the ball in the middle and press the buttons.” Christine added that it was the perfect travel toy, “because it folds flat and is soft and unbreakable.” Also nice: The high-contrast cards include a removable stroller link, so you can bring them with you on the go or remove the stroller link to loop the cards onto the mirror mount.Finally, the toy requires three AA batteries, which may be a turnoff for some parents who would prefer not to have to continuously replace them.

Because it’s on the small side (just over 6 inches tall and wide) and offers a few different ways to play, this is a great tummy time toy to bring with you when traveling. Despite being small, however, it’s not ideal for small spaces. Melissa found that the bee traveled wide, even when sitting on the cloud. We referenced guidelines from leading experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). We also interviewed three pediatricians: Gina Posner, M.D., F.A.A.P., a board-certified pediatrician practicing at MemorialCare Medical Group in Fountain Valley, California and member of the What to Expect Medical Review Board; Charisma Garcia, M.D., a pediatrician at Texas Children’s Health Plan and The Center for Children and Women; and Taryn Hill, M.D., a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, for additional information on tummy time play. In line with these recommendations, all of the products on this list: When choosing a baby activity gym, look out for colours, textures and fun features to help stimulate baby’s senses. Rattles, teethers and baby-safe mirrors encourage baby to reach and stretch, while overhead toy bars are great for lay and play fun. Some of our baby gyms feature prop pillows for a comfier tummy time, while others come with detachable toys for on the go. You don’t need a special mirror to encourage tummy time play — any mirror that baby can safely see at their eye level will work — but parents love that this Baby Einstein mirror is designed for tummy time and offers additional entertainment options for little ones.

It also scores points for being easy to assemble and disassemble, with many families saying they’ve taken it with them while traveling. Longevity: As with all baby gear, the best use of your money will be on products that you can use for as long as possible. For example, a mirror and high-contrast cards are ideal for the newest babies, but they might not hold the attention of an older baby for quite as long as toys they can manipulate.