Best Amazon Australia Toys for New Parents (That Babies Actually Use)
When we were getting ready for our son to arrive, we spent way too long looking at toys. What does a newborn even need? Does it have to be educational? Does it have to be expensive?
The honest answer is no. Some of the toys he has loved most cost next to nothing. A few of them look almost too simple to be useful. But they kept him busy, helped him develop, and held his attention a lot longer than some of the pricier things we bought.
He is nine months old now. Most of what is on this list has been around since he was a few weeks old and he still reaches for it. That kind of staying power matters when you are buying things for a baby who changes every few months.
All of these are available on Amazon Australia. None of them will break the budget. And all of them are things we would buy again.
Table of Contents
1. Black and White Contrast Baby Book
This was one of the first things we put in front of our son and it made an immediate difference.
Something a lot of new parents do not know is that newborns cannot really see colour in the early weeks. Their vision is still developing and what they can pick up most clearly is strong contrast, so black and white patterns with bold edges. Bright colourful toys are kind of wasted on them at that stage.
The black and white pages in this book are made for exactly that window. Hold it up and a newborn will actually focus on it and track it as you move it around. That sounds small but it is real visual development happening in front of you.
Some of the black and white books come with a mirror that is equally useful. Babies are drawn to faces and a safe baby mirror gives them something to stare at and respond to. Our son was fascinated by his own reflection from very early on.
Simple, cheap, and genuinely one of the most useful newborn sensory toys we had.
2. Oball Rattle
We have bought this as a gift for other parents twice now. It is that straightforward and that good.
The Oball looks like a regular ball but it has a lattice of holes all the way around it. Those holes are the whole point. A newborn does not have the grip strength or coordination to hold a normal toy, but their fingers can catch in the holes of an Oball without even trying. That accidental grip is how they start learning to hold things on purpose.
Our son used it as a rattle, chewed on it constantly, and would just lie there shaking it and watching it. Every one of those things is early motor skill development. The beads inside make a gentle rattling sound when it moves which keeps them interested.
It is also light enough that when he inevitably whacked himself in the face it did not matter. That happened a lot.
- Shake up fun with three rattles in one!
- Award-winning design is made for little fingers
- Smooth, flexible toy for newborns and up
3. Fisher-Price Kick and Play Musical Piano Gym
This is the most expensive thing on the list and it earns its place because it really works across multiple stages.
In the early months it is a play gym. Baby lies on the mat and looks up at the hanging toys, reaching and batting at them. That builds tracking and reaching skills without you having to do anything except put them down.
The piano keyboard at the foot end is what makes it stand out. As their legs get stronger they start kicking it and the keys make music. Watching our son figure out that his kick caused a sound was a proper moment. He kicked it over and over just to confirm it kept working.
The songs are catchy to the point of being stuck in your head permanently. Just so you know.
When they outgrow the gym, the keyboard detaches and works as its own standalone toy. So you are really getting two things out of it over time.
- Baby toy toy set featuring Fisher-Price Glow and Grow Kick & Play Piano Gym activity playmat and Rattle ‘n Rock Maracas …
- Baby gym features music, lights & learning fun with 4 ways to play as your child grows: Lay & Play, Tummy Time, Sit & Pl…
- Smart Stages learning levels with 85+ songs, sounds and phrases that introduce animals, colors, numbers and shapes
4. Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack Rainbow Rings
The stacking rings toy has been around forever and it has lasted because it keeps being useful as the baby grows.
At the start the rings are just good to hold and chew on. They are smooth, easy to grip, and the right size for small hands. The red base ring has a ball inside that rattles when you shake it, which adds a bit of extra interest early on.
Later, around six or seven months, they start to figure out that the rings go on the post. They pull them off first. Then they try to put them back. Getting the ring onto the post takes coordination and attention and you can see them working it out. That kind of hands-on problem solving is exactly what developmental toys should be doing.
It is a simple toy but it stays relevant longer than a lot of things you will buy.
- Classic infant stacking toy with 5 colorful rings to grasp, shake, and stack
- Top ring has shiny surface with rattle beads inside
- Roly-poly rocker base for wibbly-wobbly, bat-at play
5. Fisher-Price Baby’s First Blocks Shape Sorter
This one is a bit more advanced than the others on the list. It is not a newborn toy, but from around seven or eight months it gets used all the time.
The idea is simple: chunky blocks in different shapes, and a bucket with matching holes in the lid. You put the right block through the right hole.
For a baby that is actually a decent challenge. They have to look at the shape, look at the holes, find the one that matches, and then get the block lined up correctly to fit through. It takes real focus. Our son plays with his constantly and does not always get it right yet, but he keeps going back to try again. That persistence is the whole point.
The blocks are chunky enough to just carry around and bang together too, which is a valid use of them as far as he is concerned.
- Set of 10 colorful blocks for baby to sort, stack and drop through the shape-sorter lid
- All blocks fit inside bucket for storage
- Easy-carry handle for take-along play
Worth Every Cent
None of these toys are fancy. Some of them look almost too basic when you first see them. But they have held our son’s attention across the first nine months of his life, and a few of them are still getting daily use.
If you are trying to figure out what to actually buy before your baby arrives, start with the contrast book and the Oball. Add the piano gym when you are ready for a bigger purchase. Then pick up the stacking rings and shape sorter as they get a bit older.
That covers most of what a baby actually needs in the first year, and it will not cost you a fortune.
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