Baby development with toys
You might feel that all you are doing with your baby is feed, change diapers and take a nap while baby sleeps, but even though it may seem like your tiny unicorn cannot do much, it is never too early to initiate some playing with your baby. Now that your baby is growing up too fast, it is understood that the babies senses are developing as well. So it is not just the physical growth, but also an overall development which is taking place rapidly.
Although in the early stage you cannot expect your baby to start kicking the ball and put a puzzle together, there are many fun ways to engage them with some games which will benefit them in their long-term’s physical and mental development. Thus, when we consider a baby’s development, playing with them is plays an important part and when it comes to playing, the more time you spend with your baby, the more output your baby will show.
A baby’s visual and auditory senses can get enhanced with the sensory toys which he/she plays with. Whatever practices the baby receives, from the material, experience, and the opportunities, it helps in the baby’s gaining of skills. Thus, by choosing the right toys and activities matching up with their age, helps a baby to make the most of it in their awake times resulting in setting up the stage for important early learning.
Now that the infants and the younger babies cannot exactly choose their own toys, thus it falls on you that you pick the playthings that will provide an exposure to your baby’s chance of practicing and refining new skills.
It is a fact that toys play a vital role in a child’s development, thus what actually makes a toy educational is that it should have the quality which can engage cognitive and sensory skills of a baby plus helps in the development of gross and fine motor skills.
Everything you should know about baby sensory
About the sensory development, a person’s sensory system begins to develop even before he/she are born. Thus the input of information in development is attained through different paths which include eyes, mouth, ears, skin and even muscles and joints. Therefore the fundamental senses of a human being are sight (vision), hearing (audition), taste (gustation), smell (olfaction), and touch (somatosensation) which we are born with and learn to adapt as we journey through our initial development phases.
Now babies need stimulating experiences which can enhance their sensory development, thus an environment which is full of interesting sounds, sights, smells etc will help in building the strength and connections between brain cells which will ultimately result in the shaping of behavior, memory, intelligence, emotions and various mental skills.
Sound
It becomes functional at about 25 weeks gestation, thus during this period sounds provide comfort and reassurance to the newborn baby. The development of hearing continues to develop till 6 months, therefore, the various sounds contribute to the all-round development of the brain.
Vision
It becomes functional at about 25 weeks gestation, thus during this period sounds provide comfort and reassurance to the newborn baby. The development of hearing continues to develop till 6 months, therefore, the various sounds contribute to the all-round development of the brain.
For a newborn, the areas responsible for vision are immature, though they can see colors, it is not clear. However, by 2 months, the colors become distinct and by 6 months there is a significant advancement. Although by 8 months, babies can see with better accuracy but it still takes four years for the full development therefore continual visual stimulation is necessary.
Smell
The sense of smell is fully matured at birth, still stimulating babies with various smells will help in the development of brain connections and also help them learn about the world.
Taste
It is closely associated with the sense of smell. Thus mouthing of a baby help in the development of speech as well as intellectual development. Plus it develops skillful jaw and tongue movements in readiness for solid foods.
Touch
Touching objects with various textured materials help in the development and strengthening of the connections between the brain cells. It also stimulates the brain parts that govern action, coordination, and thinking.
Toys that boost visual senses
Now there are various toys which are made for boosting the visual senses, some of them are:
Tumbling toy tubes
Get your baby a gripping toy which will be easy for the baby to hold. The bright colors of the tubes will be stimulating to the eyes of the baby and they can even enjoy looking at themselves in the mirror which is there on one end of the tubes. The plastic tube of the toy also comes with little beads in it so that the toy makes a little sound when baby shakes it.
Clutch cubes
Buy some colorful clutch cubes for your baby which will provide stimulation of the senses with the variety of features available on each of its sides. The colorful pictures and the black and white patterns help in the stimulation of sight.
Toys that boost auditory senses
Different toys for boosting the auditory senses are:
Octotunes
Introduce your baby to some music with some soft and cuddly octopus which will delight your baby.
Auditory stimulate wave drum
Source: Music With Monica
This is perfect for the auditory stimulation, and is a good option for the babies who need to be soothed by sound, or is sensitive to loud sounds, and also for the ones who crave noise and action.
A soft toy which can sing
This is the best way of reaching out to a child, and is something which can make them grin. So you can pick a soft toy such as, a teddy or a doll for your baby which will get activated when pressed at its paws or any part of its body and sings a song or narrates a poem. This will grab your baby’s attention as well as help in their auditory development.
Best black and white toys for infants
Black and white toys are better for your babies till the period of six months, as they prefer the toys which are in simple shapes, with bold outlines and contrasting colors.
Pick some black and white clip on flashcards for your infants which are great for stimulating visual senses.
Pick some soft shapes in black and whites which are easy to grab as well the color will provide sight stimulations to your baby. These shapes are available in the size of a four-inch ball, and various shapes like a pyramid, and cube and also has varied textures and sounds. Thus the variety in texture and sound will help in the development of visual as well as auditory senses.
DIY toys that boost baby’s development
Sometimes buying the toys from the shop can get expensive plus they do not last that long, therefore an easy solution is to make the toys for your baby. Now before you start making the toys, keep in mind that safety comes first, therefore consider the below items:
The size of the toy.
The surface of the toy
The strings attached to them should not be long enough and firmly attached.
Supervision is necessary.
Now that you know the basic requirements, some of the ideas for making DIY toys are:
Homemade building blocks
You can use the boxed which are used for tea bags, tissues, and cereal, they are great for building blocks. You can stuff the boxes and wrap them with colorful papers, make sure that you do not use staples or tapes which can come off and hurt your baby.
Drumkit
This is most simple DIY, just take an empty formula tin and some wooden spoon, there you go, you have just made a great drum kit.
Race cars
The cardboard and the laundry baskets make great cars for the babies to sit in. It will take a little bit of your efforts to swing and push them around the house, but their giggles and laughters will make it worth your while.
Summary
You can help your kid’s sensory development to enhance and stimulate using colorful and musical toys. The sensory plays also help in the development of language, motor skills, problem-solving skills and enhances social interactions and memory functions.
The more you understand yourself, the more silence there is, the healthier you are. —Maxime Lagacé
