Before babies can hold a toy, they can study one, and Manhattan Toy has built a whole brand around that simple truth. The best manhattan toy toys for babies start with bold black and white patterns, friendly faces and gentle sounds that newborn eyes and ears are wired to love. There are no flashing lights and no batteries, just thoughtful design that has made this brand a nursery staple for decades.
Manhattan Toy thinks like a developmental specialist. Its manhattan toy developmental toys use high contrast graphics to support early vision, soft rattles and crinkles to invite reaching, and beautiful wooden pieces that feel as good as they look. Parents love that the toys are quiet, portable and lovely enough to leave out on the shelf. Many families buy one Whoozit and end up collecting half this list.
Every pick below is a real Manhattan Toy product, chosen for the first year of life. You will find the famous Whoozit, two versions of the beloved Skwish, a first soft doll and a wooden activity center for older babies. If you are comparing nursery brands side by side, browse our homepage after this guide for more baby toy reviews and buying guides.
Quick Picks: The Best Manhattan Toy Toys for Babies at a Glance
Short on time? The Whoozit is our top pick and the brand signature toy, a plush star of patterns and sounds that fascinates babies from the first weeks. The Skwish Classic is the essential wooden rattle and teether, the Winkel is the easiest first grasp toy ever made, and Baby Stella is the soft first doll babies cuddle for years.
- Best overall: Manhattan Toy Whoozit
- Best rattle and teether: Manhattan Toy Skwish Classic
- Best first grasp toy: Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle and Teether
- Best first doll: Manhattan Toy Baby Stella
- Best for older babies: Manhattan Toy Tree Top Adventure
How to Choose the Best Manhattan Toy Toys for Babies
Start with your baby age and the kind of play you need. Newborns want faces, patterns and soft sound at close range, ideally on a stroller or car seat. Older babies want pieces they can grasp, shake, chew and carry from room to room. Manhattan Toy covers both ends beautifully. You can browse more brand roundups like this one in our toy reviews collection.
Contrast First for Young Babies
Newborn vision is drawn to strong contrast, bold shapes and faces, which is why so many manhattan toy toys for newborns wear black, white and bright primary colors. A toy your baby can actually see clearly gets studied longer, batted at sooner and remembered better. Look for large graphic patterns and a clear friendly face, and hold the toy about a forearm length away, the distance young eyes focus best.
Grasp, Shake and Chew
From around three months, babies play with their hands and mouths, so the best manhattan toy baby toys are light, easy to grip from any angle and safe to gum. Open lattice designs like the Winkel and the Skwish let tiny fingers hook on early, building confidence with every successful grab. Natural wood and soft fabric surfaces reward chewing without worry, and everything on this list wipes or washes clean.
Quiet Toys Travel Best
Because Manhattan Toy skips electronics, its toys shine in cars, planes, waiting rooms and quiet evenings. Soft rattles and gentle crinkles entertain without annoying a whole cabin of strangers, and plush pieces double as comfort objects away from home. If your life involves much travel or shared space, a small set of manhattan toy soft toys may be the smartest baby purchase you make.
The 10 Best Manhattan Toy Toys for Babies
1. Manhattan Toy Whoozit
The Whoozit is one of the most famous baby toys ever made, a round plush face surrounded by dangling arms covered in patterns, mirrors, rattles and crinkle paper. Babies stare at it, bat it, grab its arms and eventually chew every inch of it. The hidden squeaker and gentle rattle sounds reward each swat, and the loop on top hangs it from strollers, car seats and play gyms anywhere.
- Bold patterns, mirror and crinkle arms
- Gentle rattle and hidden squeaker
- Velcro loop hangs anywhere
- Designed for babies from birth
Pros: Nothing holds a young baby gaze like a Whoozit, and it grows from visual toy to grab toy to comfort toy. Cons: It is surface wash only, and the arms collect drool fast. It suits newborns from day one, and it is the single best answer to what manhattan toy toys for infants actually do.
2. Manhattan Toy Skwish Classic
The Skwish is a wooden rattle like no other, a springy lattice of dowels and beads that squishes flat and springs back into shape. Babies grasp it easily, shake it for a soft wooden rattle sound and chew the smooth sustainable wood without a care. It has won design awards for decades, and it still looks like a tiny sculpture sitting on the coffee table.
- Springy wooden lattice design
- Soft rattle from wooden beads
- Smooth sustainable wood finish
- Squishes flat and springs back
Pros: The grasp is effortless for tiny hands, and the gentle sound suits any room. Cons: It is a rattle and teether only, with no extra features to discover later. It suits babies from birth, and the manhattan toy skwish belongs in every first toy collection we have ever seen.
3. Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle and Teether
The Winkel is a tangle of soft, continuous loops that small hands can grab from absolutely any angle. Inside sits a quiet rattle cube, and the loops themselves are made from soft tubing that babies love to chew. It is feather light, brightly colored and almost impossible to drop for long, which makes it the first toy many babies truly master.
- Endless loops for easy grabbing
- Gentle rattle cube at the center
- Soft chew friendly tubing
- Feather light for young babies
Pros: The easiest grasp in baby toys, full stop, and a brilliant teether as well. Cons: The loops can collect dust in the creases, so rinse it often. It suits babies from birth, and parents rating manhattan toy toys for infants for the earliest months put it near the top.
4. Manhattan Toy Baby Stella
Baby Stella is the classic first doll, a soft plush baby with a sweet embroidered face, a removable outfit and a magnetic pacifier that clicks onto her mouth. She is light enough for a one year old to carry everywhere and soft enough to sleep with safely. Her lifelike little belly button and toes make her feel like a real companion rather than a cushion with a face.
- Soft plush first baby doll
- Magnetic pacifier included
- Removable outfit for dress up play
- Embroidered features, nothing to pull off
Pros: Stella often becomes the beloved toy of the toddler years, and the build quality is excellent. Cons: The magnetic pacifier is a small part to keep track of with very young babies, so supervise early play. It suits babies from twelve months, and it anchors the manhattan toy soft toys range beautifully.
5. Manhattan Toy Atom Teether Toy
The Atom is a ball of twelve colourful interlaced plastic rods, each one sliding and rattling as your baby shakes, squeezes and chews. The open design suits two handed gripping, the rods are sized for gumming and the whole toy makes a soft, pleasant clatter. It looks like a tiny molecule and plays like a rattle, a teether and a fidget toy in one.
- Twelve sliding interlaced rods
- Soft rattle with every shake
- Two handed open grip design
- Chew friendly smooth plastic
Pros: Babies find endless ways to hold it, and the sliding rods fascinate older babies too. Cons: It rolls away enthusiastically on hard floors. It suits babies from birth, and it is a quiet star among manhattan toy developmental toys for hand skills.
6. Manhattan Toy Wee Baby Stella
Wee Baby Stella is the smaller sister of the classic doll, a petite soft baby with the same magnetic pacifier and a cuddly, huggable body sized for the littlest arms. She suits babies who are not ready for a full size doll, and she travels in a bag or stroller without a fuss. Her embroidered face is gentle and sleepy, perfect for bedtime cuddles.
- Petite size for the youngest doll fans
- Magnetic pacifier included
- Soft body made for hugging
- Embroidered sleepy face
Pros: The small size is ideal for first birthdays and travel, and she washes up well. Cons: Her outfit is simpler than the full size Stella range. It suits babies from twelve months, and families who want manhattan toy soft toys that a small toddler can truly carry alone.
7. Manhattan Toy Skwish Color Burst
The Skwish Color Burst takes the famous springy lattice and paints it in a rainbow of bright, cheerful colors. The play is identical to the Classic, grasping, shaking and chewing a sculpture of dowels and beads, but the vivid finish draws the eye of babies who have moved past black and white contrast. It is the same award winning design wearing a party outfit.
- Famous Skwish lattice in rainbow colors
- Soft wooden bead rattle
- Sustainable wood with bright finish
- Squashes flat, springs back
Pros: All the grasping joy of the original with extra visual pop for older babies. Cons: Choosing between the two Skwish versions is genuinely hard. It suits babies from birth, and any parent collecting manhattan toy baby toys will want one of the pair within reach.
8. Manhattan Toy Tree Top Adventure
The Tree Top Adventure is a wooden activity center shaped like a tree, with bead runs, spinning gears, gliders and a springy owl arranged around its trunk and canopy. Babies sit or stand beside it and work their way around the activities, building hand strength, tracking skills and early problem solving. It is the biggest toy on this list and the one that stays out for years.
- Wooden tree shaped activity center
- Bead runs, gears and gliders
- Activities on every side
- Sturdy build for sitters and standers
Pros: Months of discovery in one piece, and the wooden build looks beautiful in a living room. Cons: It needs floor space and a bigger budget than the rattles above. It suits babies from twelve months, and it is the showpiece of the manhattan toy developmental toys range.
9. Manhattan Toy Snuggle Pods
Snuggle Pods are tiny plush babies tucked inside soft fabric pods shaped like peas, bunnies and other sweet things. The baby pops out for play and tucks back in for sleep, a simple routine little ones find deeply satisfying. They are small, soft and light, made for first pretend play and for carrying in a pocket or a little fist.
- Tiny plush baby inside a soft pod
- Pop out and tuck in play
- Pocket size for travel
- Gentle embroidered faces
Pros: The in and out routine builds fine motor skills and early nurturing play. Cons: The small size means they get lost in sofa cushions regularly. It suits babies from twelve months, and they make a sweet, affordable entry into manhattan toy toys for newborns collections bought as gifts.
10. Manhattan Toy Cosmic Whoozit
The Cosmic Whoozit takes the classic design into space, with a bigger plush body, dangling patterned arms and a friendly planet visiting face at its center. It crinkles, rattles and squeaks like the original, with extra size for two handed hugs and floor play. Babies who loved the stroller sized Whoozit graduate happily to this larger companion at home.
- Bigger space themed Whoozit design
- Crinkle, rattle and squeak sounds
- Patterned dangling arms for grabbing
- Soft plush body for floor play
Pros: All the Whoozit magic in a huggable home size, with fresh patterns to study. Cons: Too big for the car seat loop life of the original. It suits babies from birth at home, and it rounds out the best manhattan toy toys for babies for families who want one special plush.
Safety and Care
Manhattan Toy builds to strict standards, but every baby toy deserves regular checks. Inspect wooden pieces for splinters or chipped paint, tug plush seams and check that rattle chambers stay sealed. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission offers toy safety guidance for parents at cpsc.gov, including how to check age grading and spot wear that means a toy should be retired.
Care is gentle, matching the toys themselves. Surface wash plush pieces and air dry them flat, wipe wooden toys with a damp cloth and never soak them, and rinse plastic teethers like the Winkel and the Atom in warm soapy water. Keep the magnetic pacifier of the Stella dolls stored with the doll and out of the cot for young babies. Stored dry and checked often, these toys pass happily from baby to baby.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Manhattan Toy toys suitable for newborns?
Many of them are designed exactly for newborns. The Whoozit, Winkel, Skwish and Atom are all rated from birth, with the contrast, soft sound and safe surfaces young babies need. Hold visual toys at the distance your baby focuses best, roughly forearm length, and always use hanging toys out of reach once your baby can pull up.
What makes the Whoozit so popular?
It combines almost everything a young baby loves in one toy: a friendly face, bold patterns, a mirror, crinkle textures and gentle sounds, all on arms that are easy to bat and grab. It also hangs from almost anything, so it works in the car, the stroller and the play gym. Few toys cover the first six months of play this completely.
Is the Skwish safe for teething?
Yes. The Skwish is made from smooth sustainable wood with a baby safe finish, and babies have chewed it happily for decades. Check it regularly for any rough spots, wipe it clean rather than soaking it, and retire it if the finish ever cracks. The Winkel and the Atom offer softer chew options for babies who prefer them.
How do I clean plush Manhattan Toy toys?
Most plush pieces in this range are surface wash only. Use a cloth with warm water and a little mild soap, work gently over the fabric, then air dry away from direct heat. Spot cleaning little and often beats a rare deep soak, and keeping a spare favorite helps while the main one dries after a big day out.
Which Manhattan Toy should I buy first?
For a newborn gift, choose the Whoozit or the Winkel, because both work from the very first weeks. For a three to six month old, add the Skwish. For a first birthday, Baby Stella or the Tree Top Adventure makes the bigger statement. Building in that order gives you a small collection that covers sight, sound, grasping and comfort. Each stage builds on the last, so the collection never feels like a pile of random toys.
Conclusion
Manhattan Toy proves that baby toys do not need batteries to be brilliant. Start with the best manhattan toy toys for babies for your baby stage, a Whoozit for the newborn weeks, a Skwish for the grasping months and a Stella for the toddler years ahead. They also make unusually good gifts, because the calm colors, quiet play and beautiful design suit almost any home, any nursery style and any baby. For more baby toy reviews and brand comparisons, visit our blog, and happy playing.
