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Choosing Baby Toys

It is essential to have the right baby toys. You have to keep baby engaged; otherwise, you’re staring down the barrel at an unhappy baby. An unhappy baby means a crying baby.

Getting the right toy for baby is very important. All baby toys are pretty much geared toward 3 things: 1) Colors; 2) Noise; and 3) Movement. The trick is not in getting the right colors, noises, or movements; the trick is in getting one most suitable for their age. Getting a toy beneath their age and they’ll be bored. Get a toy that’s beyond their age and they’ll be frustrated.

For the newborn to 3 month old baby, look for toys that are self-playing. For example, something which will make noise or move on its own. A baby this young will not reach up to grab it, but will definitely notice it when he/she sees it move and/or sing. Getting dangling toys which rattle or sweetly sing that you can hang from the baby’s car seat is great. This is the reason for crib mobiles that keep babies engaged and quiet.

For the 3 to 5 month old baby, get very vibrant toys which dangle just out of their reach. This will encourage the baby to reach out to grasp the object(s) aiding in baby’s hand-eye coordination. Get a padded play yard with multicolor, multi-sounding, and multi-feeling objects that are just beyond baby’s reach. Not only will the baby try to grasp it, the movement will strengthen baby’s core muscles which are essential in crawling and standing.

The baby that is 6 to 8 months old is starting to get more mobile or highly wants to. Floor toys that require baby to move to get to are ideal. For instance, a toy that’s slightly elevated containing lots of blinking lights, sounds, and wheels. Babies love these features because they’re interesting. A toy that is slightly elevated will cause baby to try to get up to see what’s going on. This in turn gets those hands and feet moving and perhaps a baby that stands up.

The baby that is 8-11 months old needs toys that are geared to train in walking. Anything that will keep baby engaged while providing support for his/her standing is ideal. Walkers are fabulous for this. A lot of walkers have interesting baby toys on them. Using muscles for the first time is hard but the toys featured on walkers distract baby from this and baby starts walking faster. Bouncers are fabulous too. They hold baby up as baby plays and strengthens those legs.

The baby that is 12 months and older is technically a toddler. However, this “baby” is still pretty young and still will play with baby toys. Now is the time to get building blocks, stackable rings, or anything designed for strategic thinking. Even a kid laptop which goes over counting, the alphabet, and makes animal noises is very interesting to a baby. It’s never too soon to start learning. They will absorb this information subconsciously while having fun.

Babies are naturally curious. They absorb everything that’s around them. You want to get toys which will stimulate their brains. Keep these tips in mind the next time you are buying baby toys. In addition, put yourself in their shoes. If you couldn’t walk, what kind of toy would you want? Just think of what is most suitable and have fun with it. You’ll get the right ones.