In my practice, I have met active mothers who drew up a development plan for their baby from his first days. They emphasized hardening and water treatments, at the same time, they loaded the baby with all the entertaining items, without thinking about what toys a child needs at 1 month.
Trying to help their newborn become physically strong, some mothers forgot about something important - not only viruses can negatively affect the baby’s health, but also the household items around him. And a toy, as we all know, is the first thing that is often near a newborn and which he can put in his mouth.
I won’t intimidate you with all sorts of stories about cheap Chinese stamps, I’ll say it simpler: there should be few toys, they should be selected correctly and be as safe as possible for the baby.
How to choose the right quality toys
There is no difficulty in choosing safe play aids, just take into account the basic rules when purchasing and your baby will be happy and healthy.
Safe toys for a 1 month old baby:
- They do not have small parts or sharp corners;
- Completely made, without the possibility of unscrewing or tearing something off (if it is a rattle made of several parts, pay attention to how well all the elements are fastened together);
- If the toy is rubber or plastic, it should not have an unpleasant or too sweet smell. Such a purchase can have a detrimental effect on the baby’s health;
- It's worth giving up for now soft toys or play with them with the newborn;
- It’s better not to buy toys for your baby at the market or kiosk. Pick them up in the store, having first looked at the accompanying documents for the goods (sometimes illegal and dangerous children's products can even get into the store).
Important! Many parents buy rubber toys with squeaks for their baby. But not everyone knows that they need to be properly looked after.
Even if the purchased duck has passed all the tests, it can also cause harm to the baby. Over time, dirt mixed with water and baby saliva accumulates near the squeaker, and this is an ideal environment for bacteria. Wash such toys once a week in boiled water and soap, after removing the squeaker itself.
We play and develop. We select useful toys
To pick up the right toy baby, you need to take into account his gradual development. At the age of 1 month, the sucking and grasping reflex predominates in a newborn (learn about other reflexes of a newborn >>>). At this age, the newborn gets used to new sounds and new tactile sensations. Therefore, useful educational toys for children from 1 month old will be:
- Musical carousel (mobile);
- Not very loud rattles;
- Suspension for a stroller (crib);
- Developmental mat;
- 7 colored plastic balls (for playing, swimming and further learning about colors).
A mobile is a unique toy by its nature. It has 2 functions: educational and entertaining. At the age of 1 month, the newborn learns to focus and concentrate his gaze on objects, and also learns to detect different sound frequencies.
At this age, a newborn should not buy overly complex musical toys; opt for a mobile phone with quiet, calm music, preferably classical. It’s not for nothing that they say that classics have a good effect on the baby. With the classics, the baby easily calms down and quickly falls asleep.
If you decide to buy rattles for your baby, you can take several different ones, for example:
- a simple rattle with a handle;
- a rattle with several connected parts;
- and a book with a squeak and rustling pages.
The right rattle is the one that your baby will need for several months in a row and that the newborn will want to play with even at 2 years old.
Rubber toys have always attracted babies; in addition to the sound effect, which will not leave a newborn indifferent, rubber figures are very convenient for biting with the gums during teething. The main rule for mom: buy a toy that is not thin and odorless. Thin rubber can be bitten by a newborn over time, and the presence of an odor indicates a poor-quality rubber composition.
When buying a stroller suspension, you should also pay attention to the smell, as well as the structure of the parts. The figures should be smooth, without sharp, protruding corners, not very bright color and odorless.
Now in stores you can find a huge number of educational mats, for every taste and for any newborn. I will highlight several options:
- Growing mat. This version of a developmental mat for a baby can be transformed over time. Such a toy will always delight a newborn. At first, you can raise the sides, thus creating additional protection for the baby, and over time, lower them and increase the area;
- Bag - mat. Easy to assemble and easy to disassemble. With such a rug you can often relax with your baby in nature. It doesn’t take up much space, but it brings so much joy to the newborn;
- Rug puzzle. Now you can buy floor puzzles of any size and color. Some rugs come with additional game elements (mini-puzzles), which over time are sure to captivate your baby with a new game.
Interesting! The safest toys in terms of composition are those made by mom.
You can find it on the Internet a large number of handmade ideas ranging from rustling fabric cubes to baby sling beads self made. And also, handmade toys are a memory for many years!
Growing together with mom! A few ideas for the crafty mom
Sometimes mothers like making toys with their own hands more. If you don’t come up with anything, it doesn’t matter, there are the main common handmade options, all you have to do is add a little imagination and your newborn will have an exclusive one.
Handmade toys for a 1 month old baby:
- Developmental mat for newborns.
Take an unnecessary bedspread or duvet cover, sew patches of different textures, large buttons and various ribbons onto it. Place the blanket in the duvet cover and place it on the floor. Now you don’t need to worry about the newborn not rolling off - he will play on the rug, and the mother will be able to do household chores;
- Baby sling beads.
To create this educational toy, you can use round wooden blanks of different sizes. There are no blanks, use regular kinder surprises. The main thing is not to use glue, paints, varnishes or small parts when making a toy;
- Toy squeaker, rustle, rattle.
Take several types of scraps and sew a bag from each. Fill each bag with different cereals (buckwheat, rice, millet, peas, beans), add ringing elements and squeakers. Sew all the bags together - you have a caterpillar toy. Newborns love these toys very much.
Choose safe and interesting toys according to the age and needs of your baby!
Hello, friends! Today I'll bring mine Top 10 best educational toys for children up to 1 year. It's no secret that all children's toys in local stores are made in China, but for some reason their prices are rising like mushrooms after rain. At the same time, it is completely clear that everything is bought from the Chinese for pennies, and sold to the people for their hard-earned “thousands.” Therefore, my husband and I try to save money and buy toys through. I won’t marinate you for long - I’ll start soon.
1st place - rattle - the first educational toy for a baby
One of best toys For the development of grasping, tactile reflexes, hearing and vision, a real rattle is used. It is generally accepted that the brighter and louder it sounds, the more interesting for a child play with her. Especially your favorite rattle you can gnaw . Here you need to understand that the toy must be the right size for the baby, like the appearance and, of course, it must be safe. The child often waves the rattle from side to side, making sounds, and may accidentally hit himself, so I recommend buying a rattle that is as soft as possible. A striking example, can serve . My son liked her the most, to the point of laughing when he looked at her.
This “Zina” became our son’s first favorite. I think that little girls will also be delighted. In addition to the elephant, there are many other rattles - , .
All of these rattles have built-in rattles, rustlers of different sizes and fabrics of different textures and colors. The price of such rattles is 2 times more expensive in children's stores than on Ali.
Pros:
Availability when purchasing - low price;
Light weight and size, ease of use and reinforcement of new development skills.
Minuses:
- Frequent washing of rattles is necessary;
— it doesn’t last long to play – up to 30 minutes.
“Encourage your child to grab objects, and then slowly take them away from him, gently pulling them out of his hands. It is important that the baby grasps such an object properly. If he likes this game, give your child a stick and teach him to hang from it. Then teach your baby to take and give an object (from the book Cecile Lupan. Believe in your child).”
2nd place – mobile for a newborn’s crib
A mobile is a set of hanging toys, with attachments for a crib or stroller. Mobile phones are often equipped with rotation functions and music backlighting. This is done so that the newborn baby lies in the crib and looks at and even touches these toys, having fun while the mother takes care of household chores. Among the most popular educational toys for children under 1 year old, the one that stands out for boys is – and for girls – . These mobiles cost 2-3 times less than in local children's stores.
Pros:
Automatic operation of the mobile frees up mother’s hands;
Usually suspended on a mobile beautiful toys, play classical melodies;
The mobile develops the child's visual and auditory perception.
Minuses:
— the child gets bored quite quickly;
- Batteries run out quickly.
3rd place - developmental mat with arcs
An educational mat for children is a combined toy in which the baby can crawl, grab toys, pull them, rustle them, taste them, and all this on his back, sitting and on his tummy. It is designed for kids who no longer want to just lie down, but are actively learning the world. We also bought a very good one. It includes a fascinating stand for arms and legs - if the baby hits it, he will hear music and the lighting turn on. Also popular is.
Pros:
Development of activity and independence of the baby;
Beautiful appearance, good for a gift for a newborn;
Folds up and stores compactly.
Minuses:
- as soon as the baby crawls, he will no longer need the mat;
- Quite a high price for a short period of use.
“If your baby has already thoroughly explored the capabilities of his developmental mat, try to “extend the life” of this toy by adding new devices for playing on his tummy: make small “doors” from pieces of fabric. Having opened them, the baby will see a picture, a sewn toy or a button. The “doors” can be closed with different fasteners - Velcro, hooks. Attach small toys to the ends of the ribbons and sew these ribbons inside the pockets. Now these toys can be taken out of your pockets and put back as often as you want. Sew several carpet rings in a row, pass a ribbon through them, at the ends of which two small toys will ride back and forth (from Lena Danilova’s book “Encyclopedia of Educational Games”).”
4th place - developmental cubes
There are educational cubes - wooden, plastic, soft and interactive. also called "crumbs" and are a safe alternative to wood and plastic cubes. They are large and bright and you can throw them, sit on them, jump and fall. Children are especially interested in playing with soft cubes on Velcro. Cubes develop motor skills, grasp reflexes and creative skills of the baby. Very interesting for kids, especially those with teething. But it can keep a baby occupied for 30 – 60 minutes – for educational toys for children under 1 year old, this is a lot, believe me. During this time you can prepare lunch and dinner.
Pros:
Safe enough for the child and others;
The varied surface trains sensory skills;
Cubes develop spatial thinking;
Useful for fine motor skills hands
Minuses:
- being scattered, they constantly get underfoot;
“Building brick sets develop eye-hand coordination and cognitive abilities. Teach your child to place cube on cube. Build a high tower before his eyes, and then destroy it, exclaiming: “Bang!” This game will give your child great pleasure. Teach him to build and destroy (from the book by Olesya Zhukova “Encyclopedia of educational games from 0 months to 3 years”).”
5th place – toy house
Pros:
Develops all important skills - vision, hearing, sensory, movement;
Encourages independent play;
Useful for fine motor skills.
Minuses:
— quite fragile and do not like to fall;
- take up a lot of space in the room.
“If your child likes to throw toys on the floor and watches them fall, and you are tired of constantly picking them up, then this technique will help - tie the toys with ribbons to the crib and the baby will quickly realize that they can be dragged back to throw them again (from the book M Andreeva “Home psychologist. 1000 secrets of raising children”).
6th place - children's piano or other musical toy instrument
Pros:
Look beautiful and safe;
Develop hearing and musical taste;
Help to learn children's songs;
It can keep the baby busy for a long time.
Minuses:
— causes sound discomfort to others;
- require periodic replacement of batteries.
Expert opinion:
“Place the toy so that the baby cannot see it. Turn on the melody and when the baby turns towards the sound, praise him. Repeat the game by placing the toy in different places around the house. If the child is crawling, then hide the toy under the pillow, but so that he can get to it on his own (from Jackie Silberg’s book “125 educational games for children under 1 year old”).”
7th place – colored pyramid
Pros:
Looks beautiful and safe;
Low price, sold in any children's store;
The baby will be happy for a long time;
Multifunctional - can be combined with other toys.
Minuses:
- a lot of spare parts, which are often scattered throughout the room.
“Teach your child to play independently, which develops imagination. First, show your baby how to play and handle the toy. If the toy is collapsible (for example, a pyramid), then disassemble and assemble it so that the child can see how to play (from the book by S. Zaitsev “A Handbook for a Young Mother”).”
8th place – children's sorter
Pros:
Bright and safe toy;
Develops fine motor skills and logical thinking;
Pairs perfectly with other toys.
Abacus is true amazing toy- it would seem that there is nothing wrong with this, but the kids return to them again and again to play and twirl. They are often made in different colors and even with sound effects like a rattle. They are also popular - kids can play with them for up to 60 minutes, giving parents a break. Although the baby does not understand their purpose, this does not prevent him from carefully monitoring the movements of the parts along the guides.
Pros:
Develops the child's fine motor skills;
It is usually made of wood, so it is environmentally friendly;
You can study colors;
Keeps the child occupied for a long time.
Minuses:
- is dangerous for children under 6 months, so you need to constantly monitor the game.
Expert opinion:
“Children love to hold objects in their hands and hit them on surfaces. Such games develop coordination and amuse the baby. Give your child a wooden spoon and show him how to tap the floor while singing his favorite songs (from Jackie Silberg's book 125 Educational Games for Babies Under 1 Year of Age).
This concludes my Top 10 best educational toys for children under 1 year old. If you, my dear readers, have ideas on what toys to supplement this rating with, then write in the comments. Like and subscribe to new news from my blog.
If you like knitted toys, then welcome to my
When choosing educational toys for children from 0 to 1 year old, parents are advised to pay attention primarily not to the colorful appearance and quality, but also to other characteristics. Each of them should, first of all, improve skills, promote the development of hearing, thinking, fine motor skills, physical abilities, strengthening muscles.
The main task of toys that are offered to babies under one year old is to develop certain skills. Improving motor skills, physical development, coordination of movements - only a small part positive qualities, which are hidden in bright children's accessories for games.
Speech development
To develop speech, it is recommended to purchase toys that make sounds. Do not give preference to complex accessories that simultaneously meow, bark or speak several languages. Soft animals singing a song or telling a fairy tale will be useful.
Fine motor skills
To develop motor skills, purchase construction sets with large parts, games with buttons (provided they are made with high quality and reliably), and cubes. All surfaces must be smooth, without jagged edges or sharp corners.
Coordination of movements
To improve motor skills, developmental mats are purchased. Hanging rattles, bright animals, rings are attractive objects that the baby will certainly try to catch up with.
Auditory memory
The most useful gaming accessories will be those that produce a monotonous, continuous sound. Their purpose is to arouse the baby's interest. Over time, the baby will happily turn toward the sound and rejoice greatly when he discovers a familiar object.
Requirements for toys
Before going to a children's store, it would be useful for parents to familiarize themselves with the requirements and characteristics of toys recommended for children. Mandatory rule:
- lack of small parts;
- smooth edges;
- environmentally friendly material;
- reliable painting.
Information about the manufacturer and material must be on the label.
Safety
To avoid unpleasant and even dangerous situations, it is better to choose wooden or plastic toys. Bright shades or a multi-color palette are not welcome - this is not very beneficial for the baby’s vision.
Age purpose
Before purchasing, be sure to study the manufacturer's information on the label. It should indicate what age the children's accessory is intended for.
If you refuse to purchase if the information is presented in an unfamiliar language, you risk purchasing an item that is dangerous for the baby.
Gentle acoustics
Toys that make too loud or harsh sounds are not welcome. The child will be frightened by an unexpected bell or rattle, which will cause subsequent refusals to take new objects. Another danger awaiting the baby is damage to hearing.
Practicality
Many pediatricians argue that it is better to purchase fewer, but carefully selected accessories for your baby. Before you go shopping for a new purchase for your baby, it is recommended to think about what will improve your child’s skills.
The best manufacturers of educational toys
There are many companies that produce toys that are useful in developing a child's skills. Manufacturers verified by parents:
- Mattel;
- Plan Toys;
- Tiny Love;
- Chicco;
- Gots;
- Smoby;
- Hansa.
The cost of products from well-known companies is high, but you should not skimp on your baby - these manufacturers provide users with high-quality toys.
Educational toys for children up to one year old
Children's piano
Using a toy piano to play with your baby is a great way to attract attention. The child will be happy to follow the source of the sound with his eyes, and over time he will learn to press the keys independently, greatly rejoicing at his success.
Quite an expensive but useful children's accessory. There is everything for developing skills - hearing, motor skills, strengthening muscle groups, thinking. The main thing is not to allow the baby to play independently; parents are obliged to control the process.
Wheelchair
A toy with a special handle is suitable for a baby who is taking his first steps. The child happily pushes the gurney, which serves as a support.
Pegs and hammer
To improve motor skills, it is recommended to use pegs and a small hammer. At first, parents will have to show the child how to use the accessories correctly; after a while, the baby will be happy to repeat the movements.
Mobile
A mobile suspended above the crib will serve as exciting entertainment for the baby, who enthusiastically watches the moving figures. The mobile will also help in lulling you to sleep, especially if the accessory produces a pleasant melody.
Soft cubes
Using soft cubes in developmental activities with your baby will serve several purposes. The child will develop fine motor skills and thinking.
Educational mats and electronic posters
A prerequisite when choosing posters or rugs is the presence of images of nature, animals, and plants. The child will be happy to study the pictures while listening to the parents’ explanations.
Puzzles
Wooden or plastic puzzles made of several parts are one of the favorite toys of kids. You cannot do this without the help of parents, who must explain and show how to use the accessory.
Pyramids
The kid will be happy to build a pyramid, which will help him learn to navigate with dimensions.
Beanbag
Using a pyramid with a rattle in games with a baby will allow the baby to learn to navigate with dimensions and will contribute to the development of motor skills. It is not recommended to purchase a multi-component toy; just a few rings are enough.
An educational mat with arcs has several advantages - it is easy to use many toys in the game. Thanks to hanging bright rings or rattles, the baby will have the opportunity to independently determine what interests him and reach for the alluring object, developing physical skills.
Insert frames
Playing with inset frames will require parental assistance. Over time, the child will understand how to correctly arrange the pictures and put the image together. It is better to give preference to simple frames of just a few fragments.
Sorters
An excellent toy that will certainly become one of your baby’s favorites is a sorter. The baby will love filling the holes with suitable figures, which promotes the development of thinking and allows him to acquire motor skills.
What educational toys are best to choose?
There are many useful and interesting toys for your baby that will contribute to his development and make him plunge into wonderful world exciting games. Parents must remember that how actively the baby will develop depends only on them, so it is better to purchase different accessories. Monotonous games, even if adults take part in them, will quickly get boring for the baby.
The main rule for parents who strive for the active development of their baby is to take part in every game. Even the most expensive and “smart” toy will be useless if the child cannot understand its purpose. Only through joint efforts will it be possible to achieve results and benefit the baby from games.
When arranging a nursery for our long-awaited baby, most of us either put off buying toys until the last minute, leaving them to friends to buy, or, on the contrary, buy up the entire assortment at our disposal. Meanwhile, toys for a baby, especially in the first months, are one of the most important sources of obtaining new information about the world, a tool for the development of consciousness and fine motor skills, which are directly related to the development of the baby’s speech. That is why we have created a short guide for you with information about what toys your child will need in the first six months of his life.
General rules when buying toys
Check the strength of the toy and make sure that it does not have small parts that could fall off and get into the baby’s mouth, or sharp edges that could cause injury. The best option- toys red, yellow, green and blue colors. It is them that babies perceive first. Remember that the child should be surrounded by no more than 2-3 toys at a time, which you will change every few days.
Remember that the child should be surrounded by no more than 2-3 toys at the same time.
First month
In the first month of your baby's life, you won't need toys yet. But you can stimulate your baby's vision development by hanging several simple black and white images with geometric patterns. With their help, he will learn the ability to focus his gaze.
Second month
At this point, your baby will begin to be interested in his immediate surroundings, so it’s time to secure it above his crib or changing table bright mobile(movable structure with music and various figures), a funny rattle or cardboard figures(cubes, prisms, balls) with black and white geometric patterns. They will contribute to the development of the baby's vision and his ability to fix his gaze on a moving object.
Third month
Now is the time to start developing your baby's grasping abilities. Perfect for this purpose rattles and any other toys that can be taken by hand ( balls, mushrooms, plastic and rubber rings and so on). Make sure you have rattles at your disposal different shapes: with grooved handle, ring-shaped, stick-shaped handle and so on. Such toys can be either plastic or fabric. It's better if you have both at your disposal. Another necessary element of the nursery is educational mat with arcs. In addition, you will need a large beach or gymnastic ball, on which you can ride your child in the morning.
Fourth month
You will need several bright toys that can attract his attention.
At this stage, your task is to strengthen the baby’s interest in lying on his tummy and stimulate his desire to roll over. Therefore, you will need several bright toys that can attract his attention. You can use it for this purpose tumblers, rattles and soft balls, bells or other sounding toys. In addition, now is the time to develop tactile sensitivity. They will cope with this task perfectly toys made from different fabrics, or simply set of different shreds(feathers, satin, fur, flannel and other materials). To develop fine motor skills, purchase bright rag bracelets or socks with a bell, which can be put on the baby's hand. This toy will teach the child to connect two handles together and touch one handle to the other. A month later you will attach them to your baby's legs.
Fifth month
This month's toy is cubes. They can be either plastic, wood or even vinyl. Getting to know their rectangular shape will develop your baby's grasping skills. To develop fine motor skills at this age, stock up on small balls(about the size of a ping pong ball) , sticks and small cubes. It is better if all items are wooden. With their help, you will teach your child to transfer objects from hand to hand and make decisions. Another one useful toy at this stage - ring- teether, intended for chewing during the period of teething. Give preference to products with surfaces of varying degrees of ribbing and those that can be cooled in the refrigerator. In this case, they will help relieve pain when the first teeth appear.
Sixth month
At this age, the child becomes interested in playing with picture books.
It's time to pay attention to the development of your baby's hearing, diversifying his life musical toys. They will teach the child to find the source of the sound, and can also stimulate his desire to crawl towards it. In addition, purchase bath toys. Your baby will have fun playing with them in the bath. At this age, the child becomes interested in playing picture books. They can be wooden, thick cardboard, rag or even vinyl. In addition to this, also purchase toys that contain mirror, the child will study his reflection with interest.
In the next article we will tell you about what toys your baby will need in the second half of the year.
A newborn does not know how to manipulate objects, but he can perfectly distinguish between contrasting photographs and bright objects - they can be hung at a distance of 0-40 cm from his chest. If you want to hang the rattle on the wall, then you need to change the side every 2-3 days, as the baby may develop curvature of the cervical vertebrae.
In the second month, musical rattles will not hurt
The baby listens to music, while carefully examining moving toys, thereby studying colors. This promotes the development of hearing, vision, as well as the muscles of the neck, arms and face. It is recommended to turn it on for 10-15 minutes no more than four times a day, otherwise the toy will not soothe, but irritate.
Third month – rattles with handles and various bells are added
Holding such toys in his hands, the child learns to control them. Rattles should be light in weight, their handle should be thin for a comfortable and full grip. Better round form- after all, the baby does not yet coordinate movements. It is useful to put bracelets and bells on the arms and legs - the baby will be interested in the sounds and he will decide to get to know his limbs better.
In the fourth month, the baby will need books and teethers
The child begins to manipulate objects - studying their properties: color, mass, surface shape. Buy him his very first book, sewn from various textures with rough material, laces and beepers.
At this age, teething begins, so be sure to purchase a set of teething toys filled with water or gel - when cooled, they relieve pain.
Fifth month. Touch mat
The developmental mat becomes truly useful. It encourages crawling without restricting space to move and has mass useful properties. Usually after a month or a month and a half, interest in the rug is lost.
Sixth month. Cubes and crayons
The baby tries to hold toys not only with his palm, but also with two fingers. It's time to bring up the artist in him. Suitable for first masterpieces Finger paint, then it’s the turn of the crayons. They should be short so that they cannot be squeezed in a fist - this is how the correct grip is trained.
Toy blocks are best for developing the eye, coordination and attention. Cubes with different surfaces. The most impatient parents can purchase alphabet cubes for learning letters in the future.
In the seventh month of life, balls and gurneys will come in handy
These toys play a stimulating role. A child seeing a bright, large, ringing ball will undoubtedly want to take it, and to do this he needs to reach it, thereby stimulating him to crawl.
Eighth month. Bath toys.
Ducks, pouring cups, flexics (drawing board, attached to the wall).
Ninth month. Molds and pyramids
The child already consciously manipulates objects: folds, twists, collects, rattles. The more containers of different sizes you can offer your child, the better.
Tenth month. Developers and sorters
The older the baby, the more interesting he is in objects that can be pressed on buttons - pulling levers, pulling, and also if it is musical, then this toy will attract the baby’s attention for a long time. Useful inventions are sorter buckets with holes of different sizes and shapes for pushing parts inside.
Eleventh month. Walker toys
The baby takes his first steps and for this he needs an incentive: rolling toys in the form of butterflies on a stick flapping their wings or a dog with spinning eyes will make the baby run faster forward.
Twelfth month. Dolls and puzzles
The child imitates adults. Toys should help him with this. The doll is not only an object for manipulation, but also tutorial, you can play with it different situations: carry in a stroller, feed, bathe. Another source of knowledge about the world and its structure are simple wooden puzzles of 3-4 parts, which can contain a variety of pictures.
