Do Babies Really Need Toys & When?

In a world where things are ever-changing and rampant, one would think it’ll become easier to manage another little world! Unless you have an angelic child, most parents we’ve spoken to spend months and some even years getting to learn and understand the unique characteristics of their children. Some parents grope with things to do with babies as they try figuring out the best baby toys at different ages and stages of their lives.

Nonetheless, like with everything and everyone else, babies also have a language of their own and need to be listened to. You might not quite understand all their gibberish mumblings but when you develop the art of listening, you will form a tighter bond with your kid that’ll easily compensate the severed umbilical cord. However, we do understand that this won’t be perfect science even if you follow the tips we are going to give you to the T. There’ll be loads of trials and errors till that communication barrier dies down.

We aim to make this journey much simpler for you as we give you a general peek at child psychology. You will be surprised at just how similar your child is to you. This should give you the first tip when considering the best infant toys – take a look at what has appealed to you and your hubby for the longest time. This might not be the answer but will surely give you a solid ground to get started on. Consider the following tips for baby development toys.

Are you feeling all ecstatic and elated after successful delivery and holding your newborn baby for the first time? Of course, you are!

But do you know they fault you for taking them out of the warmth, comfort, and safety of the womb? This is one of the reasons why they cry a lot and majorly seem disinterested with everything around them. Their little brains cannot fathom why in God’s green earth you’ve brought them into this cold, uncompromising world. Well, they’ll sooner than later get used to it!

But the question of concern still stands; do newborns need toys? If so, exactly when do babies start playing with toys and of what nature?

Tips for a Newborn’s Playtime

Parents need to understand the need for the best infant toys before they can proceed to purchase them. At this stage, it would be ludicrous to get a train track for a baby first toy. They don’t have the muscle to handle that or the capacity to understand its mechanism. See, when questioned about when do babies start playing, the best pediatrics have usually responded, “inside the womb”. This speaks volumes about the nature of humans.

Nevertheless, for a newborn, their eyes can only focus on objects about 10inches away from them. Moreover, they are more prone to react to white and black colors for the first 8 or so weeks as their tiny gorgeous eyes adapt to all the strange light and colors. As such, the best baby play mat at this stage should consist of black and white graphics and toys. Getting them a suitable mobile crib will consist of black and white features and possibly attach a mirror there – their high definition faces will open up an explosive mind inside them.

Lastly, talk, talk, and more talk! Whoever said babies enjoy only double-Dutch, jabberwocky kinds of talks need to be legally sued! They were accustomed to your voice while in the stomach and will be more sensitive even when outside. You’ll soon start seeing them turn their heads or crying out loud as soon as they hear your voice.

At this age, they’ve practically accepted their fate and can only aspire to adapt to the real world. The baby activity center is slowly gaining mass as you progressively increase interesting toys. Your child might have become quite fond of tightly holding on to things. Try giving them your finger, you’ll feel the tiny grip, give them your hair, you’ll probably want to whoop their adorable ass afterward. This will probably make you wonder when can babies hold toys.

So what do babies like to play with when they’ve hit the 12th week? Remember the black and white deficiency in the earlier stages? Well, the problem has started to dissipate and the little champs are now attracted to brightly colored toys – red and yellow. In addition to that, they have also better eyesight including hand-eye coordination. They will, therefore, reach out to any objects they can reach out to. This should give you a rough idea about when do babies reach for toys.

Other than being sensitive to color and texture, they tend to make more noise at this stage and seem to enjoy the noise. This will not die down anytime soon so it’s about time you started appreciating the value of noise.

Now that you have a rough idea of when does baby grab toys, you need to know that anything and everything placed in their hands will act as a plaything. The best infant toys at this age would include rattles, soft blocks and dolls, and large, squishy balls. It is advisable to practice the best hygiene with toys and a play-section from this age. Keep away sharp and hard objects and ensure the toy is large enough to prevent the baby from munching on it!

Alas!

Gone are the sleepless nights when the little joyous bundle would constantly complain of being removed from their haven. Now you are fully aware of what age do babies play with toys since you have watched them grow and play with all the toys in their baby activity center. That notwithstanding, if you are still curious about when do babies need toys most, this would be that age.

This is because their capacity for adventure is now on the rise. They want to feel, see, explore, and even taste. This is around the age when they have learned to give a fake cry to grab your attention. You’ve probably been fooled on multiple occasions by the charming monsters.

This is also around the time when everything from their hands will probably end up being explored inside the mouth’s nerve endings. The best infant toys should, therefore, avoid lose edges and should be big enough to prevent them from swallowing. Make sure you include some time for playing with your child in your daily routine. They will grow to be more at ease with you and you’ll get to identify certain character traits.

Mastering the art of entertaining your tot with the best baby development toys is one thing; finding things to do with babies and knowing how to be part of their playtime is another thing altogether. This is where most mothers end up experiencing a disconnect – they place so much emphasis on when do babies play with toys that they eventually forget that they themselves carry more weight in the eyes of the kid more than any toy ever will.

The first year is one that will primarily affect your lifetime bond with your kid. Your time and attention are what matters most during this period. It’s not rocket science and every top mom needs to know this.

Tips for Mothers during the First Year

Immediately a child comes from the confines of the womb, comfort, and reassurance is needed to remind them that everything is all right even if there is so much cold. They need to listen to that voice they kept hearing when inside there. This calls for intelligible talk as you pour out your heart to the kid. Whether they are crying or quiet, hungry or well-fed, tired or just from sleep – your voice will go a long way to work wonders.

Music, is a language scientists claim that even plants understand. No wonder it is so tranquil and beautiful in the woods and countryside. Even babies are tuned to enjoy quality rhythms. Your voice will also come in handy as you lull the baby when they are stressed up. Furthermore, you have the help of the best classical artists to sing along to – the likes of Reverend Gary Davis, Louis Armstrong, Mahalia Jackson, and the sweet-hooks of Brooks & Dunn.

Child psychologists also recommend language tapes at this age. It’s a fun activity and gets their mind accustomed to a different language. If it was ever on your bucket list to learn a new language, well, you couldn’t have found a more convenient time to. Sing along to the tune of Notre Pére as you rock your baby.

Oops, did we say just how much babies love being rocked? Parents hoping to achieve this quickly end up getting their babies the best mobile bassinets or swingers. It would be more effective and bonding if you held them in your hands or closer to your chest as you did this. Did you know that mothers who carry their babies on the left-hand side are considered to be less stressed and closer to their young ones than the ones who carry their children on the right side? This is just some research we thought worth mentioning.

Another useful tip from a young age would be to frequently allow your kiddo to lie on their tummies with their arms closer to their heads. This position enables them to build arm muscles as soon as they start shifting their head positions. It is from this position that they will learn to crawl and even sit down. According to parenthoodroutine.com, a packed website for everything-to-do-mama, this tummy position is the best even in their playtimes on the baby mat when it is time to cool down.

Before we wind up, parents and mothers need to know that babies, like mature adults, also get tired. They might reach a point where they are fully satiated even with playing. When this happens, some of the tell-tale signs will be falling asleep or closing their eyes, crying, turning the head away in a disinterested poise, fussy sounds, arching the back, or even hiccupping. You want to give them a break at this point and it will be better if you just held them. Holding them while looking in their eyes may still be additional information for them to process, thus you just want to hold them by your chest as you rock them while humming or quietly. It’s also time to turn the lights low and switch off the music.

Do this repeatedly till you get the perfect blend that suits your toddler. Eventually, it will become easier to decide on the best baby toys at any developmental stage. All the best sweet mama!