Baby toys: bath, sensory and wooden toys to help develop cognitive and fine motor skills for your baby

Toys are so important for a baby and young child, not only are they fun but they are also educational
Bath, sensory and wooden toys to help develop cognitive and fine motor skills for your babyBath, sensory and wooden toys to help develop cognitive and fine motor skills for your baby
Bath, sensory and wooden toys to help develop cognitive and fine motor skills for your baby

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

This is a selection of top wooden, bath and sensory toys, all designed to help with your baby’s development.

All of them can help your new bundle of joy to learn how to do things such as solve problems and share.

From cognitive and physical development to emotional and social growth, the benefits of play and using toys help a baby grow are acknowledged by the NHS.

Through play, even babies can learn more about themselves and the world around them.

Playing with your baby can help them achieve important physical milestones, develop their brains, teach them about emotions and social skills and encourage their language development too.

During the early months, everything is an opportunity for play - from morning right through to bath time and bedtime.

For even more things to help you look after your new addition to your family, check out our guides to the best baby monitors and also the top baby car seats.

The little ones can splash and spray at playtime with these super-cute Peppa Pig bath float squirters.

Whether they imagine lots of fun adventures in the water or have fun squeezing and splashing, children will love playing in the bath with these fun toys.

They show their favourite characters wearing their swimming costumes, with Peppa and George in their armbands.

It’s time for some bath time fun with this water-based game.

Kids will love trying to catch the Octopals with the colourful fishing line. Or, they can stick the Octopals on the tiles or tub to watch the tentacles spin around and around.

For an added fun surprise, the fishing rod’s handle detaches to provide a fun water squirter.

With lots of engaging features and plenty of bright colours, kids will love having fun in the bath with this game.

For ages 18 months and over.

Get ready for lift off in the tub with this fun and interactive toy.

Dip the rocket under water and watch it fill up. Youngsters can even trace the level of water by seeing what the stowaway starfish is up to.

Hold your fountain rocket up high and see how the water flows beautifully in to a dome shape.

A great bath toy for ages 12 months and up.

With this toy bakers of the future can step into the tub and into the kitchen all at once.

They can make believe they’re cooking up a mouth-watering feast with a versatile oven/hob cooker combination and a kitchen sink with working tap.

Using the suction pads that cling to the bath or to any tiled surface, they can lock the two units together as one or set up each one separately so it’s also ideal if siblings want to share or do their own thing at opposite ends of the tub.

Colourful cookware includes a pan that doubles as a water pourer. Place it on the hob, add some water and pump the yellow button.

If they look inside and they’ll see bubbles rising for a simmering effect. Add a few drops of bubble bath and send thousands of bubbles ‘boiling’ over the top.

There’s a ladle for scooping and stirring, plus a pie dish that slides in past the oven door. Turn the plug and the sink empties straight into the bath.

This toy fosters imaginative, collaborative role play and develops your children’s communication skills.

The set helps refine their motor skills as they explore the links between cause and effect, learn to share and become more confident around water.

Suitable for children 18 months and over.

This wooden activity cube includes five different activities on the top and four sides: a spinning learning frame, a clock with movable clock hands, a wipe-clean chalkboard, a wooden xylophone and a bead maze.

Your little one can learn about colours and shapes, numbers and counting, the names of different objects, telling the time and music too.

With lots to explore you, or siblings, can share the fun and play together. When it’s time to put it away, the bead maze lifts up as a panel and can be stored inside the cube to take up less space.

Handling the bead maze helps strengthen little fingers and promotes hand-to-eye coordination, and the number flip board side will get them thinking and counting.

They can also explore their creative side and use the chalkboard to write, scribble and sketch.

Children will love making up new adventures with this wooden Disney Princess toy.

These durable toys are perfect for little storytellers. Kids can join their favourite Disney princesses on lots of fun adventures, using the matching carriage to help start the fun.

They’re made from durable and sustainable FSC‐certified wood, making them the ideal choice for younger children.

There are 2 different options in the range: Moana’s Sea Voyager and Jasmine’s Magic Carpet. Each set includes a wooden princess figure and a carriage. Styles vary.

Encourage your little musicians to blossom with this xylophone.

Help them create unique sounds and compose fun songs, whilst introducing musical notes and different colours to their learnings as they start their journey to become mini musicians.

Not only will your little ones enjoy hours of fun, the xylophone is perfect for developing children’s motor skills, hand-eye coordination and colour recognition.

This wooden toy will help children keep their play area nice and tidy, all while having fun.

The set includes a sturdy wooden block with a contrast lid and eight easy-to-grip blocks in different colours and shapes.

This toy helps little ones develop fine motor skills, problem solving and recognition, as they learn to put each piece through its matching window.

Suitable for children 1 year and over.

This is an online only product.

Encourage your baby to explore sizes, shapes and sequences with these sensory stacking rings from Early Learning Centre.

It features textured designs to stimulate their senses and help with teething and they can fit each ring onto the cone to develop motor skills and wobble the base for extra fun.

Complete with a giraffe head for a friendly finishing touch.

Suitable from 6 months.

It’s full steam ahead for learning and fun alphabet adventures with the ABC train from Mega Blocks.

This learning set has brightly coloured letter blocks from A to Z, which easily stack on three rolling bases to form a moving train.

Young builders can have all their senses stimulated and have fun getting the letters in the right order. As they grow they can even move on to spelling out words.

Plus, they can build all sorts of wonderful creations from towers to stations, thanks to the special shapes that come included.

Suitable for children 1-5 years, and only available for home delivery.

This educational toy from Vtech makes lots of fun sounds on contact and is perfect for children who are just finding their musical ability.

What could be more fun than learning about shapes, colours and animals while banging a drum?

Little hands can drop the shape blocks into it as they develop their fine motor and language skills. Once they’re all in, simply pop the top off to take them out and play again.

Suitable for children 1 to 3 years.

Related topics: