11 favourite car toys for your 0-12 month old baby
The perfect car trip toys for babies under 1
The toys on this list are pretty-much guaranteed to buy you a bit of quiet time in the car and keep your baby learning and entertained as you travel.
I recommend keeping a small selection of toys (2-5 toys) in the car that are only played with whilst you drive. It means there’s always toys in the car and the novelty doesn’t wear off before you’ve left the driveway. We add some favourites from home too, for longer drives.
We kept a soft basket full of toys to maximise how we could spend driving before stopping to pick them all up from the floor. We had a FOMO baby so…sleeping in the car was not guaranteed even when Sprout was little. Thankfully these toys and her books kept Sprout entertained on all our long drives.
Oball
This brightly coloured ball comes in a variety of colours and with optional rattle sections. It’s suitable from birth, a useful travel toy and makes a great, inexpensive gift too.
We used clips from other toys to attach the Oball to Sprout’s seat during car trips or her pram.
Why I recommend:
Easy for little hands to hold
Open design helps with oral development and tongue movement
Easy to clean
Lightweight
Long “play life” - suitable for newborns, played with for years
Where to purchase
Available in store or online from Baby Bunting or Big W.
Toy Keys
There are so many options of toy keys, they’re a popular choice for car trips. I would look for a good teething option. A set that is easy to hold and brightly coloured to hold a younger baby’s interest - like the Dimple Clutch Key Ring.
We’ve had a few other Fat Brain Toy Co toys and they’ve been great quality, durable and well played with.
Why I recommend:
Safe for little mouths
Easy for small hands to hold
Bright colours - easier to find!
Easy to clean
Where to purchase
You’ll find this set online or in store at Baby Bunting or online only at Big W.
Grasping Rattle
Rattles are great for car trips and travelling. When looking for a rattle for car trips, a toy that is lightweight, brightly coloured, easy to hold and not too loud is great.
I like the Oball rattle. Otherwise, a soft stick rattle would be a lovely option - especially if you’re looking for gift ideas.
Why I recommend:
You can collect a variety of rattles and swap them out throughout the trip
Great for tummy time and nappy changes too
Suitable for newborns through to toddlers
Where to purchase
You can find the Oball rattle at the same retailers as the original Oball.
For gorgeous soft rattles - I recommend Jiggle and Giggle or similar. Sprout was able to hold a soft stick rattle as a tiny newborn, so I’d definitely recommend these for a new baby. They’re often found in local toy shops and specialty baby stores.
Teethers
We had SO many teethers for Sprout and we used absolutely all of them at different ages and stages.
We liked having at least 2 - 3 for long car rides for our sensory-seeking babe.
Our favourites were the Baby Grabber and Tetra range from ARK Therapeutic pictured here.
Why I recommend:
Teethers are great for soothing sore gums
Build stronger oral skills
Lots of variety - have a small collection that you can swap out during car rides
Requires zero parental input for baby play - great for long travel days!
Molar Teethers from ARK Therapeutic.
We had the Baby Grabber (light blue) and the Baby Tetra-Bite (green). The colour represents different hardness.
These were Sprout’s favourite teethers - and ours! Great quality, used by speechies and awesome for later in teething when your baby’s back teeth are coming in.
These ones are easily the best for building oral skills.
Buy from: ARK Therapeutic (US), Australian sensory stores (e.g. The Therapy Store).
Giraffe Teether
We had this Pink Giraffe Teether and it was awesome, Sprout used every day for several months. We found ours in a pharmacy, but I’ve added the link for Big W here.
Sophie the Giraffe is also very popular - available from Baby Bunting here.
Natural Rubber Flat Teethers
These flat teethers seemed to work really well as Sprout’s first teeth were coming through. This little fish being her preferred teether for a few weeks.
We got ours from Flora and Fauna, but they’re available in lots of places and often sold in smaller baby stores too.
Soft Clip-On Toy
A small toy with a clip to hang on your car seat or pram makes a perfect travel toy. There are lots of different types - you’re sure to find one to suit any taste.
Toys with tags, mirrors and different textures might hold baby’s attention a little longer during long car rides.
Why I recommend:
Versatile - clip on the car seat, pram and hang above baby for playtime on a mat
Brightly coloured, easy to find when it gets dropped
Easy for baby to reach for and grab
Where to purchase
Lamaze hanging toys are very popular - you’ll find a few to choose from at Big W and Baby Bunting.
Mirror
Babies love mirrors! A popular choice for tummy time, a mirror makes a wonderful car seat toy too.
The adorable “Bright” mirror from Fat Brain Toys looks like a winner for the car and even comes in a set with another perfect travel toy.
Why I recommend:
Mirrors are great for newborns, older babies, and toddlers love them too!
Great for play in and out of the car seat
Great for developing visual and language skills
Where to purchase
Find the Dimpl Billow and Bright set at Big W online only here.
Soft Sensory Book
Sensory Books are a fabulous option for car trips. We preferred books with a short story - but the main attraction is the crinkly, squish-able pages and engaging pictures.
Why I recommend:
Brightly coloured and high interest
Requires less supervision than traditional books
Lightweight
Safe for mouthing babes
Where to purchase
Lots of options can be found online or in store at Baby Bunting or Big W, like the one pictured above called “Welcome to Sydney” by Jellystone.
Musical Toys
Musical instruments can be a great car trip toy - look for something small, lightweight and without any small parts that could fall off.
There’s also countless flashing, beeping and song-playing toys in most baby aisles.
Why I recommend:
Good for providing a distraction - we often withheld noisy toys until needed
Singing familiar songs and rhymes is great for language development
Musical instruments are good for tummy time, nappy changes and play time too
Where to purchase
Big W and Baby Bunting both have a large range of musical toys and baby musical instruments. Look for something lightweight or use only under supervision so it’s not thrown across the car.
Magic Tissue Box
This is a toy I’ve only found recently online, but I think would have been a great addition to our car toy box.
I think Sprout would still like it at 18 months, but I’m not sure we would get the full use out of it.
Why I recommend:
Fine motor development and hand eye coordination
Easy to “reset” and hand back to baby to play again
Soft and brightly coloured
Where to purchase
Find the Tissue Box Toy here at Big W or at Baby Bunting here. I selected these options because they’re soft sided, so safer for using in the car.
Hand to Hand Interlocking Discs
This is a great toy for young babies to practise motor skills and cross-body moving.
It’ll get both baby’s hands up and moving. They’ll love passing this little toy back and forth - it’s a perfect toy for car seats and long travel days.
Why I recommend:
Working on motor skills and coordination
Compact, easy to travel with
Great for nappy changes to keep baby occupied and hands out of the way
Where to purchase
You can purchase the hand to hand discs separately, or as part of this beautiful sensory starter kit from Totli.
Something Cuddly
If you use a lovey or comfort toy as part of your sleep routine, it would be ideal to bring that one!
We used a variety of soft toys when Sprout was small, she wasn’t particularly attached to any of them. For her first birthday, she got a Dozy Dinkum doll and now it comes on all her adventures.
A note on retailers
Our family is boycotting Amazon, so you won’t find Amazon lists here. Wherever possible I’ve chosen large Australian retailers, understanding that many families rely on online purchases for a variety of accessibility reasons. However I encourage supporting local toy stores (at home and on your travels) when you can!
None of these links are affiliated. I don’t receive any kind of reward or financial contribution for clicks through the purchase links on this page.
I’ve also found LOTS of these toys in thrift stores! Babies grow fast and I’ve selected durable toys, so often they’re still in excellent or near-new condition when they’re ready to be passed on.
Planning a road trip with your baby?
We’ve been travelling with our daughter since she was brand new so I know that spending long days in a car with a baby can be really hard. Whether you’re travelling for fun or out of necessity, some of the guides below will have some useful tips.
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