Best Crinkle Toys for Babies [2021]
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Entertaining a baby can be an exhausting task! Between trying to calm my wriggly baby and epic nappy change nightmares, I’ve blown enough raspberries for at least ten lifetimes.
Sometimes I just need a break.
It feels like I’ve tried a million and one different toys, but it seems like crinkle toys make the biggest impact on my little ones. There’s something about the crackling and crunching of fabric that captures their attention and imagination.
The best thing about crinkle toys is that they offer a sensory experience for your baby. Sensory toys can have the following benefits for your baby:
- Help relax and focus;
- Helps develop motor skills;
- Stimulates brain activity;
- Enhances coordination
For all the mummies out there looking for stimulating toys to keep their little angels occupied, we put together this list of the best crinkle toys for babies:
The Dingle Dangle
The Dingle Dangle baby toy is the must-have multi-sensory parenting “toolkit” and one of the best crinkly toys on the market. Nominated as one of the best new products of 2021 by the British Baby Product Association, the Dingle Dangle makes the perfect new parent gift.
The cool thing about the Dingle Dangle? It has four separate uses all in one baby toy. It can transform into a:
- Hands-free nappy change helper;
- Portable mobile;
- Sensory rattle; and
- Soft, chewy teether.
What crinkly elements makes the Dingle Dangle one of the best crinkle toys for babies?
First, the center of the sensory rod has a crinkly material underneath which makes the rod sensory for both touch and sound for your baby. Babies just love the look and feel - which is capped off by food grade silicone teethers on the end.
Secondly, the pufferfish rattle has crinkly elements embedded in its sensory black-and-white fins. Simply bend the rod into a "U" shape and twist into the pufferfish and you have an incredibly fun and sensory rattle to entertain your baby.
While it makes for an amazing crinkly toy for babies, the Dingle Dangle is so much more than that! It is especially great for Dads who can wear the nappy change helper on their heads to help interact with their newborn baby.
It’s one of the only products on the market that was designed with both Mum’s and Dads in mind!
The Dingle Dangle Bundle is sold in a bundle including the sensory rod, the rattle, and mobile octopus toy.
Freddie the Firefly, Lamaze
Freddie the Firefly by Lamaze is one of the best crinkle toys for babies on the market today. We have one in our home and our baby just loves the cuddly softness of this toy.
There’s a lot going on with this popular sensory toy:
- VISUAL SENSORY: It has bright, fun colours like yellow, purple, and green mixed with high contrast black and white patterns for visual sensory stimulation.
- TOUCH SENSORY: The discovery mirror, squeaker, crinkly wings and click-clack rings help to both stimulate and entertain your baby (my kids went crazy over that butterfly’s wings).
- CUDDLY: The body of this butterfly crinkle toy is made out of super soft velour which makes it very cuddly for your baby.
- TEETHER: This crinkle toy is designed with a clever pull out teether that will both entertain and help soothe your baby.
- ATTACH TO CAR COT, CAR SEAT, PRAM: Freddie the Firefly comes with plastic rings that can be attached to any type of pram or cot, as well as to your baby's activity centre.
Why I think Freddie the Firefly is one of the best crinkle toys for babies: I love the versatility of Freddie. He is super soft, cute and has sooo much to look at. It is so much more than a crinkle toy, it's a full sensory experience for any baby.
Infantino’s Big Top Discovery Cube
Try to say “Infantino’s Big Top Discovery Cube” ten times fast. I just call it the ‘pop-out-of-the-box-crinkly-thing’. Okay, so that’s a mouthful too. Whatever you call it, we think it's one of the best crinkle toys for babies in 2021.
There are plenty of innovative features on the Infantino Big Top Discovery Cube to facilitate learning through sight, touch and sound. The cube is one of the more interactive crinkle toys for babies on the market as it includes a peek-a-boo mirror, clacker rings, a hidden ball, star pocket and crinkles leaves.
Why I think the Infantino’s Big Top Discovery Cube is one of the best crinkle toys for babies: I think you get the best of both worlds from this crinkle toy: play + sensory stimulation. The interactiveness is a step up from other baby products. I also love the art on the cube which includes a cute little giraffe and horse.
Taggies Crinkle Me Toy
The Taggies Crinkle Me Toy is one of my favorite crinkle toys on the market. It’s square-shaped with a fun animal print on one side that babies are instantly drawn to (choose between elephant, duck, dog, monkey, fox, giraffe).
The ultra-crinkly center makes it a delight for your baby to play with. The eight colorful taggies along the edges allows for your baby to explore with his or her little fingers.
Why I think the Taggies Crinkle Me Toy is one of the best crinkle toys for babies: I personally found this toy helpful for keeping my babies entertained while we were out for a stroll. It clips on pretty easily to the stroller’s canopy and my kids loved to whack this toy around to make crinkly noises.
Teytoy’s My First Soft Book
I adore soft, crinkly books as newborn sensory toys because they did wonders for keeping my babies entertained. Teytoy's has an entire collection of soft crinkle books with different themes.
There are travel-themed ones with illustrations of aeroplanes and ships, and then fruit-themed ones with kiwi and oranges. Your infant probably won’t be able to tell what’s what, but talking to them about the different entries can help with their development.
My advice is to pick a book with the brightest, prettiest colours to keep your little one happy. I love the animal-themed one, with the Dolphin and seahorse!
Why I think Teytoy’s My First Soft Book is one of the best crinkle toys for babies: While Teytoy’s soft books are certainly entertaining, they made this list more because the company just gets that babies like to put everything in their mouths. I love that these soft books are made from non-toxic fabrics so I don’t have to worry about my baby putting the book up to her mouth.
I also think its one of the best crinkle toys for babies because it allows parent and baby to interact in a meaningful way. It’s all too easy to let your baby watch a video on an iPad, but being able to read a book to your baby is a great bonding experience at such a young age.
Baby Paper’s Crinkle Cuddlers
Baby Paper is a brand developed by a mother looking to keep her kids entertained at restaurants. She started out by handing them paper napkins, and eventually came up with the idea for Baby Paper.
They have a fair variety of crinkle toys for babies, but my kids took to the Crinkle Cuddlers the most. You can take your pick of different animals such as a pig, lamb, and a monkey. My favourite is the lamb!
Why I think Baby Paper’s Crinkle Cuddlers are one of the best crinkle toys for babies: This toy is great for when your baby starts going through the ‘holding onto things’ phase. You know, the phase where they grab your keys and just don’t let go, and then start giggling evilly when you ask for them back.
The Crinkle Cuddler is a great toy when changing your baby’s nappy - it offer that crucial two minutes of distraction you need to get the job done.
Crinkle Bunny Ear Wooden Ring Teether
I couldn’t make a list of the best crinkle toys for babies without mentioning these chic bunny ears.
This crinkle toy doubles as a teether, or maybe the teether doubles as a crinkle toy. Either way, it takes care of two problems with one set of ears. This teether is made from 100% organic wood, free from chemicals and all-natural.
The bunny ears come in different colours and patterns, so that you can pick your favourite from the lot.
Why I think Crinkle Bunny Ear Wooden Ring Teether is one of the best crinkle toys for babies: I love that this toy is 100% all-natural and organic. I also love the fact that it is wooden - which is a throwback to the types of toys I grew up with.
Tikiri - Fairytales Midnight Dragon
As a dedicated fantasy reader, dragons hold a special place in my heart. So I bought this toy mostly for myself, and pretended it was for my little angel. She loved it just as much as I did.
This toy is super baby-friendly. It’s soft with crinkly wings, but more importantly, it’s organic and easy to keep clean. The fabric is quite resilient, so your baby won’t tear through it while teething. Plus, the toy is designed in a way that discourages saliva and moisture from gathering.
This soft toy doubles as a teether, although it’s hard to watch my baby chew on the adorable dragon’s head! Some parents freeze teething toys before giving them to their babies, to help soothe inflamed gums. However, the NHS advises against this!
Why I think the Fairytales Midnight Dragon is one of the best crinkle toys for babies: I love toys that are made from organic all natural rubber. This toy goes one step further and is hand painted with soy-based ink - something you rarely see in the toy market. The crinkle fabric in the wings provides that little extra stimulation that my baby loves.
Conclusion
Crinkle toys are excellent infant sensory toys that help stimulate your baby’s development and keep the little one entertained. Whether you’re trying to keep your baby occupied at home or entertained during a stroll at the park, a crinkle toy is a perfect choice.
That wraps up my list of the best crinkle toys for babies. I hope your little ones have as much fun with these as mine did. What kind of crinkle toys do your kids love the most? Let us know!
Like this article? If you want more mother-approved recommendations, read more about the best premature baby gifts for 2022 or the best wedge changing mat!
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