Baby toys – the best ideas for the first months of life

With the right baby toy you can stimulate your child’s senses. We give tips for the purchase and present suitable products for different months of life.

As soon as the baby is born, it begins to discover its environment. Newborns love the smell of their mother and listen to the voice of their father. While sleeping and drinking take up most of the time in a baby’s life. But if your child is awake and full, he will look at his surroundings with interest. Already after a few weeks it sees sharper and soon also reaches for first things. As they get older, good baby toys stimulate their senses and provide variety. Often it also offers many common play ideas for child and parents and thus a great experience time.

This is important when choosing baby toys

Good baby toys are fun for your child and encourage it in a playful way. The abilities of the respective stage of life are precisely taken into account. If, on the other hand, the devices honk, flash and make loud noises, they are rather unsuitable for newborns. Because too many effects quickly have an overstimulating effect. You know your child best and know what he or she can already do. When in doubt, rely on your judgment rather than on age information on the toy packaging. So you can be sure that your treasure has a lot of fun with it. In addition, safety is important when choosing baby toys. Because children can swallow or injure themselves too quickly. How to recognize safe toys:

  • Plastic: Experts found harmful substances in many plastic toys. They can act in a similar way to hormones, damage organs or irritate mucous membranes. Here a look at the label helps. The consumer advice center recommends toys made of PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene) or ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer). Because these plastics have no added plasticizers. Also look out for “phthalate-free” or “BPA-free” labels.
  • Small parts: Teddy’s sewn-on button eyes must be sewn on well. Also all other small parts must not come loose with the toy. Test this before buying or reach for a small-part-free alternative. Because children grab and pull on their toys. Loose parts are quickly swallowed.
  • Smell: The toy smells of nothing? Wonderful, that is a good sign. Because plastic with a high pollutant content often has an unpleasant odor. If you notice this scent, it is best to leave the toys on the shelf.
  • Color: babies put everything in their mouths. If the toy is brightly colored, the color must be able to withstand saliva. You can test this by wiping your moistened finger over the color.
  • Risk of injury: Good baby toys have rounded edges. Because your child could injure himself on sharp corners.
  • Noises: The volume is important here. The toy must not be too loud, as it could damage the baby’s sensitive ears. Tip: Test the toy and hold it to your ear when turned on. If it’s too loud for you, it’s better to leave it lying around.

These are the things newborns love

Admittedly, a newborn baby cannot play properly yet. But there are some things you can do to please him. Newborns are already born with good hearing. Therefore music boxes are especially popular. Especially if you have already played the melody to your baby during pregnancy, he will be happy to recognize this song. In contrast, the visual ability of small infants is still limited. They can see sharply for a maximum of 20 to 25 centimeters at first. High-contrast mobiles above the changing table or books with strong black and white pictures support the development of vision. Cuddly toys in strong colors also attract your baby’s attention. However, for safety reasons, the animals should only be near him during the waking phases and not during sleep.

Baby toys from three months

At around three months, your child is making great developmental progress. It learns to grasp. It looks a bit awkward at first, but after a short time it can take its favorite toy in its hands, look at it extensively and of course put it in its mouth. Grappling toys are therefore now the optimal baby toy. In the beginning they should be made of fabric. Because if your child drops the grasping toy or waves it around, it won’t hurt itself. If the holding works better, wooden grasps or gripping balls can be added. They offer your child a new experience, as they are firmer. If the toy squeaks or rattles a little, it makes for even more fun. Play arches combine many grasping and viewing elements. They can keep your baby busy for a long time. It’s great when the play elements can be exchanged.

At six months, good toys encourage movement

When your child turns six months old, there are big changes ahead. It begins to crawl, to crawl and to sit. All this is still a little unsteady and wobbly at the beginning. The right baby toy stimulates the urge to move. Your baby looks in amazement at a soft, rolling ball and then tries to retrieve it. A crawling roll can support the push-off movements when sealing. Your baby’s grasping movements are now getting better and better. To promote hand-eye coordination, building blocks, stacking cubes, or thick cardboard books with embedded play elements are ideal.

Five great baby toy ideas for nine to twelve-month-olds

At this age your child is a little explorer. Because it can get around better and better, all objects in the home are now closely examined. The coordination of hands and feet makes great progress. At the same time, sensory experiences are now especially important. This baby toy helps:

  • Ball track: Children are fascinated when the thick wooden ball hurtles down the track. At the same time, the cause-and-effect principle is taught: Your child learns what effect it triggers through its action.
  • Building blocks: whether it’s a tower, a house or a simple pile, many babies love playing with building blocks at this age. At the same time they train their dexterity.
  • Pull-along toys: Pull-along toys are incredibly motivating when crawling or taking their first steps. Your child can take it with them. Or you draw it and your baby wants to repeat it. This encourages them to move around.
  • Colors: Now is the time for first painting attempts. There are extra-thick crayons and finger paints for this purpose.
  • Vehicles: Putting things away and taking them out is very popular with many children. Large vehicles offer space for loading with stones or the baby’s favorite toys.

Our tip: Baby toys can quickly go into the money. Why not let relatives or godparents give you a few selected items for birthdays or other celebrations?. And you don’t have to buy everything new. Everyday objects are also great toys to play with. Plastic bottles filled with rice or noodles make great rattles. And the bottom drawer in the kitchen, where the pots and Tupperware are, is something your child likes to put in and take out. A roll of toilet paper keeps even six-month-old babies busy – they love to unroll the paper and tear it into small pieces. Have fun trying it out!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *