The importance of stimulating toys for newborns
The first year of development is pretty much the most important year of anyone’s life. Yeah, you might have learned calculus and how to fix a car when you were seventeen, but when you were just a few days old, you learned to see, you learned to hear, to breath, to feel, to eat, to smell, and to go number one and number two. Throughout the rest of that first year, you learn to move, you learn to communicate with people around you, you learn to read other people’s moods, to empathize, you learn about colours and light and music. Ninety nine percent of what you’re doing right now, you learned to do in your first year of life.
In learning basic motor functions, how your body works, and how to interact with the world around you, playing is one of the most important ingredients to proper development.
When you’re shopping for toys for infants and newborns, bear in mind what the baby is learning and developing at this early stage. This would include the five senses, but babies should also get a little bit of exercise and physical activity into their schedules, and remember that infants are always chewing on things to assist in the teething process.
Some things to consider for newborns…
Stuffed Animals
As long as the stuffed animal doesn’t have a lot of buttons and plastic eyes that can pop off, the colours, the shape, the feel of a stuffed animal can do a lot for a baby’s sensory development.
Interactive Toys
Things like little dials you can turn to make them click, those crazy Fisher Price toys that make ping pong balls bounce around inside of a plastic dome, anything where the baby can see their own actions have an effect on their environment can help a baby learn how to interact with the world around them.
Teething Toys
Anything with a soft plastic or rubber surface, like teething rings and similar toys. These can help to reduce the aches and pains of teething.
Mobiles
Crib and child seat mounted mobiles usually feature plenty of motion and sound, which can help the baby learn how to observe their environment.
Exercise
Okay, we’re not talking about buying lifting weights and protein shakes for babies, here! Rather, anything that can keep a baby physically active and stimulated will provide the basic exercise a baby needs to ensure that their body builds strength and develops correctly. Within the first six months or so, this could just mean things that give the baby an opportunity to pull, push, twist, and turn the toy in various ways. Something like a Lamaze Play and Grow doll, which are packed with little doodads to keep the baby moving around.
Just Keep in Mind…
At the earliest stages, what you should really worry about are the development of the senses, learning how to interact, assisting in teething, and keeping the baby active. Even though toys usually go through a rigorous inspection first, inspect them yourself, as well. Make sure there’s nothing cracked or broken in the plastic, no loose seams on the doll, etcetera. You don’t just want a developmentally helpful toy, you want a safe toy, as well.