Best Books for 3-6 Month Olds

As you’re soaking up those baby snuggles, look for opportunities to incorporate reading to your baby. Your baby’s physical and cognitive growth will develop leaps and bounds in a few short months. Make the most of this time by immersing your baby into the wonderful world of books!

With so many baby book options available, it can be difficult to narrow down the best books that target early language development and connection with your baby! I’ve taken the guesswork out of curating your baby’s library with this list of my favorite books for 3-6 month olds. 

When looking for books to encourage your baby’s development, consider options that include some of these features and themes:

Touch and Feel Elements:

• Babies learn best by exploring their senses. Books like That's Not My Giraffe encourage your baby to touch the book by gently guiding their hands to the pages. Pat at the Zoo is a family favorite; my son loves to explore the different zoo animals.

Contrasting colors: 

• Your baby’s vision has changed from seeing in only shades of black, white, and gray, to developing into color vision. Books with contrasting colors like First Looks, Colors & Shapes and Taste the Fruit are great for your baby’s visual development. 

Simple Sounds/Words: 

• Books that model simple sound structures will lay the foundation for your baby’s language comprehension and verbal expression in the future. Our Little Library is a series written by a speech therapist to give your baby a jump start with their exposure to new words. Books like Animal Noises* and Baby Sounds will help model simple sounds for your baby to learn and eventually imitate. 

Crinkle/Sensory Exploration

• Your baby can explore their senses while on the go with crinkle books like Fish Crinkle Book that my boys adore. See, Touch, Feel: ABC  has also been a fun go-to in our family. My boys have loved the raised elements on every page and I feel confident I am helping their language development with the core vocabulary. 

Music:

• Incorporating music into reading time is so beneficial for your baby. Music can help babies develop pattern recognition and rhythm prediction skills, which are important for learning to speak. This interactive Baby's First Nursery Rhymes is a great option. As your baby grows, encourage them to reach for the buttons and help them push them to activate the sounds. This is also a fun way to incorporate learning about cause and effect.

Rhythm:  

• Hearing familiar rhythms can help your baby store up information and develop their understanding of language. Try a classic like Chicka Chicka Boom Boom or Llama Llama Red Pajama.

Bonding: 

• Bond with your baby and encourage social-emotional development with sweet favorites such as You're My Little Sunshine and Time for a Hug. These are wonderful options for snuggling up at bedtime.

Teethers: 

• Your baby explores and learns by bringing objects to their mouth. Mouthing can also bring them comfort when teething. Your baby will adore books that incorporate teething elements like the Tuffy Farm Teether Book or Little Fox. Don’t miss Love You, Baby: Indestructible as this series is rip and water-proof!

Mirror: 

• Babies are naturally drawn to faces and love to look at themselves!  My First I See You: A Mirror Book or Happy Faces are a perfect story to share with your child as they feature shiny mirrors throughout the book.

Tummy Time Books:

• Engaging your baby with books during Tummy Time is a fantastic way to promote their core muscles and overall development. Happy Baby or Fold-Out Animals are sturdy fold-out books that include high contrast images as well as mirrors to engage your baby.

Making books an enjoyable part of your baby’s day will not only support their development, but also provide a beautiful bonding experience for you and your child. 

Happy reading!

~Laney