April showers, roses and the start of baseball season! Pondering what sports your little ones might play often starts very early (admit it, it’s like one month into pregnancy early). Therefore, we thought it was the perfect time to do a roundup of our favorite early toys that promote good hand-eye coordination, balance and other fine motor and gross motor skills. You’d be surprised how soon you can set them up to throw a fast ball or make a diving catch.

Balls (Newborn and Up)

Unique textures and colors will lure them in. Then, before you know it, a small toss and a game of “catch” ensues. Either way, your baby will be working on hand-eye coordination and the important art of grasping.

Tunnels (Crawling and Up)

Did you know tunnels can actually help ease separation anxiety? Yup, your baby eventually learns someone is in there even though they can’t see them until they exit. But of course, tunnels also assist in refining gross motor skills by encouraging lots of crawling and exploring.

Trampolines (Standing and Up)

The repetitive bouncing helps build muscle tone and can even improve posture. Plus, the amount of gripping a baby does while trying to stay balanced on a small indoor trampoline like this one is a bonus.

Bouncies (Standing and Up)

A cute, fun (and latex-free) friend like Rody helps boost core strength with lots of balance as well as coordination! Made in Italy, this clever toy can actually be inflated and deflated to suit your child’s size and age.

Baskets (Sitting and Up)

A bath toy like this one is another great way to enhance hand-eye coordination and agility, and to introduce your little one to thrill of hitting “nothing but net!”