Great Toys For Toddlers

Up until 3 months we suggest toys that are black and white, and toys that babies can use their grasp reflex to hold on to. Most infants cannot perceive colors until 4-5 months. By 3 months, a baby can bat or swat at an object. This is the perfect time to begin placing a baby, not just on a blanket, but on a play gym mat to encourage reaching and grasping. Most photos of play gyms often show babies playing on their back. Play gyms are great for tummy time too, an important pre-skill for both rolling and crawling.

When babies suck their thumbs or pacifiers, they are actually releasing endorphins or relaxation hormones. Because of this, we don't want to prevent sucking, but instead replace it with a tool designed to help teeth erupt, encourage acceptance of textured food, and stimulate the oral muscles in a positive way. At 4-5 months of age our babies can see color and begin to develop depth perception. They can reach out and grab for toys. This skill of reaching and grabbing lays the foundation for cause and effect play. In other words, infants realize "that's me who pulled and made that toy shake, and now I can do it once again". Colorful light weighted toys that encourage grasping are best at this next stage of development. By 3-6 months we want to make sure that our babies are spending enough time on their bellies to prevent delays in motor skills. Tummy time mats that encourage propping up are ideal at this period.

By 6 months, the skill of reaching and grabbing lays the foundation for cause and effect play. In other words, infants realize "that's me who pulled and made that toy shake, and now I can do it once again". Ideally, at this stage we want colorful, lightly weighted toys that encourage shaking, banging, and sliding. We also want toys that encourage babies to pull up and play standing up such as a musical table. These types of toys strengthen arm and trunk muscles for crawling, and leg muscles in preparation for walking. We also want toys that encourage both hands in play, such as baby building blocks, which little ones can bang together and pass from hand to hand.

By 9 months of age we want toys that encourage early trial and error play. Nesting cups and ring stackers are the perfect toys to begin this exposure to constructive play. Little ones will enjoy experimenting with pulling the nesting cups apart, or figuring out how to take the rings "off" the ring stacker. At this age, infants will also enjoy more advanced cause and effect play such as dropping balls down a roll and drop toy or pushing buttons on a toy for activation.

As babies begin to crawl, we want to ensure they have a protective surface to move and play. A play floor mat is ideal at this stage. While high chairs are so often used with little ones, most commercially available chairs are often too high to encourage babies to self-feed and play. A chair with a low tray that encourages an upright position is optimal at this stage.