It started with one or two. But now they’re everywhere: on the couch and under it, piling up in corners, spreading across the floor and multiplying like rabbits.
Infant Activity and Baby Toys Mix Well
The first toys and games looked cute, but at our place the time has come to thin out junior’s growing stock of playthings. We’ll rotate some into storage and bring them back out as a surprise in a few months; others we’ll give away. All that clutter only gets in the way of encouraging other baby activities. But if you’re smarter than we are, you’ll use some of the following guidelines to pick smarter toys from the start using these four criteria.
Safety: Toys Can Be Dangerous
A first rule of toys for infant babies and toddlers should be "do no harm"; toy related accidents are responsible for more than 100,000 injuries each year. Babies can make a toy of almost anything, but a few things should be out of bounds. Make sure it’s sturdy and doesn’t have chipping paint, sharp edges, breakable parts or strings longer than six inches, which can cause strangulation. And to avoid choking don’t let baby have anything with removable parts smaller than his fist. Age guidelines can also help you judge a toy’s safety for your child, but note that older toys may not meet current safety standards.
Age
Toys from the store will usually tell you what age range they’re for, but even if it’s not listed you can get some idea yourself by how your child interacts with the gizmo. The goal is to find toys that won’t bore him on the one hand or be too complex for him to handle on the other.
Sense
As baby moves toward her first birthday, watch for toys that will help her take baby steps forward in trying out new skills and new senses. Try mirrors and mobiles to stimulate sight, a music box for hearing, a cradle gym for touch and chewable toys for taste. As you try new things she’ll learn how to make her hands work and to understand differences in colors, shapes, sounds and ideas like cause and effect.
Family Home Activities Are Important Too
The magic of play doesn’t have to come from toys you buy or from the latest product claiming to make your baby smarter. It comes from everyday interactions that help your child build life skills—things like confidence, curiosity, cooperation and communication. In the end, your child’s favorite toy might be YOU!
Bryan Taylor is President of EduGuide and the proud father of two young children.