First toys: what toys does a newborn need?

First toys for a newborn

The lack of need for a large number of toys in a child aged 1-2 months is also explained by the fact that newborns have very poorly developed vision. Due to the immature vision apparatus, it is still difficult for a child to focus his gaze on specific objects, especially those that are further (and closer) than arm's length.

Almost everything that surrounds children in the first weeks of life appears to them as blurry spots. The child does not yet perceive moving objects at all.

The baby will also not be able to pick up a rattle or cube anytime soon, so the baby will only get acquainted with his first toys with the participation of adults. And this acquaintance will last no longer than 10-15 minutes a day.

From 6 to 12 months

By 7-8 months, the baby begins to actively take an interest in everything new. During this period, the child’s intellectual cognitive base is formed. Parents should take into account the needs of the baby when choosing which toys are best to offer the baby, what size, texture. Still remember the main condition for the safety of any toy. There should be no small easily broken parts, chewable material, toxic dyes, or sharp irritating sounds.

From this age, the child begins to master toys that can be inserted into each other and taken out. Bright boxes with lids will come in handy. By 11 months, the baby will learn to cope with the pyramid and will learn to play with blocks.

Rattles will give way to musical toys. Particularly attractive are the buttons that can be pressed to make music play or a bright light bulb to light up.

By 11 months, the child masters role-playing games and learns what actions can be performed with a toy. He learns to take pity on a toy, rock a doll, move a car, feed a bear, and throw a ball. Balls are still indispensable: they help to learn to crawl and walk, develop motor skills, and teach a child to play with a toy.

From 11-12 months, introduce your baby to puzzles. The need to take and put small parts develops fine motor skills, and the process of assembling a picture itself develops perseverance, develops imagination and logic. However, remember that without adults, the child is not yet ready to play with puzzles; the parts will be torn and chewed. And this is natural and normal.

Toys for newborns at 1-2 months: rattles and mobiles

The very first and most necessary toys for children aged 1-2 months are rattles. They can be traditional, with jingling balls or bells, or electronic, with simple programmed melodies. The first rattles for children were produced very small, their diameter was only 6-8 cm.

You can also buy a rattle made in the form of beads for your baby.

Whole garlands of multi-colored balls are attached to a stroller or crib. Rattle pendants are usually attached to a plastic arch.

A little later, the bracket with the pendants can be moved from the crib to the playpen.

Parents' choice also falls on such garlands due to their versatility. You can remove some of the segments from the pendants so that in the future the baby can use them as regular rattles.

A relatively new type of toys for little ones are crib mobiles. They can be started with a key or run on batteries.

A newborn cannot yet appreciate the variety of colors and shapes of the garland segments, but he will be soothed by the quiet melodies that the mobile emits on the crib. Some models of such rattles can reproduce the sounds of nature. Babies really like it: such sounds can be compared to white noise for newborns. Musical carousels have a good effect on the baby's nervous system, and also allow him to develop his ability to focus his vision: after hearing a sound, the baby begins to look for its source with his eyes.

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Mom can sew a garland for the crib and stroller herself. As a filler for fabric or knitted rattles, mothers use beads, buttons, and sometimes even peas and rice - they give a more interesting dull sound. When the baby gets a little older and can touch the carousel with his hands, fabric rattles will help diversify his tactile sensations.

Both musical carousels and rattle garlands are hung at a distance of 30 cm above the crib.

It is important to remember that newborns also need variety. Even if your baby falls asleep perfectly with a musical carousel and smiles every time he sees it, the baby needs to be given a rest from such a rattle. You need to not just change the melody, but replace the musical carousel with a calmer toy without melodies.

Games from 0 to 3 months

In the first quarter of life, the child is not very active. This especially applies to newborn babies.

However, useful and effective developmental activities can also be selected for this age period.

First month

Toys, by and large, are not particularly needed during this period. A mother who breastfeeds and soothes him is important for a child. But since the psyche of a newborn is a blank slate, every manipulation by parents is already capable of stimulating child development.

The simplest exercises will help develop newborns:

loud quiet. When approaching your baby, start talking to him. When changing a diaper, washing your skin, always say. In this case, you need to change the intonation and pitch of your voice. Quiet whispering will lull you to sleep, while loud words, on the contrary, will make you wary. motherly face

Focusing on a face is an important achievement for a newborn. The mother needs to move slowly left and right so that the baby turns his head and tracks the movements; observation

During the newborn period, children see black and white objects better, so you need to take, for example, a toy zebra and move it in different directions. The toy should be kept at a distance of 25 cm and changed direction after the baby takes a rest; mom's voice. So that children's hearing can develop, call the baby by name more often from different corners of the room. This way the child will be able to track the direction of the noise and improve auditory perception.

In the first month of life, the child’s sense of touch is best developed, which is why the mother’s touch is the best simulator for the intellect. In addition, mother’s hands are a guarantee of confidence and security. Therefore, experts recommend regularly massaging a newborn.

Second month

The newborn period ends with the appearance of a revival complex, which is noticeable when the mother approaches

In addition, the child concentrates attention longer, so games with him will be more serious and longer.

• bell ringing. Place the baby on his tummy, make noise with a bell in front of him and hang the bell on the edge of the bed. The next time, hearing a ringing, the child will turn towards the interesting sound;
• tender fingers. When the child is awake, you can stroke his palms and fingers with various materials. It can be knitwear, a silk scarf, a fur jacket, or a coarse knit. Such actions improve the sense of touch;
• jumping. A small soft toy should be equipped with an elastic band and hung above the bed. The baby will begin to look at the movement of the object. You can also purchase a special mobile - a more advanced type of pendants;
• nursery rhymes. The well-known short poems for every action of the baby are an excellent option for educational games. Mom can recite nursery rhymes during massage, feeding, bathing, and stroking.

Swimming in the bath is not only pleasant fun, but also a corrective activity if a child has muscle hypertonicity. At first, you can simply bathe the baby, and then, holding it carefully, you should just do the “figure eight” exercise.

Third month

The child is progressing quickly and is already able to hold his head up, hold small objects in his hands, walk, and watch his own hands. Children also try to roll over because they want to explore the whole world.

The following games will satisfy such curiosity:

fitball Since the baby can spend about 10 minutes lying on his stomach, you can come up with a fun game with a fitball

The child is placed on an inflatable ball, which they begin to gently rock in different directions, while holding the small “passenger”; rattles The baby again lies on his stomach, and several bright rattles are placed in front of him.

As soon as the baby reaches for one of them, you should create support for his feet so that the child tries to push off. This exercise is good for crawling; dancing. Educational games for children up to one year old cannot be imagined without musical accompaniment. Feel free to turn on your favorite children's song and “invite” the baby to dance. It’s enough just to spin slowly, clap your palms to the beat of the music; sounding bracelet. Sew several bells onto a strip of knitwear. This “bracelet” should be put on any child’s limb. When moving, the child will hear the ringing and begin to determine its direction, as a result of which an active study of the arms and legs will occur.

Games with mobile phones, reading nursery rhymes, and massage remain relevant. Don't forget about swimming in the bathtub.

Rattles are a baby's first toys that can be used even at the age of a newborn. Read about these gaming devices in an article by a psychologist.

How to choose a mobile for a crib for a newborn?

If parents decide to purchase a mobile for their newborn, they will need to pay attention to the following factors:

• The color of the pendants should be calm. A newborn does not need bright toys;
• The melody that the mobile emits should be calm and quiet. The ability to adjust the sound is a big plus;
• It’s good if the elements of the garland are made of different materials with different textures - this is useful for the motor skills of the baby’s fingers;
• If the mobile assembly includes a night light, its light should be soft and well diffused.

When choosing a musical carousel, examine it from all sides, including from below - this is the position in which the child will watch it.

All figures and pendants on the mobile must be different from each other.

If these are fairy-tale characters, then they should all be different. This will help diversify the baby's visual impressions. The cost of mobiles for newborns is quite high, and they will only be used in the first months of the baby’s life.

Nothing bad will happen if you hang regular garlands over your baby’s crib. Low-volume music can also be turned on on a separate device.

Toys for a one-year-old child

Peek-a-boo game

• pyramid - let the child take it apart, try to string the rings on the rod in any order, look at the multi-colored rings, hold them in his hands, knock them, scatter them;
• cubes with pictures or letters - you can touch them, place them on top of each other, look at multi-colored pictures, letters on the edges;
• balls - of different sizes, colors, with or without pimples, the baby can roll them, throw them, transfer them from hand to hand;
• construction set - a set of wooden, plastic or foam cubes, cones, cylinders, bars, arches;
• moving toys - wind-up or battery-powered;
• spinning top - an ordinary metal one or with a transparent dome, inside of which, for example, there is a carousel with horses;
• educational books - purchased or handmade, with many details that can be touched, twisted, and opened;
• logical labyrinths made of wood or plastic;
• business board - a board with all kinds of buttons, hooks, switches, bells;
• bathing toys - plastic, rubber, wind-up or battery-powered;
• a wheelchair walker is a panel with developmental elements that, closer to one year, the baby can push in front of him and take his first steps;
• a construction set with large parts - let the baby learn to separate them;
• bucket or box - the child learns to put small objects into a container.

Toys for children 3-4 months

At this age, children already begin to touch toys with their hands and even try to taste them. Now rattles in the baby’s arsenal will no longer occupy a dominant position: “biters”, “squeezers”, “grabbers” will be added to them.

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Babies at 2-3 months really like to play with tumblers. Kids love to listen to the sounds the doll makes when rocking.

A good developing toy for a baby up to 4 months is a ringing rattle bracelet. These rattles are made of fabric or very soft silicone. You can put bracelets on both arms and legs.

Rattle bracelets will help your baby understand that sound is made when moving.

Sometimes children get scared by such rattles: if you notice that your baby reacts to the bracelet with crying, try showing the toy to your child in a few weeks.

Grasping movements usually develop in infants by the 4th month of life. A good option for this age is rattles with a handle that the baby will try to hold on his own. Make sure that there are no small parts on the rattle that the baby could tear off: there is a high chance that the baby will want to swallow them.

At 4-5 months, the child can be asked to play with “squeakers” (soft rubber toys that make a sound when pressed).

Toddlers approaching half a year of age love to move objects from place to place, so they will certainly enjoy blocks or pieces from construction sets. Of course, they must be large enough.

Toys for babies

First month

Rattles

The main and first fun of almost all children of the first month is a rattle. The main feature of the rattle is that it makes different sounds - rustling, rattling, ringing, rattling, etc. This sound interests and fascinates the baby, forcing him to turn his head towards him, to look for where the ringing or rustling is coming from. As you understand, this is very useful for the development of hearing in particular and the brain in general.

So-called rattle beads are usually hung on a crib or stroller - one of the most popular toys for babies in our country.

There are rattles that develop the baby's tactile sensations: made of fabric, with rubberized surfaces, with rustling or even vibrating parts, etc. Some rattles are put on the baby's arm or leg, which gives him the opportunity to play with his limbs. Rattle bracelets are very light, infants who do not yet know how to hold objects in their hands can play with them.

Rattle bracelets are a real find for babies, because they already want to play, but cannot yet hold objects in their hands.

But simple plastic rattles are not always good, as they can injure the baby. In his first month, still having poor control of his arms and legs, he can hit himself on the head or face with it. Therefore, you need to play with such a rattle only under the supervision of your parents.

Pendants

At 1 month old, you can attach a toy pendant to your baby’s crib. Its peculiarity is that it is attached using a bracket or a special arc. By the way, the mobile phones that have become incredibly popular in the last few years are from this series. A mobile is a so-called carousel on which hang a variety of toys, small in size and, as a rule, very varied. Hanging toys on the carousel stimulate the baby to focus his vision and coordinate movements (after all, he will try to grab the toy or at least hit it). Music entertains him and develops his hearing, and the colorful objects on the carousel introduce him to colors, geometric shapes and much more.

A mobile is perhaps the best entertainment for a baby who lies down all the time: the toys hang right in front of him, he will look at them and try to reach them with his hand.

The mobiles are very diverse, almost all of them spin and play pleasant melodies that children like. Some models are mechanical (started with a key), some are electric (have a battery included).

If we talk about which toys are the best for infants, then a mobile phone will be in 1st place on this list. This children's “gadget” will last up to 3-4 months, after which it can be replaced with a play mat with arcs.

A mobile projector-night light for a crib is a magical option for a little person. He will look at it for a long time, giving mommy time to rest or do some business.

2-3 month

During this period, 2-month-old babies begin to become interested in faces. Of course, since birth he has been seeing the faces of mom and dad, and now he is ready to perceive “substitute” faces and interact with them. We are talking here about dolls, as well as toys that reproduce or imitate a human face or facial expressions. A 2 or 3 month old baby willingly plays with smiling animals or dolls, smiles back at them, walks and talks to them in his “baby” language.

As a rule, two-month-old babies do not yet know how to crawl or sit; they can only look at objects. Therefore, it is desirable that the objects for games be larger and their “facial features” more expressive.

Tumbler

A tumbler doll, as a rule, has large, well-drawn eyes and cheerful facial expressions that attract a child. If you rock the doll, it will make a pleasant shimmering sound.

Rag doll

A great option is rag dolls. Most often, they are made of flexible materials, so they can be seated closer to or further away from the child, and given other poses. With such a doll you can “talk”, dance or just jump, which is sure to please a 2 or 3 month old baby.

Animals, birds, etc.

Toys depicting animals (cats, dogs, lion cubs, giraffes, etc.) and birds (cockerels, parrots, etc.) are very common. It is important here that the expression on the animal’s “face” is positive and joyful. It is better to buy a toy with big eyes and a smiling mouth. Then the baby will smile back at him. And it’s really good if the animal has some kind of light or sound effect. Such a “bonus” will certainly delight and surprise the child.

There are also so-called “unknown little animals” on sale, namely characters from fairy tales or creatures of completely unknown origin. For example, Kolobok, Cheburashka, Luntik, Smeshariki, etc. Such toys for newborns are suitable for toddlers only if they look good-natured and not aggressive.

4-5 month

We recommend reading: Fairy tales for babies under one year old

Babies 4 months of age and a little older are already fully exploring the world around them. They reach out if they want a rattle, and the brighter and more attractive it is, the longer it will entertain him. It’s easy to keep a 4- and 5-month-old baby busy: he’s interested in literally everything!

During this period, babies practice “double grip”, that is, they try to grasp a toy with two hands at once, so it is worth purchasing for him either something like a wooden spoon, or an object with a long handle so that it is comfortable to hold. Almost all children 4 or 5 months old like objects that can be transferred from one hand to another - rings, balls, cubes, dolls, etc.

Stuffed Toys

Children of this age are interested in bears, bunnies and monkeys, which can be pulled and grabbed by long parts of the body - paws, noses, ears and tails. It is advisable that such soft toys be lint-free, as the child will pull them into his mouth.

To be fair, it must be said that many pediatricians do not advise buying them for babies under one year old, because dust and bacteria accumulate in the fibers of the materials. Therefore, if an animal was purchased or given to a baby, then it is good to periodically expose it to the sun, which kills bacteria, and wash it in a machine.

And one more piece of advice: babies’ cribs are not baskets for collecting toys; there is no need to “decorate” them with soft, much less large, toys. Children of this age are already actively rolling over and can accidentally bury their noses in the animal.

It is also worth paying attention to soft cubes with various tactile elements that develop fine motor skills.

The soft cubes are safe and durable, they are light as a feather, absolutely silent, and machine washable. With their help you can learn colors and numbers.

Bi-ba-bo doll

This is a glove doll that is put on a person’s hand and “comes to life”: it begins to move, pick up different objects and speak. Undoubtedly, a baby who is only 5 months old cannot yet put on such a “glove” himself and operate it, but he will watch with delight how an adult does it. You can play “peek-a-boo” with the bi-ba-bo doll; it will teach the child how to say hello, wish him good night and good morning (this can even be done as a ritual).

The baby will love playing with the glove puppet, because she speaks and sings in her mother’s voice!

Books

Now you can start reading poems or short stories to newborns, and showing pictures. Kids will be happy to listen to you and look at your drawings. You can give a book with reinforced pages to the child to touch. He will definitely try to turn the pages.

During this same period, children happily play with rattles, those that they already have, and with dolls, and with animals, and also happily lie on play mats. They are not yet tired of these amusements and are quite old enough.

Six months

Children of 6 months already cope well with objects: they independently take them, move them and perform various actions with them. Now they are only interested in objects, and emotional communication, which just yesterday brought them joy, is relegated to the background. You can even check: if you take a six-month-old child in your arms and try to communicate with him, smile at him, most likely he will not react in any way, but will actively study small and large objects that he finds on an adult - earrings, beads, chain, hair or collar . Knowing this feature of babies of this age, you can purchase babywearing beads in advance so that the baby does not get bored sitting in his arms. This is especially true for “tame” children.

Developmental

Educational toys are something that is worth paying special attention to now. A baby reaching his 6th month is ready for more complex and complex games that will further hone his movements. It can be:

• nesting dolls;
• pyramids;
• throwing rings;
• sensory balls;
• wind-up toys (an adult must be present when playing with them);
• cubes of bright colors, etc.

Musical mat

This is a very useful “gadget” for a six-month-old baby. The rug produces the sounds of different musical instruments - piano, violin, drum, trumpet; several works of famous classical composers are programmed into it, which will allow the child to get acquainted with classical music. The baby needs to be placed on his tummy on the mat, and all he has to do is clap the keys with his hand.

This interactive rug with sounds will not only delight your little one, but will also become a platform for his creative development.

During this period, the baby also needs bath toys (including a bath book), a plastic mirror, household or household items that can also be played with (jars, lids, cups, spoons, etc.)

7-8 months

More and more changes are happening in the life of a 7-month-old baby. He already knows how to roll over from his back to his stomach and back, some children sit and even crawl. The little man's movements are even more precise and purposeful.

The favorite games for a 7 or 8 month old child are still cubes. Only now he doesn’t just look at them and pull them into his mouth, the little one tries to build something out of them.

The pyramid is also still in the baby’s favorite toy arsenal, especially since he now simply loves to move things around or stack them on top of each other.

From now on, cups (as well as a pyramid of cups) will be children’s “favorites” for a long time because of their versatility: you can put something in them, pour something, you can use them to build pyramids and play “in the kitchen.”

A pyramid of cups is a long-lasting toy, every child should have it. The cups are multifunctional: they are inserted into each other, you can pour or pour something into them.

Musical electronic toys. Their diversity may slightly frighten parents, but first, let the size of the gadget be a guide. It should fit in the baby's hand. To begin with, it is better to purchase the simplest “music center” containing 1-2 buttons that will produce 1 pleasant (not loud or harsh!) sound or melody.

During this period, you can already buy walkers, jumpers, hanging swings and the like. The sixth month is the most suitable for this.

9-10 months

A 10-month-old baby is simply unrecognizable. He stands steadily on his legs, holding on to the support, hesitantly stepping along the barrier. Or maybe he has already started walking. More and more objects are available for him to explore. Now the child needs toys to develop fine and gross motor skills, as well as those that will help him master speech, walking and running.

The baby’s “toy library” is replenished with more and more “sophisticated” toys, although he can still play with cubes, pyramids, animals, balls and nesting dolls. Now he is big enough to try playing with a construction set or putting together a mosaic. But such a game must be supervised by an adult, since the baby can swallow small parts or choke on them, because he still tastes everything.

At 9-10 months the baby has a favorite toy. Now the mother, on whom the child was dependent for so long, will have to share the baby’s love with this object, but this is a very important stage in his life. After all, this love is the first attempt to show one’s independence.

1 year

A baby who is one year old can play with anything. These include toys that were bought for him before he was a year old, and household items, and games that are specially designed for children 1 year and older.

Sorter

Educational fun, the purpose of which is to help sort objects according to some criteria (size or shape). A striking example of a sorter is a toy with various holes for which it is necessary to select the corresponding figures. These figures either fit neatly into the holes or fall inside them. The benefits of such fun are undeniable. It develops fine motor skills and thinking in babies over one year old, and is also suitable for older children.

The sorter helps the baby develop attention and perseverance. Thanks to this toy, the baby learns to analyze, compare, and observe.

Puzzles

A puzzle game consisting of a large number of pieces that need to be assembled into a single picture. Entertaining and suitable for 1 year olds.

A good gift for a baby for a year would be a miracle car (gurney), a play tunnel, a tent house, a bicycle with a handle for mom or dad.

Geometric constructor

Suitable for a baby who is already one year old, as well as for children 2 years old. The elements of such a constructor are geometric shapes (cubes, cylinders, pyramids). Playing with such a construction set, the little one hones his coordination of movements, building turrets, placing cubes on cubes, and gets acquainted with the basic laws of nature and geometry.

Trains fingers, develops logical thinking, introduces geometric shapes, teaches how to classify objects according to any criteria (triangle, square, etc.).

Features of the development of the grasping reflex

When a baby acquires the ability to hold objects in his hands, a fascinating and diverse world of play opens up to him. The first manifestation of the grasping reflex is the beginning of the path to mastering such activities as independent eating, writing, drawing, etc.

The development of the grasping reflex occurs in stages. This reaction is innate, but it takes time to improve (about a year). During this period, the baby’s movements will become more confident, coordinated, and conscious. The intensive development of the reflex begins at the age of 3 months and then only gains momentum.

So, the formation of reactions goes through several stages:

1. From birth to 2 months. Babies are born with a set of innate unconditioned reflexes in their “arsenal”. If you press the palm of a newborn with your finger, the baby will immediately close it. Such an action is performed automatically and is not realized by the child. During the first weeks of life, your baby will keep his arms clenched most of the time. However, gradually an interest in the world around him and his own body will awaken in him. As a result, the baby will begin to open and close his palms, thus exploring himself, grabbing nearby objects, exploring space.
2. At 3 months. The baby is not yet aware of his capabilities and desires, but at the same time, the development of reflexes from this moment begins to occur more intensely. The little one is already getting used to the toys and perks up joyfully at the sight of them. 3 months is exactly the age when a child begins to reach out to nearby toys. Thanks to this, the eyes actively develop and hand coordination improves.

Recommendation. To stimulate positive reactions, it is worth hanging a mobile with rattles over the baby’s head: the child will lie and look at them, trying to touch them. Another way to stimulate the skill is to play with the baby: you can lightly cover the baby’s face with a diaper and then remove it. Watching how his mother removes the fabric from his face, the baby will try to pull it on his own.

1. From 4 to 8 months. By this time, the child becomes more curious and begins to actively explore the world around him.

Important! During this period, to ensure the safety of the baby, it is necessary to remove dangerous objects, as well as toys consisting of small parts, from his free access. By 8 months, a child, as a rule, already knows how to firmly hold one or another thing in his hands.

However, he will still lack dexterity. Between 3 and 12 months, the baby begins to pick up objects and then taste them. To avoid troubles, but at the same time allow the baby to develop skills, you can give the baby a baby spoon to play with.

By 8 months, a child, as a rule, already knows how to firmly hold one or another thing in his hands. However, he will still lack dexterity. Between 3 and 12 months, the baby begins to pick up objects and then taste them. To avoid troubles, but at the same time allow the baby to develop skills, you can give the baby a baby spoon to play with.

1. From 9 to 12 months. By this time, the grasping skill is well established, the child’s hands become stronger and stronger, and, accordingly, the grip too. Interestingly, until the age of 2 years, the baby does not feel the difference between the right and left hand.
2. After a year. Later, a one-year-old child discovers a new interesting activity - throwing toys. During this period, the baby really likes to throw objects and wait for his mother to pick them up and give them to him so that he can throw them again. This behavior is the norm, which is why maximum patience is required from parents. Starting from the age of 2, kids turn into real artists, which is what wallpaper primarily suffers from. At this time, children show great interest in the corresponding attributes: paints, pencils, crayons, etc. At the age of three, coordination of movements reaches a sufficiently high level of development so that the child can put his signature on paper (even if uneven and ugly).

If the baby does not show any interest in objects located near him (does not look, does not try to grab), then you should consult a specialist. Another reason to consult a doctor is the child’s inability to grasp and hold objects at the age of 9 months.

On a note. In children born ahead of schedule, the stages of development of grasping functions occur with some delay, as a result of which the dates mentioned above are shifted to a later time.

baby playing

Homemade toys

Snake

Despite the huge variety of toys on store shelves, something made with your own hands is especially valuable. Today you can find various ideas and master classes on this topic: from the simplest to more complex options. Here are some of them:

• Homemade rattles. To do this, pour cereal, peas, and sand into a plastic jar and screw the lid on tightly so that the baby cannot open it.
• Tactile bags. The easiest way is to take a clean long sock and, tying it with a thick thread, fill it one by one with various loose contents.
• By analogy above, you can sew a snake with large beads, buttons, and pasta. Let your baby roll the contents from one end to the other.
• Rodents made from twine. If you tie a plastic ring tightly with twine, it makes an excellent teether for itchy gums.

Important! All homemade toys must be disinfected before use.

Whatever educational toys for children under one year are, the most important during this period are the attention and care of parents, who help the child explore this world.

What are toys for?

For children in the first year of life, rattles are not entertainment, but a means of development, knowledge of the world, formation of first skills and sensations. Therefore, parents need to be very picky when choosing the first toys.

• hanging rattles attract attention and distract from crying;
• a bright toy stimulates focusing of the gaze;
• the sound of the toy makes you listen;
• the desire to reach the rattle develops coordination;
• a grasping reflex develops, and later the skill of transferring a toy from one handle to another;
• Feeling the toy and its parts develops fine motor skills and tactile sensations: large - small, soft - hard, smooth - rough.

Tips for choosing

So, we have decided what exactly we need to buy as a gift for the baby. Now is the time to look at the manufacturers who produce such toys. It is advisable to give preference to Russian factories or some foreign ones, such as Tiny Love, Taf Toys, Chicco, Playskool, Playgro

They are not cheap, and if a rattle for 500-600 rubles is too expensive for you, then pay attention to more budget-friendly Chinese analogues - “Smoby”, “Jetem”, “Rich Toys”, “Lider Kids”

Feel free to ask the seller for two certificates - compliance and safety. Be sure to open the package and smell the toy - it should not have a strong chemical smell. Any unpleasant odor indicates toxic impurities in the material, and it is better to refrain from such a purchase.

For example, a rattle, the handle of which has a ribbed surface with latex elements - a child can use it for teeth. Sometimes such toys have additional rings - trapezoid flowers that can be moved up and down along this handle.

Be sure to check the age label on the box. Children, of course, are different, and one already sits perfectly at six months and is interested in cubes, the other is still trying, and so far only enjoys rattles. But it’s still better to follow the manufacturers’ recommendations, taking into account the age characteristics of a particular baby.