From adorable mobiles to musical toys, there are so many cot toys to choose from.
There’s no doubt taken the time to choose a perfect cot on the market and an excellent mattress to go with it. But what about a selection of cot toys to entertain and soothe your little one?
After all, babies spend so much time in their cribs - awake and sleeping - a toy is likely to occupy and keep them busy for at least a few minutes (or hopefully longer).
Toys are also great for sensory development. Many are colourful and very visually appealing and others make sounds which can help soothe a tired or upset baby. Others have different textures to help your little one get to know different materials and the noises they make.
We’ve rounded up some of the best around, covering all different types - from mobiles and sleeping aids to musical toys. So whatever your budget and cot toy preference, there’s likely to be something that catches your eye.
Amazon’s top best-selling cot toy is the Fisher Price Butterfly Dreams mobile, which features music and a starry night light projection. It also grows with your baby, as it can be converted into a tabletop musical projection soother when they reach toddler age.
Some adults might enjoy more of a nostalgic toy for their little one - like the Very Hungry Caterpillar Spiral, available at John Lewis. Just like a real-life caterpillar would, the toy wraps around the bars of a crib and has three dropdown toys that babies can easily grab.
Some toys even recreate the soothing sounds of a lullaby, like the Peter Rabbit Musical toy which features Beatrix Potter's beloved character. Simply pull down the star when your baby is in their cot and the toy will play a calming tune for them to drift off to.
Here's our pick of the best cot toys
Tommee Tippee Bennie Rechargeable Light & Sound Sleep Aid
Cost: £29.99 at Argos
Age suitability: From birth.
Why we love it: This adorable night time companion is designed to help your baby get a better night's sleep. It features a soft heart shaped light, soothing sounds and gentle lullabies to help a child drift off.
Fisher-Price Butterfly Dreams Projection Mobile
Cost: £27.99 at Amazon
Age suitability: From birth.
Why we love it: This mobile not only plays music but also projects a starry light show onto ceilings and walls. There are three audio modes to choose from - lullaby music, white noise or soothing natural sounds.
Beatrix Potter Night Night Musical Peter Rabbit Toy
Cost: £18.46 at Amazon
Age suitability: From birth.
Why we love it: Beatrix Potter's beloved character comes to life with this sweet cot toy. Just pull down the star and Peter will play a soothing lullaby.
Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother
Cost: £46.44 at Amazon
Age suitability: From birth.
Why we love it: This toy offers classical melodies and soothing light effects and even comes with a "drift off" feature, which gradually softens lights and sounds every 10 minutes.
tumama Baby Toys
Cost: £17.99 at Amazon
Age suitability: From birth.
Why we love it: These plush animal toys will make a sound when shaken or squeezed - so help with a baby's sensory development.
Very Hungry Caterpillar Activity Spiral Toy
Cost: £17.99 at John Lewis
Age suitability: From birth.
Why we love it: This adorable creature is based on Eric Carle’s popular picture books. The spiral body can be wrapped around a cot and features three grabbable dropdown toys.
VTech Lullaby Sheep Cot Light
Cost: £20.03 at Amazon
Age suitability: From 1 month.
Why we love it: This adorable sheep character sings little ones to sleep, with 3 sing-along songs, 40 melodies, natural sounds and shushing sounds.
Jellycat Bunny Star Musical Pull
Cost: £23 at John Lewis
Age suitability: From birth.
Why we love it: This friendly bunny plays a lullaby for your little one, to help them drift into a blissful slumber.
Nuby Musical Cot Mobile
Cost: £24.99 at Argos
Age suitability: From brith.
Why we love it: This mobile has over 18 minutes of lullabies and classical music, as well as a colour-changing starlight projection for walls or a ceiling.
Done by Deer Raffi Activity Toy
Cost: £24.95 at John Lewis
Age suitability: From birth.
Why we love it: This friendly face is designed with a teether tab and rings to soothe itchy gums as well as soft, fluffy ears to comfort.
