As very young infants can’t move around much, the best sensory toys for newborns stimulate their developing auditory and visual senses. Look for musical toys that play gentle, soothing melodies and go for high-contrast, black-and-white visual objects like a crib mobile.

For visual development, Dr. Ivers says toys with high contrast colors (such as black and white) are best. In terms of auditory development, toys that chime, shake, and rattle are great options. “Some of these, particularly rattles, squeeze sound toys, and shakers, can also promote motor skills too,” adds Dr. Ivers.