Toys For 4 Month Old Baby - Types, Benefits and What to Buy

Have a 4 month old baby and are not sure how to keep them occupied as they are awake for more hours? Is your baby crying for attention and not letting you focus on anything apart from them? Babies start getting bored. They need something interesting and stimulating. Toys for 4 month old baby could be the solution you may be looking for.

How Much Playtime Does a 4 Month Old Baby Need?

A 4 month old baby is more active and awake for a longer time than a 3 month old. You can provide active play time for a good half an hour, spread through their awake windows.

You can let them explore and play on their own for however long they want. This usually lasts just a few minutes each awake window.

Overall, it might sum up to an hour of solo play time for a 4 month old.

[Read : Tips To Buy Safe Toys For Babies]

When Should You Start Buying Baby Toys?

Babies are ready to play with toys from around 2 months of age. They are ready to learn, explore and observe. Toys teach them many skills which we, as parents, are unaware of.

While a 2 month old baby may need a parent to constantly watch and help them play with toys, this need reduces as the baby grows and starts becoming more independent. A 4 month old baby is able to play better and learn much more with toys.

What to Consider While Buying Toys For a 4 Month Old Baby?

Here are a few factors to consider before you invest in toys for a 4 month old:

1. Safety

Your baby can roll over and reach for a toy they want. Ensure all the toys around them are safe without any sharp or tiny parts that can dislodge in their mouths. Your baby will mouth and chew on everything they can grab. Molded toys are the safest for this age group.

2. Size/Weight

Your baby can now grab, lift and shake the toys with enough strength. Ensure the toys are not too heavy or big as they can hurt themselves with them.

3. Movement

Your baby will try to move using their arms or feet. They will master rolling over in both directions and use this to move to their target. Buying them toys that move or roll when touched can encourage your baby to move in different ways.

4. Colors

Your baby can understand colors and most babies like bright colors. Buy toys in a variety of bright colors. You can use them to teach your baby colors, as they grow up too.

5. Suitability

The toy must be suitable for a four month old. Your baby should have fun, learn, and gain knowledge by playing with the toy.

List of Top 7 Types of Toys to Buy For a 4 Month Old Baby

Here are some of the best types of toys you can consider buying for your little one.

1. Teething Toys

Your baby may not have teeth yet, but they will crave to chew or bite down on something. Some babies will bite anything they can grab.

How Can Teething Toys Help a 4 Month Old Baby?

Skill Development	Benefits
Improves Oral Health	Chewing something hard and firm with their bare gums can strengthen it, and increase saliva production, which is essential for oral health as well as digestion.
Strengthens Gums	Biting on something hard can increase the firmness and strength of the gums. As the baby gets used to the teether, it won’t hurt biting it anymore, which indicates the gums are stronger.

Teething Toys You May Want to Consider For a 4 Month Old Baby

Silicone teethers with different textures
Hard teethers of various shapes
Teething rattle ball

Few Top Brands in India For Buying Teething Toys

Mee Mee
Babyhug

2. Musical Toys

Humans are tuned to listen to and enjoy music in some form or the other. There are mild musical toys, toys with very loud music and toys with songs. They are quick to grab the baby’s attention.

How Can Musical Toys Help a 4 Month Old Baby?

Skill Development	Benefits
Develop Preference/Liking	When a baby prefers a particular musical toy or responds positively, to certain musical toys, it shows they like it. Musical toys help babies understand their likes and dislikes.
Association	As the baby hears the music over and over again, they will associate certain actions resulting in the music. They will fiddle around until they identify how to start the music.

Musical Toys You May Want to Consider For a 4 Month Old Baby

Moving vehicles or animals with lights and music
Toy phone

Few Top Brands in India For Buying Musical Toys

Kevil
Little Monkey
Funblast

[Read : Classical Music For Babies]

3. Educational Toys

Babies learn very well from active play. Some toys are designed to stimulate independent thinking and understanding of how things work. Giving your baby educational toys can help speed up their development and cross milestones faster.

Some concepts, when taught through play, will stay in your mind longer. Similarly, with educational toys, your baby learns many new things in a fun way, which will stay in their minds longer.

How Can Educational Toys Help a 4 Month Old Baby?

Skill Development	Benefits
Cognitive Development	It stimulates thinking, trying to understand and observe how everything works. This lays the foundation for independent thinking and analysis for the baby.
Perception	There is no single way to use or play with a toy. Babies will have different perceptions when you hand them a toy and they will play with it accordingly. This promotes independent thinking and gives their perception some value.

Educational Toys You May Want to Consider For a 4 Month Old Baby

Plush musical toys
Interactive plush toys
Baby piano

Few Top Brands in India For Buying Educational Toys

Creatives
Funskool – Giggles

[Read : Motor and Cognitive Skills Development Of A Baby 0-12 Months]

4. Activity Toys

As your baby’s limbs get stronger, you need to give them toys that will make them move their hands and legs in multiple ways. It will not only expand the muscles’ functioning but motivate them to try many things as well.

How Can Activity Toys Help a 4 Month Old Baby?

Skill Development	Benefits
Interactive Play	When you perform some activity or teach your baby to do some activity with the toy, you are playing with them and interacting too. Interactive play can help a child develop faster and remember longer.
Improve Focus	To complete the activity, your baby will have to focus on the task. This improves their focus and minimises distractions.
New Concepts	Different activity toys are designed based on different concepts. As your child plays with one activity toy and another, they understand and learn new concepts.

Activity Toys You May Want to Consider For a 4 Month Old Baby

Shape sorter
Multi-activity toys (shape sorter + music + texture)

Few Top Brands in India For Buying Activity Toys

Funskool
Ratnas

[Read : When Do Babies Start Grabbing Objects?]

5. Calming Toys

Babies get agitated and insecure when there are many changes around them. They are too young to regulate their feelings. They need external interference to help calm them down. As a parent cannot constantly stay with or calm down the child, a calming toy can become their companion in times of agitation.

How Can Calming Toy Help a 4 Month Old Baby?

Skill Development	Benefits
Restore Confidence	Toys the baby is used to can restore the confidence that they are in a safe place and everything is OK. When babies sense things are out of sync or different, they panic and start crying. The toy can reassure them.
Help Relax	Agitation and frustration are not healthy for a baby’s mental state or development. calming toys can help the baby relax and be more receptive to the new environment or changes around them.

Calming Toys You May Want to Consider For a 4 Month Old Baby

Toys with mild music and slow-changing lights
Water filled toys
Toys with white noise

Few Top Brands in India For Buying Calming Toys

MeeMee
Babyhug

6. Crib Toys

When your baby is in their crib, all alone, they can get bored easily and resist staying inside. A good toy to keep them occupied is all they need. Toys specifically designed for usage in the crib are those good toys.

How Can Crib Toys Help a 4 Month Old Baby?

Skill Development	Benefits
Relax	Everything happening around the baby can be stimuli that prevent them from falling asleep. Crib toys prevent external distraction and help the baby relax and drift off to sleep. Falling asleep in a relaxed state of mind promoted a better quality of sleep which is essential for a baby’s growth.
Keep Company	Some babies do not like to be left alone. When they have their crib toys for company, they are less demanding and pacify themselves without bothering you.

Crib Toys You May Want to Consider For a 4 Month Old Baby

Musical spinning cot mobile
Plush toys

Few Top Brands in India For Buying Crib Toys

Mee Mee
Babyhug
Abracadabra

7. Rattle Toys

Babies love noise and when a toy can make a lot of noise as and when they shake it, babies will love it even more.

How Can Rattle Toys Help a 4 Month Old Baby?

Skill Development	Benefits
Improve Fingers’ Strength	Babies can’t hold for more than 2 or 3 seconds when they are 3 months old. When they are 4 months old, this duration increases. Holding a rattle and playing with it will help improve the fingers’ strength to hold on longer.
Helps Understand Correlation	When they shake it, it makes noise, the harder they shake, the louder the noise, and babies will understand the correlation between their action and the reaction from the rattle. Some rattles come with colour beads in them. Babies will shake to see how these beads move.

Rattle Toys You May Want to Consider For a 4 Month Old Baby

Rattle rings
See-through rattles with colorful beads
Rattle balls

Few Top Brands in India For Buying Rattle Toys

Giggles
Craft Hand
Ratnas

Toys are a great way to introduce new activities to your baby. It is active and passive learning combined in one. Your baby learns a lot about skills and concepts while playing, which tends to stay in their memory forever.

Toys For 4 Month Old Baby – Types, Benefits and What to Buy