Baby Toys

Choosing Birthday Toys for Babies

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:48:25 +0000

A baby’s first birthday is an exciting time for parents and family members. The baby has no idea what’s going on, just that everyone is smiling and happy and handing him new ‘stuff’ to play with. Very often, children receive toys inappropriate for their age, and will find more enjoyment from the wrapping paper and box than the new treasure.
Well meaning Aunts and Uncles feel that they must give little Johnny the best gift and head straight to the big name toy store and spend a fortune on the ‘hottest’ toy of the season only to be let down when the baby shows little interest in the new toy or worse yet, is terrified of the ‘bouncing-flipping-singing’ media frenzied creation. Here’s an idea. How about giving a unique, but time-less toy that the child can learn and grow by? Simple, well-made toys are best for babies and toddlers.
What kinds of toys are best suited for twelve month old babies? Some suggested toys are items like:
Large plastic blocks
Stacking rings
Stuffed toys of different textures
Cloth dolls
Activity centers
Music boxes and toys that make sounds
Toys to ride push or pull
Remember, babies of this age put everything in their mouths and explore their world through their senses, so make certain that any toy you give as a gift has no small parts or small pieces that will come off. Many of the toys listed above can be used when the child enters toddler and preschool years as well, making quality and durability even more important.
A twelve month old baby is entering into the toddler stage, many are already walking by then, and love to explore with riding toys and other activities such as toy lawn mowers and wagons. A wonderful idea for a first birthday gift is a well-made, classic toy rocking horse. There are beautiful rocking horses to be found, and will become a family heirloom as other children enjoy it throughout the years.
All young toddlers love to snuggle and cuddle soft dolls and animals, and they make great first birthday gifts. Rather than buy the same doll or animal that everyone else will be bringing, look for a unique, well-crafted doll or animal that can withstand lots of love and ‘dragging around’ by the little one.
Everyone loves to give toys to kids as birthday gifts; however, not everyone knows what kind of toy is best suited for a certain age child. Giving a gift that not everyone else will think of is also a great way to make your gift stand out and be remembered. As strange as it may sound, a simple, wooden or classic toy is very often the ‘unique’ toy these days and very rarely given. TV and movie characters will come and go, but the toys that stand the test of time will be enjoyed by children for years to come. Do a little research and purchase a toy that will not only delight little Johnny, but will help him learn and grow at the same time.

Selecting Best Baby Toys

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:44:17 +0000

How do you know what toys are the best for your baby? A new parent can spend a fortune on baby toys and chances are your baby will not play with half of them! Here are some considerations to keep in mind when buying baby toys.
First, the most important consideration is safety. Do not buy any toy that will be dangerous for your baby. Make sure the toy is not too heavy-if it falls on your baby, will she be injured? Also, check for any choking hazards. A good test to see if a toy is big enough or not is the toilet paper roll test. If a toy can fit inside a toilet paper roll, it is too small for a baby. Even big toys can pose a choking hazard if they have parts that can fall off easily. Remember that babies put almost everything into their mouths, so this is one of the most important safety factors.
If you are purchasing a large ride-on or sit-in toy, make sure it is stable enough to hold your baby’s weight. Sturdy plastic is the best material for these types of toys. Also, make sure there are no sharp or rough edges on the toy that the baby can get hurt on.
Babies like contrasts, so look for toys that have bright, contrasting colors. This will keep their attention and give them something interesting to look at. Babies prefer bright, bold colors to the pastels we usually associate with their age.
The next thing you are going to want to consider is your baby’s age. Some parents are tempted to buy toys that are too advanced for their baby, because they think they can push their baby’s development. This is not true. Babies will not develop skills any faster if they are given too complex toys to play with. They will simply ignore these toys.
Newborn to three-month-old babies are not able to interact with their toys. The best toys for babies at this age are toys that they can look at or watch. Between four and six months is when babies start to interact with their surroundings more. Toys that they can bat at are good for this age. Also, if a baby holds a toy, chances are they might hit themselves with it, so make sure most toys are soft. After six months, interactive toys are great because this is when babies start to learn about cause and effect. Also, babies older than six months are able to control their movements more.
Pay attention to your baby and what his or her preferences tend to be. Just because you have a little girl, doesn’t mean you can’t buy her a car, if she enjoys pushing things with wheels. You will still be able to teach her to be a little lady, even if she does like playing with cars. Buy your baby toys that interest him-don’t be too tied down to gender restrictions at this young age.

Handy-craft Baby Toys

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:40:16 +0000

Are you tired of paying for expensive toys that your baby shows no interest in? Well, there are plenty of ways to create your very own fun baby toys . . . without having to resort to expensive materials. These are far more likely to be interesting to your baby, and if they aren’t . . . well, it doesn’t matter!
Crinkler
Take the nylon mesh that your onions or melons come in and stuff some sheets of colorful cellophane inside. Tie the tube off well so your baby can’t pull the cellophane out and let her crinkle away. This toy is great for two reasons, one, the noise is fun for kids and not annoying to parents, and two, the mesh and cellophane offers interesting textures for tiny tots to explore.
Curtain Ring Chain
To make this super simple toy, you just need some big round plastic curtain rings. If you can, get some different colors, but your baby will like it even if you can only buy one color. To assemble the toy, simple push each ring onto another one to form a chain. Babies adore dangling and tugging on this toy. Wash the rings before you give them to your little one, though, since he will also want to chew on them. Oh, and make sure that any curtain rings you buy are at least 3″ in diameter so they aren’t a choking hazard.
Floaty Foamies
Need some inexpensive bath toys? Buy some bright colored craft foam and make your own! This is super easy, just draw a bunch of sea animals, between 3-5″ long, and cut them out. These fun toys will float in the bathtub, are nice and easy to grab and are fun to stick to the tub wall! You can even make a bath book by cutting four or five squares of foam, punching two holes along one side and tying them together with plastic lace. Write and draw with permanent markers and you have a book that can go in the tub and be chewed on.
Foot Pillows
Trace your baby’s foot or yours on a piece of felt. Cut out two of the shape, from the same color or from two different colors. Sew around the edge of the foot, leaving a 2″ hole along one side. Stuff with cotton batting and include a couple of little jingle bells. Sew closed and let your baby play with this soft noise maker. There’s no need to turn the foot inside out, since felt won’t fray, you can just sew around the outside edges, making this even simpler.
Baby Bubble Bottle
You’ll need a clear plastic bottle, water bottles work well. Take the label off and fill the bottle 2/3 with water. Add a few drops of food coloring to make a nice colorful water and then add vegetable oil to just below the cap. Screw the cap on tightly (you may want to tape it as well) and let your baby shake the bottle to watch the oil form bubbles that move slowly through the water.

Classic Baby Toys

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:23:26 +0000

You can’t go anywhere without some sort of baby toy for sale. There are toys that rattle, roll, talk, sing, vibrate, giggle, dance, beep, light up, and pop. If you remember back to the days when you were a child, can you recall such elaborate toys? The answer is “no”. Of course there are some new style baby toys that do a lot to develop infant skills; however, I tend to steer towards the classics. There are 3 old fashioned, classic baby toys that my daughter loves the most.
Rings
20 and 30 years ago, when we were babies, we played with colorful plastic rings that stacked up based on size. Now days, they have a similar toy on the market, but this toy does not require the baby to stack the rings in the correct order. They will fit any way they are placed on the stick. When a ring is slid on the pole, a musical note is played. Although the new-fangled ring toy has sound and lights, my daughter prefers the old fashioned one that has the primary colors. The rings are lighter in weight and make her think about order.
Balls
There is nothing like a ball to entertain a baby or toddler. You can buy balls of all different shapes and textures. Some balls are hand sized, while others are as big as a globe. Some have a slippery finish, while others have rubbery spikes. Balls encourage babies to move and crawl. They also encourage toddlers hand, eye coordination by allowing them to play catch. There is no toy that could ever take the place of a standard ball.
Pop-up Box
Pop-up boxes are usually rectangular in shape. They have characters that pop up when the baby or toddler pushes a button, turns a knob, or flips a switch. Babies at about 12 months of age get the most benefit from these toys because it teaches them cause and effect. The pop-up box lets them see that if they do an action, something will happen. Usually these toys have no bells, whistles, lights, or music, and babies don’t care!
We all want our babies to be as smart as they can be. This is why parents buy every toy on the market today. However, there is no need to spend too much money on bells and whistles. Rings, balls, and pop-up baby toys are classics that hardly cost a cent.

Toys which helps in Baby walk

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:20:24 +0000

Toddler toys that can help your baby walk – using toddler push toys to your advantage and how to buy them
Amongst all the kinds of toddler toys that you will buy for your little one, a push toys is the most essential. Apart from the fact that these toys are an absolute must for encouraging basic motor skills like standing, walking and running in your toddler, they often turn out to be one of the all time favorites. These push toddler toys are also multifunctional and it does take a while before your child actually outgrows them.
Standing, Walking, Running…
Enhancing toddler motor skills is primary function of a ‘push’ toddler toy. With the help of this one toy you can help your child learn to stand, walk and even run. Using the ‘push’ toddler toy to stand can be done when your baby starts showing an inclination towards walking but is not yet able to do it independently. The handle of the push toy can be used as support by which your baby can raise his or herself and stand. Once your baby has mastered the art of doing this then encourage him or her to take their first steps holding their hand. You can encourage your baby to walk using the support of the push toy handle. ‘Push’ toddler toys like Smalltime Child’s ‘pushing car wooden walker’, are the best way to boost a child’s confidence for walking and then eventually running.
Additional Bonuses of toddler push toys
One of the few kinds of toddler toys that have multiple uses, the push toy generally comes in shape and sizes that motivate role play in toddlers. Most often you will find that the push toy has a shape of a car, a lawn mower, a vacuum cleaner etc. Some ‘push’ toys also serve as activity centers as they come with activities such as building blocks, shape sorters etc.
Types of ‘push’ toddler toys and their pros and cons
Type 1: Two-in-one push toys. These toddler toys serve a dual purpose. They serve as push toys as well as ride on toys. This toy is an economical option as the child basically gets two toys in one. It also leaves room for your child to manipulate the toys the way he or she sees fit. The only con that there could be with this toys is that when it is converted into a push toy, the child might not be able to stand behind it comfortably as the back wheels get in the way.
Type 2: ‘Push’ toddler toys that come with some sort of other activity. These could be in the form of maybe a music box, building blocks or shape sorters. These too can work out very economical as there are two toys packed in one.
Type 3: Toddler toys that are just plain push along toys but to compensate for that they come is various shapes that most often imitate household gadgets like a lawn mower. This encourages role play and can be used to introduce your child to household chores in a fun way.
Choosing the right toddler push toy
The most important thing to remember while choosing a toddler toy of this category is that you need to buy a sturdy one. This is the single most important feature that you would need to look for as your child is bound to try climbing and various other stunts. The toy should be able to stand without tipping over.

Baby Toys of Organic Material

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 09:16:46 +0000

Today, more and more products carry the label ‘organic’. Among the organic baby products available on the open market are baby toys made with organic materials. Organic baby products are every bit as clever in design as standard baby toys and many even carry a message of our ‘green planet’ movement. Organic toys make responsible parents fee that they are doing something to ensure a better planet to hand down to the children. There are some baby toys that can be found in the better baby boutiques, but even more are available when you do a search for organic toys on the internet.
Durability
One of the popular organic baby products is that of baby toys made of organic materials. These can be materials such as cotton, wool and other materials that contain no chemicals or other irritants. Discerning parents are sure to select organic baby products whenever possible so that the baby won’t be subjected to toys that can cause harm. Because these baby toys are made or organic materials, they tend to hold up better during the time when the baby is exploring the senses such as taste, touch and sight. When created in bright colors that are soft to the touch, they are appealing to the child.
Cost
Organic baby products as a general rule are more expensive than standard design product and this fact holds true for baby toys that are made of organic materials. In part this is because at present there are fewer organic baby products made than standard products. As the volume of organic baby toys increases, the price may be reduced accordingly. The second major reason why these organic items are higher in price is simply because they ARE organic. They are something unusual, special, out of the ordinary and therefore command a higher price than standards items.
Popularity
Organic baby products are increasing in popularity for a number of reasons. Probably the foremost reason is that parents are trying to surround their babies with products that are safe, sensible, and healthy and that contain no harmful ingredients. Organic baby products meet all these requirements. On the global scale, products that are organic leave a smaller negative impact upon the earth. Products created without using dangerous chemicals result in cleaner water, air and soil on the planet. Thus the child that receives the organic baby toy is more likely to grow up healthier and will inherit a healthier earth in which to live.
Imagination
Organic baby products, particularly organic baby toys, seem to be designed with a special touch of imagination. Because there is no reliance on plastics, chemicals or other man made materials, organic toys must rely on natural colors, fabrics and decorations. These toys show more imagination although not necessarily more complicated design. Instead, the more popular baby toys are bright in color, soft to the touch and are perfectly safe for baby to taste since they contain nothing dangerous or harmful to the baby. After all, that is how the baby learns about the exciting environment surrounding it.

Play with Baby Toys

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 09:11:55 +0000

A baby is born to play. A baby with respond right from birth to brightly colored toys, bright moving objects and sounds. Introducing baby toys to the nursery right from day one will help to stimulate your newborn baby and enable him to develop more quickly.
Like children, babies learn fast, they rapidly develop new skills through listening, watching and touching. Toys stimulate a baby’s desire to learn, help them learn quickly through new experiences, help them develop an imagination and recognize different sounds.
In the first few months your baby will develop his basic senses of sight, sound and touch. Choose baby toys that will provide a range of experiences including color, shape and texture. Have a brightly colored mobile in the nursery where your baby can see it and study it while lying in his crib / cot.
Very quickly your baby will be able to grab things and will be looking for a whole range of new touching experiences. Go for learning toys, baby toys that will inspire your baby’s imagination, toys that will enable your baby to associate touch with sound and shape.
Baby’s just love to explore and it won’t be very long before they are able to move towards objects that interest them. You can use interesting toys to grab your baby’s attention, use baby toys to encourage your baby to learn to roll, learn to crawl and eventually learn to walk.
Baby toys can keep your little one occupied for hours toys generate interest, make your baby think and will help them to learn once they come of school age. You quite often hear people moaning about how lack of stimulation has meant that they no longer learn as quicker. The same goes for your baby, if your baby lacks stimulation at an early age they will develop more slowly and maybe never catch up. Baby toys will help them learn and develop all the skills they need.
Are you feed up with all those endless hours of crying? If you are, baby toys can help you out. Stimulate your baby using baby toys and other new learning experiences during the day, encourage your baby to use his mind and take an interest on everything that is going on around him and the odds are that your baby will sleep better at night.
In these modern times there is a baby toy for nearly every learning experience. Baby toys have been developed to help your baby learn. Take full advantage of those that have gone before you and learned what your baby will like most and let your baby enjoy trying to understand their new world through the magic of baby toys.

Choosing right Baby Activity Toys

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 07:53:37 +0000

Is a game only amusing? A child’s psychologist will tell you immediately: “No way! The full natural development of a child is impossible without games”.
A game in the full sense of the word is a good and useful research activity for a child. They get acquainted with the surrounding world in the first place with their toys. However, it is better not to let the choice of toys for your child takes its course. If a one-year-old child everyday tinkles just a rattle and learns nothing about playing with bricks or other games and toys, it is suggested that this can easily develop his or her personality in a negative way, as they will probably be behind his or her peer group as varied play taxes the mind.
Let us understand together how better to organize a playing space for your child and in particular for a baby from 0-3 months old.
There is no great need for toys for a baby from 0 to one month as long as this period of life is determined by contacting and bonding with adults. In the period of 1-3 months visual and aural perception mechanisms are developing. Thus, a one-month-old baby in not just fixing attention upon an adult’s faced but also tries to watch it closely. A two-month old baby is already interested in various things, contrasting drawings, patterns. Almost all his or her spare time from eating and sleeping is used examining something very closely; including keeping their ears open to different sounds. Now is the high time to provide the baby with the suitable source of contemplation and visual excitement. Let it be decorative “spots” of pure, bright colors (light-red, yellow, blue, bright-green against grey or cream colored background). These “spots” may well be represented as geometrical figures or some drawings, pasted on the walls or ceiling. Also you may add to the ceiling with diverse multicolored figures.
Note for your interest that children at this age would seem to rather stare fixedly at objects of bright yellow coloring. However, do not place too many bright objects in the field of the child’s vision – as this would prevent them from focusing onto one spot such as a drawing and examine it properly.
Coordination of eye movement is another stage in the developing of the visual system of the baby. The special “oculomotorius” gymnastics is here to help. Take a bright rattle and place it 40 cm away from the baby’s eyes. When he or she focuses on it, move the rattle right, left, up and down…but you follow the baby’s eye. If they “lose “the rattle, repeat the exercise, but do not show excess of zeal, the exercise should last no more than about two minutes.
It is useful to give the rattle to the baby (of course, it must be light in weight and not too big). The baby still cannot play with it, but gradually, as for developing of its movement system, he or she will bring the rattle to their face in order to perceive it better. In this case the rattle begins to play a forming function, stimulating purposeful movements and developing “eye-arm” coordination.

Toys help in Infant Activities

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 07:51:36 +0000

Many parents continually search for the best infant activity to stimulate and encourage their baby’s development… especially during the first few formative years.
During these first years babies must get all the learning experiences necessary for a complete development.
And developing a complete range of skills requires mastering many activities and exposure to many learning situations.
But there must be a shortcut, isn’t there?
Certain key baby activities offer an abundance of stimulation and valuable learning experiences. Yet, since many parents are totally unaware of the value of these activities they are mostly overlooked.
One of the very best activities for a developing infant is also one of the simplest… tummy time!
Tummy lying is a great activity to simultaneously build and develop upper body strength and proper head control. Both of these vital skills happen automatically as she learns to hold her head up, look around and push herself up with her arms.
Upper body strength and proper head control are absolutely vital skills all babies must completely master.
How does it work?
This infant activity gives the best results if you place a blanket or mat on the floor.
Put your baby on her tummy on the mat and scatter 2 or 3 toys around in front of her to reach for and play with.
Best is to use simple, easy-to-grasp toys just right for your child’s age.
For the youngest babies, bold colored toys are especially stimulating; older children will prefer more colorful toys, ones making noises and simple construction toys.
Although this infant activity doesn’t require any special equipment, you may wish to explore the many special tummy time mats and cushions. Many come with age-appropriate toys, such as rings and rattles, already attached.
Be careful, however, that your child doesn’t get tired of spending too much time lying on her tummy and seeing the same toys every time!
Many tummy time cushions are made in such a way that the toys can be detached, so you can substitute the toys and keep things interesting.
As with any infant activity, be sure to monitor your child carefully while lying on her tummy - especially if you have older kids or pets.
If she’s lying on a blanket, ensure that it’s heavy enough and won’t entangle your baby.
If you don’t have a heavy quilt or tummy time cushion, then an exercise mat is an inexpensive, comfy and safe alternative.
Tummy time doesn’t have to be expensive or high-tech - just put your baby on the floor and let the fun, exercise and learning begin!
It’s the simplest, absolute best infant activity.

Sometimes Baby Activity Equipment helps you out

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 07:46:18 +0000

With all the options out there, it can be overwhelming trying to select activity equipment such as baby swings for your child’s first year. Plus, if this is your first child, you may wonder what your baby will play with most during his or her first year and which baby activity equipment options will give you the most bangs for your buck.
Baby’s first year
Your baby’s vision, coordination, muscle tone and intellect all increase at an amazing rate during his or her first year of life, but for many children, it’s not fast enough. Play equipment can help your child experience new sensations and develop muscles. Plus, items such as baby swings or bouncers help give parents a nice break and allow them to focus on other household responsibilities without having to worry about their baby’s safety.
Activity Equipment Options:
There are several baby activity equipment options to choose from including bouncers, swings, activity centers and doorway jumpers. Below you’ll find the details on each.
Baby Bouncers
A bouncer is a versatile, relatively inexpensive piece of baby equipment that your baby can enjoy from day one. You can put a newborn in a bouncer and continue to use it until your child reaches 25 lbs.
Bouncers provide safe and soothing motion for your baby and free you up to do other things. Plus, your baby is exercising and developing muscles while he or she plays. Just make sure to always supervise your baby while in the bouncer. Never put the bouncer on a table or on anything that your baby could bounce off of and keep it out of range of furniture and dangerous objects such as cords, hot surfaces and curtain pulls.
Baby Swings
Swings are one of many parents’ favorite ways to sooth a crying baby. You can usually begin using a swing when your baby is 6 to 8 weeks old, but you should check with your pediatrician first. Swings typically hold babies up to 15 to 25 lbs.
Look for a swing with safety straps and a comfortable seat. You’ll also need to choose between a wind-up model and a battery-operated model. The battery-operated models are nice because you don’t have to worry about periodically winding up the swing, but some parents like the slow winding down of the manual models.
Be sure to keep swings and all other action equipment on a level surface away from stairs.
Activity Centers
Exersaucers just may be the final frontier in baby action equipment. They swivel, rock, bounce, and turn a full 360 degrees, and they come fully loaded with toys to stimulate your baby’s hand-eye coordination, focus, and perception. Plus, exersaucers are safer than walkers because they are stationary, but they provide plenty of entertainment for your child.
Exersaucers are suitable for any child who’s old enough to sit up and control head movement, and most exersaucers can adjust to accommodate a toddler’s height.
Doorway Jumpers
Jumpers enable babies to experience the exciting possibilities of standing up straight and using their legs to stand up control movement. Baby jumpers are designed for children 6 months and older who is comfortable supporting weight on their legs.