Baby Toys that Help Baby Learn and Grow
Toys aren't just for keeping babies entertained - they're
extremely important for their mental, physical, intellectual and
social development. They are the tools that teach baby about
their world and their place in it. They add excitement to
learning about life, how things work and how to get along with
others. Good toys will give your little one the motivation to
play and develop basic skills.
This article provides suggestions on choosing age appropriate
toys and activities during baby's first year. Following these
guidelines will help you be continually expanding baby's
horizons and encouraging healthy development.
0 - 3 Months
For the first few months babies do little more than sleep and
eat. In fact some sleep as much as 20 hours a day! Make the most
of the time they're awake by choosing toys and nursery
accessories that stimulate them and encourage them to use their
developing senses.
When playing with a newborn, remember that they see best when
objects are about eight inches away from their face. Make sure
they can see you by leaning in when talking to them and holding
toys close.
At this stage it's time to introduce...
- Music: From the time they're born, babies can hear high
pitched noises and are soothed by low pitched noises. Numerous
studies have concluded that playing music to babies in the womb
and in the early years helps build the neural bridges along
which thoughts and information travel. It's known as the Mozart
Effect, a theory which is credited with boosting IQ, improving
health, strengthening family ties and even producing the
occasional child prodigy. It has also been shown that music can
also stimulate the brain's alpha waves, creating a feeling of
calm.
- A Mobile: Scientific research has shown that babies who are
given appropriate stimulation show sustained developmental
advantages over babies in less stimulating environments.
Although they won't be able to focus on the specific shapes
hanging from the mobile, babies are fascinated by the movement
of a mobile and it encourages skills such as pattern
recognition, eye/hand coordination, gross motor activity, and a
sense of object permanence. Choose one that plays music and it
will do double duty!
- Simple Toys: Experts agree that babies get a great deal out of
the toys that they can amuse themselves with. They learn many
different things through their senses at this time, and through
their senses, they discover their world. The most fascinating
toys to a baby at this stage are those that make noise, or that
use a lot of high contrast black and white, or bright colors
such as red and yellow.
3 - 6 Months
By 3 months old baby has discovered her hands - and her mouth.
Her fists will uncurl more and she'll be able to start grasping.
She may hold things for a moment and then lift them to her mouth
to suck. Almost everything she grabs is likely to end up in her
mouth.
During this stage babies also become much more aware of their
environment. They respond to tickling, and other games you play
with them. Now is the time to start introducing more interactive
toys and activities that promote bonding and encourage baby to
expand her boundaries.
At this stage it's time to introduce...
- Nursing Necklaces: At a few months of age babies start to
pinch, and pull at mom during feeding. Nursing necklaces (also
called breastfeeding necklaces) give baby something else to hold
to prevent mom from being hurt. They also provide baby with
visual and tactile stimulation that furthers cognitive
development.
- Handheld Toys: Baby can now hold onto objects and wave them
around. She's also aware of the differences between her toys.
Now is a good time to introduce different textures and sizes of
toys that she can use by herself. She'll love the independence
and you'll notice her hand eye co-ordination greatly improving.
- Books: Baby is now able to focus on objects at different
distances so it's a good time to start reading to her. She'll be
able to see the pictures and words on the page and even at this
young age will begin to associate words with sounds.
- Varied Music: Now that baby is more aware of her surroundings,
you'll notice that sometimes she'll prefer to listen to a gentle
lullaby, while at other times she'll want to hear more active
music. Introduce a range of music at this stage so that she
hears different musical instruments and tunes played at various
speeds and volumes.
6 - 9 Months
By the time babies are six to nine months old, they are usually
able to sit by themselves and are learning to crawl. Babies will
also be learning fine motor skills, such as pinching and
grasping objects with just two fingers. At this stage you'll
want to provide baby with a variety of toys to play with in all
shapes and sizes to satisfy the growing curiosity and need to
explore.
At this stage it's time to introduce...
- Physical Development Toys: Encourage baby to use his body in
new ways by providing toys that require him to move and stretch.
Balls are great because you can make a game of rolling them back
and forth, as are toys on wheels that move away from him so
he'll have to chase them.
- Reasoning Toys: Baby can now understand that an object is
behind something and the idea of nesting objects. Encourage the
use of reasoning skills with toys and games that make him think.
Be sure to celebrate when he figures them out!
- Bath Toys: Now that baby can sit up, he'll begin to be more
active during his bath. This is a great time to introduce water
toys that encourage baby to learn about water. Squeaky ducks,
cups to fill with water and empty again and anything else that
is water safe and easy to hold can provide lots of entertainment.
9 - 12 Months
Babies at this stage like to make things happen - they enjoy
pushing a button and hearing a song, or seeing something light
up. Having the ability to interact with their surroundings is
very exciting and once they find something they like, they do it
over and over (and over!) again.
At this stage it's time to introduce...
- Interactive Toys: Babies can now interact with their toys in a
way they weren't able to before. Anything that responds in some
way to baby's actions or makes a noise will become fast
favorites and will teach baby about cause and effect.
- Language Development Toys: Baby is now able to say simple
words such as "no" and "dog". Encourage his growing vocabulary
with toys and games that develop language skills. Great options
are toys that say words when a button is pushed or videos that
focus on language development. Fabric or board books are also
good because after reading the story you can give the book to
baby to flip the pages and "read" it back to you.
- Co-Ordination Enhancing Toys: Babies at this stage are very
mobile and enjoy pushing and pulling items. Toys that require
them to use their whole body are great for encouraging them to
walk. Other favorite games will include stacking items and then
knocking them over and filling up an item and then dumping its
contents.
- Role Playing Toys: They watch you and will want to start
mimicking the things you do. Toys such as play telephones,
brooms, shopping carts and steering wheels will be a big hit and
will help baby explore the world of make believe.
Raising a well rounded child requires knowing what stage baby
is at and introducing ways for them to grow and develop their
minds and skills. Giving baby age appropriate toys will give him
or her the best possible foundation for mental and personal
growth.