Toys for children under one year old? Educational toys. What toys do children under one year old need by months of development?

As soon as he is born, the baby begins to explore the world. At first, he simply observes what is happening around him, the actions of mom and dad, and then he himself strives to touch the objects around him, pat them and taste them. U modern parents There are wonderful helpers - educational toys for children. Before one year of age, a child learns a lot, and this learning process is very important. Let's take a closer look at which toys from the huge assortment offered by stores are really worth paying attention to.

Pendants and music mobile

These are educational toys for children under one year old, which are among the very first to be used. The mobile, or carousel, is hung above the child’s crib, secured on a special bracket. It is usually equipped with several brightly colored toys that vary in color and possibly size. They move in a circle, and this is accompanied by a light, simple melody. The baby learns to follow the toys, watches their movement, and then tries to reach them. Later, you can remove the pendants from the base of the mobile and use them separately. They can have lighting effects, rustle or ring.

Developmental mat

If the mobile is hung above the crib, then the mat is simply placed on the floor. It is also equipped with hanging toys. The baby reaches out to them, takes them out, examines them. If a child lies on the rug on his back, then he sees those pendants that are on the arc, but if he turns over on his tummy, he won’t get bored either, because on the base there are usually strings attached that you can pull, rustling animals, and maybe , even the mirror, of course, is completely safe for the child. Often educational toys for small children (pendants) can be selected separately for the rug, because they are removable, like the arcs themselves.

How to choose pendants

Musical educational toys for children should not sound loud. The melody should be unobtrusive, light and pleasant.

Pendants can have different shapes, sizes and textures, but they must be bright and have a pleasant shade. It's better if it's one of the colors of the rainbow. But under no circumstances take toys with acidic tones, they can irritate and contribute to overexcitement of the child or his fatigue.

You can purchase several toys, varying in shape, tactile sensations and sounds. These can be wooden educational toys for children, or plastic, soft, etc. But there is no need to hang them all on the mat at once. It is better to alternate them so that the baby does not get tired of them.

When purchasing, make sure that the toys match the actual images. For example, the bird should look like a bird, and not like a hybrid of an elephant and an ostrich. And it’s better if those who fly in nature fly over the baby: birds, butterflies, bees, and let elephants and dogs remain on the ground.

Rattles

Since ancient times, people have been using such educational toys for children under one year old. First, the mother shows the baby a rattle, rings it, removes it from the baby’s field of vision and checks how he reacts to extraneous sounds. And then the baby himself, as soon as he begins to confidently hold something in his tiny hand, takes the toy, tastes it (there’s no way without this), examines it, shakes it and rejoices at his first achievements.

The rattle promotes the development of auditory and visual perception, concentration. Some of them help develop fine motor skills.

For a very tiny baby who was born just a month ago, it is better to choose small rattles on the handle or on a ring. They will be easy to grasp with a small fist and not difficult to hold. Later, you can introduce your child to other types of this toy. For example, for variety, you should purchase a rattle with beads or a “rumbler.” It not only sounds, but also allows the baby to develop as he can pull strings, move elements, and fiddle with parts. And most often, such toys do not make ringing sounds, but tapping or rattling sounds.

Pyramid

According to many parents, pyramids are the best educational toys for children. They are suitable for those who are already six months old. This one has small child The toy helps develop sensorimotor coordination, and older children can use it to learn colors, sizes and shapes.

For a baby under one year old, choose a pyramid of 3-4 rings, no more. It will be difficult for him to arrange a large number of elements in the correct order. The rod should be short to make it easier for the child to remove the rings. It is better if the pyramid is plastic, it will be easier to wash it, and the mother can be calm when the baby puts it in his mouth.

Earbuds

Many teachers of various times, including the Nikitins, Zaitsevs, Montesorri and others, believe that the best educational toys for children must include inserts in their list. They can be of two types: frames and bowls. The first are three-dimensional boxes or frames in which slots of different shapes are made. The inserts themselves are inserted into them, in turn. Usually these are wooden educational toys for children. Bowls are a set of things of the same shape and different sizes. More often these are cups, cubes, halves of a ball, etc. They are inserted into each other or built into a pyramid.

By playing with inserts, the baby gains first knowledge about sizes, learns the relationship between the size and shape of objects, and coordination of hand and eye actions. These toys are very useful. They promote the development of imagination, because you can play with them in different ways. Again, you can arrange a first acquaintance with color. Insert bowls are useful in the sandbox, in the bathroom, and even for impromptu tea drinking.

Dynamic Children's Educational Toys

For children, such toys bring new discoveries and joy. Take, for example, the spinning top. As soon as you lightly press on its handle, it will spin. It is easy to imagine the delight and surprise of a child. Thus, dynamic toys are those that respond to targeted force. So, for example, modern robots do not belong to this category, because they are turned on by a button or remote control, and the baby does not learn anything new for himself and cannot correlate the action with the reaction.

On the contrary, a dynamic toy helps to establish a relationship between the impact on it and the “surprise” that arises - movement, sound, etc. This contributes to the development of cognitive activity. The best educational toys for children, if we talk about dynamic ones, are the following:

Yula. Popular at all times. To set it in motion, you need to press a button or handle. The important thing for a child is that he can do this himself, without the help of adults. He realizes that his action entails something unexpected.

Tops are different. Some simply spin, others make sounds, others are equipped with lighting effects, and others combine several functions at once. Musical educational toys for children are also suitable for very young children. In this case, mom or dad will rotate the spinning top, and the baby will watch it and listen to the melody.

Also interesting are toys that contain animal figures or a rider on a horse. In the first case, when moving, it creates visual effect round dance, and in the second it seems as if the rider is jumping over obstacles. This “coming to life” of the characters is the key point here.

Somersault acrobat. This is a figurine of a clown sitting on a ladder. As soon as you move him to the top step, he begins to somersault, going down. The most interesting thing is that it does not fall.

Tumbler. Everyone remembers this “childhood friend.” Previously, these were standard nesting dolls, but today they can be various animals. The bottom line is that if you tilt the toy, it gets up again and doesn’t want to lie down. A nice bonus is the sound the tumbler makes when moving. You can even give this toy to yourself small child- it is very easy to put into action.

Figurative toys

Educational toys for children under one year old also include a variety of dolls and animals. With their help, the mother builds a certain plot and tells fairy tales to the baby. Such games influence the child’s socio-emotional position and contribute to the development of his personal sphere. If you choose a baby doll as such a toy, the baby will gradually begin to compare himself and her. All this will help the child to enter into Big world of people.

For the first games of a baby up to one year old, the following story-based (figurative) toys are suitable:

Kolobok;

Tumbler;

Animal figurines (including plush and rubber).

For physical development

This is one of the largest groups of toys. But it's not just sports equipment like balls. This includes pendants and stretchers for the crib. They contribute to the development of coordination of movements.

The same balls can also be different. So, a small ball is perfect for a baby, which he will learn to hold in his hands. Almost from birth, children do gymnastics on a fitball, and at an older age (after six months) a massage ball will come in handy.

It will be interesting for the baby to play with “smart” toys that “run away” from him. They stimulate crawling. As soon as the child touches the toy, it rolls away from him and again “wait” for them to catch up with her.

When discussing educational toys for children (photos of a number of them are in the article), it is impossible not to talk about wheelchairs. If your baby is learning to walk, he will need a stable cart with a handle. Anyone who is not even thinking about taking their first steps will love the rope ride. Well, if the child already walks more or less well, a lollipop will do.

Conclusion

As you can see, toys are not only entertainment, but also irreplaceable assistants in the development of the baby. However, it should be noted that it is not necessary to buy half the store to provide your child with everything they need. Of course, only true craftsmen can make musical educational toys for children on their own. But some things can be “re-qualified”. For example, bracelets with large buttons make great motor skills toys for children. True, you should not leave your child unattended when he plays with them.

Even during excavations of ancient settlements, children's toys of those times are found. Over the centuries, all nations also had their own national toys for children. This means that a children's toy has always been perceived by humanity as a vital thing, as necessary for the survival of the people as a sword and a plow.

This is true, the toy not only entertains the child, but also teaches useful skills, develops intelligence, cultivates artistic taste and ideas about the world around him. What toys do our children need today? Are they the same as our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, or are interactive toys for children more important today?

Perhaps the right choice is largely determined by the age of the child. Each stage of its development makes its own demands on necessary and desirable toys. He is especially responsible at the initial stage, when the baby cannot yet express his wishes, while changing every month and day, and parents want to help him in his development the right choice toys.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, and consider here what toys a child under 1 year needs according to developmental months.

After the birth of a baby, many relatives and friends of young parents rush to give him dolls for girls, cars for boys, and huge Stuffed Toys both. If they had taken advantage of specialist advice or experienced parents, then they would know that these are cute and beautiful toys Newborns do not need them at all, not only in the first months of life, but much longer.

And soft toys that collect dust and dirt are even dangerous for babies. What you need to consider if you are preparing to give or buy a toy for your baby. When choosing, safety comes first, benefit for the baby’s development comes second. We will talk about the second below, and security is ensured by the following conditions.

Toys should be:

1. From natural materials, such as a tree;
2. Modern materials should not have odors or be made using harmful dyes.
3. They should not have sharp corners, easily broken off or small parts. It's better if they are whole.
4. Musical toys and those that make sounds should not be excessively loud, as this harms the baby's delicate hearing.
5. Dolls, toy animals must be natural colors and recognizable appearance.

It is better to buy toys for babies in pharmacies and specialized stores that are responsible for the quality of the products.
Toys must meet the needs of the child's age.

1 month

What toys do our babies need at one month? The first ones are usually the simplest and most traditional. At this age, the baby masters the basic reflexes - grasping, sucking and searching. Vision, hearing, and touch are just beginning to develop. Therefore, the main toy of this age is a rattle, bright in a simple color (red, blue, yellow, etc.) and making pleasant sounds.

The baby is not yet able to hold it, so rattle bracelets or rattle pendants are popular. The pendants should be placed at a distance of 70 cm from the newborn's eyes.

Toys for children from 0 to 6 months

2 months

Having reached the age of two months, the child can already grab and hold a toy, show interest in interesting objects hanging and moving in front of him. He reaches out to them with his hands and is happy if he grabs them. Therefore, now mobiles that are attached to the crib can join the usual rattle. Today there is a large selection of them - mechanical, musical, illuminated, and you can choose the most suitable one for your baby.

For this age, constructions are very useful, where the child can move cubes and balls made of wood using fixed springs.

Now is the time to buy bath toys that will make bathing a fun game. Mothers who care about the development of their child’s speech read poetry to their children and can even buy books made of waterproof fabric so that the baby can play with it in the bath.

6 months

If until now reading poetry and books served rather as preparation for the beginning of speech development, then after half a year this should be given Special attention. The baby willingly imitates the sounds of his parents’ speech, and now books and animal figurines that make sounds are especially useful. It's time for simple dolls to appear in the house, in which the mother shows the baby her mouth, nose, eyes, etc.

At six months, the child willingly plays with inserts, where the smaller is inserted into the larger, with the movable modules described earlier. Such activities develop hand motor skills and spatial thinking of the baby.
By the age of six months, it is worth buying teething toys that help relieve itching in the gums from teething.

7 months

It's time to buy development logical thinking cubes and pyramids. It gives the kid the same joy to put the cubes one on one and immediately destroy what he has built.
To speed up learning to crawl, you can purchase moving toys that will stimulate the baby's movements. They must be solid, without separating parts, move slowly and be bright and make sounds.

8 months

At this age, you can already give musical toys with buttons that the baby willingly presses. The sounds made and the sparkling lights can keep him busy for a long time. And such simple musical instruments as a tambourine, a drum, a children's piano develop not only fine motor skills, but also an ear for music. In the bathroom he will be delighted with floating wind-up mechanical toys.

9 months

At 9 months, the child already begins to walk or, in any case, crawls well and is able to confidently do many things with his hands. A bucket, scoop, and molds will certainly interest him. The opportunity to invest one thing into another is even more interesting to him. Matryoshka is a very useful game for the development of children at this age, both for boys and girls.

10 months

At ten months, the baby is ready to move from simply placing objects of the same shape into one another to more complex tasks. Containers with slots are suitable for this. various forms for the corresponding figures. They can be designed in the form of cars or trains for boys, houses for girls. Children can study these first simple puzzles for quite a long time.

At this age, you can make your first attempt to introduce your child to drawing by purchasing finger paints for him.

11 months

At eleven months, both girls and especially boys begin to become interested in cars. Everything that moves is interesting to already quite active little ones. These include balls and various gurneys that a child can roll in front of him or pull behind him. The main thing is that they all must be strong enough, since at this age they like to throw them on the floor.

12 months

At one year old, the baby continues to play with almost all previously acquired toys, but playing with them becomes more difficult. The main addition is sets for role-playing games, which the kids have grown into. Utensils, instruments, medical and other sets begin to be gradually mastered by the child every year.

List of interesting educational toys

Let’s summarize and repeat the list of the most useful educational toys for a baby per year.

• Sorter is a container in the form of a machine body, box or pot, etc. with slots different shapes, into which the baby must push a figure of the appropriate shape.
• Pyramid. Today, in addition to the traditional cone made of wooden rings strung on a base, sets of other shapes made according to the same principle are also produced. Therefore, they usually first buy a child a pyramid of a minimum of rings of several simple colors, and then gradually acquire more complex ones with a large number of details.
• Insert cups. They are usually of different sizes and by placing them one inside the other, the baby gets used to paying attention to the size and shape of the object.
• Cubes. They allow you to play with them in a huge number of ways.

After a year and a half, sets with lacing, mosaics and puzzles must definitely join this list.

Toys necessary for the child up to a year

Buying as many beautiful and bright things as possible for a newborn is a big temptation for young parents.

In the first month of life, a newborn will need very few toys, since the baby will spend most of the day sleeping. The child will begin to show interest in toys a little later. Which set of toys should you buy for a newborn?

What are the requirements for quality toys?

First toys for a newborn

No need for large quantities The lack of toys for a child aged 1-2 months is also explained by the fact that newborns have very poorly developed vision. Due to the immature vision apparatus, it is still difficult for a child to focus his gaze on specific objects, especially those located further (and closer) than arm's length.

Almost everything that surrounds children in the first weeks of life appears to them as blurry spots. The child does not yet perceive moving objects at all.

The baby will also not be able to pick up a rattle or cube anytime soon, so the baby will only get acquainted with his first toys with the participation of adults. And this acquaintance will last no longer than 10-15 minutes a day.

Toys for newborns at 1-2 months: rattles and mobiles

The very first and most necessary toys for children 1-2 months old - these are rattles. They can be traditional, with jingling balls or bells, or electronic, with simple programmed melodies. The first rattles for children were produced very small, their diameter was only 6-8 cm.

You can also buy a rattle made in the form of beads for your baby.

Whole garlands of multi-colored balls are attached to a stroller or crib. Rattle pendants are usually attached to a plastic arch.

A little later, the bracket with the pendants can be moved from the crib to the playpen.

Parents' choice also falls on such garlands due to their versatility. You can remove some of the segments from the pendants so that in the future the baby can use them as regular rattles.

Relatively the new kind toys for the little ones - mobiles for the crib. They can be started with a key or run on batteries.

A newborn cannot yet appreciate the variety of colors and shapes of the garland segments, but he will be soothed by the quiet melodies that the mobile emits on the crib. Some models of such rattles can reproduce the sounds of nature. Babies really like this: such sounds can be compared to. Musical carousels have a good effect on the baby's nervous system, and also allow him to develop his ability to focus his vision: after hearing a sound, the baby begins to look for its source with his eyes.

Interesting! Dill water against colic for newborns: recipe, instructions

Mom can sew a garland for the crib and stroller herself. As a filler for fabric or knitted rattles, mothers use beads, buttons, and sometimes even peas and rice - they give a more interesting dull sound. When the baby gets a little older and can touch the carousel with his hands, fabric rattles will help diversify his tactile sensations.

Both musical carousels and rattle garlands are suspended at a distance of 30 cm above the crib.

It is important to remember that newborns also need variety. Even if your baby falls asleep perfectly with a musical carousel and smiles every time he sees it, the baby needs to be given a rest from such a rattle. You need to not just change the melody, but replace the musical carousel with a calmer toy without melodies.

How to choose a mobile for a crib for a newborn?

If parents decide to purchase a mobile for their newborn, they will need to pay attention to the following factors:

• The color of the pendants should be calm. A newborn does not need bright toys;
• The melody that the mobile emits should be calm and quiet. The ability to adjust the sound is a big plus;
• It’s good if the garland elements are made of different materials with different textures - this is useful for the motor skills of the baby’s fingers;
• If the mobile assembly includes a night light, its light should be soft and well diffused.

When choosing a musical carousel, examine it from all sides, including from below - this is the position in which the child will watch it.

All figures and pendants on the mobile must not be similar friend on a friend.

If these are fairy-tale characters, then they should all be different. This will help diversify the baby's visual impressions. The cost of mobiles for newborns is quite high, and they will only be used in the first months of the baby’s life.

Nothing bad will happen if you hang regular garlands over your baby’s crib. Soft music can also be played on a separate device.

Toys for children 3-4 months

At this age, children already begin to touch toys with their hands and even try to taste them. Now rattles in the baby’s arsenal will no longer occupy a dominant position: “biters”, “squeezers”, “grabbers” will be added to them.

Interesting! Newborn hiccups after feeding: what to do?

Babies at 2-3 months really like to play with tumblers. Kids love to listen to the sounds the doll makes when rocking.

A good developing toy for a baby up to 4 months is a ringing rattle bracelet. These rattles are made of fabric or very soft silicone. You can put bracelets on both arms and legs.

Rattle bracelets will help your baby understand that sound is made when moving.

Sometimes children get scared by such rattles: if you notice that your baby reacts to the bracelet with crying, try showing the toy to your child in a few weeks.

Grasping movements usually develop in infants by the 4th month of life. A good option for this age is rattles with a handle that the baby will try to hold on his own. Make sure that there are no small parts on the rattle that the baby could tear off: there is a high chance that the baby will want to swallow them.

At 4-5 months, the child can be asked to play with “squeakers” (soft rubber toys that make a sound when pressed).

Toddlers approaching half a year of age love to move objects from place to place, so they will certainly enjoy blocks or pieces from construction sets. Of course, they must be large enough.

We have prepared some tips on choosing and caring for toys for little ones:

1 Avoid buying rattles made of hard plastic. This material is very fragile and brittle; with any careless movement, a small piece can break off, which is very dangerous for a newborn.

2 Any toys need to be washed periodically. If it is a carousel or a garland, they need to be wiped with a dust cloth.

Toys that fall into the baby's hands should be doused with hot water every day.

3 Don't try to buy the most expensive toy for your child. The baby will not be able to appreciate your expenses, and will not respond with joy to the gift if you just put it next to the baby. Main actor in a game with infant- his mother. You can creatively present even the simplest rattle, and your newborn will certainly be interested in it.

Communicate affectionately with the baby, smile at him, and then both you and the baby will enjoy the game.

Merchandisers and salespeople in children's stores do not waste time, and once you enter the sales area in search of diapers or nappies for your baby, you cannot avoid the rows of toys. And on the shelves everything is so bright, beautiful, shiny, squeaking and moving!

Add here the enticing inscriptions on the packages “0+”, “Develops from birth”, “For the little ones”, “Baby’s first toy” and now you are already at the checkout with a whole bunch of toys that you did not plan to buy. Let's figure out which toys are really necessary for a newborn and which will contribute to the baby's development during the first year of life.

Toys for a child up to one year: 0-3 months

From birth to 3 months, the most important thing for a child is the best remedy entertainment and development are native human face- Mom's or dad's. Any household item such as a soft brush with which you brush your baby’s hair, a terry mitten with which you wash him, packaging paper napkins and so on. carries enormous developmental potential for a child in the first three months of life and serves as the basis. Keep this in mind when making a list of essentials before heading to the store.

It is very possible that you will make the first toys for your baby yourself, and only the bare minimum will remain to be purchased, or you will do without purchased toys at all during this period.

However, I will give a list that includes necessary toys for a child from birth to 3 months, which can entertain him and serve as props for your joint educational games. Here you will find brief recommendations on choosing these toys.

• Mobile for hanging above the crib. When purchasing, pay special attention to the music that the mobile produces - it should not be too loud, harsh, sad, and you should like it - who knows how many times a day you will have to listen to it :) Also make sure that the fastening is secure and that there are no small parts , which can break off and fall on the baby. It’s good if the elements of the mobile represent real and not fictional characters - for example, flowers, butterflies, fish, etc. and have natural colors. Ideally, the elements of the mobile should be removable so that you can easily replace them with other interesting items to maintain the effect of novelty.
• Arc with hanging toys for mounting in a crib/stroller/ car seat. The above recommendations are valid for this toy, but the ability to change toys becomes especially relevant. Daily walks and games make it necessary to regularly clean toys and replace them periodically - in otherwise, the arc will quickly get boring for the baby.
• Pendants and garlands with rattles, squeaks, rustles on the stroller - the baby will be happy to look at them, and later fiddle with them and pull them into his mouth, so give preference to clean toys natural colors, made of washable durable materials. To maintain the child’s interest, it will be enough to purchase 2-3 garlands and pendants with different sounds and contents (for example, in one there is a squeaker and a safety mirror, in another there is a rattle and a rustle, in the third there is a bell and rodents).
• Balls. To play with your baby from birth onwards, you will need balls of different sizes. Buy a lightweight inflatable “beach” ball with a diameter of 20-25 cm, small hedgehog balls for massaging the baby’s arms and legs, soft textile and knitted balls with different fillings - ringing, rustling, squeaking. You can find a comprehensive list by following the link.
• Developmental mat. To be honest, I haven't found any rugs on sale that met my high expectations, but maybe you'll have better luck. If not, sew the rug yourself or order it from some needlewoman. The price of such a product will be comparable to the price of a factory-made rug, and the quality and development potential will be significantly higher.
• Rattles. Choose 3-4 different designs (in the shape of a dumbbell, a donut, a ball with a handle, bells on a stick, etc.), colors, sounds, preferably from different materials. Even if some rattles are still difficult for small fingers to grasp, the baby will try to grab the toy and, thereby, his eye-hand coordination. Make sure that the rattles do not make too loud or sharp sounds that could frighten the child, and do not have sharp edges or protruding corners.
• Tumbler. You can use this wonderful toy now, and later, when the tumbler doll can become a heroine role-playing games. You can purchase a pair of dolls - a large one, up to 30 cm tall, and a smaller one, convenient for manipulation.

Toys for children up to one year: 3-6 months

At this age, your “toy arsenal” can be significantly expanded. The most important criteria that you should continue to follow when choosing are safety for the child and the developmental potential of the toy. What will interest and entertain? Firstly, everything that you have already bought previously, provided that you regularly replace the toys on the arcs, mat and pendants. After 2-3 days of “separation”, the baby rejoices and explores the forgotten toy as if it were new. And here is the list of new acquisitions:

• Matryoshka. Buy an ordinary classic wooden nesting doll, painted with not too dark colors and immediately remove the small figures away, leaving 3-4 of the largest ones.
• Bath toys. At this age, it is advisable to use small rubber toys for bathing that are easy to grip with hands. Buy products from trusted manufacturers, pay special attention to the color and smell of the toy. A too strong “aroma” and fantastic colors are a reason to refuse the purchase. Carefully monitor the cleanliness of bath toys, wash them with baby detergents, dry them thoroughly after each bath and replace them with new ones at the first sign of mold. You will find ideas for using these toys in the article ““.
• Cubes. For the first acquaintance, give preference to light plastic cubes with slightly rounded edges and crumb cubes.
• Rodents. Although these are not exactly toys, nevertheless, choose items that are easy to grasp with a child’s hand, and allow for cooling in the refrigerator and, of course, sanitary treatment.
• Animal figurines. Purchase or make animal figurines that you will use to display nursery rhymes, illustrate fairy tales, etc. Toys should be realistic, not too large (the optimal size is up to 12-15 cm in height) and evoke positive emotions in the baby. To begin with, a bear, a dog, a cat, a bunny and a squirrel or fox will come in handy.

Toys for children up to one year: 6-9 months

Many toys from the previous period are still interesting to the baby, only the ways of playing with them change and become more complicated. For example, a rattle behind which earlier child followed with his eyes, tried to catch and transferred from one hand to another, now you can learn to ring louder and quieter, or even to the music or to the beat of a nursery rhyme performed by a restless mother. Other necessary toys for growing babies aged 6 to 9 months:

• Cubes. It's time for wooden cubes. But be careful of sharp corners and peeling paint. The best choice- cubes made of unpainted wood. Make sure that the surface of the cubes is smooth, without nicks or scratches, and still do not leave your baby unattended alone with this toy.
• Constructor. You can buy your little one’s first construction set with large parts and a simple connection mechanism. Do not try to construct complex figures; turrets will suffice, which the baby will only break for now.
• Insert cups. A mega-toy for all times, which I have already mentioned more than once both in articles and in my webinars. Be sure to buy it or make something similar from cups of yoghurts, curds, etc. At the age of 6 to 9 months, the baby will take great pleasure in pulling out and trying to stack the cups one on the other, and a little later he will begin to build towers out of them with you.
• Sorter.“Box” - a house, a car, a boat, a mushroom, etc. with slots of different shapes and a set of small figures that the baby must learn to insert into the corresponding holes. Try to choose an option with large enough parts to prevent swallowing. Make sure the holes are large enough for your child to easily push the appropriate pieces through, and ensure that the child can independently remove the pieces from the box to repeat the game.
• Interactive toys with buttons, keys, levers. Of course, this is not the most necessary toy, provided that you pay a lot of attention to the development of your baby’s fine motor skills - and water, regularly finger gymnastics etc. But kids love these toys, so there will be no harm from 2-3 toys with buttons. Just don’t try to buy a toy, as I call them “100 in 1”, which teach animal voices, the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, and how to say “Hello” in 5 languages, etc. Let it be better if there are 1-2 functions, but appropriate to the child’s age, then the toy will be really interesting and useful for him. By the way, a toy with an impeccable reputation falls into the same category - spinning top.
• Baby doll and accessories for it. I recommend that both boys and girls buy a very ordinary baby doll - with movable arms and legs, without hair, and made of washable material. For the specified age, you can limit yourself to a set of clothes and a crib (which can be successfully replaced by an appropriately decorated shoe box), in which the baby will learn to put his “lala”.
• Bibabo dolls. Glove puppets literally captivate little ones and require very little of your acting skills. There are both individual characters and entire sets of fairy tale heroes on sale - choose according to your taste and budget. I would like to add that sewing or knitting such a doll is not difficult.

At the same age, it is appropriate to offer the baby the first real books- not books-toys-rattles-squeakers, but books for reading. You will find recommendations for choosing books in the article ““

Toys for children up to one year: 9-12 months

A child’s games with blocks, construction sets, pyramids, and nesting dolls are becoming more varied and interesting, and we offer him new educational toys that will allow the child to develop new skills and abilities.

Have you recently become a mother of a baby?

• Pyramid. For the first suitable option with large rings that differ significantly in size and a base that expands downwards - it is simply impossible to assemble such a pyramid incorrectly, and it will be easier for you to explain the principle of operation to your baby. In the future, it will be possible to purchase 1-2 more pyramids of a different size and from other materials.
• Mosaic. We purchase the baby’s first tabletop or, better yet, floor mosaic with large elements. We teach how to lay out a path, a caterpillar, a flower and other simple elements.
• Rolling toys. Relevant for crawling and walking children. Buy a couple of copies on a stick to roll in front of you, and on a string to drag behind you. A good purchase would be a rolling machine, which the baby can push in front of him by the handle or sit on it and ride, pushing off with his feet - we still (from 9 months to 2.5 years) use this machine with pleasure.
• A set of dishes and toy products. It's time to diversify your games with the baby doll (by the way, you can buy 1-2 more dolls for him for company) - a set of dishes will come in handy (I recommend at least partially using real dishes - for example, plastic cups, bowls, containers with lids, a cutting board, wooden and silicone spatulas, strainer, etc.) and products for playing “cook”. When purchasing, pay attention to the correspondence of toy products to real ones in color, shape, and size ratio. You can make your own play products, for example, sew them from felt, felted wool, or crocheted them. In you will find a selection of games with toy products.

Here is the list of toys for a child under one year old. I don’t presume to claim that it is comprehensive for everyone or that all its points are mandatory, but personally it seems that way to me. I note that I did not mention here about, and, since there are separate publications on this topic in the corresponding sections. Also, the list does not mention many toys that you can make with your own hands - there is also information about this.

I invite experienced and expectant mothers to discuss my list in the comments. What items would you add to your child's list? Which ones do you consider unnecessary and why?

Read other articles about child development by month:

It seems that everything is simple - just surround the baby for better development many game aids. However, experts are convinced that each age needs its own toy, since a child’s capabilities differ significantly between 3 months and 1 year.

The right toys lay the foundation for intellectual and physical development. That is why it is necessary not to let the process of choosing gaming aids take its course, but to very thoughtfully and carefully examine the shelves of children's stores. What are the best toys for babies?

A few words about the number of toys

The number of toys for babies on the shelves of children's stores is amazing. It is not surprising that some parents, trying to give their child the best, immediately after his birth, buy everything.

As a result, the nursery is littered with rattles, dolls, blocks, cars and teddy bears. Is it correct? Of course, every mother decides for herself how many toys her child will have. However, the opinion of experts should still be listened to.

Psychologists are sure that early age it is enough for a child to play with 2 - 3 toys at a time, while the rest play the role of exhibits in a museum. You can fill a child's room with a bunch of bright trinkets, but at the same time not provide the little one with useful material for understanding the world around him.

Playbooks for babies can be considered one of the main sources of knowledge about the surrounding reality. Toys help explore colors, sizes and shapes, develop coordination and fine motor skills. All this will definitely affect the formation of speech skills.

That is why, when stopping in front of a shelf with another gaming aid, you need to think about whether it can awaken a child’s activity and cognitive interest, or whether the child will play with it for a few minutes and then throw it in a distant drawer.

Thus, it is not necessary to purchase a huge number of toys; a few aids are enough, as long as they correspond to the age and capabilities of the baby and fulfill their main function - the development of the little man.

A toy for a child, no matter how old he is - 3 months or 5 years old, must imitate a real object, while repeating its shape, color and basic qualities. That is, a green elephant or a purple hedgehog is not the most best options gaming devices.

Teledoctor Evgeny Komarovsky is convinced that the main properties of good educational toys are safety and realism. That is, the ball should be round, the cube should be square, the sky should be blue, and the chicken should really look like poultry.

In addition, we should not forget that any toy evokes emotions in a child, which is why it is important for infants that such information content is positive and does not create anxiety and aggressiveness.

Monsters with ugly facial features and disproportionate figures, aggressive-looking cartoon characters, overly naturalistic dolls - all these are examples of bad toys that will definitely not benefit a small child.

It is important to take care of the baby’s emotional comfort. Play aids should be of pleasant colors and shapes, preferably naturalistic in appearance. Well, if they are “talking” or “singing”, then the sound should be soft and quiet.

It remains to figure out exactly what toys a child needs from birth to 12 months.

A newborn baby is just adapting to a world unfamiliar to him, getting used to his mother’s and father’s face and voice. Therefore, children in the first month of life do not need toys as such, since all their time is occupied by feeding, sleeping, or interacting with their parents.

What toys does a 1 month old baby need? It should be understood that at this age the baby is already learning to see and hear relatively well, therefore For its development, toys such as:

The benefits of a mobile

This device is one of the best gaming accessories for little children. It performs two functions at once: educational and entertaining.

A child in the second month of life listens to music, thereby improving auditory perception. And when he grows up a little, you can use the motor abilities of the mobile so that the baby learns to follow moving objects.

In addition, such a toy can entertain and distract the baby. a short time. And during this period, the mother will be able to either rest a little or do some homework without being distracted by the children’s demanding cries or tears.

In stores you can buy simple models with a small amount functions (melodies plus movement of figures) or multifunctional game carousels, which, in addition to the main options, can be used as a music player, projector and night light.

The rattling and noisy toys will be with the child for almost the entire 12 months. To do this, you need to purchase several rattles at once, for example:

You should not think that rattles are necessary only to entertain and calm the baby. These play devices contribute to the comprehensive development and especially the improvement of fine motor skills.

By placing a rattle in a child's hand, you thereby stimulate the development of tactile perception. For this purpose, you need to purchase the lightest, most compact and comfortable toys. A three-month-old baby will gradually learn to play with them on his own.

In addition to the development of fingers, rattles improve coordination between the eyes and hands, and teach them to act purposefully: the child takes the toy, then pulls it towards him to carefully examine it from all sides.

Do a simple exercise with your baby to develop eye coordination. Show your child the rattle, wait until he begins to fix his eyes on it, then move it in different directions. The baby will follow the bright object with its eyes.

From 3 to 6 months

At 4 months the child makes another leap. Now the baby not only observes the world around him, but also in the most active way included in his research.

Children also like old toys, such as rattles. Noisy and rattling play devices are studied even more carefully, they are examined, they are taken away and brought closer to the face, the kids wave them, shake them, and put them in their mouths.

Such simple exercises, in someone’s opinion, are actually extremely important. They help build connections between parts of the brain, develop visual, auditory, and motor centers in the cerebral cortex.

A child not only explores toys, but with their help he explores his own capabilities. Raising arms, legs, head - all this teaches the baby to overcome difficulties in order to get such a desirable and attractive toy.

To the baby this age period A teether will come in handy. Of course, it is difficult to attribute it directly to play equipment, but this item has educational functions: small pimples contribute to sensory stimulation when the baby touches the teether.

At 5 months, the child is already rolling over and making his first attempts at crawling, so the range of toys expands significantly. He will definitely be interested in:

• rubber bath toys;
• textile rustling objects;
• tumblers;
• development mats with pockets, buttons, fasteners and a mirror;
• arcs with toys of various sizes and colors suspended on them;
• children's piano, etc.

For a 5-month-old child, you don’t need to put toys directly into the hands. Experts advise leaving them within sight and reach so that the baby can reach them on his own. This helps improve crawling and grasping skills.

Children at 5 and 7 months are, in fact, babies completely different in capabilities and abilities. Now motor skills are more complex and advanced. The child is able to move on all fours and attempts to stand up are noted.

Hand coordination and fine motor skills are improved. If at four months the baby moved chaotically, now he consciously grabs the desired object not just by a handful, but also with a pinch and with his fingers. The “prey” rises and rushes again, reaching into the mouth. After studying, interest in it immediately disappears.

What will be useful for a child at this age? Experts advise stocking up on the following gaming aids:

A six-month-old child learns to use two hands at once in exploring the world. That's why babies love to tap rattles, blocks, and other play equipment on surfaces.

The child has reached the age of fascination with earbuds. This role can be played by various containers, bowls, glasses, and molds that can be inserted into each other.

Playing with them not only helps improve motor skills and hand-eye coordination, but also helps in game form master the concept of “more-less”. A large glass cannot be placed in a smaller one, and the baby understands this after using physical force.

As a result, the child changes the tactics of working with objects. Now he moves from physical effort to thinking. Different containers begin to interact with each other as they are related in size. In this way, the baby develops perception and thinking abilities.

A nine-month-old child learns not just to grab toys, but to study the surrounding reality. Now he is a real experimenter and researcher.

The baby is actively looking for favorite toys hidden in the box, finding a use for old items, and trying to establish cause-and-effect relationships. For example, he can watch for a long time how water is poured out of containers and cereals are poured out.

Since the baby is already more active and mobile (some babies are trying to walk), he needs to be closely monitored. Important rule– remove all objects that pose a danger to the baby higher and further away.

Basic toys for this age:

Sorter is an educational game aid, which is a closed container in the shape of a house, cube, or mailbox, in which there are various openings. The point of the game is that the child lowers or geometric figures, or silhouettes of animals in the slots intended for them.

Sorters are usually of 2 types:

• with figures covering the openings;
• with figures pushing through the slots.

For a child under one year old, you should select toys with 3-4 holes or indentations. Otherwise, the baby simply cannot cope with the gameplay, as a result of which the “incomprehensible” toy will smoothly migrate to the basket with unnecessary items.

The very name of the game aid “sorter” indicates the principle of its operation. The child must sort the figures, that is, place objects in the slots, focusing not on his strength, but on their shapes, sizes, and shades.

Such exercises help train the eye, motor dexterity, logical thinking, subtle finger movements, observation and perseverance. All these qualities will be useful in developing and improving speech skills.

In addition, tactile sensations develop. The child, interacting with the “magic box”, learns to distinguish and recognize shades and shapes. Psychologists are convinced that such a toy is also involved in the formation of creative skills. After all, knowing the shapes, kids will be able to quickly move beyond the scribbling stage to understandable images.

It is at this age that most children take their first steps. To facilitate learning and training of walking skills, toy manufacturers offer special rolling carts. They are another support point, holding on to which the child begins to walk.

Typically, such gurneys are made in the form of animals, cars or simple carts. Some devices have game pads that let you listen to music and learn things like numbers.

The benefit of such a gaming device is the development of:

But many experts have a rather negative attitude towards traditional walkers. If a child spends too much time in such a device, then problems with the development of the musculoskeletal system in the future cannot be ruled out.

The first year is an important milestone in a baby's life. The main achievement of a 12-month-old toddler is the ability to walk independently, without parental support or additional support. To improve balance, it is worth purchasing a wheelchair horse, a tolokar.

Additionally, balls and games with them develop the vestibular apparatus and coordination of movements. Children push the big ball with their hands and feet and run after it to stop it. Small balls are useful for throwing and catching. This will help develop additional motor dexterity.

Now fine motor skills and dexterity have become even more perfect. One-year-old children begin to deliberately throw toys on the floor so that their mother will pick them up and put them in her hands again. This factor must be taken into account when choosing play equipment for children.

One-year-old children will definitely love the metallophone and drum. They not only develop auditory perception, but also teach the child to take into account the force of influence when extracting sounds.

One-year-old children love to tinker with plastic phones and sets of toy dishes. With these toys, the baby performs the same actions as the parents. You've probably watched kids "call" on a plastic mobile phone or "drink" from a plastic cup.

A sandbox set is a must-have toy for a one-year-old baby. A child, playing with sand, develops fine motor skills and speech, learns to hold a scoop, which will be useful to him in the future when learning to use cutlery. Creative abilities are also being developed.

In addition, the child is given soft pencils and crayons at his disposal. Objects that leave a mark delight little explorers. And regular “drawing” helps to quickly master speech and writing skills.

You should not think that for the full development of a child it is enough to simply purchase a toy. Not a single, even the most multifunctional and sophisticated gaming aid can be of benefit to a child if you do not play with him.

And here there are rules that depend on the age of the baby:

If a child does not understand how to play with a toy and gets angry because of this, remove this object, and after a while try to offer to play again. Most likely, this time the baby will accept your offer and master the previously impossible task.

Absolute safety is, of course, the main requirement for play aids for young children. You should not unconditionally trust certificates and markings; it is better to thoroughly study the product you like from all sides.

1. Plastic toys should not have a strong or unpleasant smell. A toxic “aroma” indicates the use of low-quality material. Purchased plastic items must be washed in soapy water and rinsed thoroughly.
2. Devices with scratches and chips should be immediately rejected, even if you really liked the toy itself. Such shortcomings indicate low quality of the product, which poses a threat to the health of the child.
3. Rubber elements must be dense and non-fragile. If they crumble, such toys should be disposed of immediately. Naturally, the same requirements apply to rubber as to plastic products.
4. Textile toys (especially if they have filling) should be carefully examined for frayed seams. Broken threads may cause a child to swallow the contents of the product and choke.
5. Wooden toys must be free of burrs. In general, it is not advisable to give wooden products to children under 6 months of age, since the baby may hit himself on the head with the edge of a wooden cube. And this threatens injury.
6. Before purchasing, also try to rub the product you like to evaluate the quality of the paint job. The coating should not stain fingers, fade, or leave skin sensation of a greasy or waxy layer.
7. Avoid purchasing toys with small or fragile parts. Babies always put everything in their mouth, so there is a risk that the child will bite off a piece of plastic and swallow it.

The child needs to play with toys from various materials. However, for infants, devices made from food-grade plastic are preferable. They are lightweight and safe, so you won’t have to worry about your baby putting them in his mouth.

It is no secret that a child under 12 months (or even older) puts everything into his mouth, as a result of which dirt and bacteria can enter the body. That is why it is necessary to carefully care for the toys that are always near a tiny person. What are the basic rules of care? It all depends on the material.

The following solution is suitable for disinfection: dissolve four tablespoons of soda powder in a liter of water. You can also destroy pathogenic bacteria using diluted vinegar. Surfaces are also wiped with alcohol-containing liquids.

Toys used outdoors are disinfected and sanitized several times a week. Items for home use should be washed once a week.

So, from birth to one year, a child goes through an impressive “route”. Toys can help with development, but only if they are suitable for the baby’s age.

The list of play aids for newborns and infants is impressive. But we can highlight the “obligatory” toys that should be in every home where a little miracle grows up:

This is a minimum set of educational toys for children under one year old. Later it will be joined by play aids with lacing, large mosaics, construction sets, cars, dolls, and a sandbox set.

What does it mean good toy? First of all, it must be safe. To do this, you need to check the reliability of the assembly and the quality of the material. You should also remember that high-quality game aids are always realistic. And, of course, the toy must correspond to its purpose - the rattle makes noise, the rubber ducky swims.

In the first 12 months of a child’s life, experts equate play activities with exploring the world around them. Toys help a child up to one year old to master basic concepts, gain knowledge and skills.

However, you should understand that choosing the right toy is not the most important thing. Only by communicating with mom and dad, playing with them, will the baby be able to fully develop and feel the desire to explore the world. So be there and help your child!