Baby Toy - Enhance Your Baby’s Development Through Educational Toys

According to Marilyn Segal, Ph.D., dean emeritus and director of the professional development program at Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, playing helps a baby develop social, emotional, language, intellectual, and problem-solving skills. Hence, it is necessary that parents choose the right baby products.

Here are some examples of toys that will enhance a baby’s development:

1. Rattles

It might not seem like it, but rattles help little ones learn about the world. Playing with rattles help babies connect sight, sound, and touch to objects. Infants do enjoy looking at the colors and making noise with the rattle while exercising motor skills at the same time.

The baby toys also teaches a baby about cause and effect – when he shakes the rattle, he learns that a sound is produced.

2. Stackers

Babies recognize shapes, sizes, patterns, and colors when they play with stackers. Most stackers are shaped like donuts, but there are also stackers made of soft material and shaped like animals. These new colorful stackers even have unique sounds. Toys like these also help babies learn about movement, sound, and texture.

3. Links

Links are kids’ toys that can be attached on objects like cribs, infant carriers, strollers or diaper bags. They have varied shapes and colors; some are shaped like whimsical creatures while others are plain geometric shapes.

Links are also textured to enhance a baby’s tactile development. When playing with links, babies are introduced to colors, shapes, numbers, and even to animals. This type of toy also enhances a child’s hand-eye coordination and motor skills.

4. Bath Toys and Tub Toys

Bath time can be made fun for your baby through the addition of educational toys. Rubber ducks and other animals floating on water in the tub coupled with animal-shaped bath puppets will promote interaction while reinforcing the value of hygiene.

5. Key rings

Key rings are classic kids’ toys for a reason. Usually made of wood or plastic, key rings are another form of rattles. Babies learn about sound, color, texture, and shape through this toy.

6. Teethers

Babies love to suck objects because it is one way for them to learn about the things around them. Give babies teethers for them to explore textures and tactile surfaces while lessening the pain during teething. There are teethers available in varied shapes and colors that are sure to attract babies.

8. Blocks

Blocks enhance a child’s hand-eye coordination, spatial relationships, shape recognition, and color matching. Most Toddler Cubes for young children are made of sturdy paper or soft materials that will not cause injury when the blocks fall on them. The blocks are usually large enough for kids to hold with both hands and have patterns and designs that will stimulate their minds.

Kid toys are great tools for learning. Ms. Segal, however, stresses that parents and caregivers are still the key players in the development and not the toys because babies crave one-on-one social interaction and need the security it provides. The right educational toys will make playing fun not only for the child but also to the parent.