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A guide to Choosing Baby Toys

Summary

Newborn babies, and infants of a very young age, may not "play", in the strictest sense of the word, but, as their experience is based on discovery, and stimulation, baby toys - despite, perhaps, lacking any apparent "educational" value - do, nevertheless, help to establish contact with the world. Baby toys can still be considered as educational materials, with which a child interacts, and learns, as a natural process.

Toys, and books, in the home can have an impact on the intellectual, emotional, and social development of a child, as well as physical coordination, from a very early age, and, as such, should be carefully chosen, to promote maximum benefit.

Baby Toys

Baby toys are available in a wide range of types, and the choice of an appropriate toy will often be based on the age, and developmental stage, of the child in question, the perceived benefits, and, increasingly, nowadays, the materials used.

Very young babies, for example, are immobile, and largely, inactive, and are therefore likely to benefit most from toys, or activities, which stimulate the senses. In addition, it has been show that visual stimulation - particularly that provided by contrasting colours, and especially black and white - promotes the development of neuronal connections, and the brain as a whole. Sound, and music, too, provide stimulation, and may aid cognitive development. Many baby toys therefore include elements of colour, shape, texture and sound.

The nerves and muscles of the mouth, and the sense of taste, are quite highly developed, even in newborn babies, and toys will, almost inevitably, find their way into a baby's mouth, at some stage. Be aware that some soft plastic, and vinyl, toys may contain harmful toxins, such as PVC, and that some toy manufacturers are now producing toxin free "eco toys", as a safer alternative.

Slightly older children - toddlers, perhaps, between 12 and 36 months - have a degree of mobility, and will benefit from toys that aid physical coordination, and development, such a push, or pull along toys. Toys, or games, that encourage language development, such as books, or puzzles, which present opportunities to initiate a conversation - about the story, characters, etc. - or electronic toys that produce sounds, or words, will also be enjoyable, and of benefit to children of this age.

Appropriate Toys

Infants aged between one and six months benefit from sensory stimulation of all kinds, including, perhaps surprisingly, verbal stimulation. Reading aloud to a baby - perhaps from a board, fabric, or vinyl book, with large, colourful pictures, and materials that make touching, as well as listening, part of the experience - not only provides an important form of stimulation, but also an essential parent/child interaction, which can be continued for years to come. It has been shown that the repetition of familiar sounds lowers the heart rate, and helps babies to relax, so parents need have no qualms about reading the same story over again, nor, indeed, singing nursery rhymes, or playing music, which has similar soothing effects.

Cot, or pushchair, mobiles, and floor activity gyms, which provide visual and aural stimulation, and the opportunity to physically reach, hit, and kick out are also a good choice for children of this age. Soft, colourful, rubber balls, and rattles, for example, are also likely to prove intriguing, and, once a child can sit fairly well, can be held enticing just out of reach, encouraging balance and coordination.

Beyond six months, babies will start to crawl, and objects can be placed, safely, a little further away, to encourage crawling. Crawling babies also enjoy toys that can be pushed, or chased, around on the floor, so cars, and trucks, with big, sturdy wheels, for example, will be well received. Most children of this age enjoy gripping and manipulating objects in some way, so will benefit from toys - activity centres, for example - with moving parts, such as levers, or wheels, and anything that can be struck, shaken or otherwise manipulated. Stacking blocks, or rings, can introduce basic logic - a tower of blocks, for example, will only stand if the larger blocks are placed at the bottom - but you may also find that a child takes delight in simply handing the blocks, or rings, to you.

Beyond ten months, most babies will start to take their first, proper, tentative steps, and will benefit from toys that allow them to practise their walking skills. A "toddle truck" - with a wide stable base, and at the correct height to be easily pushed along - full of colourful, wooden bricks, for example, provides an incentive not only to practise walking, but, afterwards an opportunity to practise gripping, and, perhaps, construction skills. Make sure, with any walking trolley, or aid, of this type that the wheels move fairly slowly, so that a child cannot be run away with.

Parents usually have a pretty good idea of what developmental stage their child is at, and which kind of toy, or activity, is likely to prove the most enjoyable, or beneficial. So, if you are a grandparent, or anyone else considering the purchase of a toy for a child other than your own, it is wise to consult the parents, as a first step.

Safety

Safety is obviously paramount when it comes to choosing toys for children of any age, and especially so in the case of the very young. The BSI ("British Standards Institution") "Kitemark" is an indication that a toy has been independently tested for safety, and other marks that you should look for are the mandatory, European Community "CE" mark, and possibly also the BTHA ("British Toy and Hobby Association") "Lion" mark. Baby toys from reputable manufacturers - and it is wise to purchase toys only from a reputable toy and game shop - also carry a recommended age range for the toy in question, and this should be adhered to, strictly.

Quality standard marks, and manufacturers' recommendations, aside, there are also some "common sense" precautions that you can, and should, take to guarantee continuing child safety. Avoid toys with small parts - including the small novelties often given away with food - which can present a choking hazard, and, obviously anything with sharp points, edges, or traps for tiny fingers. Toys should be checked, on receipt, and periodically, afterwards, for any sizes of breakage, or wear, which may expose any of the above or filling material, which may, again, be ingested.