Baby Toys

Below are some suggestions for suitable baby toys according to the age of your child. These might make suitable baby gifts for grandma or friends to buy or they might just be baby toys that you need to use on a daily basis to keep baby alert and entertained

0-6 months

At this age babies see and learn about their environment through play. They should be able to old objects for a few moments, their eyes will follow a moving object and later they will  begin to lift up their heads to look at things. Baby toys for this ages group might include:-

• CD’s of nursery rhymes or classical music
• Simple board books that use colours, shapes and numbers or the alphabet
• Play mat
• Activity arch or mat (with suspended mobile of bright simple shapes)
• Light up/ noisy toys, activity centres and mirrors
• Stuffed animals made of contrasting fabrics
• Cot toys
• Soft toys made of different textures that make noises when squeezed
• Cloth books
• mirrors

6-12 months

Babies in this age group are developing quickly. They become more dextrous, more mobile and their co-ordination improves. As they start teething they will start to put things in their mouths. Baby toys for this age group might include:-

• simple musical instruments, drums and rattles for example
• activity tables
• push along rides
• Walker
• Board and cloth books –first words and lift the flap
• Square building blocks
• Stuffed toy
• Musical pull along toys
• Blocks and shapes that nest, stack or need to be posted
• Dolls and teddy bears
• Cars and trucks
• Floating and pouring bath toys

12-18 months

At this age your baby has become a toddler. They will have learned to talk, shout, point. Once they have mastered walking they will  also be learning to jump and climb. This means their “baby toys” can be more puzzling and challenging. Their toys might include:-

• Building and construction activities – bricks and stacking rings
• Push along toys, prams and walkers
• Ride along toys
• Colouring and painting activities
• Balls
• Interactive and electronic toys

18-24 months

By this age toddlers are likely to play more independently. Their language will have developed considerably and they will be able to understand far more than they can say.

Popular toddler toys might include:-

Dressing up clothes

Play houses

Simple jigsaws

Story books

Colouring books