How to Pick the Best Educational Toys for Babies in 2026

Posted on October 07, 2021 by Lubica Misevski

When choosing baby toys, do you pick something with high contrast, a wooden toy, something black and white or something to develop their motor skills? At KidzInc, we believe educational toys for babies is the best choice. No matter the colour or contrast.

When it comes to giving gifts to infants, we always think of their future. Babies learn from everything they see, touch, hear, smell, and gum.

They are learning to explore first their own hands and feet, then the incredible wide world around them.

As the holidays approach, many of us find ourselves trying to find the perfect gift for an infant, whether you are a proud (if exhausted) parent or a loving nearby relative or family friend who will be an important part of this infant's life.

While you could gift a basket of strawberry-banana mash, what will light up a baby's eyes is sensory toys.

After all, it's new senses and experiences that babies are learning from most of all - and exploring as pure delightful play.

We've put together some of our favourite sensory toys for infants that make fantastic gifts for the upcoming holidays or the special first birthday for the infant in your life.

The Skwish, a Manhattan Toy Classic

The Skwish is a sensory exploration of colourful wooden balls, posts, and springy string. The Squish flexes when you grab it, it bounces when you throw it, and it makes dozens of geometric shapes when looked at from any angle.

Babies can start to grasp the basics of STEM as soon as they can watch a toy fall and roll, making the classic Skwish one of the best for early sensory exploration.

It's no surprise this toy has won numerous awards for its simple yet perfectly fascinating design.

The Manhattan Toy Skwish is made from entirely renewable rubberwood with water-based non-toxic paints in bright primary colours. Every Skwish is double-tested and is ensured to exceed safety codes for both US and European markets.

Tobbles Neo by Fat Brain Toy Co

Babies love to stack, nest, and watch toys wobble. Why not give your infant a gift that does all three at once? Tobbles Neo is a beautiful six-cup stack of two-coloured wobbly cups, each slightly larger than the last.

Every foam cup has a two-tone colour you can name, its own weight, size, and place in the stack.

Babies will learn hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness while practising stacking, and their observation of both wobbles and fall-down stacks will teach them early lessons in how gravity and mass work together.

These tobbles are perfect for baby hands just learning to grasp and starting to stack. As a gift, tobbles will keep your baby happy long after they tire of playing with the wrapping paper; and they'll be learning crucial early development skills with every stack and tumble.

Lamaze Octivity Time: A Soft Sensory Octopus for Babies 6 Months +

Meet the octopus with a different adventure on every arm. Lamaze Octivity Time is a plush, rainbow-bright sensory toy for babies, and each of its eight tentacles invites a new discovery.

Little fingers can rattle the colourful rings together, scrunch fabrics that crackle, twirl a cheerful starfish and peek into a little mirror. There’s a soft starfish teether for those gummy, teething days too. A wide, smiling face gives babies something to focus on, while grabbing, tugging and cuddling the tentacles strengthens tiny hands and arms.

Every crackle and twirl shows baby that their actions make things happen, and the mirror sparks early self-recognition. Designed for babies from six months, Octivity Time is a huggable baby gift that keeps curious minds busy at home, in the pram or on the go.

PlayTab by Fat Brain Toy Co: Award-Winning Magnetic Activity Board for Babies 12 Months +

Busy boards have long been a favourite with little ones. PlayTab is one you can rebuild again and again, and it has the awards to prove it. PlayTab was named Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year at the 2026 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards, one of the toy industry’s most respected honours.

It starts with a sturdy wooden board, and the fun comes from the magnetic tiles you add to it. One tile has interlocking cogs to turn, another has bumpy buttons that squeak when pressed, another sends tiny balls rolling along a winding track, and there’s a numbered dial that clicks as it turns. Swap them around whenever your little one is ready for something new.

Each tile is a hands-on lesson in fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and cause and effect. The tiles lift off for travel, so tuck a couple into the nappy bag for café visits and car trips. Recommended from 12 months, PlayTab is a clever first birthday gift that grows with your child.

Mind Shapes Blocks by Wimmer-Ferguson and Manhattan Toy (No Longer Available)

Every curious or critical thought your infant has, they are learning to think. Every time your infant experiences something new and tries to find a pattern, they become more able to find patterns and think critical thoughts in the future.

That is what Wimmer-Ferguson designed the Mind Shapes Blocks to inspire in infants and toddlers. Awareness, object permanence, and pattern building are key to early childhood development.

At a glance, these are three soft blocks, one sphere, one cube, and one pyramid. But look closer; you will find contrasting shapes, interesting pictures, and a unique chime inside each block.

The texture of the block fabrics is different from soft cloth to crinkle paper making these the perfect research-backed sensory toys for your infant or a baby in your family.

Dizzy Bees Magnetic Stack from Fat Brain Toy Co (No Longer Available)

Bees teach us all a little something about science. Everyone loves adorable buzzing honey bees; they teach us about colonies and pollination and how honey is made. But these bees teach about weak magnetic force and its gravity-defying effects.

The Dizzy Bees Magnetic Stack will delight infants and toddlers who already know about stacking blocks. These bees don't tumble, but they do wobble and stack on top of each other and their cute honeycomb stand.

These bees and their stand are made of soft silicone and ABS plastic, thoroughly safety tested and BPA free. In blue, orange, and green, the baby in your life will adore the Dizzy Bees without realizing they are gaining a lifelong love of STEM and science-based toys.

If you're choosing a special gift for your infant or a beautiful baby in your life, sensory toys that inspire early childhood development and STEM learning are the best kind of gift you can give. Give the gift of critical thinking from an early age and hours of fascinating fun this year.

You can find our full collections of educational toys for babies here

Posted in educational baby toys

How to Pick the Best Educational Toys for One Year Olds →

← STEM Foundations the Fun Way with Mecha The Mechancial Dragon Robot