# Great Baby Toys for Under $10 > A gift guide of about 20 budget-friendly toys for babies and younger toddlers, sorted by type of play: stacking, grasping, music, moving, sensory, and shapes and colors. Each toy was under $10 when the guide was published in 2014. - URL: https://www.funlittles.com/christmas-toys-gift-guide-baby-toys-10/ - Ages: 0–2 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: low - Time: prep none, activity varies - Works for: one-on-one, small group - Skills: fine-motor, hand-eye-coordination, cause-and-effect, sensory-exploration, music, shapes, colors, gross-motor ## Safety - The author says a child must be supervised whenever the liquid motion bubbler is being used. - The rolling kitty push toy is best used when an adult is around to push it for the baby. - Babies chew and mouth toys. Check each toy's manufacturer age grading and look for small or loose parts before giving it to a baby. - The author's advice: these are simply recommendations, so do your own research before buying any of the toys. ## Ideas - **Tolo Toys Rainbow Stackers**: Bright, colorful cups for nesting and stacking both ways. The textured edges are great for babies to touch. Older babies and young toddlers start noticing shapes and colors. - **Playgro Babushka Stacking Cups**: Stacking cups based on Russian Babushka nesting dolls. Great visual stimulation, and toddlers enjoy manipulating them. - **Melissa & Doug Stacking Cars**: Top-notch "first cars" that stack beautifully for babies. Later, toddlers use them for pretend play. - **Bright Starts Grab and Stack Blocks**: Super popular soft blocks for hand-eye coordination. Babies 6 months and up chew them, build with them and tumble the tower down. - **Very Hungry Caterpillar Grasp and Twist Toy**: A wooden caterpillar with antennae to grasp and pull and a body that twists in different directions. Great for developing fine muscles and a natural match for the Eric Carle book. - **Haba Klick-Klack Rattling Figure**: A wooden clacker (rattle) with non-toxic paint for older babies, 6 months and up, who are discovering cause and effect. - **Haba Rosi Ringlet Clutching Toy**: A darling soft cotton clutching toy. It's perfect as a first holding toy, from birth up. - **Melissa & Doug Friendly Fish Grasping Toy**: Colorful fish on an elastic cord that babies pull, twist and turn for fine-motor fun. - **Skip Hop Owl Musical Phone**: An adorable owl phone that plays ten melodies for auditory stimulation. The buttons keep babies entertained. - **Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes**: Easy to carry and easy for babies (6 months plus) to grasp. It plays classical melodies and has colorful beads on the caterpillar handle. - **Hohner Kids Percussion Ring**: A tambourine-like instrument with well-protected jingles and a handle that suits little hands. For babies 6 months and up. - **Fisher-Price Rattle 'n Rock Maracas**: Maracas with soft bottoms and easy-to-grasp handles for babies old enough to grasp, hold and shake. - **Smart Frames Animal Runners Zebra**: A well-made, battery-free rolling toy for mobile babies and younger toddlers. - **Fisher-Price Corn Popper**: A noisy push toy that toddlers adore pushing while the balls pop. There's also a baby version, the Sassy Pop n' Push Car. - **Manhattan Toy Go Push Kitty**: A rolling toy that an adult pushes so the baby can watch it zoom and crawl after it. It was under $8. - **Sassy Developmental Sensory Ball Set**: Textured balls that babies chew and explore with their hands. Older babies throw them down to explore cause and effect. - **Toysmith Liquid Motion Bubbler**: Not exactly a toy, but it gives calming visual stimulation, a bit like the aquarium lamp the author's kids loved watching from their play mats. Supervise the child while it is in use. - **Fisher-Price Baby's First Blocks**: A first shape sorter where kids match shapes to the openings in the lid. It packs into a container with a handle for travel. - **Hide N Squeak Eggs**: Shapes, colors, textures, hand-eye coordination and pure fun. - **Bright Starts Clack and Slide Activity Ball**: An activity ball listed under Activity Cubes. - **70+ Homemade Toys to Make for Kids**: If homemade toys for babies are your thing, this list is a great place to start. - **8 Homemade Toys for Babies**: Another great homemade baby toys list. ## Tips - Babies don't need a ton of toys. They are quite happy with your cups, spoons and your Tupperware cabinet, but they don't mind a few colorful, well-made, budget-friendly toys. - Pair the Very Hungry Caterpillar grasp-and-twist toy with The Very Hungry Caterpillar book for a great baby or toddler gift. - The Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes was our favorite when the kids were young. It's easy for parents to carry and easy for babies to grasp. - The corn popper is probably the noisiest toy a house could have, and probably the most fun. Toddlers pretend to be vacuuming the floor. - The shape sorter doubles as a travel toy because it packs away in a neat container with a handle. - This list also works for quality stocking stuffers. ## The original post by TurkeyMom (2014) *If you are looking for gifts for babies, then this gift ideas for babies list will be a great starting point. Are you looking for some quality stocking stuffers? Again this list will come in very handy.* Who said men are hard to shop for? Have you tried shopping for a baby? I'm suddenly faced with the responsibility of putting together a quality gift basket for a baby. I kid you not....you will get overwhelmed with the sea of options. Then there is nagging thought " Will she out grow this fast?" " Should I spent that much on something he will lose interest quickly". It is true that babies don't need a ton of toys. They are quite happy with your cups, spoons and your Tupperware cabinet. However they don't mind a few colorful, well-made, not to mention budget-friendly toys. Right? { If [**homemade toys for babies**](http://happyhooligans.ca/70-awesome-toys-make-kids/) is your thing, then check out the link} Here is another great [**homemade baby toys list**](http://www.learnwithplayathome.com/2014/10/8-homemade-toys-for-babies.html) from Learn With Play At Home. Here is a list of toys that will certainly be *great gifts for babies and younger toddlers.* All the 20 toys under $10 { at the time of publishing this post} ### Sorting and Stacking [Tolo Toys Rainbow Stackers](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002I6NII/?tag=blmemo-20) : Bright and colorful cups great for nesting and stacking. It will be fun for babies and toddler to try stacking them both ways. The edges have a wonderful texture for babies to touch and explore. Older babies and younger toddlers will start focussing on the shapes and colors of these gorgeous stackers. [Playgro Babushka Stacking Cups](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UNVMN6/?tag=blmemo-20) These unique stacking cups are based on the popular Russian Babushka nesting dolls. The colorful cups are great visual stimulation and toddlers will enjoy manipulating these cups. [Melissa & Doug Stacking Cars](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009KA0X30/?tag=blmemo-20): We own plenty of M&D products. The quality is top notch of course. These "First cars" stacking set is true to its name - best first cars for your baby. They stack beautifully and the babies will have a great time with them. Once they are older, your toddler will have a fantastic time playing pretend with them. [Bright Starts Grab and Stack Blocks](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004G8QSYO/?tag=blmemo-20) These soft blocks are super popular! For good reason. They are great for hand-eye co-ordination and they are oh-so-colorful. Babies 6 months and up will have a fun time, chewing, manipulating and even building with them. Oh let's not forget the best part! Tumbling town the block tower. ### Grasping and Pulling [Kids Preferred The Very Hungry Caterpillar Wood Grasp and Twist Toy](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CDJMDSS/?tag=blmemo-20) Who is not a big fan of Eric Carle? This toy will go very well with [The Very Hungry Caterpillar book](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0399226907/?tag=blmemo-20)! I'm sure as caregivers you would have read the book at least once to your child. As an extension this beautifully made grasping caterpillar toy will be a fantastic addition. The antennae can be grasped and pulled and the entire body can be twisted in different directions. Great for those developing finer muscles. The book and this toy will make a great baby/toddler gift. [Haba Klick-Klack Rattling figure](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0034MW7XE/?tag=blmemo-20) : Yes! There is a beautifully made HABA toy for less than 10 dollars. Isn't that amazing? This wooden clacker (rattle) will be a great addition to your collection if you are a HABA fan. They manufacture well-made wooden toys with non-toxic paint. This clacker is great for older babies who can manipulate the rattle. Babies 6 months above will find it exciting when they are hitting the "understanding cause and effect" milestone. [Haba Rosi Ringlet Clutching Toy](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004MSBQMC/?tag=blmemo-20) : Yes, another HABA beauty for under 10 bucks. This is a darling clutching toy for your young baby. It is made of soft material (cotton) and perfect as the first holding toy. Zero and up. [Melissa & Doug Friendly Fish Grasping Toy](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002OQQAWA/?tag=blmemo-20) Just like the caterpillar toy, this fish toy made by M&D will make a great gift. The babies and can pull on the elastic cord and twist and turn the colorful fish for some fun motor fun! ### Musical Toys [Skip Hop Explore and More Musical Phone, Owl](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LXT2L0Y/?tag=blmemo-20) How adorable is this owl? This wonderful phone which plays ten wonderful melodies for auditory stimulation. The buttons will provide a constant souuce of entertainment for your baby. [Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YDDF6O/?tag=blmemo-20) This take along tunes was our favorite when the kids were young. Baby Einstein videos might have a bad reputation now but their toys are well made. This one is very easy to carry for the parents and very easy to grasp for babies (6 mo.plus) The caterpillar handle has some colorful beads for extra playtime for baby. All the tunes are classical melodies from their videos. [Hohner Kids MT608 Musical Toys Percussion Effect - Assorted Colors](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001BC72K2/?tag=blmemo-20) These well made percussion instrument ( similar to a tambourine) is a joy to hold, play and make music. The jingles are well protected and the handle is great for baby's little hands to grasp. Babies 6 months and above [Fisher-Price Rattle 'n Rock Maracas Musical](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FBW7CNA/?tag=blmemo-20) Shake!Shake!Shake. Children any age love to listen to music. This wonderful set of maracas features a gorgeous soft bottom for little baby's hands. The handles are well made and easy for little handles to grasp. Great for babies who are old enough to grasp, hold and shake! ### Moving Toys [Smart Frames Animal Runners-Zebra](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002CXQBCO/?tag=blmemo-20) This is a well-made rolling toy for mobile babies and younger toddlers. At this price, this will make a fantastic batter-free toy gift. [Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Corn Popper](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CQHYWJK/?tag=blmemo-20) I know! This toy probably is the most noisiest toy a house could have. But you know what? It probably is the funnest toy any child could toy. Most of the children have thoroughly enjoyed this toy. Toddlers especially would adore pushing this popper while the corns popped. They pretend to be vacuuming the floor and what not! There is even a baby version of the same toy. {*[Sassy Pop n' Push Car](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002J4U8SO/?tag=blmemo-20)}* [Manhattan Toy Go Push Toy, Kitty](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BM3VSHI/?tag=blmemo-20) We have owned this toy when my children were babies. Thinking back we were surrounded by animal toys! This rolling toy is great for babies when an adult is around. They love watching their caregiver push the toy and love to crawl after the zooming kitty. There are many toys that encourage crawling in babies ( whether it is right or not is beyond the scope of this post) But if you are in the market for one, this one will do its job for under $8. ### Sensory Toys [Sassy Developmental Sensory Ball Set](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004AHMCLY/?tag=blmemo-20) To stimulate the sense of touch these sensory balls with gorgeous textures will come in handy. Babies will enjoy chewing and exploring first and will start to slowly explore the texture using their hands. Older babies and younger toddlers will love throwing the ball down and try to understand "cause and effect" part. [Toysmith Liquid Motion Bubbler](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004B3BVW8/?tag=blmemo-20) Well this one is not exactly a "toy". But provides plenty of calming visual stimulation for babies and toddlers. Well for anyone really. When my children were young they enjoyed this [Discovery Kids Animated Tropical Fish Marine Aquarium Lamp](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NEU8UO6/?tag=blmemo-20). I mean it was fantastic for them to lay on their play mats and watch the fish just swirling by. The above motion bubblers is slightly similar. Please note that the child has to be supervised when this bubble toy is being used. ### Shapes and Colors [Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Baby's First Blocks](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0089W1IGG/?tag=blmemo-20) Who doesn't own this set? This first shape sorter set will make a great, well loved gift for any baby or toddler. It is under $10 but this toy will be well-loved. The kids will have a ball trying to learn to match the shapes with the appropriate openings on the lid. It is also a great travel toy since it can be packed away in a neat container with a handle. [Hide N Squeak Eggs](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00068Q7LC/?tag=blmemo-20) How fun is this toy! Shapes, colors, textures, hand-eye coordination and pure fun! ### Activity Cubes [Bright Starts Clack and Slide Activity Ball](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004X0WBHS/?tag=blmemo-20) The above are simply recommendations! Please do your research before purchasing any of the toys. See if they will fit your family. Talk to us in the comments. What other "Under $10" toy will you add here? Thanks for reading Looking for baby play ideas? More **Sensory activities for kids** can be found here.