While the fond parents and relatives will no doubt deluge a new baby will all kinds of toys, he really won’t be ready to play with any of them for several months. New babies cannot use their hands to pick up rattles or teddies – or anything else. It is only as they grow older that they develop such skills. However some toys such as musical mobiles will attract their attention and they will enjoy listening to these and watching them move while they are still quite young. Once they suddenly find out they have hands and can grasp things, holding a small object such as a light rattle will help them to develop small motor skills.
Babies always put anything they can hold into their mouths. This is the way they explore and discover their world. It follows then that baby toys should be chewable and safe for chewing. Fluffy, furry toys are not suitable as baby will ingest quite a bit of fur – and ruin the toy. Anything with sharp edges is not suitable as baby will usually bump his face quite a bit with his toys until he learns how to handle them – and it will hurt his mouth. Toys with small pieces that could come off – or be chewed off – are not suitable for baby as they pose a choking hazard.
Light rattles that can be easily gripped by tiny fingers are suitable for baby’s first toys. If they also make a noise they will intrigue him. They are often designed with a teething ring on one end and this is also good as baby can use it to help those first teeth come through.
As baby gets older he will start to play with toys such as teddies or trucks, but in those first several months, his main play toys will be his parents and perhaps older siblings. The more baby is played with by people, the more he will thrive. Experts have proven that a baby who gets no interaction with other humans becomes weak and sickly.
Toys don’t have to be expensive to be safe and fun for baby to play with. A plastic bottle with some rice or beans in it – and a secure lid – will provide hours of fun. A wooden spoon and a few saucepans will keep him amused for ages as he discovers the delight of making noise. And very often a cardboard box or sheet of paper will fascinate baby much more than the most expensive teddy bear.
But if you intend to buy toys for baby – and what parent doesn’t – choosing good quality toys that will not break easily, but give years of pleasure makes more sense in buying a toy that will break in the first week of use. Babies usually end up with heaps more toys than they really need or want. Often the money would be of better use kept in a savings account for their future education. After all, they can only play with one thing at a time.