6 Toys That Work When You Have a Baby and a Toddler

Sorted by the only question that matters at this stage: can I put it on the floor with both of them, or does one of them have to wait?

Verified age ranges · No batteries · Nothing that needs refereeing

Updated August 2026

Savannah Bell

Written by Savannah Bell

Mom of two under two. Currently outnumbered.

Mine are 22 months apart. Everybody warned me about the jealousy. Nobody warned me about the floor.

Because the actual problem is not that they fight over toys. It is that almost everything my toddler owns is a choking hazard for the baby, so the moment she starts crawling I am either following her around picking things up, or the toddler's things live on a shelf and he loses them too.

So I stopped sorting toys by age and started sorting them by one question. Can this go on the floor with both of them in the room?

Three answers, and they are how this list is ordered. Some things work for both. Some are the baby's alone. And some are genuinely toddler-only, which is fine as long as you know it before you buy rather than after.

Ages below are the ones Toddla publishes, not my guess.

The problem is not sharing. It is that a nine-month-old puts everything in her mouth and a two-year-old owns twenty things she should not.

1. Montessori Busy Board

★★★★★ 4.8 out of 5, 1,148 reviews

"My boys are in love with this busy board! They take it everywhere as it keeps them entertained. We love the fact that we can zip up and down the pages, so the boys can share. Screen-free entertainment? Yes, please! Would definitely recommend :)"

Steffi D.Verified
Two children sitting either side of the busy board, split into two halves, one each
Montessori Busy Board in blue Montessori Busy Board in pink The activities on each page Developmental benefits of the busy board Child using the board independently The board folded and fitting in a nappy bag Using the board on a car ride Using the board on a flight Close up of the busy board activities Two siblings using the busy board together
Ages
6 months to 5 years. Under 18 months, supervised
Why It Is First
It comes apart. The pages unzip, so one board becomes two and they get a half each. That is the entire reason it is at the top, and it is the only thing here that does it.
The Floor Test
Nothing detaches from a page. No buttons to prise off, no pieces to lose. It is the one thing in this house I can put down and walk to the kitchen.
What Each Of Them Does With It
She pats the textures and pulls the ribbons. He works the buckles and the laces. Same board, and neither of them is waiting.
See the Busy Board

2. Soft Building Blocks

★★★★★ 4.7 out of 5, 85 reviews

"These blocks are really well made. They come in the cutest colors (not obnoxious colors!), are durable for teething, soft enough to not hurt baby’s face mouth, and our son loves them."

L***BVerified
Toddler stacking soft silicone building blocks on a rug
The soft building blocks set All twelve blocks in the set Numbers printed on the blocks Shape and pattern matching on the blocks Soft enough for a teething baby Soft and safe block materials Blocks sized to reduce choking risk
Ages
6 months and up
Why It Made The List
Food-grade silicone, soft enough to chew on, and deliberately made too big to be a choking risk. That combination is rarer than it should be.
The Floor Test
Passes. She gums them while he builds towers out of them, and when he knocks the tower onto her nothing hurts.
See the Soft Blocks

3. Sensory Fruits and Veggies Sorting Set

★★★★★ 4.7 out of 5, 128 reviews

"MY 3 MONTH OLD BABY LOVES THESE TOYS. Very soft, many colors and different textures. My baby favorites were the corn, strawberry and Carrot. Beware , this toys HAVE TO BE HANDWASH, no laundry machine. Very cute toys, good size for infants. Good quality for the price."

S***MVerified
Child sorting the plush fruits and vegetables into baskets
The sensory fruits and veggies sorting set Child sorting the plush produce Suitable from six months Colour recognition through sorting Soft and safe materials with no small parts The set is machine washable Size guide for the sorting set
Ages
6 months and up
Why It Made The List
All plush, no small parts, and washable, which matters more than it sounds when one of them is teething on it. At six months it is texture and crinkle. At two it is sorting by color.
The Floor Test
Passes. It is the only set here where the pieces are safe for the baby and still interesting to the toddler.
See the Sorting Set

4. Rattle Toy Socks

★★★★★ 4.8 out of 5, 36 reviews

"My baby loves the feet rattles… the hand ones are meh. I got him them when he was just over 3 months old and he’s older but still love them. They are great to slip over socks that are already on too. The fact there are no sizes makes this good to grow with and fit all foot sizes."

M***sVerified
Baby kicking while wearing the rattle toy socks
The rattle toy socks set Baby wearing the rattle socks Close up of the animal rattles The wrist and ankle rattles laid out
Ages
Around 3 months and up, from what parents report
Why It Made The List
Hers alone, and the only thing on this list the toddler has no interest in taking, because it is on her feet. When you are outnumbered, a toy that cannot be confiscated is worth something.
The Floor Test
Not applicable. They go on, they stay on, there is nothing to drop.
See the Rattle Socks

5. Montessori Geometric Eggs

★★★★★ 4.8 out of 5, 1,148 reviews

"We are very pleased with the geometric eggs - my granddaughter really enjoys opening and closing them, they are a good size for her hands. They were easy to order, and swiftly dispatched. Regular tracking information was provided too. Thank you for a great shopping experience."

Ela M.Verified
Small hands twisting the geometric eggs open and closed
Montessori Geometric Eggs set in the carton Geometric eggs opened to show the shapes inside Close ups of the egg shapes and colours Egg sized for small hands Child playing with the geometric eggs Developmental benefits of the geometric eggs Sizing of the eggs and carton
Ages
12 months and up
Toddler Only
The eggs come apart into halves that are small enough to matter. This is a table toy or a high-chair toy in our house, not a floor one, and it goes back in its tray when we are done.
Why It Is Still Worth It
The twist is the same wrist movement as a doorknob or a lid, and it is one of the few things that holds him while I am feeding her.
See the Geometric Eggs

6. Montessori Farm Animal Set

★★★★★ 4.8 out of 5, 55 reviews

"This are a favorite in our house. This set helps my kiddos learn colors numbers animals and it helps with there motor skills too"

S***LVerified
Twenty piece Montessori farm animal set laid out on a table
The 20 piece farm animal set The barn that doubles as storage Colour matching with the animals Counting and early number play Pretend play with the farm set Child playing with the farm animals Size of the farm animal pieces
Ages
1 to 5 years
Toddler Only, And Be Honest About It
Twenty pieces. On a page about a crawling baby I am not going to pretend that is nothing. This one lives on the table, comes out when she is asleep or in the high chair, and gets counted back into its bag.
Why It Earns The Trouble
It is the longest he plays with anything. Twenty pieces is enough to sort, count and then invent something out of, which is how you get forty minutes instead of four.
See the Farm Animal Set

One Last Thing

If you take one thing from this, make it the sorting question rather than any particular toy. Once I started asking whether something could go on the floor with both of them, half of what we owned quietly moved to a shelf and the house got easier.

Most orders arrive in about a week. There is a 30-day trial if it turns out not to suit.

If I were buying one thing it would be the Busy Board, because it is the only one that solves the actual problem. It splits. They get a half each, at the same time, and nobody is waiting for a turn.

Savannah