Our therapists have compiled a list of their favorite therapeutic toys to use with infants during their first year to enhance speech, fine motor, and gross motor development!
Speech development
During your infant’s first year of life, he is exploring his world by putting toys in his mouth, finding his voice, and learning from YOU! You can help him learn language by reading and talking to him, and help him explore different textures orally with various teethers and toys.
- First words book to begin exploring pictures and language
- Soft book to turn pages
- A cause and effect toy that suctions to any surface! Your little one will learn that by reaching out– the wheel moves!
- Teethers for teething babies:
- The First Years Massaging Action Teether
- Tinabless Infant Teething Keys Set
- The First Years John Deere Massaging Corn Teether
- Bright Starts Vibrations Teether
Fine motor development
During your infant’s first year of life, he will be gaining strength and coordination in his body to reach, grasp, and bring hands/toys to mouth! You can help him by providing toys below that he can reach, grasp and explore.
- Soft rattles so they don’t bonk their heads
- O-balls that are the easiest for babies to hold at a young age
- Fun blocks and balls with different textures to explore!
Gross motor development
During your infant’s first year of life, he starts from a tiny newborn and slowly gains strength to hold his head up, reach, roll, sit, crawl, then walk! You can help your infant gain strength and postural control with tummy time and plenty of floor time that encourages exploration. Below are some toys that encourage fluorite and provide a motivating environment for therapeutic play to build strength.
- Tummy Time Mirror to make tummy time more fun and encourage your baby to keep his head lifted up.
- Tummy Time Mat to provide a stable but comfortable surface for baby and provide entertainment by toys. This inflatable mat fills with water and becomes an enclosed water mat.
- Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick ‘n Play Piano Gym. This mat plays music and encourages your baby to kick and reach. We have this in our clinic!
- Pop up toy to encourage hand-eye coordination. It can be used during tummy time and sitting practice.
Stay tuned for upcoming blog posts on therapeutic toy recommendations for toddlers and older children!
SUPPORT YOUR CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT
Looking for expert pediatric therapy services? Our team specializes in helping children reach their full potential through compassionate, personalized care.

Vasilikitsa “Kitsa” Antonopoulos, MA, CCC-SLP/L is a licensed speech-language pathologist with over two decades of experience supporting children and families. After earning her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Saint Louis University, she gained deep clinical expertise working across pediatric hospitals, early intervention programs, and autism therapy settings.
In 2010, Kitsa founded Lumiere Children’s Therapy to create a holistic, collaborative space where children could receive personalized, multidisciplinary care. Her vision continues to guide Lumiere’s dedicated team of therapists, offering speech, occupational, physical, and behavioral therapy and more, to help every child reach their fullest potential.

