What are the best sensory books for babies? Babies put everything in their mouth, so my first advice when picking a sensory book is to ensure it passes the drool test, and the tear test.
A multi-sensory book is also better so they can experience as many sensory stimulations as possible. Lastly, ensure the sensory book is age-appropriate. Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers all need something different in their sensory experiences.
With that said, here are my best picks for sensory books for babies;
Best sensory books for Babies
1. Don’t Tickle the Hippo!
My sister bought this when I was pregnant, and it’s still the best damn gift anyone has ever bought for my kids. It was my introduction to Usborne’s collection of baby sensory books and I’ve been hooked since then. First, Don’t Tickle the Hippo is perfect as soon as your baby learns to sit down.
On each page is a textured animal- parrot, monkey etc. The colors, fascinating illustrations and animal textures bring all the sensory experience a child needs. But… they have gone a step further and added sound, which is activated when your baby touches the animal’s textured part.
My daughter would laugh out loud every time she heard the sounds, months down the line. And, it has a cherry on top, all those funny sounds are combined to make a hilarious song at the end of the book.
Also Read: Features and Benefits of Sensory Books for Children
2. Listen To The Farm by Marion Billet
Speaking of animals and sounds, Listen To The Farm is a beautifully illustrated farm animal spread featuring bold, bright colors and a single line text. The best part of it however is the realistic sound every animal produces when you press the easy button.
It took only two days for my daughter to learn how to press the buttons and turn the pages. Marion BILLET has 15 more books in this series, each with a unique theme and sounds and babies love them.
3. Never Touch a Shark (Touch and Feel)
Never Touch a Shark is part of a huge collection of touch and feel books for babies. The sturdy pages feature different animals with different textures for your baby to explore and it’s fantastic for sensory play.
I also love how bright and fun the illustrations are, especially if your baby is young and only getting to learn colors. The amusing rhyming text is a great plus for bedtime stories and the baby can feel the animals as you read. I recommend collecting the entire series to be honest.
4. Touch and Feel: Farm by DK Publisher
Touch and Feel: Farm has been a best seller for many reasons. The beautifully illustrated sensory book for babies features many farm animals, from horses to kittens to chicks and more. The photography is top notch but the textures are even more realistic.
Kids get to touch the dog’s soft fur, stroke the chicks, tickle the kitten and enjoy a myriad of sensory experiences. The book has rounded edges and chunky pages, making it easy for the baby to turn them without help.
And as they grow older, the easy to read text encourages vocabulary building.
5. Baby Faces
Did you know babies stare at faces longer than any other image? Faces seem to fascinate them more and Baby Faces is a great introduction to emotions. This DK sensory book for babies shows baby faces processing emotions from happiness to sadness to surprise and more.
The pictures are in bright, captivating colors that will aid in your baby’s vision development as well as facial expressions. It was fascinating seeing my baby mimic those expressions by month 7 and it comes in handy when it comes to learning those first words.
6. Pat the Bunny
For over 70 years, Pat the Bunny has been serving 0-2-year-olds their best sensory experiences while reading a book. This touch-and-feel book has features that entice all the senses, from the soft bunny to the flowers that smell when you touch them to the real mirror.
It’s a book that brings tactile interaction to life, and it never gets old. Today, we have newer versions of the book, including one with a stuffed animal, but the original is still the best.
Best Sensory Books for Preschoolers
7. Let’s Eat by Jane Foster
Jane Foster’s bold board books are always a hit with toddlers and preschoolers. Her newest titles- Dress Up! And Let’s Eat! Are even more interactive with flaps, wheels and sliders to complete the activities.
Your little one will enjoy buttering the bread, peeling the banana or dressing the toys. The artwork and colors are fascinating even to adults, and I like how sturdy the pages feel.
8. Bizzy Bear: Deepsea Diver by Benji Davies
Bizzy Bear: Deepsea Diver is a bright, interactive board book for toddlers and preschoolers. Your baby gets to help Bizzy Bear have an exciting underwater adventure by pushing, pulling and turning the devices.
The easy to move sliders are accompanied by a really nice story you can read for your baby and also spots where you can stop and chat a little about the progress.
It’s amazing how sturdy this book is so you don’t have to worry about your toddler tearing pages off.
9. My Dreams: Baby Basics
My Dreams is the most sensual bedtime storybook I’ve seen so far. It’s a simple black and white magical adventure of one boy’s dream through flower fields and castles. Its true magic though lies in the lights that glow when you turn off the lights.
Both the colors and the lights play a role in calming your baby to sleep, and you can leave the book open as a night light. That said, My Dreams is still a great daytime sensory book with its sturdy padded pages and tactile exploration possibilities.
10. Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat, What Can You See? By Jo Lodge
This list would be incomplete without JO’s Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat, What Can You See. The wonderful slider book follows a fly buzzing past different animals and pages until he’s finally swallowed by one of them.
I recommend it for kids over one year who can enjoy moving the sliders on their own to see different aspects of the story. The moving parts include the cat moving her eyes, donkey wagging its ears and so on. I have to say it’s also an interesting read if you just want to use it as a storybook.
There we go ladies and gents- my top ten best sensory books for babies and toddlers. If you have a good one in mind that’s not on this list, add on the comment section. I’d love to explore a few more.
