Black &amp; White Toys &amp; Books for Babies: High-Contrast Learning

Black & White Toys & Books for Babies: High-Contrast Learning

If you’re scoping out the most popular newborn toys, you’ll find that most of them are black and white. You’d think bright colors and bold patterns would be best for baby, but that’s not the case for the newbies. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies are born used to living in a dark environment, with not a whole lot going on. Up until about three to six months of age they can only see between 12-15 inches in front of them, and can only really see in black, white and gray tones. Enter: toys, books, and décor in high-contrast black and white. These can be extremely beneficial for your child’s development, because they register most strongly in a baby’s brain and help the optic nerve to grow.

Aside from the obvious benefits of black and white toys and books (they’re gender-neutral, classic, and can be passed down from child to child) high-contrast items help your child develop their ability to focus their attention, and they also support visual development and brain development. So while playing with your baby in a monochromatic world may seem boring to you, know that their brains are actually in overdrive processing, learning, and developing.

But if wading through a sea of black and white toys makes your eyes go crossed, don’t worry. We’ve rounded up the best high-contrast toys and books for your baby genius. From play mats to ball pits, board books to blocks, these toys are guaranteed to keep your little one entertained and their brain busy, so you can focus on other things new moms desperately need. Like maybe a nap.

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Art Cards
Art cards are a great way to introduce your baby to shapes, patterns, animals and more. You can prop them up in their crib, string them together to make a wall hanging, or tape them to the wall by their changing table. This set from Wee Gallery comes in either jungle, sea, safari, or animal collections.
Art cards, $15.99 at Amazon
Crinkle Toy
Babies love to explore different textures and their other senses, which makes this jungle crinkle toy perfect for their tiny, chubby fingers. It features fabric-covered crinkle paper and silky ribbon tags, plus the high-contrast tiger print.
Crinkle toy, $9.18 at Amazon
Gymini
Tiny Love has a whole collection of black-and-white items for baby, including a gymini, mobile, super mat, and more. The gymini is a deluxe infant activity and play mat, and its various textures, sounds and features provide ongoing auditory and tactile stimulation. The mobile is perfect for crib, stroller, or carseat and plays up to 30 minutes of continuous music. The whole collection is a one-stop high-contrast shop.
Tiny love gymini, $59.99 at Amazon
Tiny love super mat, $39.99 at Amazon
Tiny love take along mobile, $24.98 at Amazon
Nesting Blocks
This classic toy grows with your child and has 10 nesting and stacking blocks for learning and play, featuring woodland animals, plants, and numbers. The blocks are made out of durable board printed with eco inks, so they hold up after your kiddo destroys the tower, again…and again…and again…
Nesting blocks, $26.95 at Amazon
Mobile
This mobile is whimsical and fun, with pinwheels in black-and-white prints and patterns to hang over your baby’s crib. Your little one will be mesmerized watching the pinwheels dance and swirl as they look up at the interior prints.
Mobile, $62 at Etsy
Crib Mirror
No one likes checking themselves out in the mirror more than babies, and with this three-sided crib mirror, they not only get to make faces at themselves, but can also ogle the black-and-white pictures and patterns featured on the reversible sides. Plus, the mirror is washable, easily attaches to crib railings with cloth ties, and can stand up for tummy-time play.
Crib mirror, $25.95 at Amazon
Nesting Blocks
Nesting blocks have been around for ages, and there’s a reason they never go out of style. These woodland creatures are perfect for babies to learn cognitive skills, and they come in sets of bears, foxes, owls, or jungle friends.
Nesting blocks, $42 at Amazon
Zoo Animal Stroller Toys
Soft and cuddly, these toys attach to your baby’s stroller, crib, carseat, highchair, and more for endless fun. There are built-in rattles or squeakers in each of the five animals, which also come in an insect or sea animals set.
Zoo animals, $23.99 at Amazon
Baby Barnyard Den
An activity center like no other, this gorgeous baby barnyard den from Maisonette is beyond your wildest baby entertainment dreams. The soft cotton and foam baby den feature a variety of friendly animals and dangling farm items to keep your baby busy, cozy, and contained. What more could you ask for?
Baby barnyard den, $180 at Maisonette
‘Art For Baby’ Board Book
A collection of fascinating black-and-white images created by some of the world’s leading modern artists. Each one has been specially selected to help babies begin to recognize pictures and connect with the world around them.
Art for baby board book, $16.95 at Amazon
Explore Playmat
This beautiful play mat from Wee Gallery is the softest, coziest padding for your tot’s tummy time adventures. It features a woodland scene on one side and a cityscape on the other, is made from organic cotton muslin, and is machine-washable, for all those unexpected spit-ups. #Momlife
Explore playmat, $89.95 at Amazon
Zoo Board Book
From award winning Wimmer-Ferguson comes this animal-themed baby and toddler board book with soft padded cover made for engaging curious minds. It has 10 unique pages of different zoo animals for your baby to befriend.
Baby zoo board book, $10.95 at Amazon
Crinkle Paper
There’s something about crinkly paper that gets babies to crack up every time. This simple sheet of fabric-covered crinkly paper is the perfect toy to tuck into your diaper bag, in the stroller, keep in the car — heck, you might want to buy a few of these.
Crinkle paper, $6.49 at Amazon
Activity Mat
This round activity mat is not only adorable; it gives your baby a variety of sensory stimulation, including high-contrast graphics, hidden items, crinkly features, a rattle, a squeak, and a maple-wood teething ring hidden behind the bunny. It’s made from organic cotton and is about the size of a dinner plate, with two cotton ribbons so you can tie to the crib or highchair for easy playing.
Activity mat, $38.95 at Maisonette
Wooden Baby Gym
If natural wood is more your style or you’re banishing plastic entirely, this monochromatic baby gym is a win-win. Its sturdy structure folds flat for easy storage, and it has four hanging wooden and crocheted charms for your babe to grab and slobber on.
Monochromatic baby gym, $95 at Amazon
Monochromatic Ball Pit
When your baby can sit up on their own and move around a bit, this black, white, and gray ball pit is sure to provide hours of entertainment. Its zip closure makes the cover easy to take off and clean, and it’s the perfect way to keep your little one contained while giving them stimulating activity. I kinda wish they made this in adult sizes. Hello new office?
Ball pit, $79.99 at Amazon
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Pin these high-contrast books and toys for your kids or as an idea for gifts.