Baby toys are no longer mere plastic baubles with which to amuse wandering little hands. Dr. Jean Piaget, upon whose theories many of the foundations of Early Childhood Education have been built, maintained that ‘play is a child’s work’. Babies and toddlers learn through play and observation and it is crucial that parents educate themselves on the developmental stages their child will go through and the learning toys that will best help them achieve their developmental goals. The following list should help new parents to get a better understanding of the educational toys and games available on the market today and which age groups they are appropriate for.
Zero to one month: Imagine how confused you are when you are woken up in the middle of a REM cycle. Times this by a thousand, toss in a few insanely bright lights, a dash of loud sound and a good measure of extreme hunger and you’ll get how your baby feels for the first month after if was so rudely evacuated from the womb. Understandably, it takes some time for an infant to grow accustomed to their newly acquired reflexes and senses.
At this stage you can help them by introducing toys and games that stimulate sight and hearing. Since your baby is confined mostly to their crib, staring at the ceiling for extended periods of time, you might as well make it interesting and score a few developmental points along the way. Musical mobiles remain a firm favourite. Try the Clip ‘n Go Musical mobile. This product is flexible, adaptable to two different developmental stages and fully battery operated, so there is no need to wind and rewind.
One to three months: Babies are fast learners. By the end of the third month most infants have gained a significant amount of control over their movements as inborn reflexes slowly fade. They begin to lift their heads to look around, are increasingly aware of their own body and surroundings and develop a keen interest in faces. The concept of cause and effect is also being established, i.e. if I kick like this the blanket will fall off, if I cry mommy will pick me up.
Baby toys that are appropriate for children in this particular age group provide stimulation without frustration. At this stage you want to stimulate sight and sound recognition, hand-eye coordination as well as head lifting. This can be achieved by placing dangling toys wherever your baby is (car seat, cot, play area). Try the ActiviTot Developmental Gym. An all-in-one playmate/activity centre this product comes complete with a modular placement pillow, toys and arches that allow for multiple comfortable playing positions.
Three to six months: By this stage your little tyke is probably becoming a real handful. Increased control over his/her body means baby can now roll over, look around and may even be hazarding the very fundamentals of their crawling. Eyesight is becoming clearer and babies will reach for objects that are handed to them and then inevitably proceed to put it in their mouth for further in-depth investigation. Noises will slowly turn from cooing to babbling as baby starts to recognise and repeat consonant sounds.
At this stage you will want to introduce learning toys that stimulate the leg muscles, encourages head lifting and aids in hand/mouth exploration. Upper body strength is also becoming very important. Try the Frog Kick ‘n Mirror, a nifty new baby toy that is fastened to the back of the front car seat to entertain baby during lengthy journeys. The product features an engaging kick pad and a mirror that will keep parents abreast of backseat proceedings.
Toys and games are an essential part of a child’s development and with a bit of research you’ll be able to provide your little one with precisely the encouragement and stimulation they need. We all know how challenging life can be, so why not give your child a head start? Educational baby toys are a fun and affordable way to do so.
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Marshall owns a specialty construction toys manufacturing company that does extensive research on the effect of children’s toys on their development.
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