Choosing the Right Baby Toys: A Guide for New Parents

Selecting the first toys for your baby as new parents can be as anxiety inducing as interesting. It is of great importance that while looking for toys, one considers those that will not only be fun and interesting for the child but also stimulate the child’s growth and development. The top of the list would be the sensory toys which focus on the development of senses in babies and as the baby grows, other developmentally appropriate toys including those that target motor development as well as cognitive development are included. Let us now look at how to choose the best toys for the baby in a step by step approach taking into consideration the safety features, developmental aspects as well as fun.

1. Best Baby Toys for 0-6 Months

For the first few months, the category of 0 to 6 months, it is all about understanding new things for babies. Babies begin to learn by using their five senses from the age of 0-6 months due to their inquisitive nature. So, toys made for infants of this age should be more gentle and appealing in terms of colour and texture. Toys that are black and white with strong patterns would be particularly useful for babies’ eyesight. This is because such toys are clearer for infants to see. As babies are getting closer to the age of 3 – 6 months, it is likely that their attention spans will improve and they will also start to appreciate more toys that come with sounds and have varying bright colours.

Soft rattles, textured fabric books and small, light mirrors that babies can safely gaze into help foster progression to this age group with some great toys. Along with their allure for a baby, these toys help in developing senses, thus enabling a baby.

2. Understanding Age-Appropriate Baby Toys

It’s important to choose toys based on your baby’s stage of development so that the fun remains but the safety does too. But toys and their own age recommendations are a helpful simple and effective method for helping remind caregivers about safety risks, as well as developmental milestones. 

For example, infants from 0 — 6 months would find things like plush toys and soft rattles excellent, but 6 — 12 month babies would benefit from slightly more advanced toys, such as stacking cups or activity centres. Around this age, babies start developing towards the stages of hand-eye coordination and require toys which they can grip and play around with, but should get toys which are simple and do not represent choking hazards.

3. Choosing Safe Toys for Babies

For many parents and guardians, safety assurance of a toy is an obvious standard. As much as possible, ensure that the toys do not have small components which can easily be scooped into the mouth. Infants are active oral explorers, and therefore toys should be constructed from safe materials such as BPA-free plastic. Toys with protruding edges as well as loose components should be avoided and all fabric toys should be washed frequently to avoid any issues with bacteria. Parents should ensure that any toy is larger than a toilet paper roll. If it fits, it is unsuitable for children under the age of three. 

4. Developmental Toys for Newborns

The sense development of babies during the first few months is primary. The use of contrast colours, sounds and textures on toys will promote the opening of their senses which is important in their growth. Newborns are stimulated and entertained when they play with rattle toys, squeaky toys and soft toys of varying textures. Mirrors, as well, are wonderful for self-exploration as infants tend to enjoy gazing at faces, primarily their own!

Other appealing toys include musical toys. When a baby is introduced to a simple toy that plays a lullaby, he or she learns that the sound follows patterns, and rhythms as well as melodies. Such kind of sensory exposure is pleasurable and helps introduce an infant to sounds in a more relaxing way.

5. Baby Toys for Sensory Development

The foundation of sensory skills is constructed through the use of sensory toys. Seeing bright colours and touching soft materials and toys that produce sounds promotes the hearing sense. Below are a number of sensory toys for babies:

• Rattles and Shakers: These assist in determining the principle of causation; for instance, shaking a rattle makes a noise.
• Toys that are soft and crinkly: Toys that make crinkly sounds are new, as they become more interesting to children because they touch with their fingers.

6. Essential Baby Toys for Infants

Every child has their own developmental timeline, based on genetics, health and environmental factors, but there are some toys that are essential from birth. But when thinking about toys to add to your baby's collection, the best toys are the ones she or he will be able to enjoy as they grow older. Certain toys require babies to use effective grasping methods, achieving greater dexterity with each passing day and at the same time, soft toys provide comfort to babies.

Generally speaking, finding a single toy that can be multi-purpose is recommended. To illustrate, stacking rings can be incorporated with building as well as rolling and counting games as your baby grows. 

7. Baby Toys for Development

From the ages of 6-12 months, babies begin to develop motor skills and toys encouraging movement are recommended. Choices that are ideal include activity tables, push-pull toys and interactive toys, such as shape sorters. Interestingly, building blocks, musical keyboards (or chunky puzzle pieces) should be thought about for this age as they encourage coordination and problem solving.

Socks filled with small balls of styrofoam, which you can throw or roll, are also fun. They’re fairly soft, and will help babies learn to put their weight on their arms while they rise onto their knees. These toys will also help babies learn to maintain themselves in an upright position as well as enhance their core strength as they begin to move.

8. Top Baby Toys for Early Learning

Toys are not only for play, they also introduce you to learning! Your baby’s toys can help them develop skills that will come in useful as they get older. Sticking to early learning toys like stacking cups, shape sorters and simple musical instruments goes a long way when it comes to enticing your baby. These toys help babies understand things like size, shape, and cause and effect, but they don’t require any literacy skills.

9. Tips for Choosing Baby Toys

It’s always quality that comes first when it comes to choosing toys, but there’s also variety which is important. Don’t go buy way too many toys if you see one that you love. Instead of picking hundreds of items, stick to a handful of quality items that play to your baby’s level of development and interests. That way you won’t have to keep buying new ones as your baby learns new skills.

10. Introducing Your Baby to New Toys

But, the way you introduce toys to your baby is also important. Allow your baby time to explore a new toy at their own pace, and help them know by taking time to show them how a new toy works. If you get too excited when talking or looking at something, chances are so will babies.

Rotate toys around every few days and use only a few toys at any one time. By keeping their environment interesting, they keep babies wanting to learn more about each toy.

Build Your Baby’s Toy Collection Wisely

It may be rewarding to select suitable baby toys for your baby. Not all babies may have ones that have the newest or the most expensive – the best toys for babies are simply those that fit the baby’s progression, are safe, and give the babies room to learn and have fun. A well selected toy collection can make a real difference for your child’s early development from sensory toys for newborns right up to early learning toys for older infants.

It is for this reason that as you discover the world of baby toys, you should be paying attention to toys that will bring joy, comfort and discovery to your little one. Toys have nothing to do with play–they are vital tools for learning, growing and connecting to the world.