It is a myth that toys are just for a child’s entertainment. Babies develop every day, and their toys have an important role. All their body parts are their hands, mouth, eyes, legs, and ears, are fascinated by the things and sounds around them.
They are curious and move these body parts to grab these things. Toys play an important role in helping babies explore and develop their actions and reflexes.
Quality developmental toys like sensory toys and playthings help babies by encouraging new skills and helping them move for growth and development. Also, it keeps the babies interested and helps them indulge in fun activities with their parents.
Baby Milestones
Infant development is a continuous process, and playtime is an important aspect. A child doesn’t have to spend its initial months after birth only sleeping, eating, and pooping. Many things can help a child in gross motor development.
Also, parents should not just do diaper changes and feed the baby. There are so many things that help parents and babies grow and keep pace with the new changes in their lives.
The child’s first year includes many things, like changes and growth. There are different achievements like smiling, rolling, crawling, standing, speaking, waving, and the list. Every time a child does any of these things, it is known as a milestone. By birth, babies achieve several milestones till they attain 6 months of age. They are as follows:
0 to 2 months of age
The babies of this age take their initial life steps, and includes the following:
- Holding up their head
- Smiling and reacting
- Eye contacts and following the path of the objects through their eyes
- Turning their head toward the place from where any sound comes
- Cooing and gurgling
- 2 to 4 months of age
The babies of this age enter their growing phase, and their activities include the following:
- Smiling at unfamiliar faces
- Responding to sounds
- Blabbering and making basic sounds
- Grabbing things and rolling from one side to the others
- Hand and leg movement
4 to 6 months of age
When babies attain this age, they are in a better position to do the following activities:
- Responding to themselves on seeing in the mirror
- Interacting to the sounds from familiar spaces or people
- Crawling (in some cases) to familiar places and reacting to hold and cold things
- Trying to grab a toy and tummy rolls from one side to the other
- Sitting or moving without any external support
Importance Of Toys In Baby Development
Toys are underrated as they have been seen as a source of entertainment or to keep a child busy for years. But, the developments have been such that now, toys help in a baby’s development in the following ways:
- Open-ended toys for babies help them explore their creative and imaginative side.
- They help the baby’s brain gain information from their surroundings and explore science, technology, engineering, art, and maths (STEAM).
- They help refine the motor development skills of babies of different age groups.
- It helps in developing the emotional side of the child.
- They can create their space with their toys which will help them enhance their thinking, understanding, connectivity, and learning aspects like sharing.
Top 7 Toy Picks For Baby’s Development
Choosing the best toys for babies is not an easy task. Many things need to be taken care of, like the child’s safety. Also, toys should not be anything extravagant. Instead, parents, especially the first-timers, should go for something simple yet meaningful for the toddler’s development. Babies’ toys should have at least one piece of the following:
1. Activity Panels
Activity panels have 3D images, figures, and colors. They hold a major role in the play routines. They help in developing the baby’s sight and recognizing power. The sensory pads can be used with the activity panels for babies to touch. They will try to identify things they are familiar with and learn new things.
2. Play Gym
It is one of the most convenient and productive options available that help parents put their babies in a learning and growth scenario. Babies find the toys and other things hanging on the stand interesting. They make sounds as if they are conversing with them and move their hands and legs. It ensures flexibility and activeness in a baby.
3. Multi-Play Equipment
It is not necessary to buy ten toys for ten different purposes. It would be a waste of time and money. Instead, what parents can do is buy multi-play toys. They are commonly available in the market and offer a 5-in-1 use.
4. Teether Toys
It is an excellent investment that plays a major role in helping babies in their teething process. Babies tend to drop toys now and then. If they are unable to pick it up, they begin to cry. But, the case is the opposite when it comes to teether toys. Such toys provide a better hold to babies and help them chew the toys when they develop their milk teeth.
5. Musical Instruments
Giving babies toys with musical instruments like drums and piano is another way to help them incorporate responses and distinguish between what they like and what they don’t. Also, musical tones are attractive to children. They try to make more sounds that interest them when they hear them. Also, it helps them understand the responses followed by high and low pitches.
6. Battery-run Animals
There are a lot of plants, books, and other toys that are run through batteries. For example, talking tom. It is a battery-run toy, and babies can converse with them. Also, the colors and lights of toys are interactive and help babies respond and take an interest in playing with these toys as their friends.
7. Creativity Hub
All people learn to be creative on their own, which is true for babies. Color books, voice-incorporated storybooks, slimes, clays, and other things help kick off the child’s creative side. But try these things when the baby crosses 6 months of age for better results. Also, don’t compromise on supervision while the child plays with these things.
Conclusion
It’s never the right time to introduce a toddler to the right toys. Any toy that helps babies develop their understanding and skills is right for them. Both online and offline stores are full of different toys that help babies learn and grow. So, know the baby’s likes and choose accordingly so that the learning and growing process is both fun and qualitative.
