Baby’s First Bilingual Toys

Many studies about raising bilingual or multilingual kids offer statistics about the importance of starting as early as possible and being consistent with your approach, regardless of which method you choose. As bilingual families become more mainstream, lots of new toys are available to help you incorporate language-learning into your family's routine.

Sometimes, your baby just wants to cuddle. This bilingual teddy bear works well during gentle playtime, and your little one will love to give this cozy friend a hug. With lights and sounds, it will capture your baby’s attention while encouraging language skills too.

To buy: Amazon, $40

This hippo toy “eats” and announces colors, shapes, and foods. It comes with five different pieces for your hippo to munch. Your baby’s face will light up each time she feeds it. Plus, it’s fun to practice the word “hipopótamo” with your baby. With settings for Spanish and English, this is a good toy to add to your bilingual home.

To buy: Amazon, $18

Babies love to explore the kitchen and this gives them their own miniature one with plenty of sounds, shapes, colors, and textures. This kitchen responds in English and Spanish, so it helps baby learn as well. Its small size is optimal for babies and toddlers. For older toddlers, check out the Dora the Explorer bilingual kitchen.

To buy: Chicco Kitchen, Amazon, $50</a>; Dora Kitchen, Amazon, $45

This soft piano by Baby Einstein is ideal for young ones. They learn animals, numbers, and three different musical instruments in Spanish and English. Your baby can tap the keys and “play” using animal sounds too, which makes for a symphony of meow and woof sounds that are sure to entertain mom and dad too. Don’t worry — there’s a volume button.

To buy: Amazon, $21

After your child masters the pincer grasp, peg puzzles become a fun way to learn. The cutout letters are perfect for visual learners, or for any parent wanting to encourage visual learning. This Spanish sound puzzle from Melissa & Doug coordinates the letters with sounds, so the “z” piece reveals “zanahoria.” For young toddlers, this is a fun activity to do with a parent.

To buy: Amazon, $18

Some books are so much fun for little ones that they feel like toys. One bonus to these interactive books is that words become associated with your baby’s visual and tactile senses. Engaging more than one part of the brain helps children learn. The book “Buenos Días, Buenas Noches” (“Good Morning, Good Night”) features a range of fuzzy critters your baby will love to touch.

To buy: Barnes & Noble, $9

This adorable pull toy covers all the bilingual basics, but it also features 10 songs that help introduce your baby to the rhythms of the Spanish language. Some parents believe rolling toys encourage babies to crawl, which makes this toy fun and functional in more than one way.

To buy: Amazon, $17

Who can resist the sound of maracas? For the baby who loves music, this set of maracas is a great choice. One maraca has beads inside and can function as a traditional rattle. The other emits sounds, music, and words in both English and Spanish.

To buy: Amazon, $26

For older babies or young toddlers, these Uncle Goose blocks are a first step in learning the Spanish alphabet. They feature letters, numbers, and animals with names written en Español. When your baby is young, help stack the blocks while you say the words and letters out loud or sing the alphabet. As your baby grows, practice both languages by spelling out the same word in Spanish and English.

To buy: Amazon, $34

Soft toys help introduce your newborn baby to bilingual skills. This “octoplush” toy plays baby versions of classical tunes and names colors in English, Spanish, and French. Great for mesmerizing an infant during those precious first months or keeping a toddler entertained in a car seat, this toy will grow with your baby.

To buy: Amazon, $17