Developmental Toys
Age-Appropriate Play for Your Baby
What are the best toys for your new baby?
Newborn
Let's start at the beginning. Newborn babies are mostly immobile under 4 weeks old, but still they crave attention and yes, entertainment. The best toy for your newborn is you! For the first weeks of life, your baby's eyesight is not fully developed. Newborns are best able to view sharply contrasting colors at 12 inches distance and the human face. Also, whether your voice is gravely or operatic, it is music to your baby's ears. It is, in fact, the most comforting sound to your baby. So, for the first few weeks of life, make sure to hold your baby, sing, talk, play with her feet and hands, and even make faces. This will strengthen your bond and encourage your baby's trust in her new world.
4-5 Weeks
Around 4 or 5 weeks old, your baby will begin to reach and hold onto objects. Your finger, of course, is a fabulous toy! But when your hands are otherwise occupied, a rattle such as the O-Ball by Rhino Toys is a fabulous choice, because its easy-to-hold construction is perfect for her small hands, and the rattles are built-in. It's also very lightweight and comes in a variety of bright colors.
2-3 Months
Between 2 and 3 months old, your baby is still mostly immobile, but discovering the whereabouts of her feet and hands. The best toys at this stage are sock and mitten rattles. Musical mobiles with contrasting colors are also enjoyable for your baby at this stage.
4-5 Months
At 4 and 5 months old, your baby will start to move around, changing positions and rolling over. Play mats and activity blankets are perfect for this stage, and many different companies make these. Also, your baby will begin to reach and grab with purpose at this stage. Sit her in your lap and read crinkle and squeak books and textured pages books. Let your baby touch and hear the stories. Latch-on toys for the stroller and car seat will also help your baby work on this new skill. The Whoozit by Manhattan Toys is interesting and entertaining, and has teething attachments as well.
6 Months
Beginning around 6 months old, your baby will start to sit up. Enter the 'fill-and-spill' stage, when your baby's favorite activity will be to put objects into a container, then dump them out. Melissa & Doug have a variety of fill-n-spills that all squeak, rattle and jingle. Plenty of soft books are a great idea, as turning pages is a fun challenge for your baby. Clapping is a new skill, and some babies begin to develop a sense of rhythm at this stage, so music time is a perfect past time! WeeSing makes music CD's for infants, toddlers and children using classic folk songs, nursery rhymes and lullabies. Blowing bubbles for your baby is another activity that will enhance visual tracking and encourage gross motor coordination. Your baby will wonder at the shiny bubbles and reach for them as they float by.
After 6 Months
Any time after 6 months old, your baby may begin to crawl. Let the chase begin! The O-Ball is fabulous for this stage as your baby can roll it away, then crawl toward it. However, babies, like grown-ups, like diversion. So, different kinds of bouncy balls of varying color and size will excite and entertain your baby. Make sure to have other 'sit-still' activities available for your baby to choose, as she is still working on those skills too. And of course, as your baby is now mobile, make sure the play area is baby-proofed.
Once your baby begins to crawl, there is literally one short step to standing and walking (usually around 8 – 10 months old). Activity tables and bouncy chairs will keep your baby interested and engaged. New skills also include stacking one object on top of another with success, then knocking it down again. Constructing tall block towers is not yet in baby’s skill set, but stacking rings on a spindle is a perfect activity. Rich Frog makes organic, plush, animal-themed stacking rings. Wooden stacking rings are not quite suitable for your baby yet, as she is still unstable and can fall forward on the wooden spindle. But don't worry; she will be ready for these in a few short months.
Above all, remember to play with your baby at all stages of life. Each infant develops at her own pace. Please don't compare your baby's development to the above 'schedule' to check her progress. Instead, recognize the stage, not age, of your baby, and choose the appropriate activities for her best enjoyment and development. Throughout these first months of life, some of your best times with your baby will be playing peek-a-boo and making folding the laundry an exciting song and dance.