Few things can inspire such nostalgia and whimsy as baby toys. While you know you should be focusing on clothes and furniture and car seats or strollers, you can’t help but be drawn to all the toys! Toys for babies are a really great addition to any nursery, and should be seriously considered a top priority. Babies need more mental stimulation than we often realize, and brightly colored or patterned toys can provide the stimulation that even newborns need.
For the earliest of newborns, look for toys that are soft and boldly patterned. Blacks, whites, and reds in chunky color blocks or patterns have shown to be the most eye catching and stimulating for infants. Since babies at this age are not mobile, play time can simply consist of you holding the toy over baby’s open eyes, or setting it out on the floor in front of the child during tummy time.
Once the infant has begun learning how to make simple and jerky arm movements, it is a good time to introduce such age old toys as rattles. Choose one that has a chunkier handle that is easy for baby to grasp in its reflexive hand hold technique. You can place the handle of the rattle in the child’s hand, and it will grasp it automatically, and when they move their arm, the sounds of the rattle will delight and inspire them. Not only does this keep them entertained, it is also the very beginning of an important life lesson- cause and effect.
From there, you can introduce new toys at age appropriate intervals. All baby toys sold new at a retailer will have a marking on the outer packaging that lists ages that toy is suitable for, or intended for. Pay close attention to these, because those marked for 3 and up may contain smaller pieces that an infant could easily become choked on.
Soft toys are well suited for babies just becoming mobile, as the gumming or sucking in the mouth won’t hurt them, and since their still not mastered at the skill of motor control, they may often accidentally hit themselves with the toy. Look for soft rubber toys designed for teething babies when the first teeth come in, and once the child has become fully mobile- in the crawler stage- you can advance toys again. Educational toys are always beneficial, and small children learn best through imaginative play.
