It is always fun and exciting to see little babies, irrespective of whatever they do. From the day they were born to many and many more years, the babies/kids get excited to see and experience every single thing they are seeing for the very first time.
If there is a newborn baby in your home too, this is the right place for you to come into, for acknowledging the different types of toys. Here is the list of toys that you can choose or show to your kids depending on months and years that will keep the baby excited; It is important to choose the right toys at the right month so that they will enjoy the experience with the toy.
1. 0 – 3 months old baby:
With the newborn baby, we don’t get to interact much because all they do is sleep and drink milk. The babies will be able to see the blurred vision but they do hear well. So, some sound-inducing rattles will work. And make sure that you have a conversation with the baby; This will make your bond with the baby soo close.
There are various types of toys for babies that as a parent you can get for your small kid. Since at this age babies do not have a greater understanding of how to play with toys for infants it is advisable to get musical toys for babies. Along with rattles and musical toys for infants and toddlers, you can also buy them hanging light toys.
Rattles: The sound of rattles is stimulating. Babies enjoy the music they make, follow the rattle’s movement using their eyes, and experience a feeling of exploration as they attempt to grasp and grip the rattle. Many rattles serve as both teethers and rattles as babies get older.
Musical Toys: Are you aware that music-making and hearing have physiological and developmental advantages, especially for young children? A developing child can benefit greatly from listening to music on many levels, including the development of their perceptual, intellectual, psychological and social skills. Building on your intuition and giving your child age-appropriate musical exposure will be made easier if you are aware of how it benefits your child at various developmental stages.
Hanging Lighting Toys: A hanging toy is always beneficial for small kids since it can enhance their motor skills over a period of time. It also helps them develop their hand-eye coordination and gain spatial awareness. These can be perfect baby development toys.
2. 3 – 6 months old baby:
Once they are in their third month, they tend to see and sometimes even follow your movements in things as days go on. In that case, you can introduce bright-coloured toys which can be orange, red, dark green, dark blue, etc. Also, you can show the sound-inducing rattles that are in dark colours. They also tend to reach for the toys; They do feel their texture too. So, you can look for toys like textured toys, soft toys, squeeze toys, etc. Make sure to show the dark colours, and you can also read out the colour louder. Even though we feel they are too small, they have a stronger tendency to hear and listen knowingly or unknowingly. You can also introduce sound-producing toys, which will even attract them for sure.
For 3 to 6-month-old infants, it is recommended to provide toys that:
- Promote sensory development: toys with different textures, shapes, and sounds can stimulate their senses.
- Encourage grasping: toys that are easy to hold and grab, such as soft balls or stuffed animals, can help develop hand-eye coordination.
- Stimulate vision: toys with bright colours and high-contrast patterns, such as black and white toys, can help develop visual skills.
- Encourage exploration: toys with bells, mirrors, or other interesting features can encourage infants to explore and discover.
- Support language development: toys that make sounds or have buttons that activate music or speech can help foster language development.
Teethers are an important type of toy for 3 to 6-month-old infants as they help with:
- Soothing: Teething can cause discomfort and pain for infants, and chewing on a teether can help relieve this discomfort.
- Promoting oral motor development: Chewing on a teether helps develop the muscles in the mouth and jaw, which is important for speech development.
- Encouraging exploration: Teethers come in a variety of shapes and textures, which can encourage infants to explore and discover.
Crawling toys can be important for 3 to 6-month-old infants as they help with:
- Physical development: Crawling is an important milestone for infants, and crawling toys can encourage and support their physical development by promoting movement and coordination.
- Encouraging exploration: Crawling toys can stimulate an infant’s curiosity and encourage them to explore their surroundings, which is an important aspect of their overall development.
- Enhancing cognitive development: Crawling toys can also help with cognitive development by providing visual and sensory stimulation, and encouraging infants to learn and make connections between cause and effect.
Sensory toys are important for 3 to 6-month-old infants as they help with:
- Relaxation and stress relief: Certain sensory toys, such as those with soft textures or gentle sounds, can also help infants relax and relieve stress.
- Supporting language development: Sensory toys that make sounds or have buttons that activate music or speech can help foster language development.
3. 7 – 12 months old baby:
This is one of the most beautiful yet also the hectic phases for all the mommies. They tend to roll, move, sit, and also some of the babies tend to even try to stand and walk. Even though all of them are exciting for the mommies, it is also the time to be super-active. A small tip for the moms could be, to get up quite earlier, meditate or do yoga to keep their minds and body aligned. It is completely normal to get stressed and irritated; It happens with every mom, so don’t feel bad. Calm yourself, and it’s time to enjoy the beautiful phase of your life.
This is also a phase where you can even enhance the skills of the baby by introducing a beautiful collection of toys which even helps them in acknowledging.
You can also introduce colours, animal names, birds, and their own body parts. And even the names of your family members. They tend to look at our lip movements and try to replicate the words which we use. Some of the toys could be wooden cubes for them to build with, wooden vehicles and wheels to play with, and many more. More you can indulge in during their activity time are hand-eye coordination toys, movement or motor kind of toys, and also toys that will help in enhancing your vision and hearing.
For 7 to 12-month-old infants, toys that can be appropriate include:
- Stackers and nesting toys: These toys can help with hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills, and dexterity.
- Push and pull toys: These toys can encourage crawling and walking, and can also help with hand-eye coordination.
- Musical toys: These toys can encourage movement and exploration, and can also help with language development.
- Soft toys and stuffed animals: These toys can be comforting and provide a sense of security, and can also help with social-emotional development.
Flashcards can be an important tool for children’s education and development, as they can help with:
- Learning new concepts: Flash cards can be used to teach a variety of subjects, such as numbers, letters, shapes, and vocabulary words.
- Improving memory: Flashcards can help children learn and remember new information by repeatedly exposing them to the information.
- Developing reading skills: Flashcards can also be used to help children learn to read by using them to practice phonics, sight words, and word recognition.
Stacking rings can be an important toy for children as they help with:
- Fine motor development: Stacking rings require the use of small hand muscles, which can help with hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and fine motor skills.
- Problem-solving skills: Stacking rings challenge children to figure out how to place the rings in the correct order, which can help with problem-solving skills and cognitive development.
- Spatial awareness: Stacking rings can help children understand size and dimension, and develop spatial awareness.
Colourful balls can be an important toy for children as they help with:
- Physical development: Throwing, catching, and rolling balls can help with gross motor skills, coordination, and balance.
- Social-emotional development: Playing catch or other ball games can help children develop social skills, such as taking turns and sharing.
- Cognitive development: Ball games can also encourage children to think, plan, and make decisions, which can help with cognitive development.
4. 1-year-old baby:
One of the best days in every parent’s life, since it’s been 365 days since the little bundle of joy has come out of the world. They will tend to walk steadily by now. Never worry, if your baby has not walked it. There are also cases where the babies tend to walk even after one year. Every baby is different, so just enjoy the phase rather than going in advance or worrying about why he/she is not talking, walking, etc.
Since the babies are quite grown, they tend to be super-active and do this and that eagerly. It’s completely normal for parents to get scared since the kids could get hurt, but don’t restrict them. Instead of saying No, try to include words like “Do you feel safe?”, “ Would you like me to help?”, or something like that. The kids try to replicate our doings, so be careful while you are speaking or doing things.
This is one of the important phases that will help in enhancing your overall skills. Here you can introduce books with illustrations, give them colours to experience, etc. There are different other toys which you can indulge in like motor skill games or toys, problem-solving toys, and introducing numbers and alphabets, slowly one by one. Try to include different varieties of games and toys; And check their interests! It is natural for kids to get attracted to things like painting. So, ignore the mess and try to make them experience their painting skills. You can also enjoy them with your own sheet of paper.
For a 1-year-old child, appropriate toys include:
- Blocks: These toys can encourage creativity and allow kids to have fun playing during their free time.
- Books: Reading books can help with language development and foster a love of reading.
- Bath toys: These toys can provide opportunities for imaginative play and sensory exploration.
- Ball pit: Ball pits can provide opportunities for gross motor skills and sensory play.
Counting frames can be an important tool for children’s education and development, as they help with:
- Number recognition and counting: Counting frames can help children learn to recognize numbers and count objects, which is an important aspect of early mathematics education.
- Fine motor skills: Counting frames can also help with fine motor skills, as children may need to use their fingers or other objects to manipulate the counting frame.
- Problem-solving skills: Counting frames can challenge children to solve simple mathematical problems, which can help with problem-solving skills and cognitive development.
In order to improve their language skills Alphabet Blocks can be an important toy because:
- Literacy development: Alphabet blocks can help children learn the letters of the alphabet, as well as their shapes and sounds.
- Encouraging independent learning: Alphabet blocks can provide opportunities for independent play and learning, as children can use them on their own or with minimal adult assistance.
- Improving language development: Playing with alphabet blocks can also reinforce language skills, as children can learn new words and practice vocabulary by naming objects, animals, and people represented by the blocks.
Activity cubes can be a good toy for kids as they provide a variety of activities that can help with:
- Physical development: Activity cubes can encourage movement, exploration, and the development of gross motor skills.
- Sensory stimulation: Activity cubes can provide opportunities for sensory exploration, as children can touch, feel, and interact with different textures and materials.
5. 2-year-old baby:
A super-active stage where you will see the different dangerous things the kids will explore like jumping from heights, climbing faster, etc. Even though the kids have control over their hands and legs it is normal for them to sometimes lose them, which will hurt them naturally. So, repeat the positive and helping kind of words, instead of saying “No”.
When it comes to toys, you can repeat the same thing like numbers, alphabets, colours, etc. You can look for wooden puzzle toys of different shapes and sizes, water play toys, and books with pictures of fruits, veggies, birds, animals, etc. This will help in enhancing their skills in an overall manner. You can introduce educational games and toys, which they will have fun with and at the same time, they tend to enjoy too.
By now, you could have realised what your kids like. So, enhance their skills in that way so that they become aware and get advanced knowledge. For example, if your kid is interested in painting, they will surely enjoy the painting time. In that case, you can show a simple kind of painting and ask them to replicate it.
All the kids would love to get encouragement and a positive approach from their parents for their doing. It is important that you tell them in a good manner if it is good or wrong. Don’t try to bribe them with their favourite chocolates or icecreams. Also, include them in your work like in the kitchen with small things.
Toys for a 2-year-old child can include:
- Pretend play toys: These toys can include kitchen sets, playhouses, dolls, and costumes, which can encourage imaginative play and role-playing.
- Ride-on toys: These toys can help with gross motor skills and balance, as well as provide opportunities for imaginative play.
- Building blocks: These toys can encourage creativity, problem-solving skills, and hand-eye coordination.
- Art supplies: These can include washable markers, crayons, and play dough, which can encourage creativity and fine motor skills.
Colourful stacking toys for kids can be a great way to encourage:
- Hand-eye coordination: Stacking toys require children to coordinate their hands and eyes to place the pieces in the correct order, helping with hand-eye coordination.
- Creativity: Colorful stacking toys can also encourage creativity and imaginative play, as children can build and create their own structures and designs.
- Counting and mathematical skills: Stacking toys can also help with early mathematical skills, as children can count the pieces and compare the sizes of different blocks.
- Having a variety of colourful stacking toys can help keep children engaged and provide opportunities for learning and exploration.
6. 3-year-old baby:
The little champ has grown well. Now it’s time to concentrate on the baby’s overall health, knowledge, and everything. Try to include healthy fruits and vegetables. There are kids who do not like fruits and veggies. In that case, you can pick them up with you to the grocery and allow them to pick them up. Make them know the different health benefits of each and every food.
A live example could be for example you have some sort of pain in your joints. In that case, you have to intake calcium-rich fruits and vegetables. This will make you get stronger as you age. Make them know the benefits instead of just plainly giving them.
Toys for a 3-year-old child can include:
- Construction toys: Legos, Mega Bloks, and other building sets can encourage problem-solving, critical thinking, and fine motor skills.
- Board games: Simple games such as Chutes and Ladders, Memory, and Snakes and Ladders can help with problem-solving, counting, and memory skills.
- Science and discovery toys: Magnifying glasses, bug catchers, and other science-themed toys can encourage curiosity and learn about the natural world.
Community toys are toys designed to be played with by a group of children, promoting social interaction and cooperation. Examples of community toys include:
- Sandboxes: Sandboxes provide a shared space for children to play and build together.
- Ball pits: Ball pits are a fun and interactive play area where children can play with balls and other soft toys.
- Play kitchens: Play kitchens can be a fun communal activity for children, as they can work together to cook and serve meals.
Shape sorter toys are toys that require children to match shapes and fit them into corresponding openings. These toys can help develop a range of skills such as fine motor skills, and problem-solving skills. Shape sorter toys can be a great tool for young children to develop and reinforce a range of skills, and can provide an engaging and interactive learning experience. It also helps children:
- Shape recognition: Shape sorters can help children identify and recognize different shapes, colours, and patterns, enhancing their visual perception and recognition skills.
- Early math skills: Shape sorters can also help reinforce early math concepts, such as sorting and matching, as well as introduce basic geometry concepts like circles, squares, and triangles.
Community vehicles are toys that are designed to be used by a group of children, often for imaginative play. Examples of community vehicles include:
- Play vehicles: Play vehicles such as cars, trucks, trains, and aeroplanes can encourage imaginative play and social interaction.
- Ride-on toys: Ride-on toys such as scooters, tricycles, and wagons can encourage physical activity and outdoor play.
- Train sets: Train sets can encourage imaginative play and cooperation, as children work together to create and operate their own train
Take them to different places like aquariums, libraries, and old aged people’s places so that they will get to know the world.
As they grow, you can include quite advanced kinds of toys and at the same time, allow them to choose and do things in their own way. This kind of attitude will make them self-independent. As a parent, we have to update and upgrade ourselves too to keep our kids entertained and engaged. Know that daddies also have equal responsibility in parenting. So, make them help you or reach out for help with your partner or family members, when things feel hard or burden you.
Happy Parenting to the Mommies and Daddies!
FAQ
- Why toys are important for kids’ growth and development?
Toys are important for kids in their overall development and growth because not only are they entertainment for them during their free time but also allow them to develop various skills and also increase their knowledge.
- what toys should babies play with?
Babies should play with toys that will allow them to pass their time in a way that is entertaining yet useful for them. Toys that help them develop their mental and physical body along with various skills and knowledge are the perfect toys for infants and toddlers.
- Are wooden rattles safe for little babies?
Wooden toys for babies and wooden rattles can be safe for babies, but it depends on the quality and safety of the materials used. Wooden toys are often marketed as safe, non-toxic, and natural alternatives to plastic toys. Ensure that the materials used in the toy are sustainably sourced and meet safety standards.
- When we should get educational toys for little kids?
Educational toys can be a great tool for supporting a child’s development and learning from a young age. It is never too early to start introducing educational toys to a child, as even the youngest babies can benefit from sensory experiences that promote their physical, cognitive, and emotional development.
- How to care for kids’ toys?
Proper care of children’s toys is important for ensuring their longevity and maintaining their safety for play. Here are some tips for caring for kids’ toys:
Cleaning: Regularly clean toys to keep them hygienic and free of germs. Wipe down plastic toys with a damp cloth, and wash plush toys in the washing machine.
Repair: Regularly check toys for damage and repair or replace broken parts as needed. Pay special attention to toys with small parts, as these can pose a choking hazard.
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