With an ever-growing number of baby toys available on the market, it can be overwhelming to choose the right toys for your child. As babies continue to grow and learn, their interest in toys will change depending on their needs and preferences. However, there is one particular type of toy that is associated with babies - the hanging toy. Often seen attached to baby prams, car seats, or dangling from strollers and walkers, there is a reason why baby hanging toys are so popular with little ones.
To help you decide which hanging toys are the best for your baby, we’ve put together a guide on the top hanging toys on the market for 2023. Keep reading to find out why the hanging toy can be an essential part of your baby’s development, and to see our top picks for your little one, available to purchase online at Direct4Baby.
Why Do Babies Need Hanging Toys?
During their first three months, your baby’s eyesight is still developing. They are able to see moving objects much more easily than stationary ones. This makes hanging toys the perfect toy to create an ideal baby gym from the moment your baby is born. A colourful toy that moves and sways will encourage your baby to follow it with their eyes, and eventually they’ll reach for it - developing their hand-eye coordination.
What Age Do Babies Use a Baby Gym?
Baby gyms are suitable from as early as 6 weeks of age, with small toys hanging from their cradles or prams. At 3 months, as tummy time is introduced, there is likely to be a lot of activity, though at this stage they still don’t require much stimulation, so fancy toys are not essential. By the time your baby is 6 months old, they will be able to see the colours and shapes of the toys clearly. You can continue to change out the toys of your baby gym as the needs of your child change. At around 6 months when your baby can sit up and crawl, they will need more stimulating toys, such as walkers and rockers.
How Do I Play With My Two-Week Old Baby?
Just because your baby will get the most benefit from a baby gym at 3 months old, this doesn’t mean you can’t play with them at a younger age. From birth, there are several ways to incorporate hanging toys to keep your baby entertained.
Detachable hanging toys can be hung from prams, car seats, or above cots. Cots are a great way to engage your newborn baby, as they’re going to spend a lot of time on their backs. They won’t be able to distinguish colours or shapes very well yet, so it’s best to keep the hanging toys simple so they can focus on one object at a time, preparing them for more toys when they can practice tummy time.
Soft, touchable toys are also a good option, as you can lay your baby on your lap and hold the object above them to follow with their eyes, and allow them to feel different textures. You can accompany this play by making expressions and noises to make it more entertaining.
What Makes a Good Baby Gym?
When creating the perfect baby gym, there are a few points to consider if you want to get the most benefit from it, for both you and your baby. We’ve compiled a list of these key points to think about:
- Size: Your baby should be able to lie comfortably on their back or tummy to use the toys and be able to reach them. They shouldn’t be too big or bulky either, so that they can be placed flat on the floor to ensure maximum safety.
- Detachable Toys: As your baby grows and their skills develop, they’re going to want to grasp, swipe and chew on toys. So to keep them interested it’s best to invest in a number of toys to interchange between them - or to reduce the number if they’re struggling to focus on one thing at a time.
- Easy to Clean: Babies love to grab onto toys and often base their experiences of the world through their mouths! It is inevitable that the toys will get dirty, and the number of times your washing machine will run will double. Be sure to invest in toys that are free of any harmful chemicals in this stage of development.
- Avoid Over Complex Design: Babies are only able to see things that are close to them, and many objects may appear quite blurry. To avoid over complex design, we would recommend creating a minimal baby gym with a few toys in bright colours creating high contrast. This will allow them to define objects more clearly and avoid overstimulation.
The Best Hanging Toys For Babies 2023
There are many strong contenders on the market at the moment. But we’ve narrowed it down to the real stand-out hanging toys, that we know your little one will love.
Tiny Love Sunny Stroll - Magical Tales £27.95
The Tiny Love Sunny Stroll has a minimalist design and colour scheme, allowing your baby to develop their eyesight with contrasting colours. This toy is suitable for use from birth, the universal clips make it ideal for travelling, as it can be clipped to a cot, pram, or car seat. The arch is also bendable, so can be height adjusted, dependent on the needs of your baby.
This hanging toy can also play four different tunes, which can be activated by your baby to give them more entertainment and stimulation. The arch has three toys attached to it, and three that dangle, giving the baby lots of options without the risk of overstimulation.
Tiny Love Black & White Gymini | Magical Tales £64.95
Following on from the Sunny Stroll, this deluxe baby gym is designed to inspire your baby’s imagination, with lots of different options to ensure that their skills are developing. The colour contrast also means that your baby can focus on individual toys and elements.
The arches are detachable and collapsible, allowing for both tummy time and overhead play. The soft mat also comes with a tummy time pillow for upper body exercise, whilst the mirror encourages head lifting. The electronic bird toy can provide 30 minutes of music with 20 different tunes to provide an even more sensory experience. Though it is suitable for use from birth, babies around 3 months of age will get the most benefit from this toy.
My Lovely World 3-in-1 Activity Centre £99.99
Suitable for babies from 6 months of age, this 3-in-1 toy is perfect for babies who have outgrown their baby gyms. With three hanging toys dangling from the arches, your baby will be able to practice their grasping and motor skills, by using the secure bounce pad to reach for them. The toy is equipped with lights, sounds, and bright colours to stimulate further learning and development.
And, when the activity centre toys are not in use, this versatile centre can be used as a play table with a seat, so it is suitable for toddlers to use, making it ideal for extended use as your baby grows. This also makes the activity centre an excellent, affordable investment, as it is built to adapt and grow with your little one.
Get the Best Hanging Toys for Babies at Direct4Baby
Whether you’re looking for a small and simple toy for your newborn, or wanting to create the ideal baby gym that works throughout the key developmental stages, Direct4Baby has you covered.
Our range of toys for 2023 features some of the best on the market, perfect for keeping your little ones entertained and engaged. Shop our full range of baby toys including playmats and gyms, soft toys and more online.