Nothing is cuter than watching your baby babble into their toy phone. This type of interaction is also a great way for your baby to start early role-playing and many toy cell phones have interactive features that promote early learning and development.
Below, you’ll find our top choices for the best baby cell phone toy. These are all durable, safe for your little one to use, and a great choice for early development and helping your baby learn.
Best Baby Cell Phone Toys
The Fisher-Price #Selfie Fun Phone is a fun first toy phone for as early as 3 months as it has a baby rattle, teether, and a mirror to entertain your baby; whereas the LeapFrog Chat and Count Smart Phone is geared towards older baby’s at 18 months as it teaches counting to 10, makes calls, says hello and good-bye, and plays music.
Fisher-Price #Selfie Fun Phone
The Fisher-Price #Selfie Fun Phone is ideal as the first cell phone for baby. It’s recommended for ages three months and older and features a baby rattle, teething features, and a mirror that helps with your little one’s awareness of themselves.
Another benefit of this Fisher-Price cell phone toy is the grip on the back. Your little one can twist and manipulate the grip like the one on your phone. It can also be used to stand the phone on its side, which lets your baby play with it during tummy time. Additionally, the grip clicks and the phone makes a rattling sound when shaken.
The one downside of this toy is that it traps water when it gets wet. You’ll want to be sure you don’t submerge it while washing and avoid using it in the bath. Additionally, you’ll want to watch for odors because baby drool can get down into the buttons if your little one drools a lot.
Pros
- Great first cell phone toy
- Round edges for teething
- Rattles and makes clicking noises
- Mirror helps with self-recognition
- Grip can be used as a prop for tummy time
Cons
- Traps water
LeapFrog Chat and Count Smart Phone
The LeapFrog Chat and Count Smart Phone is recommended for babies age 18 months and older because of the designs of the button. You can purchase it with Scout (pictured here) or Violet.
The small display lights up with a dancing Scout or Violet that talks to your child as they press different buttons. Each button counts to its number, all the way up to ten when you press the zero key. There are also buttons to make calls, play music, and say different phrases too.
One thing that is nice about the way the buttons are designed is that they are slightly raised under a sealed surface. This means there’s less risk of water getting into the phone and ruining it if your baby is a chewer.
In addition to counting up to ten, this teaches social skills and different things that a phone can do. As different buttons say hello and goodbye, your child learns how to interact with others and some of the basic functions of a cell phone. This is also great as a roleplaying toy.
While this is a great learning toy for counting up to ten and social skills, it doesn’t teach much other than that. The LeapFrog baby cell phone is advertised as being for kids up to age five, but the average five-year-old isn’t going to be entertained by this.
Pros
- Scout or Violet dances across the screen
- Music, counting, and phone manners
- Great roleplaying toy
- No spaces between buttons, resists water/drool
- Counts to each of the numbers on the buttons
Cons
- Not as entertaining as your baby ages
- Less learning features than some other electronic baby cell phones
Best Baby Touchscreen Phone Toy
VTech Touch and Swipe Baby Phone
The VTech Touch and Swipe Baby Phone is recommended for babies age six months up to three years. It features 12 pretend apps that light up when pressed, as well as a music mode for your little one to play with.
Something else nice about this is that it is a touchscreen. The touchscreen is responsive and it works just like mom or dad’s phone, which babies will like. It is also durable, so it can take a beating. While it is durable, it is not waterproof and you’ll want to watch how much your baby drools if they chew on the edges. A little moisture might not damage it, but too much will harm the touchscreen and inner workings.
To switch between the modes, there’s a slide at the bottom of the phone. This is easy enough for a young kid to operate. Some of the apps are the same as what you’d find on your phone like calendar, clock, and weather. You can also save your real phone number so your child can pretend to call home and get familiar with their phone number.
In music mode, there are also lots of opportunities for your little one to learn. It teaches ABCs, numbers, and some of your child’s first words. Additionally, working with the buttons improves hand-eye coordination, and roleplaying encourages creative learning and social skills.
You’ll need to use 2 AAA batteries for this toy. It does go through batteries fast if your baby plays with it a lot and you’ll notice the touchscreen becomes unresponsive or the buttons make repetitive sounds if the batteries start to die.
Pros
- Touchscreen
- Slide button to switch between app mode and music mode
- 15 melodies and learning songs in music mode
- Stores your phone number for learning and pretend play
- Durable design
- Volume is loud enough without being annoying
Cons
- Not water resistant
- Goes through batteries quickly
See more of our favorite toys for 1-year-old boys and toys for 1-year-old girls.
Best Baby Flip Phone Toy
Infantino Flip and Peek Phone
The Infantino Flip and Peek Phoneis perfect for babies that love playing peek-a-boo. They can open the phone, look at their reflection, and have fun pressing the buttons inside. It’s recommended for ages 3 months and up.
This flip cell phone is perfectly sized for little hands to grasp. After your child opens it, they can play peek-a-boo with their reflection where the screen on a phone would be. They can also press the different buttons that say words and make sounds.
Three of the phrases on this phone are repeated in English first and then Spanish, which offers early introduction to a second language. However, three phrases isn’t a lot of introduction to the language and the speaker quality isn’t the best. It is still entertaining for your little one, though.
With the limited learning features, your baby will likely stop being entertained by this as they get older. However, most will still enjoy roleplaying and making pretend phone calls as a toddler.
Pros
- Perfect size for infant fingers to grasp
- Great first cell phone toy for baby
- Good for roleplaying
- Has phrases in English and Spanish
- Buttons make sounds when pressed
- Mirror helps with self-recognition and development
- Flip phone design works your baby’s finger muscles
Cons
- Only three bilingual phrases
- Speaker could be better quality
Baby Phone Toys Compared
The table below compares only the recommended products on this page. A low or high Price means it is low or high compared to the other products listed. The Popularity Score reflects how often readers click on and buy the product. The Quality Score is our assessment of the overall performance and satisfaction with the product compared to others in the table.
| LeapFrog Chat and Count Smart Phone | 3.9 | 9.4 | 17.99 |
| VTech Touch and Swipe Baby Phone | 9.9 | 8.8 | 15.99 |
| Fisher-Price #Selfie Fun Phone | 8.7 | 9.0 | 8.99 |
| Infantino Flip and Peek Phone | 9.1 | 9.2 | 7.97 |
How We Selected Baby Cell Phone Toy
Age and Safety
When shopping for a toy phone for a baby, you’ll want to look at the manufacturer’s age recommendations.
Usually, toys designed for babies have recommendations for developmental milestones. For example, toys made for newborns might have engaging sounds like rattles or jingles and they are usually designed so your little one can grasp them as they learn to use their fingers. As your baby grows older, so they’ll have a greater variety of toys available that require different skills.
In addition to following guidelines for developmental reasons, you’ll want to buy toys manufactured for younger kids because of safety reasons. Look for something that does not have small parts or easily breakable pieces. You’ll also want to look for rounded edges, especially since babies might chew on things.
Finally, be sure the toy you choose is non-toxic. Most baby cell phone toys are plastic, so you’ll want to look for something that is BPA-free. BPA (Bisphenol A) may cause neurotoxicity and developmental problems. As it is a common additive to plastic and babies often put toys in their mouth, you’ll want to look for toys made from BPA-free plastic and other safe materials.
Durability
Babies and toddlers are notorious for being rough on their toys. Baby toys often end up chewed on, dropped, and even smacked against surfaces like the table or ground. Babies aren’t necessarily trying to break their toys- they are learning how to interact with the world around them. For these reasons, you’ll want a baby cell phone toy that is durable. It shouldn’t have any parts that will easily break off either- broken pieces are smaller and may become a choking hazard for your little one.
Educational Benefits
Your baby starts learning about the world around them at a young age. Toy phones can teach about colors, numbers, and so much more. They may also play music (kids learn a lot through repetition at a young age, so this can be helpful).
The best baby cell phone toy is also going to encourage your baby to work with their hands. As they push buttons or turn knobs, they are working their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. These lay the foundation for many other skills your child will learn.
Features and Engagement
Finally, you’ll want to consider how entertained your baby will be by the toy cell phone. Baby cell phone toys are usually interesting to children, especially because they see their parents/caregivers on cell phones. You should also look for a toy that has bright, visually engaging colors and fun features. At a young age, most kids are interested enough in learning the cause-and-effect of different movements like pushing buttons.
FAQs About Baby Cell Phone Toy
At what age should I buy my baby’s first cell phone toy?
Baby cell phone toys are a great choice for several reasons. Their compact design makes them a hand-sized source of entertainment for your little one. A toy cell phone can keep them entertained (and less fussy) in the car, in their play area, or at the doctor. Additionally, it’s something your little one is probably interested in since they likely see their parents playing on the phone.
Like most toys, baby cell phones are designed for all ages. The youngest age recommended by the toys on our list is just three months. At this age, your baby is likely grasping things with their hands and able to press buttons. Since most toy cellphones are designed with features like these, you can start shopping for an age-appropriate toy as early as three months.
Can I let my baby play on my cell phone?
The data available on the links between microwave radiation (MWR) from cell phones and other wireless devices as a cause of cancer is mixed. What is known is that some radiation is put off by wireless devices. Additionally, it is known that fetuses, babies, and children are at the highest risk of developing cancer from cell phone radiation because of their smaller size.
There are several steps you can take to make this safer. Only allow your child to use a cell phone at a distance (like while using speaker phone) and use airplane mode while they are playing games.
Something else to keep in mind is that a baby cell phone toy is better as a learning tool. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies under 18 months avoid screen time. While short phone calls with relatives are okay, you shouldn’t let your baby watch television shows or videos on your cell phone regularly A baby cell phone toy is a good alternative, especially if you’re looking for something that will keep your little one entertained in the car and at doctor’s visits.
Is a baby cell phone toy a good learning toy?
Baby cell phones make a great learning toy for your child. When your child pushes buttons or twists knobs that make sounds, they are learning about cause-and-effect. They are also using their finger muscles as they play. This helps them develop fine motor skills and hand-eye-coordination.
Other learning benefits depend on the features of the phone. Phones with mirrors teach your baby self-recognition. Those that say phrases or play songs can also teach about numbers, colors, and some of your baby’s first words.
Another benefit of baby cell phone toys is that they promote roleplaying. When your child mimics you and talks on their phone, they are assuming a role. This type of play is important for social and emotional development because it promotes empathy.
Talking on the phone teaches social skills and phone manners. Additionally, it encourages creativity that lays the foundation for critical thinking and problem solving later on.
