The 4 month mark is a big deal in the life of your baby; they will be making big changes emotionally, cognitively, and physically. Babies will typically have doubled their birth weight at 4 months, and their vision will have drastically improved as well. Did you know that you can encourage your little one to meet their developmental milestones through play? That’s why it’s important to provide them with toys that are engaging and developmentally appropriate.

Just in case you need a little help in that department, we’ve put together this list of toys that will work for 4 month old babies of any gender, but that we think we will be perfect for baby boys. Do you know a little one that will be around 4 months old near Christmas, or Easter? Consider gifting one of these toys and give the gift of child development as well!

Before we get into the list of toys, take note of these specific milestones your 4 month old will be working towards according to the CDC:

Social/Emotional Milestones

• Smiles on his own to get your attention
• Chuckles (not yet a full laugh) when you try to make her laugh
• Looks at you, moves, or makes sounds to get or keep your attention

Cognitive Milestones (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

• If hungry, opens mouth when she sees breast or bottle
• Looks at his hands with interest

Movement/Physical Development Milestones

• Holds head steady without support when you are holding her
• Holds a toy when you put it in his hand
• Uses her arm to swing at toys
• Brings hands to mouth
• Pushes up onto elbows/forearms when on tummy

Keep these important milestones in mind when providing toys for your little one. There’s no reason they can’t have fun and learn at the same time! We’ve broken our list of toys up into categories and listed several suggestions for toys within each category.

Soft Blocks

Although your 4 month old may not be quite up to stacking blocks yet, he can definitely still interact with them! It’s important that the blocks are soft because there’s a good chance he’ll drop them on himself, as 4 month olds are still learning to grip toys in their hands. Try handing your baby a block and see how long he can hang on to it! The amount of time should increase as he gets older. We recommend choosing colorful, soft blocks like the ones listed below:

• Infantino Go gaga! Balls, Blocks & Buddies
• Baby Einstein Explore & Discover Soft Blocks Toys
• Melissa and Doug Match and Build Soft Blocks

Board Books

Board Books serve a variety of purposes for 4 month olds. No, we don’t expect your baby to be reading at this age! Board books are great for grabbing their attention, for stimulating their vision, and even for aiding in teething (who knew books were so yummy to chew on?). We recommend choosing board books that have a sensory element (such as something to touch, pet, or pop, or open). Even if your little one isn't quite ready to pop the button or open the flap yet, you can show them how it works and that’s another way to keep them engaged. PLUS, reading to your baby is a great bonding activity, and studies show that reading to babies at a young age promotes larger vocabularies and stronger literacy skills as they get older. Check out some of our favorite board books here:

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• Never Touch a Dinosaur by Rosie Greening
• Melissa and Doug “Poke-a-Dot” books: Who’s in the Ocean?
• Where is Baby’s Belly Button? by Karen Katz

Teething Toys

Did you know that babies typically start teething between 4 and 7 months? If you notice your baby is fussy or irritable, is drooling excessively, and/or is wanting to chew on their hands or a toy, they could be teething (yes- even as early as 4 months!) You might not be able to see any teeth popping through right away (usually the central incisors come in first, either on top or bottom) but their gums might be red and swollen; this means teeth are imminent. Thus, it’s never too early to introduce teething toys!

Teethers can provide great relief for uncomfortable babies; just make sure the ones that you buy are of a high quality, non-toxic material and don’t have any small parts or pieces that could break off and potentially be a choking hazard. Mom tip: put your teethers in the fridge or freezer for extra comfort! Here are some of the best teething toys on the market:

• Tasty Tie 
• HABA Clutching Toy Petal - Silicone Teether
• Baby Mushroom Teether Toy
• Itzy Ritzy Cutie Coolers 3pk Teether Set

Rattles 

Many rattles are multi-use, functional toys that stimulate a baby's sensory and visual development and gross motor skills. Rattles promote 2-handed play, an important skill that babies can start exploring around 4 months, and some can even double as a teething toy. Just remember, teething toy or not, 4 month olds will typically try to bring everything to their mouth, so ensure that whatever rattle(s) you provide are safe for them to chew on. These are some of our favorites:

• Infantino Go gaga! Wrist Rattles - Fox & Owl
• Bright Starts Oball Shaker Rattle Toy
• Bright Starts Oball Rattle Easy-Grasp Toy
• Fisher-Price Rattle 'n Rock Maracas

Activity Mats

Activity Mats are also multi-use toys for little ones; at this age they should still be working on tummy time, and yet they’re old enough to need a little extra motivation and stimulation to stay on their bellies. Activity Mats usually have some soft toys hanging from the top that can catch baby’s attention and stimulate their “grab” reflex, and some have a mirror for additional visual stimulation.

Sometimes the toys clip on and off so baby can hold them and (of course) put them in their mouth, and some mats even offer some type of musical instrument or buttons for baby to try to kick with their feet. All in all, activity mats are great for keeping baby stimulated while also promoting tummy time and gross motor skills. Check out our picks here:

• Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick & Play Piano Gym
• The Play Gym by LovEvery
• Baby Einstein 4-in-1 Kickin' Tunes Music and Language Discovery Activity Gym
• Bright Starts Tummy Time Prop & Play Mat

Are we missing anything from this list? What are some of your 4 month old baby boy’s favorite toys? Comment below!