Baby Educational Toys

When we think of an educational toy for our developing baby we could be defining it as an object that stimulates his or her mind, body and senses and at same time as teaching our baby to learn through play and providing the necessary skills to develop into a smarter, happier and well balanced little person.  As parents, we all want to raise our children to become intellectually smart, emotionally, socially and physically well balanced so that they will one day join society in shaping the future of our nations.  So too do we place a great deal of emphasis in choosing the right toy that suits our developing baby trusting that the toy manufacturers’ research skills including other feedback or friendly referrals that the toys we have decided to interact with our baby will deliver what they promise.    Of course a toy is not always that bright, colourful, noisy something you buy from the store shelf, it can be any object that performs an educational function in which your baby learns from with curiosity, intrigue and delight.  So, when you have decided that you would like to purchase your baby’s educational toy, there are certain factors you need to consider before and during your purchase.  As a mother these are some of the considerations I looked for:

Age Appropriateness

Ask yourself is my baby old enough to engage in and interact with this toy?  Babies unfortunately are not like text books and they all develop at different levels and times than other children.  So be guided by your baby.  The colourful hanging mobile that twirls around with music above your baby’s change table may delight him at 4-5 months and he may move with excitement and glee trying to swipe at it as it twirls.  It will please him until he is able to grab hold and catch the once colourful things that were once out of his reach.  He may watch and listen for awhile but will soon lose interest.  What I found appropriate in terms of introducing baby educational toys for my baby was to introduce them as he developed mentally, socially, emotionally and physically.  As he was ready to grab and put things to his mouth then the appropriate toy or household object would be given under supervision.

Development and Skill

As with age appropriateness a baby will not be able to hold and shake his rattle at 4 weeks old much less will he be able to push his blocks through the right shape holes.  Again let your baby act as your guide.  As you talk to him and show him what you are doing he will learn to imitate you and your actions and be stimulated to copy you.  As he grows and masters certain milestones when he is ready then he will let you know that he is ready to play with you and what you have to surprise and arouse his curiosity with.

Safety

Perhaps the number one biggest factor to consider when purchasing or giving your baby their educational toy is safety.  Will this toy harm my baby in any way?  Your baby will always need to be supervised when playing with his educational toy or not far out of your sight that you cannot keep your watchful eye over him in case he manages to do the unexpected and dismantle his toy in some way.  It makes commonsense not to buy his first teddy bear bigger than he is to suffocate himself and obviously little tiny bits that he could swallow and choke on should not be given.  Toy manufacturers are diligently focussed on safety issues and toy packaging and age appropriateness will reveal whether the toy you are considering for your little one is an appropriate and safe choice.  Always read labelling and inspect your educational toy for its safety.

Functions/purpose of the toy

As my baby grew I knew what he was ready for and would search for the toy that fostered the skill he wanted to perform naturally.  So as he wanted to reach out and grab for things and put them to his mouth, he was ready for a rattle – to shake it, to discover its function so to speak.  Through his ability to do things he discovered that his toy performed certain noises and actions that were pleasing causing him to be more curious and playful.  Again your baby is your guide, you know what he is ready to do in terms of his skill and when choosing your baby educational toy it is important to buy the toy that marries your baby’s skill with the toy’s function and purpose.  Packaging will also reveal a toy’s function and word of mouth will be an excellent referral base in terms of how well the toy of choice performs.

Noise

Noise also plays a factor to consider.  If your baby is a fretful or frightened baby, then obviously a noisy toy is not the right toy for your child.  He will not enjoy being surrounded by loud noises that are not pleasing to his psyche.  Generally, as babies grow and develop they also love to hear music and nursery rhymes. if you show them they will soon clap to their favorite songs and move or dance to the familiar sounds that your baby educational toy provides him.

Ascetic characteristics

A toy must grab your child’s interest; it must arouse his curiosity so that he is drawn towards it to discover what it does.  Bright primary colours are known to stimulate our babies and as you will discover when buying your baby toys, the market shelves are packed with a range of bright, colourful toys to delight you as a parent and of course your baby.  The toy’s size and texture will also influence your baby’s ability to play with his toy.

The most important thing for your baby is to feel nurtured, loved and secure and knowing that he has you as his parent to give that to him.  No educational toy will replace that and in fact your baby will not be stimulated or happy unless you give him that basic need.  Babies depend more on you as a parent in the early stages of their life and it is their basic right to life for their parents to provide that.  Babies also do not require toys to play with when they are first born, in fact most parents buy their baby toys to decorate the nursery in preparation for when their baby is ready for play.  I remember my daughter just wanted to be cuddled and nurtured and at about 3 months became intrigued by the tiny patterns on a pillow case we used to use during feeding and cuddling times.  She became so attached to that piece of pillowcase until it disintegrated and a year later we had to shop for certain pieces of fabric with the same soft silky texture and intricate patterns.  So you see every child is different, they demand and need different things, the most important aspect is you and how you play with them and their toys.