Many moms and dads are quite confused when it comes to choosing the right kind of toys for babies. Part of the confusion stems from the realization that babies are barely strong enough to play with most of the toys that we see in the toy store. Young kids below 18 months of age don’t have the much-needed speech and communication skills to convey what they really want, making choosing the best types of toys for babies quite challenging. Don’t fret as we have prepared the 5 best types of toys for babies.
- Sensory Toys
The young brain is like a blank sheet of canvas, just waiting for the skilled artist to apply a variety of colors and textures to create a masterpiece of an art. That being said, since our brain is largely dependent on sensory inputs, one of the best toys to have for children of this age are those that provide for a variety of sensory experiences. That’s why neonates and infants will always look fascinated whenever they see objects that have bright colors, great contrasts, flashing lights, and anything that moves. These help provide the visual stimulation needed for integration into the occipital lobe of the young brain. There are also sensory toys that, in addition to visual stimulus, provide tactile and auditory stimulation. So you have playthings that come with a variety of textures, shapes, and forms. There are also rattles and other sound-producing components. What sensory toys do is that they help provide the necessary building block information for the brain to base its integrative processes later on in life.
- Musical Toys
One of the well-documented effects of music among babies is an improvement in their cognitive abilities. While scientists still cannot explain just how music can help ensure better neural communications the fact remains that music is highly beneficial for kids’ brain development. That’s why even pregnant moms are advised to place music playing devices onto their tummies to help with fetal brain development. That being said, musical toys remain crucial in the first year of life. If babies can learn to appreciate music at such a tender age, then there is a great possibility they will do many wonderful things as they grow older.
- Pretend Toys
Stuffed animals, finger puppets, and soft baby dolls as well as other similar toys, make for excellent role play toys. These are important in teaching very young kids about the names of these toys including the different body parts of the dolls that are representative of the actual body parts of babies, moms, dads, and everyone else. 
- Building Toys
Infants don’t need a ffull-sizedLEGO playset to enjoy the full benefits of building and construction toys. Simple building blocks that they can grasp and bang together can already be beneficial in a number of ways especially in the development of their gross and fine motor skills. Building blocks in different colors and shapes also help lay the foundation for color recognition as well as the building of early childhood vocabulary.
- Push-Pull Toys
There is one very crucial motor developmental task that all infants need to master even before they move into toddlerhood: walking. However, the ability to walk occurs in stages. That’s why push and pull toys as well as large balls and other playthings that can support babies’ weight or encourage them to ambulate are very crucial at this stage in their young lives. You simply don’t want your baby to become a toddler without being able to master the art of walking.
These are just 5 of the best types of toys for babies. It is crucial to understand that these are inherently related to their developmental tasks. So, if you have to choose on your own, make sure it’s appropriate for the development of your baby.
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