During the first year, your baby will progress from rattles to stacking toys, but his favorite toy will always be the box.
You are your baby's only toy for the first several months of his life. Then, after a while, your child will begin to wonder about the world around him, and he'll start to play with everything.
Here's what caregivers should know about introducing toys to babies, including the best selections in the first year.
Do You Know What Your Child Is Learning?
Newborns rely on others to set the social tone for the first several months of their lives. You'll be able to see and hear how much your baby enjoys interacting with you before the end of the third month. Your baby's unique character is beginning to take shape.
Your kid will pay close attention to your facial expressions and your voice, and will make sounds and gurgles in response to what you say. Baby smiles when parents converse or grin at them at roughly 2 months of age.
They also begin to open and close their fists at a very young age. As a result, kids might be able to grip a rattle in their hands, begin to recognize bright colour & play with toys. Eventually they'll realise that they're the ones who are making that rattle clatter.
When Do Babies Begin Interacting With Toys?
Your baby's legs should be pedalled gently like a bicycle at the age of 2 or 3 months. It isn't until six months of age that newborns begin to play with toys in a more conventional sense—knocking over blocks, rolling a ball, or snuggling with a teddy bear—that they can interact with age-appropriate playthings, such as a rattle.
9-month-old babies might begin to develop a relationship with toys by hunting for hidden ones that you've placed in their reach.
You'll notice a progression in your baby's interest in toys as he grows from a newborn to a toddler, as well as a variety of playthings that will keep him occupied.
- Newborn To 2 Months
Because newborns can only see items 8 to 12 inches away at this stage, your smiling face when you hold him will be one of the most exciting things he looks at. You and your baby spend much time together as a newborn, so playing and quality time are the same.
What attract the more?
Contrasting colors, subtle sounds, and diverse textures can all attrack & help a 1-month-old to learn about the world around them in a fun and educational way. Consider brightly colored mobiles, playmats with toys dangling from them, and rattles with various textures.
How to play with them?
Try gently swishing the toy close to him to test if your baby responds to the sound of a rattle. Hold a brightly colored toy 8 to 10 inches from your newborn's face and let him follow it with his gaze if that is more comfortable for you.
The delicate muscles in your baby's arms and legs will become more crucial if you place him on his stomach for tummy.
- 3-4 Months Of Age
Toys like the mobile and the playmat with brightly contrasting colors will remain popular with your baby as he grows older. They'll likely like clutching and shaking rattles and swinging at toys dangling from them playmat by the time they's four months old (as opposed to just staring at them).
What attract the more?
Soft, multi-textured rattles, cloth or board books, and unbreakable, baby-friendly mirrors are some great options for them at this age. Even though they won't be aware of it, they'll smile at their reflection.
What’s more?
At this moment, you can also have your infant shake the rattle (with your help). When child moves the rattle, it creates a noise, which teaches him about cause and effect. He'll soon be able to shake it all by himself.
- 4 To Six Months Old
Your baby can now manage his head, hands, and legs more effectively. For example, he can roll over, push himself onto his arms, and even kick at an object. In addition, he'll be able to pass toys between his hands by the end of the sixth month, as he has more muscular hand-eye coordination than new-borns.
Which play attract the more?
In addition to activity mats, multi-textured books and toys that generate sounds when your baby touches, squeezes or shakes them can be introduced to 4- and 5-month-olds. Softballs and teething toys are great for him since they're easy to grasp and hang on to and because they're also more accessible for him to put in his mouth.
Also, he will enjoy plush animals, an activity center, or a busy box with levers and sounds, which will assist educate cause and effect and give him a greater sense of autonomy. But, again, it's as simple as demonstrating and letting him complete the task independently.
What’s more?
It's essential to be aware that your baby will be experimenting with his mouth a lot at this time, so keep choking hazards like small toys out of his reach.
- Six Months To 1 Year Of Age
Your growing baby will reach several significant developmental milestones during the second half of his first year. For example, during the first six months of life, your baby will learn to sit up, stand on his own, cruise (walk while hanging on to a piece of furniture), and perhaps even take his first steps (and how he plays with them).
In addition, he will begin to comprehend object permanence, the notion that when something vanishes from his line of sight, it is not gone forever. Eventually, he'll pick up objects with his thumb and fingers instead of just raking them toward him with his hand like a toy (known as the pincer grasp).
Which play attract the more?
Even though it isn't a "toy," you can give your 6- to 12-month-old anything safe for him to investigate. For example, the age when babies can begin to play independently, but they could still follow your lead initially. Toys that make music when your baby pushes or presses a button or cars or balls that will make him want to crawl after they are good choices.
Toys that may be played with while standing, such as activity tables and stacking rings, are ideal for children who are 7 or 8 months old. These toys allow the child to push, balance, and stack.
Toys that stimulate problem-solving can be introduced to your infant as they age. Toys that encourage stacking, simple puzzles, and puppets are excellent options for infants aged 10 to 12 months. Shape sorters are ideal for babies around nine months old.
What’s more?
However, some of your baby's old favorites from the early months, such as plush animals and board books, will continue to please your baby even after they have outgrown them. Also, don't forget about household items that can be turned into toys: There is nothing better than a set of measuring cups, a wooden spoon, and a plastic container.
After 1 year….
Some of the toys that were your child's favorites when he was one year old will keep him entertained far into his second year, particularly the push- and pull-toys he may use to hone his walking abilities. In addition, toys that can be used for pretend play, like strollers, shopping carts, and fake food, should be purchased now.