Toys for newborns from 0: which ones should a baby buy first?

The baby spends most of the first months of its life sleeping. He wakes up when he experiences hunger or discomfort from a wet diaper. During this period, you need very few toys. The child will begin to show interest in them a little later. It is useful for parents to know what toys are needed for newborns, what to choose for a boy and what for a girl.

What toys does a baby need?

Many new parents do not know what toys a newborn baby needs. It is recommended to approach the selection of these products competently and responsibly.

The vision of children in the first two months of life is poorly developed. There is still no ability to focus the gaze on an object. Children of this age do not yet perceive moving elements, but in about a month, parents will be able to introduce the baby to his set of toys, but the child will not be able to pick up a cube or rattle on his own any time soon.

Toys are not only needed to entertain a child. With their help, the baby improves physically and psycho-emotionally. The first month of the baby should not be disturbed. During this period, he adapts to new living conditions and gains strength. From 1-2 months you can offer him toys.

List of gaming items that are worth purchasing for your baby:

rattles;
music mobile;
developmental mat;
soft cubes.

It is important to ensure that the baby does not become overtired. The duration of gaming sessions should not exceed 15 minutes per day.

Rattles

A rattle is the very first toy that is bought for a one-month-old baby. Classic models are equipped with jingling balls and bells. Today you can buy electronic rattles in children's stores. They are programmed with simple and pleasant melodies.

The diameter of a rattle for a 1-2 month old baby should not exceed 6-8 cm. It is recommended to purchase the product in the form of beads.

It is a garland of multi-colored ringing balls. This rattle is attached to a crib or stroller. It is usually fixed on a plastic arch. When the baby grows up, then it will be possible to move the structure from the bed to the playpen. Many parents prefer rattle beads due to their versatility.

From such an object you can remove individual elements, which the child will later play with like an ordinary rattle. The benefit of such toys is that they help improve vision and hearing. When the child can pick them up and look at them, then motor skills will further develop.

Musical mobile

The musical mobile is a relatively new type of toy for kids. They attach to the crib. There are options that run on batteries.

Musical mobile

They also sell mobile phones that need to be started with a key. Such toys produce a pleasant quiet melody. Some models reproduce the sounds of nature. This allows not only to develop the baby’s hearing, but also to begin to get acquainted with the environment.

The benefit of music mobiles also lies in the fact that they have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the central nervous system. Many children fall asleep to the melody played by such a toy. Mobiles teach the baby to focus his vision: when the baby hears music, he begins to look for the source of the sound with his eyes.

When choosing a toy, pediatricians recommend considering the following:

color . He must be calm. A newborn does not need bright elements;
melody. It is important that she is quiet and calm. Advantage should be given to models that have the ability to select sounds and adjust their volume;
production material . It must be environmentally friendly. It is desirable that the mobile elements are made of materials of different textures;
toy elements . They must be different from each other;
presence of a night lamp . Some mobile models are equipped with this element. It is important that the night light provides soft, well-diffusing light;
presence of defects . To identify them, you need to examine the toy from all sides and test it.

Experts recommend hanging the music mobile above the crib at a distance of 30 cm from the baby.

Developmental mat

An educational mat is a useful modern invention. It looks like a rectangular or square canvas with various elements. Helps develop the baby without requiring parents to develop special activities. The mat is useful for vision, fine motor skills, and hearing.

It improves the child's coordination of movements, and also teaches him to perceive and distinguish colors. Touching elements of different textures and shapes helps train the baby's thinking.

An educational mat prepares the baby for a more complete understanding of the world around him. When a child reaches out to a toy, trying to grab it, his physical development occurs. Some models are equipped with teethers. Such elements will be useful to the baby later, when the first bone units of the jaw begin to appear. Special teethers will reduce itching of the gums.

Soft cubes

It is considered the safest toy. Cubes can be made from materials of different textures. But as a rule, cotton is used. Foam rubber is used as a filler. Soft cubes are very pleasant to the touch.

Due to their natural composition they are hypoallergenic. Such toys promote the development of motor skills, tactile perception, and vision. When the product is compressed, its shape does not transform, but then acquires its original appearance.

The following types of soft cubes are available for sale:

crumbs;
with a rattle (equipped with a bell, making a ringing sound when shaken);
for swimming (have a waterproof coating).

You can also find soft musical cubes in children's stores. They run on batteries.

Vision development

To help your child quickly learn to focus his eyes on one object, hang a mobile toy above the playpen.

Analogues of modern colorful and ringing pendants existed in ancient times. Various wooden things, cookies, bagels, etc. were hung above the cradle. You can also use the grandmothers’ method, but the modern version is much more practical. Moreover, they are sold with ready-made mounts. A mobile can be replaced by a garland of small rubber or plastic toys, small balls, etc. Christmas tree decorations are also suitable with the only condition - do not give them to a child. If toys are in short supply, make figures out of paper, and finally hang children’s things – socks, hats. The main thing is that the baby, so to speak, tries to “focus” on the object, which should consist of 1-2 parts. Don't hang a lot of things. 3 - 4 is enough.

The second exercise for developing vision is an “art gallery”, which you will arrange along the inner wall of the arena. Select interesting colorful pictures from children's books, magazine clippings, etc. Place them along the wall of the playpen and turn the child on his side. You will see how much pleasure such contemplation of unfamiliar images will give him. The School of the Seven Dwarfs has a good book, especially for children under one year old with pictures that can be used as a children's gallery.

However, the best “mobile” for a baby is his parents. If you are too lazy to string and attach toys, and then change them, take one of the objects in your hands and slowly move it in front of the child’s eyes. The gaze should follow the toy. In addition, children simply need to see real faces in front of them more often, and not just colorful plastic. No objects can teach a child to convey changes in mood or his desires using facial expressions. So toys for 3-month-old children are auxiliary material with which parents can enhance the development of certain skills, but not replace their presence and participation in the child’s development with toys.

Video review of the PlayGro mobile

What is better to buy for a baby?

The first toys for newborns from 0 to 3 months differ little by gender. But still, sometimes parents divide them into those that are suitable for boys and those that are intended for girls. For male representatives, mothers and fathers buy children's cars.

When choosing toys for little ones, many people prefer animal figurines and dolls. Manufacturers also distribute their lines into products for boys and girls.

Psychologists say that it is enough for young children to purchase 2-3 toys. If you buy your baby a large set of different gaming items, his attention will wander.

Experts also note that girls and boys can play with the same products. Therefore, it is not necessary to select based on gender.

For boy

An infant boy should buy a rattle, soft cubes, and balls of different sizes. It is also worth purchasing various toys for bathing (for example, cars, animal figures). A bow with hanging elements that can be fixed on a stroller, crib or car seat is useful for the baby. It is also recommended to buy a developmental mat.

For girl

Girls should buy a tumbler doll or baby doll. The baby must have rattles of different sounds and colors, and musical carousels.

To develop your baby physically, improve tactile sensations and get to know the world around you, it’s worth buying a special children’s mat with many useful elements.

It would also be a good idea to purchase a garland with rustling sounds. It will contribute to the development of the girl’s hearing and vision.

Pediatricians do not recommend buying toys for girls and boys whose colors correspond to the gender of the child: children should become familiar with all shades.

Educational games for 3 month old babies

The first game for a three-month-old baby “What do we have here?”

You have already noticed that the baby has learned to fix his gaze on an object that interests him, then the educational game “What do we have here?” is suitable for you. Choose a bright toy of orange, yellow or red, show it to the child when he fixes his gaze on it, move it from side to side and follow the baby’s gaze. It is very important that the child learns to concentrate his attention in this way.

Game "Bicycle"

An excellent exercise game for three month olds. Place your baby on a hard surface, lift his legs and make gentle circular movements with them, as if riding a bicycle. This activity is very useful for the muscle development of a child in the first year of life.

Game "Grab it!"

A great game for a 3 month old baby - “Grab it!” It helps develop attention and coordination of movements. Tie a small, bright rattle onto a bright satin ribbon. Raise it above your baby and shake it to get their attention. When the child begins to stretch on it, move it a little so that the child begins to move differently. Allow your child to grab the toy and praise him for his attentiveness and persistence.

When choosing games and toys for children aged three months, remember the baby's safety. It is better not to allow your baby to play with rag toys on his own, as he will put them in his mouth, suck and chew them, and dyed fabrics may contain elements that are harmful to health. Toys should not be easily disassembled or contain small parts that a child could swallow. Do not buy toys “for growth”; most likely, after a while, more modern and effective games for the development of the baby will appear.

DIY children's toys

Factory-made toys are expensive and do not always meet the requirements of parents, so not all families are able or willing to purchase them. In addition, they are in mass production and lack uniqueness. Not all companies make toys from safe and high-quality materials.

Therefore, today it is important for many mothers to create play items for babies with their own hands. There are many ideas, diagrams and drawings of toys for children on the Internet.

You can use ready-made options or come up with something of your own. It’s easy to make a rattle for your baby with your own hands.

But for this, the mother needs to have certain creative abilities. It is necessary to sew or knit or crochet a toy in the form of an animal or a stick with a ball, and then fill it with buttons and beads . Some mothers prefer to use rice and peas for this. Such grains give a duller, but interesting sound.

As your child gets older, you can let him touch fabric and knitted rattles to train his tactile perception. You can also sew soft cubes for the baby. To do this, you need to prepare natural fabric (cotton) and foam rubber. It is necessary to cut four identical squares from the material.

Sew them together, not forgetting to place the filling inside. It is recommended to make the cube from sides of different colors. It can also be decorated with various elements (buttons, fabric or knitted decor, satin ribbons).

It’s easy to make a developmental mat for your little one. You will need an old blanket as a base, buttons and fabric appliqués (preferably felt) for decoration. Decor should be sewn onto the base. You can also attach arcs made of thick wire covered with fabric and foam rubber.

Using a ribbon, hang various game elements created by yourself (balls, animal figures, rustling toys) on them.

How to choose toys for 3 month olds

Toys for children in the first months of life should be:

Safe . More than once I have seen rattles in which small parts can fall off. Be careful!

Bright . The colors should be pleasant, but contrasting, because a baby’s vision is completely different from that of adults. A child will quickly outgrow black and white toys, so I don’t know whether it’s worth pursuing the fashion for them.

Lungs . A child of 3 months simply cannot hold many rattles in his small hand, because... they are too heavy. Now only very, very light ones will do.

With pleasant muzzles and faces. Choose soft toys with large, expressive eyes and kind faces.

Children at this age get tired quickly, so do not distract their attention with a large number of toys at once.

Video on the topic

About the first toys for newborns in the video:

Thus, manufacturers offer a wide selection of toys for children of different ages. Newborns and infants should buy musical mobiles, rattles, squeakers, garlands with rustling noises, and cubes. A girl can buy a baby doll or a tumbler doll, and a boy can buy a toy car.

Children of both sexes will benefit from an educational mat. If you don’t trust store-bought toys, then you should make them yourself from high-quality materials. It is enough to have a little free time, creativity and imagination.

Rules for selection and use

Keep toys clean. Some children at the age of three months may begin to put objects in their mouths (especially if the baby is cutting his first tooth). Therefore, it is extremely important to avoid the risk of introducing dirt into the baby’s oral cavity. Plastic, wooden and rubber toys are processed. It is necessary to wash them thoroughly in soapy water, then rinse thoroughly in running water, pour over boiling water and dry.
Toys should be the optimal weight for the baby. The child should not have difficulty holding such objects. You should not give him, for example, heavy rattles.
Try to purchase solid objects or those consisting of large parts, but be sure to be well fixed.
The distance of hanging toys from the toddler’s eyes will be optimal at 25 cm.
The necessary toys must be round in shape, excluding sharp edges.
A large variety of items is not recommended. Even if you bought or were given a lot of rattles and other toys, you shouldn’t hang everything out at once for the little ones to see. The baby will become overtired from such an abundance of information and, moreover, will not be able to fully rest. It’s better to change objects one by one, today let him play with these two, the day after tomorrow with those.