The best tummy time toys your baby will adore

The best tummy time toys your baby will adore

by Samantha Ball |
Updated on

Tummy time is super important for your baby's development as it helps encourage your little one to reach so many important development milestones, such as rolling, crawling, pushing and even walking. But sometimes babies simply don’t like being laid on their tummies.

It’s important to engage with your baby and make those few minutes of being laid on their tummy exciting with toys and colourful play mats; that way they can start to enjoy it more and really look forward to their daily tummy play.

Editor's choice:
•Best tummy time mat: Inflatable water play mat - Buy now from Amazon**
•Best baby mirror: Bright Starts sit and see floor mirror -** Buy now from AmazonBest tummy time cushion: Nuby Penguin Tummy Time Pillow - Buy now from Amazon
Best light up baby toy: Baby Einstein Glow and Discover Lightbar Toy - Buy now from Argos

We’ve found the best tummy time toys that will help to stimulate your baby’s senses and best of all, help them to finally start enjoying that all-important tummy time, as well as the best tummy time mats and tummy time pillows to help support your baby throughout this exciting time.

Best tummy time mat

Your little one will be fascinated by the vivid sea world, with floating foam sea creatures that aim to develop your little one's hand-eye coordination. It’s easy to set up, just pump air into the edges and add water to the centre.

One mum reviewer said: 'My little one hated tummy time ever since birth, and wouldn’t even settle on our chests. However, after buying this he’s become more tolerant on his tummy and can be looking at the mat 30mins+ before getting board. It’s fantastic and the best £7 I ever spent (bought it on offer). I wouldn’t fill it all the way as the foam fish don’t move much and the baby didn’t like the feel of it , so filling it to about 70-80% meant he could squeeze, hit and roll all over it . One happy mum and baby!'

Pros

  • Non-toxic material
  • Easy to fill and inflate

Cons

  • Water may need changing regularly

Best pillow for tummy time

Sometimes all your need is something simple, and this tummy pillow is ideal to encourage your little one during tummy time as well as providing comfort. With a mirror, teething toy and squeaky owl, the pillow can help to develop your baby’s hand and eye coordination as well as helping to strengthen neck, arm and chest muscles.

One mum reviewer said: 'My baby girl really hated tummy time, she would angrily shout and then start crying when I put her in her stomach. Since using this pillow tummy time has become so much more bearable - it seems that she’s almost enjoying it now! The pillow is a really nice quality, it’s really soft and colourful which the baby likes, the only downside is that it can only be wiped clean - might be a problem going forward as my little girl is constantly dribbling and eating it.. would definitely recommend.'

Pros

  • Portable design
  • Interactive toys and mirror
  • Perfect for sensory play

Cons

  • Some reviewers say that it's more suited to smaller babies

Best animal-themed play mat

This mat provides extra comfort for your newborn and is the perfect plush for floor play. With leaf shaped rattles for those exploring hands, links for attaching baby's favourite toys and bright and colourful patterns, your baby will never grow tired of tummy time as the mat provides a lot of entertainment so your little one doesn’t get frustrated.

One mum reviewer said: 'Really great mat for newborns! I wasn’t sure what to get for my 6 week old boy to help with tummy time and didn’t want to go for an expensive play gym just yet. This mat is the first thing we play on in the morning, we have bare bum time on it and go out in the garden with it! It’s so easy to clean, has great patterns that grab his attention, including black and white stripes which are his fave! The toys and support cushion are great too. The fact that the cushion doesn’t attach is a good thing because when he’s on his tummy - he manoeuvres the cushion to whichever angle he is most comfortable with.'

Pros

  • Can attach toys onto it
  • Range of animal designs to choose from

Cons

  • Cushion may move slightly

Best baby mirror

Tummy time toys - Bright Starts sit and see floor mirror

Rrp: £10.99

Price: £10.29
Alternative retailers
Target$10.29View offer
Walmart$19.80View offer

Every day babies learn new things about the world and about themselves, so this mirror is perfect for tummy time. It encourages your baby to start holding their head up and start to see themselves in the mirror. You can even lay down next to your baby and pull funny faces into the large mirror and watch their little face light up.

One mum reviewer said: 'Love this, was using a small make up mirror until my son got more mobile and this is so safe and age appropriate! Great prop to get more mileage from tummy time! You got get as bored when there’s another baby just as confused about being on their tummy looking back at you in consolidation!!! Bought when my son was 14 weeks but wish we had it much sooner!! He really enjoys it. Great buy and there’s a lot of baby products I wouldn’t say that about!!'

Pros

  • Can be folded down when not in use
  • Leaves crinkle

Cons

  • May get smeared with fingerprints so will need cleaning

Best tummy time toy with sounds

Your little one will soon learn that the more they kick their little legs, the more the music plays! The attachable toys can hang over your baby or hook on to the mat to help encourage them to play and interact with them.

One mum reviewer said: 'My baby boy was born blind and I was looking for a playmat that was more musical, so many are heavily visual. This mat is perfect, he loves kicking his feet to play the music and is also able to find the toys above him. I’ve swapped the toys for ones more appropriate for his needs but great for this to be an option.'

Pros

  • 2 musical settings
  • Adjustable volume

Cons

  • Mat is thin

Best tummy time cushion

Suitable from birth onwards, the penguin tummy time pillow cuddles your little one as they enjoy tummy time, and it includes polar bear teddies and a super cute penguin teddy with a mirror on its tummy. The different fabrics such as crinkle face, satin ears and soft plush arms make it fun for you baby to explore different textures.

A reviewer said: 'I dread doing tummy time with my daughter because I see how uncomfortable it is for her and makes her cry so much. To be honest I didn't expect this pillow to make a difference but wow it has! As soon as I put her on it she popped her head up straight away and was smiling! She now enjoys tummy time and we both no longer dread it. The toys are great and I love the neutral colours. It's also really soft and feels nice. I would definitely recommend this. Big thumbs up from us!!'

Pros

  • Safe for newborns
  • Lightweight and portable

Cons

  • Not suitable for tumble drying

Best tummy time activity

Tummy time toys - Fisher-Price Music u0026amp; Vibe Sloth Tummy Wedge
Price: £56.96

We love this sloth design tummy time wedge. With a big crinkle panel, it also features soothing vibrations to calm your baby, helping to develop their sensory skills and gross motor skills while helping baby feel safe, happy and secure while enjoying tummy time play.

A reviewer said: 'Bought for 3 month old grandson as tummy time play, and it's delightful. Silky soft with a crinkly sloth head 2 attached toys and a very sensitive music button that will turn on if pressed (or if baby's head/tummy catches it). With lots of different settings (accessed by the box neatly hidden away on the underside of the wedge) such as music only, vibration only (or both), loud or soft volume, 15 seconds or 10 mins duration (and pressing down for a few seconds on the music button will turn it off), it gives lots of options. If I were to be picky, then I would suggest that a few more sensory/touch items on the body of the tummy wedge itself would be great, but its brightly coloured and I take nothing away from its effectiveness or value for money. A great addition to baby fun time.'

Pros

  • Vibrates as well as playing music
  • Machine washable

Cons

  • Could be bigger

Best light up baby toy

With bold colours, fun animals, bright lights and catchy melodies, this lightbar is ideal for growing babies during tummy time! The bar lights up when baby touches the colorful sections or spins the rattle drum to stimulate baby's sense of sound with three different modes including animal sounds, colors, and xylophone sounds.

One mum reviewer says: 'I put this in a baby box for my new great niece with no real idea if it would be appropriate. She’s now 3 months old and this is her favourite toy. I know this because it’s a constant in the videos I get sent and her mum told me. It was one of the first things she reached for when she learned to roll over. From what I can see the lights and dreadful music are the main attractions. Inadvertent success for me.'

Pros

  • Each bar is a different colour
  • Batteries are included

Cons

  • Not suitable for those with epilepsy due to flashing lights

When can I start tummy time?

According to the NHS, it's safe to start tummy time from when your baby is a newborn. If you don't feel comfortable putting them onto the floor, you can start by placing them on your chest (make sure that they can't roll off and that you don't fall asleep during this). You can start to gradually increase the time each time you do this and then progress to toys and mats when they're ready.

Things to consider when buying tummy time toys

Stability - Comfort is key, but you also want to make sure that your baby is safe and stable enough that they won't hurt themselves if they drop their head or roll over. Many tummy time mats and cushions have extra support and padding.

Engagement - Will the toy keep them engaged? Does it have fun lights and sounds or colours that will draw their attention to it and therefore encourage them to do tummy time for longer without getting bored or agitated? Mirrors and musical baby toys are a great shout too.

Sensory play - Are there any aspects of the toy that are ideal for sensory play? Look for products which have crinkly pieces, different textures and different shaped pieces for them to explore with their hands.

How we test and choose recommended products

Our product recommendations are based on a combination of real-world testing from our burgeoning army of mum testers and the extensive knowledge of our experienced editorial team and product specialists. Where we can, we also consult experts who specialise in that field to ensure you get the right advice along with the right product, and we listen to what you say as well.

Our thriving mum community on our Facebook group #mumtribe consistently provides great insights into which products mums like best and why, helping us highlight the products that will meet your needs.

For essential products, our annual Mother&Baby Awards shortlist the top products tested. Full reviews from our mum testers can be found on our product pages. The winners and runners-up for each category will also appear in our top picks article for that product, along with other products that were rated highly by our team.

Samantha Ball is a Product & Lifestyle Writer for Mother&Baby and freelanced for the website for two years before joining the team full time. She's a mum of two and loves browsing for the best products and cute outfits.

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Mother & Baby is dedicated to ensuring our information is always valuable and trustworthy, which is why we only use reputable resources such as the NHS, reviewed medical papers, or the advice of a credible doctor, GP, midwife, psychotherapist, gynaecologist or other medical professionals. Where possible, our articles are medically reviewed or contain expert advice. Our writers are all kept up to date on the latest safety advice for all the products we recommend and follow strict reporting guidelines to ensure our content comes from credible sources. Remember to always consult a medical professional if you have any worries. Our articles are not intended to replace professional advice from your GP or midwife.