Best Baby Toys – Raising Baby: A Parent’s Ultimate Play Time Guide
Best Baby Toys - All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy could also mean choosing the right toy for your child. Choosing just any toy that catches your child's fancy without considering its educational benefits could spell the difference between good and bad start of your kid's learning process. Since play is an integral part of your child learning process, you have to make sure that the toys you buy do not spoil the fun and disrupt your child's learning and development.
If you are planning to give your child or someone else's kid a toy, the following criteria will help you choose the appropriate toy.
1. Choose toys that encourage strategic use of their imagination.
2. Select toys that pose a positive challenge for them. This type of toy gives a sense of accomplishment after successfully completing the task.
3. Choose toys that will give children an enjoyable experience and love what they are learning.
Every child is inherently curious, they are natural learners. How often has your child asked you with a barrage of questions on just about anything with the assertiveness of a lawyer? How often did you feel like a witness under cross examination? As a parent, you should make the most out of those moments when your child's curiosity is at work.
Satisfy your child's curiosity by giving sincere answers to his questions about nature, animals, and characters in fairy tales. Your responses and explanations provide them with basic understanding of the world around us. Educational toys enforces understanding as it allows your child to experience first hand what you have explained to him.
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Children are natural learners, however, this does not necessarily mean that their needs are the same. Their speed of development varies making it incumbent on parents to be a little more careful in choosing toys that corresponds to their child's individual development. Children's needs change with their age and with their differing abilities.
For babies and infants, toys that will stimulate their sight, touch and hearing is advised. Babies need toys which they can easily grip and must have strong contrasting colors to help them distinguish between patterns and objects. On the other hand, toddlers will find educational toys that develops their hand to eye coordination. Puzzles and building blocks will be appreciated since toddlers like to manipulate objects.
By the time a child is 2 or 3 years old, creative play or role playing will prove helpful in developing his imagination, language skills and emotional behavior. At this stage, girls love dressing up. At 4 or 5 years old, a child shifts to cognitive play which involves his decision making and problem solving skills. Upon reaching school age, games with rules take the place of cognitive and creative play.
Start laying the groundwork for your child's scientific, mathematical, language and physical skills by providing him with carefully chosen toys. Start learning and playing with toys not because you are still a kid at heart but because you have a child dear to your heart.
What are your thoughts on the subject?Filed under Best Baby Toys, Toys for Toddlers by .
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Comments on Best Baby Toys – Raising Baby: A Parent’s Ultimate Play Time Guide
9:50 am
this little electronic book thing, he loves it.
10:27 am
We have a 10 month baby and we dont' beleive in introducing TV or computer stuffs to him at this age. We prefer him to learn the basic things.
We have a lot of home made toys for him. Gather a few plastic cups and put them up like a rising tower. He enjoys it when he can push the cups down.
Got a milk bottle and put some rice and colorful paper in it. He shake it and listen to the sound. Put other items in different bottle and he learn of other sounds.
10:10 am
1. Kindergarten age and older.
2. I personally am not a fan. I see the commerical for Baby Eistein from time and time and laugh at the woman sitting on the couch with her baby watching the program. Are you kidding me? You can't think of anything better to do with your baby? Kids learn SO MUCH MORE by you interacting with them and develop skills A LOT faster.
3. 8ish. In today's world, kids need to know how to use the computer and they're hand writing things less and less. I'm a teacher and over the last couple of years I've been told more and more to have the kids type their homework. The amount of time should be limited though and parents should know what they're doing on the computer.
4. What I consider "educational toys" are things that "interact" with a child. Something that sings the alphabet, says the name of the number when they push it, asks them to push, pull etc certain colors etc. What I think is the most educational are simple toys: dolls, blocks, paint etc. They allow a child to use their imagination, improve motor skills etc which is just as important as knowing your letters and numbers. Everyone has a different opinion on what is education and what isn't. The little label on the box is just that: an opinion.
5. Traditional toys are more educational in my opinion for toddlers BY FAR. Your child is going to develop motor skills from a toys that teaches the alphabet but they will from scribbling with crayons or catching a ball. They're learn their numbers much faster by counting blocks in their hand and building with them than they will listening to something count. I also find it hard to sit with my kid and play/interact with one of those toys. We live in an electronic world….but simple toys are way better my opinion.
6. I read to my kids for 15-30mins a night. Sometimes a little more during the day. My older two read for a little while longer on their own before the go to sleep.
Best Wishes =]
8:50 pm
Reading to your baby is great cuddle time and helps build a love of books and reading. You can get plain (no text) picture books like the ones by Tana Hoban or read simple stories. Even a magazine with pictures. Sure, baby doesn't understand yet, but will love to look at the pics and will love the time with you. We've been reading to our daughter since she was a month or two old and she LOVES books now at 16 months.
The bottle ideas are great. We also filled water bottles with colored water for her to roll around and shake, etc. We put some little plastic fish in one, too.
Another good home made toy: clean out old cans (like from tomatoes or soup) of different sizes. Make sure there aren't any sharp edges. Cover in colored duct tape and/or electrical tape and you've got stacking cups, drums and rolling toys all in one
7:59 am
Books! Babies love to hear your voice, i dont care how old they are, its never too young to introduce them to books. Get the ones that have the textures and fur that you can put their fingers on, and shapes and colors. You might think your baby is too young, but he isnt. Thats the best learning tool as far as im concerned, a bouncy seat or swing is fun, but it doesnt teach anything, although they can observe their surroundings, parent/child interaction is the best for stimulating their minds.
9:30 am
I completely agree with you.
People don't realize that these toys are actually sucking the creativity out of little minds. Soon, all they can think of is Tickle Me Elmo and wait till the toy tells you what to do next. After all toys talk now, so the kid doesn't actually have to think of games and things to do, just wait to be told.
9:03 pm
Every year Oppenheim evaluates infant toys and gives awards for the best 'developmental' toys that engage the baby's senses and encourage different skills (eye tracking, eye-hand coordination, understanding of cause and effect, understanding of object permanence, gross- and fine-motor development etc.) You can see the award winning toys here: http://www.toyportfolio.com/Infants/Index.asp.
Tiny Love has several award winning toys. Their website is also very informative about how each of their toys encourages infant development. http://www.tinylove.com
They have several amazing infant activity gyms. (See link below.) The activity gyms tend to be pricey but you can find them for reasonable prices on Craigslist or Ebay.
Lamaze also makes many award winning toys. (See link below.) Their toys tend to be soft and cuddly with many textures, peek-a-boo flaps, patterns, colors, and sounds to explore.
Have fun watching your little one explore and see her developing right before your eyes.
2:59 pm
What a jerk!!! You can go to babiesrus.com and look up your childs age group and they will reccommend what is best for your baby.
3:47 pm
This issue really sets me off. A set of blocks is educational for a toddler or preschooler. So is the collection of pots, pans, and spoons. Or a mirror. Or two stuffed animals who can have adventures together spanning a whole host of things that a child is learning about. Or (crazy idea) — a book. Most of the "educational" toys on the market are just plain ridiculous. Something doesn't become educational just because it has the abcs printed on it, and there's a whole lot more to learn about life than letters and numbers. In my opinion, most "educational" toys are a marketing scam that do more harm than good, at least if they come in the place of more traditional and imaginative toys. And I can tell you my kids have done great academically in kindergarten and beyond without them.
If you want a good argument back to your co-workers, I recommend reading "Einstein Never Used Flashcards" from your local library or book store.