Best Toys to Help Baby Crawl

July 6, 2020 No Comments

When Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon, he said he made one giant leap for mankind. Meh. The biggest giant leap for Mankind is when Junior first rolls himself or herself over and starts learning to crawl. The next big leap is when he or she pulls himself or herself up to a standing position for the first time, in front of a doting parent. The expression on a baby’s face at that point is priceless. The expression moves from concentration to a flash of anxiety, then a slowly spreading grin, that will turn into a huge smile and a giggle when the words ‘clever baby’ first come from their parents. So, what are the best toys for a crawling baby? We looked at 11 products that will transition your baby to the toddler stage.

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In no time, they will be into everything in the house that isn’t locked up, screwed down, or placed at Himalayan heights. Trust me on this. No more crawling around on the kitchen floor trying to eat out of the dog’s bowl for them. Just like Amundsen to the South Pole, or Edmund Hillary up Everest, they will be the first people to conquer the stairs to the attic, or maybe those expensive long curtains, just because of the challenge.

So, let’s first look at three top toys for crawlers and pull up to stand for our young explorers.

3 Best Baby Standing Up Toys

EDITOR’s PICK
One of the all-round best toys to help baby crawl and stand
Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A really versatile play station that a baby can crawl to, then use to learn to stand up then play with as an activity table. So, it covers ages 9 months upwards to almost 3. A great example of crawl and stand up toys for babies.
Pros:
— Activities that baby can crawl to;
— Handles that baby use to learn to stand up;
— Activities that the older child can still play with as an activity table;
— Do a bit of drawing too.

Cons:
— Looks a bit plasticky (but the baby won’t care).
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One of the best musical crawling toys for babies
Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Do you have a potential young Beethoven or Jay-Z in your home? Here’s one of the best toys for crawling babies who like their music. If you think they are a bit young, remember Mozart was knocking them dead with his keyboard wizardry and gathering in the audience cash by the age of 5. So, no pressure all you parents. If Mozart’s caregivers could do it, what are you waiting for - get cracking early?
Pros:
— Everything you need and nothing you don’t;
— Portable and easy to store;
— Reasonable price;
— Plenty of different sounds.

Cons:
— Don’t expect your 9-month-old to be Chopin just yet. The noise might get a bit tiresome.
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Best exercise toy to help baby crawl
Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wow. We love this toy. It’s like a pint-sized version of one of those indoor kids' play areas. Childhood is so short. One day they are saying their first words and then another asking to borrow the car for the evening then explaining at 4 am that they might have dented it.
Pros:
— Creates a fun up and down the area to explore and play and is perfect for use with other purchases like pull-along toys;
— Much more interesting to the baby than a flat floor or boringly flat carpet;
— Can be used when your baby is now a young child in pretend play as anything your child imagines;
— A great place to play with pets too;
— You can add as many shapes as you want.

Cons:
— You need to have the right floor space and it’s not the cheapest toy.
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So, seize the day with your crawling kid and give him or her some real fun. Note that some of your pets will love this too. Rabbits, Cats, and Dogs are just a few. Don’t put the Goldfish on there though 🙂

So, there are just 3 of our 11 top toys for crawling baby solutions. Now let’s look a bit more at the buying criteria.

Buying Criteria

What to get your baby alligator when it gets too big for the Bath

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld explains that having very young children is like having a newly hatched baby alligator in your bath. It’s cute, it’s happy in the bath and if you put your finger in its mouth, you’ll just get a pleasant tickle. However, time passes and you look later at that no longer tiny alligator in the bath and those razor teeth. That is the point you say to your partner ‘honey, we need to get this thing out of the bath before it gets out itself’.

It’s much the same with kids. They need to learn to crawl and they need to learn to stand. It’s instinctive (you don’t really need to teach them’ and it will happen at some point, all being well, without your help. However, you can make it more fun for them (and safer and more educational) if you make an investment when they are beginning to crawl, in a crawling toy and/or pull up toy i.e. a toy for baby to pull upon to get on their feet.

Choosing the best toys for a Crawling Baby (& one who is learning to stand)

So here in detail are 11 of what we think are great ‘baby learn to crawl’ and ‘baby standing up’ toys that we took about 50 hours to review (and it was fun, we have to say). As usual, we advise that you know what is best for your child. We don’t (and suggest you don’t) take much notice of anything hyped up as topical, look for a cost that works for you, ignore ‘recommended’, lists of popular or top-rated brands, and reviews that only cover low price (or high price) choices. Go with your heart and with your head. It’s your baby alligator.

1. iPlay, iLearn Baby Sit to Stand Walkers Toys, Kids Activity Center

One of the all-round best toys to help baby crawl and stand

Want to crawl to something with activities? Check. Want to learn to stand up. Check. Once you can stand up want to try some activities that you have seen your mom and dad do, like driving a car or picking up that phone? Check. How about a little drawing as you get older. Check that too.

With that long checklist, you can see why we think IPlay iLearn is a really versatile play station that tops our list. Any baby in a wide age range will like it and it’s very much affordable too.

Pros:
  • Activities that baby can crawl to
  • Handles that baby use to learn to stand up
  • Activities that the older child can still play with as an activity table
  • Do a bit of drawing too
Cons:
  • Looks a bit plasticky (but the baby won’t care)

Verdict: This is a good medium-term investment because of its functionality but also versatility. It covers roughly ages 9 months upwards to almost 3 ( a bit later if used for drawing too. We think it is A great example of crawl and stand up toys for babies.

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2. RenFox Kids Musical Mats

One of the best musical crawling toys for babies

Most people like music and babies are no exception. There are many somewhat similar products to this on the market but we like the RenFox for its simplicity and affordable fun factor. Yes, you can get something a bit better and pay a lot more for it. But will your baby really notice the difference? Will he or she care? No chance. So, at a very reasonable price, you get lots of different sounds, different playing modes (including a demo mode and a player mode) a volume control (very important to keep mom and dad sane) and even a record function – just in case your tot is auditioning for Coldplay or some K-Pop band.

Pros:
  • Everything you need and nothing you don’t
  • Portable and easy to store
  • Reasonable price
  • Plenty of different sounds
Cons:
  • Don’t expect your 9-month-old to be Chopin just yet. The noise might get a bit tiresome

Verdict: At the very reasonable cost, why not just get this crawler piano and see if your child is the next Elton John?

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3. ECR4Kids SoftZone Climb and Crawl Activity Play Set

Best exercise toy to help baby crawl

We love this toy. You can encourage the baby to crawl over the interesting shapes to teach some 3D spatial awareness. It also works really well as a scene-setter or environment to use and play with crawling toys – toy trains, toy figures, dolls and cars especially.

There is a sensible wipe-clean ‘vegan leather’ surface – whatever that exactly means we aren’t sure but we’re going with ‘plastic’ – and the option of extending the size of the area by buying additional different sizes and shapes from the same vendor if you want to pay a bit more. Think of it as ‘my first skatepark’. Brilliant.

Pros:
  • Creates a fun up and down the area to explore and play and is perfect for use with other purchases like pull-along toys
  • Much more interesting to the baby than a flat floor or boringly flat carpet
  • Can be used when your baby is now a young child in pretend play as anything your child imagines
  • A great place to play with pets too
  • You can add as many shapes as you want
Cons:
  • You need to have the right floor space and it’s not the cheapest toy

Verdict: Ideal if bought alongside some of our other recommendations and – if you have the cash – it’s easy to add to in order to create a really big area.

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4. CubicFun Baby Toys Musical Press and Go Inchworm Toy

Best move around crawler toy

A perfect complement to our #3 ECR4kids soft crawling zone is something to move around on the shapes. Like this funny inchworm toy from CubicFun. It has a friendly face, fun sounds and will move around with your crawling child in pursuit (or in control). So that all builds spatial awareness, motor skills etc. It’s also cheerful and just good old fun too.

Pros:
  • Plenty of crawling baby appeal
  • Inexpensive but well made
  • Baby can chase or control
Cons:
  • A bit of a one-trick-pony

Verdict: Remember the inchworm song? Maybe not but this is a nice old fashioned toy from CubicFun that will appeal.

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5. Jungle Gym Play Tent. Kids Ball Pit Tents and Tunnels

Best in-tents excitement

Yet more fun to be had with your crawling tot which will still deliver fun for years, with this tent and ball pit. Yes you need to buy the mosh-pit balls but they are very cheap – what you do get is basketball style hoop, throwing dart balls with a target, windows, mesh, and all kinds of stuff.

Pros:
  • Your crawling baby will like it
  • Older toddlers will like it
  • Your cat or dog will like it 🙂
  • Your baby or toddler will have fun with your cat and dog (if you have them)
  • Customizable and lightweight
Cons:
  • Not especially strongly made

Verdict: No need to drive the Mall and use their soft play area – bring it home for your tot with Jungle Gym.

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6. iPlay iLearn crawling musical Turtle

Best chase toy for encouraging crawling

Now, here’s a winner. This charming little singing turtle is a great low-speed chase toy for a toddler. It comes highly recommended by many discerning babies and is happy to talk in Spanish or English. You can watch it in action in the embedded video here.

Pros:
  • Encourages baby to start crawling
  • Interactive functions to promote handling and motor skills
  • Dual language mode (English and Spanish)
  • Strong construction
  • Has basic alphabet and number learning modes too
Cons:
  • May freak out your Cat or Dog for a while

Verdict: You will probably have as much fun watching as your baby is having to chase with the iplay ilearn crawling turtle.

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7. Crawligator Tummy Time Rolling Strength Building Baby Toy

Best for a small person’s crawling workout

Moving on from amphibians to reptiles, this clever little alligator allows a crawling baby to get on board then propel themselves along the floor. You can’t go especially fast but it does provide a workout and is a lot of fun. Expect plenty of giggles and the odd minor accident. Your baby just rests on top then uses their arms or legs to propel the gator via the wheels underneath. Ideal for tummy time training of your tot.

Pros:
  • Simple to operate
  • Gets your tot active while on their tummy
  • Pretty funny to watch and they are having fun too
Cons:
  • Works better on hard floor surfaces – deep carpets or densely woven rugs are not really suited to this toy

Verdict: Your youngster will be zipping around the floor in no time on this alligator. Make sure all your breakable objects are out of the way!

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8. HISTOYE Toddler Toys Train

Best for transitioning from crawling to standing


At the point your tot moves from crawling to standing, you need a toy that works in both modes. That’s just what this toddler toy train offers. When crawling it can be chased, pushed or otherwise played with and once the baby can sit up for himself or herself, there’s some fun stuff you can do with dropping the balls in the train then watching them pop out and having the train talk to your baby.

Best not to let your pooch or cat see that happen or they will want to join in.

A nice simple toy. We like it.

Pros:
  • Can be used as a chase toy to develop crawling or a sit up and play toy
  • Funs games can be had with the three balls
  • Bright and cheerful design
Cons:
  • Not dog proof, so watch out for that

Verdict: The Toddler Toy Train suits different ages and is well worth considering for your youngster.

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9. Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Crawl Around Car

Best car-based crawling-to and sitting-up toy

This is our first entry from one of the big dogs in the toddler toy scene- Fisher-Price, who we’ll come back to later in our list with some actual crawler toys. Unlike the chase or push toys we have looked at so far, this is a static toy car but still great for the late crawling to pulling up stages. Your little late crawler can open the doors, get inside, sit upright and play. There are some great touches like a little cap for the gas and a windscreen wiper with an ABC for learning, plus numbers on the wheels and shapes to fit holes. Then you get buttons to press and sounds that get produced. So, really plenty to do in this neat package. Please note that there are different levels too. All very clever in our view.

Pros:
  • Gets your kid into NASCAR or Formula One early
  • Sounds, buttons, flashing lights – plenty of stimulation
  • Puzzles on the door help shape and color recognition
Cons:
  • Takes a while to assemble (it comes as a kit)

Verdict: A great crawl to and play option for the mechanically minded late crawler or early walker that is educational too.

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10. Sunny Days Entertainment Zoo Adventure Ball Pit

Best ball pit

Any mom or dad of a toddler knows that during the crawling period, their tot will explore anywhere and everywhere they can get to. That’s great except there are sometimes periods during the day that you don’t want that to happen. Dropping your kid in their cot for a nap can work sometimes but not others. If they have some energy to burn, a cot is a wrong place. So, this great little pop-up ball pit solves that problem easily. Your crawling infant can have a great time and burn up all the energy that they want to. Once they get to the sitting up stage or the pulling up to standing stage it works fine for that too.

So, a ball pit is pretty much a win-win if you are looking for baby crawling toys or baby standing up toys. This one is not too pricey at all, well made, stores easily and is easy to set up.

Pros:
  • Balls are included
  • Very versatile and works for different age ranges
  • Can be used indoors or outdoors
  • Safe for all ages (but still needs to be supervised)
Cons:
  • A bit thin in the use of material which won’t take very harsh treatment

Verdict: All kids should have a ball pit like this brilliantly simple type especially at the very affordable price – this is a no brainer. Don’t use it as a babysitter though – kids still need to be kept an eye on.

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11. Fisher-Price Disney Baby Minnie Mouse Musical Touch ‘n Crawl

Best crawler doll

Our final candidate for best baby crawler toys is from the big guns at Disney via the other big guns at fisher price. This is a quality ‘touch and crawls’ battery-powered doll. Your tot learns to touch it and then off Minne heads, chatting away to your tot and playing music. There is a Mickey Mouse version too and both are ridiculously cute. How could you not like these?

Pros:
  • Seriously cute
  • Well made as you’d expect from Disney and Fisher-Price
  • Great fun to go crawling after
Cons:
  • No Spanish language speaking version

Verdict: If you have the money (these are little pricey though not too bad) then why not get both a Mickey crawler and a Minne crawler too. Then your child will get twice the fun and to cap that, you can hold drag races in your kitchen with your tot and two Disney contenders.

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Baby Standing Up Toys

That about wraps up our search for the best crawler toys and pull-up toys for your baby. We have tried to cover a lot of ground with some quite different categories of toys – floor mats that are also pianos, mini-skateparks, pushers, pullers, static cars and a fully evolutionary spectrum of amphibians (turtles), reptiles (alligators) and mammals (mice). Some toys will work really well together too – so you might consider a double purchase in some of the areas we have recommended here.

EDITOR’s PICK
One of the all-round best toys to help baby crawl and stand
Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
CHECK PRICE
MORE DETAILS
One of the best musical crawling toys for babies
Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
CHECK PRICE
MORE DETAILS
Best exercise toy to help baby crawl
Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
CHECK PRICE
MORE DETAILS

We hope you have found this useful and it has given you some great ideas. We’d always appreciate to hear your own ideas, suggestions and comments, so please feel free to post them. Thanks for reading and have fun with your infant.

About The Author

Amy Macdonald

Amy’s parents emigrated to the US from Scotland when she was 5 and she feels this was a defining moment in her life. She talks about the excitement of a new country but also the challenges of integration. As a child, she was diagnosed with mild dyslexia which she successfully overcame and Amy is a trained relationship counsellor, specialising in CBT, and is the proud mum of three kids, now in their late teens. Living in Vermont, her family are very much outdoor types and she is a firm believer in “the family who plays together stays together”. She loves hiking, camping and generally getting away from the stresses of modern living.

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