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Toys that (safely!) encourage movement, language, and discovery. Kids Clear Umbrellas
As babies approach the half-year mark, they’ve already learned incredibly valuable developmental skills to help them discover the world around them. By 5 months, little ones are passing objects between their hands, mastering rolling over, and developing their core muscles as they get closer to sitting up independently. Developmentally appropriate toys can help infants refine these skills while learning new ones.
To select the best toys for 5-month-olds, we surveyed 875 parents about the toys their children play with, asking them to note their baby’s favorites and the skills they help them practice. When selecting and reviewing toys for 5-month-olds, we carefully considered safety, age recommendations, material, and value. Lastly, a licensed clinical psychologist on our Expert Board reviewed our article to ensure the accuracy of our content and the appropriateness of the toys we recommend for this age group.
Five-month-olds are just beginning to genuinely interact with toys, so there’s no shortage of options to keep them entertained at this stage. They particularly benefit from toys that stimulate the senses by featuring changing colors and interesting musical melodies, like the Baby Einstein Discover & Play Piano Musical Toy and the Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube.
At 5 months old, babies are learning how everything around them works…and they really want to try it out for themselves! Give them toys that reinforce the concepts of cause and effect, like the Melissa & Doug Soft Taco Fill & Spill, or books that encourage interaction on every page, like the Manhattan Toy Little Rocket Finds Home Soft Activity Crinkle Book.
Montessori toys are designed with natural learning opportunities in mind, so they typically aren’t electronic—they require kids to actively experiment with a toy or use it to discover other skills rather than simply “play” with it. The Montessori Wooden Rainbow Spinning Toy Drum, for example, gives 5-month-olds a chance to see what happens when they spin a colorful wooden drum around and around.
At 5 months, your baby may begin to sit up and roll from tummy to back (and back again!) and pull, tug, and push on anything in their reach. The Skip Hop Explore & More Baby’s View 3-Stage Activity Center is a perfect toy for encouraging the core muscle strength required to sit up independently, while toys like the Infantino Pat & Play Water Mat and Baby Einstein 4-in-1 Kickin' Tunes Music and Language Play Gym and Piano Tummy Time Activity Mat keep baby movin’ and groovin’ on their way towards new milestones.
Even if your 5-month-old doesn’t have any teeth just yet, that milestone is quickly approaching, and they’ll need some safe toys–like the Infantino Farmers Market Teether Gift Set–to chew, gnaw, and suck on as their baby teeth come in. Toys that engage their mouths can also help satisfy their sensory-seeking needs, along with toys that encourage them to reach for, stack, and shake up things, like the Sensory Pull Along Baby Tissue Box and the Baby Einstein Stack & Teethe Multi Texture Teether Toy.
To choose the best toys for 5-month-olds, we surveyed 875 parents who gave us valuable insights into the toys their children love and engage with. Then, we studied the design and features of dozens of toys on the market, monitored shopping trends so we could bring you the best and most up-to-date offerings, and also considered toy safety, age recommendations, developmental milestones, material, and value. Finally, we tested many of these toys with our own babies to ensure their safety and learn how effective they are in entertaining little ones.
Sarah Bradley is a freelance health and parenting writer from Connecticut, where she lives with her husband and three sons. As a homeschooling mom who works part-time, she understands the value of shopping for parenting products that are not only safe and affordable but make family life easier (and more fun!).
Ashley Ziegler is a staff and freelance writer who covers lifestyle, home, parenting, and commerce content for a variety of platforms. She’s a wife to a public school administrator and mom to 1-year-old and 3-year-old daughters. In addition to regularly scouring the internet to find the best things for herself, Ashley spends multiple hours a week researching, comparing, and writing about products specifically for kids and families.
Additional reporting by: Phoebe Sklansky and Katrina Cossey
Important Milestones: Your Baby by Six Months. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2023.
Acrylic Beanies How to Buy Safe Toys. American Academy of Pediatrics. 2021.