“Play is the beginning of knowledge.” -George Dorsey
Babies love to play
From the moment they are born
They love to interact and explore the world around them
At the beginning
For very very short bursts of time
Slowly very slowly developing concentration and focus
A baby learns through play
Through their interactions with the things and people around them
Babies develop all their senses
As they gain understanding of the world around them
As they come to terms with themselves
What and how they are
What is part of them
And what belongs to another person, place or thing
Every opportunity is a learning opportunity
Every opportunity is a chance to play
Most ways to play with a new baby require no toys
You can give your baby rich sensory experiences with your own voice and touch
You can provide sensory stimulus using many of the things you already have in your own home
But along with far too many clothes
We also love to buy our babies toys
Here are some suggestions and recommendations
For a sensory play toy box
Or basket
For babies from birth to 3 months
Shake Rattle and Roll
Babies love music
It can be anything from nursery rhymes to 80s pop
Singing with your baby is a wonderful way to play
And can help their auditory processing
Dance with your baby in your arms to your favourite songs
Clap your baby’s hands to old childhood classics
Try the actions to traditional rhymes
The sense of hearing can also be developed
With the use of rattles
Squeaky toys
Chimes and bells
One of our favourites is the Brio Bell Rattle
It makes a gentle tinkly sound when shaken or rolled
We also love the Heimess Touch Ring Elastic Rainbow Ball
This is a multi purpose toy
Acting as a bell rattle
A teether
A grasping and clutching toy
It is easy for baby to grab and manipulate
And safe for them to mouth
This again makes a gentle bell sound
For baby to respond to
We also have a Grimms Star Rattle
From One Hundred Toys
That again can be used in a variety of ways
As a rattle
A grab, grasp, clutch toy
And a teether
These traditional wooden toys
Are so pretty and they last so well
They are also nice and easy to keep clean
Another toy in this category is
Edie’s Skwish!
Designed by Nasa
And created by Manhattan Toys
We bought ours from Amazon
The award winning Colour Burst Skwish
Is a one of a kind wood rattle and teether toy
It Skwishes and returns to its original shape
With beads that slide and rattle
The Skwish Colour Burst is made from renewable rubberwood
And we love it!
Would be a brilliant gift for a new baby
Black and White
Visual stimulation is important for babies
They need to develop their sense of sight
But also stimulate their brain
Babies sight is the least developed of their senses
When they are born
To help this sense develop
Parents can and should provide interesting things for infants to look at
Babies like black and white images
Bold patterns and stripes
They respond to contrast
Edie loves that in our house
The children and I all wear a lot of stripes
She also loves to focus on her
From Wee Gallery
We have the woodland collection
The simple artistic images
Capture and hold Edie’s attention
We use them during nappy changes
For tummy time
On her play mat
Under her gym
And in her pram
(As a change of scenery from the airbag safety warning!)
Other black and white toys we have
Are these Clip and Discover Shapes
From Manhattan Toys
Via Amazon
This 3 piece set provides all the auditory, visual and tactile development
A baby would ever need on the go
They are designed to be travel toys
This multi-sensory set includes rattles, squeakers, teethers and a hidden mirror
Each shape easily clips to a bag, pram, high chair or play pen
The triangular piece features a ‘jiggle’ sound when pulled
Teaching cause and effect and promoting clutching skills
These are fab, fun toys for sensory development and play
Props and Supports
To aid tummy time
And to help Edie Mae
See the world from different angles
We use a range of props and supports
Mostly the little bear cushion
That comes with the Camping Cubs Tipi Activity Gym
From Skip Hop UK
And the Nanuk Bear cushion
That all of my children adore
And is used daily for rest as well as for play
The bear is also promoted as a feeding cushion
I think it would be great for bottle feeding
But is too deep for breastfeeding
Sense-sations
Tickle your baby with feathers
Massage them with oil
Lay them on the grass
Gaze up at the clouds
Splash with them in a bubble bath
Watch bubbles float above
Let a chiffon scarf
Brush against their skin
Let them see different colours
Feel different textures
Facilitate rich sensory experiences for your little one
And you experience them too
See the world through your baby’s eyes
Mirror Play
Edie loves gazing at faces
She loves to stare and smile at her siblings
Recently we have introduced mirrors to her play
Mirrors of different shapes and sizes
You can lay a mirror flat on the ground and let your baby look while they lie on their tummy
Propping the mirror up in front of Edie encourages her to lift her head to look at her reflection
For older babies, sit in front of a mirror with them and make faces
Stick out your tongue, coo or smile and encourage your baby to smile back
Touch your baby’s ears, eyes or nose as you name each body part
Say your baby’s name and point to them in the mirror
This will help them begin to recognise themselves
And associate the sound of their name
Edie loves to smile at herself in the mirror
Or in my phone camera
I bought some toys with mirrored parts
And also some large hairdresser mirrors from Amazon
Which the older children love to play with too
Balls
I have bought Edie a set of sensory balls
From Infantino
These are great for Edie to grab hold of
To have a chomp on when she is teething
They can be used inside and outside
The different shapes, colours and textures
Are great for her to explore
While developing her sense of touch
Bea loves fiddling with these too
And as Edie becomes stronger
They will enjoy playing with these together
So here in words and in pictures
Are some of the toys we use with Edie
When embarking on sensory play
Play of all kinds is so important for babies
For children of all ages
Play is vital for children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth
Play is how babies learn about themselves and the world
“Play is the highest form of research.” – Albert Einstein
Babies use all of their senses
To experience the world around them
And to learn through play
For more ideas and toy suggestions
Please watch this Baby Play video
From my You Tube channel
And do subscribe if you enjoy this film
As there are lots more play ideas for babies and toddlers to come
I hope you have fun playing with your baby today
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw