Baby's first toys
The first toys for a child are a great joy, but also a difficult choice for parents and loved ones who want to give him a gift. Are and what toys for newborns safe? What is white noise and what to pay attention to when buying soothing toys for a newborn? Which carousel should you choose for a baby and at what age will it work best? What's the deal with black and white toys for a newborn? - are they better than colorful? To dispel all doubts regarding the choice of toys for the youngest children, read our guide.
A child was born, there was joy at home, the first visit of grandmother, grandfather and aunt. Toys appear, because how can you not bring a teddy bear or a rattle to a newborn baby? Sometimes it's hard to control this avalanche. However, you can warn your loved ones about your toy preferences. Let us remember that everything we give a toddler to play with must be safe for him, and an important function of a toy is to support the child's development.
When first toys: for a newborn or later?
A toy is any product or material that can be used by children. Its basic functions are entertainment and education, although some of the toys also work perfectly as role models tranquilizers. In the initial period of life, the toddler does not need toys yet, so it is worth to be moderate and wait until he grows up a bit. In order to know the child's preferences, his motivation to communicate, as well as the intuitive behavior of the parents that support it, are important.
The first months of a child's life are characterized by rapid psychomotor and visual development.
Your little one can do a lot:
- reacts to a change in audible sounds,
- draws attention to a moving object,
- is sensitive to body odor and the sound of mom's voice.
A newborn also differentiates a smooth from a pitted surface - both with the mouth and with the hands. He sees objects from a distance of about 20 cm, starts to look after objects, but he does not see the details clearly and does not differentiate all colors (that is why, for example, black and white toys for a newborn baby are popular). You will notice that your little one he is already clenching his fists, imitating simple facial expressions and maintaining eye contact.
Expert advises
In addition to the physical and cognitive sphere, the area of emotions is also of great importance. The baby likes it when you touch it, rock it gently and rock it. Although babies like face-to-face contact with their caregiver, they are slowly starting to become interested in the outside world. Your presence with your baby and maintaining physical closeness are crucial. In turn, when choosing the first toys, pay attention especially to their weight, texture and material.
What toys for the newborn?
When it comes to a newborn, with the purchase of the first toys there is no need to rush too much, and certainly their excess is not recommended. The first toys for a newborn and infant can be divided into groups:
- to the trolley,
- to the crib,
- to the car,
- for Bath.
Some toys can have many uses, and some, such as: Educational Explorer's House Mat by Fisher Price they can also adjust to the baby's age in the early months of his life. A plush pendant attached to the car seat, a travel music box or a soft educational spiral that you can wrap around the handrail of the stroller or car seat will work well both in a stroller and in a car. Rattles and educational plush toys, which have many elements with different structures, will work well in the bed.
They deserve special attention teethers, especially maple gums or cooling gums that can be put in the fridge. There are many teethers on the market today, so when buying, make sure that they are made of safe, natural raw material and that they do not contain artificial additives such as PVC or silicones. The above-mentioned types of toys will help the child develop visual-motor-tactile skills.
Expert advises
The first step after a thoughtful purchase of a toy is to take it out of the packaging and read the instructions for use and care. However, it is very important to remove the packaging and every smallest element from the label attachment or commercial packaging, which can be a really serious threat. Toys for the youngest - newborns and infants - should be washed or washed before serving to the child, if they are made of textile. These activities prevent your baby from coming into contact with unwanted bacteria and other production residues.
More than toys
In addition to rattles, music boxes, balloons, teethers and mobiles, also pay attention to products that have been classified as toys, but are equipped with additional functions.
We can find educational mats, anti-shock pillows, hot water bottles, blankets with cuddly toys, and plush soothers. Toys that are worth recommending because they are completely safe are the ones they have positive opinion of the Institute of Mother and Child.
Toys for girls and boys
In the first months of life, there is no need to divide toys into toys for girls and toys for boys. Rattles, carousels and balloons these are the first toys I have the choice does not have to take into account the baby's gender. The same applies to mascots and stuffed animals that accompany babies at a very early age.
A breakthrough in the selection of toys specific to a given gender is noticeable only after the first year of life, when your child begins to take his first steps.
Research by Anna Servin and colleagues from 1999 showed that after the age of 12 months, girls were much more likely to play with dolls and kitchen sets, while boys of the same age chose cars, garages and construction toys.
What toys for a newborn baby: black and white or colorful?
When it comes to the first toys for a child, it is worth buying those that have intense, expressive, but bright colors. Try to choose toys in primary colors. In the first month of your baby's life doesn't recognize all colors yet. So choose toys in contrasting color combinations. An example of the first toy can be a simple card with black and white stripes or a soft white cube with large black dots, which you hang over the crib, at a distance at which a child of a given age can register the image.
In the second month, your baby's attention will be drawn to uniform, vivid colors. For example, you can buy a rattle in expressive colors: red, yellow or green. According to ophthalmologists, image registration itself is not everything, the toddler's brain still needs to interpret it, and this requires regular exercises.
It will work great in this case Educational Explorer's House Mat by Fisher Price, which can be easily adjusted to the baby's needs (in three configurations corresponding to the child's development level). Thanks to the hanging toys and the panel located at the eye level of the lying child, the mat can be used successfully both when the baby is still lying on its back and when it is already turning over onto its tummy.
Between 4 and 7 months, your baby throws toys out of the bed and watches moving objects. He learns to predict the location of objects and learns cause and effect relationships. At this stage, hang it above his bed, for example a colorful carousel.
At the age of 6-7 months, the child begins to grasp objects with both hands and make movements with them, e.g. moving them from hand to hand, shaking them, tapping them and dropping them. At this age, various types of rattles and teethers will be useful - textile ones, as well as ones with wooden biting elements.
How to choose baby's first toys?
First and foremost, toys should be safe. In practice, this means:
- soft and uncomplicated,
- light,
- made of safe and durable materials, with the possibility of washing (or washing).
These are the key features of the first toys for newborns and infants. Make sure they do not have any strings or small, detachable elements that can be easily detached from the whole. This allows avoid the risk of swallowing, or inserting a small fragment into the nose.
Each toy placed on the market should comply with Directive 2009/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, commonly referred to as the Toys Directive, as well as with the PN-EN 71-1 standard, specifying the procedures for chemical, physical and mechanical testing of toys.
The packaging should include information that the product complies with the above documents; if this information is not provided, you cannot be sure whether it has been tested for compliance with the standard. Avoid accidentally buying online because it does not give you the opportunity to directly verify the quality of the toy. You can also check before purchasing opinions of relevant institutions and experts in the field of developmental medicine.
The first toys: from which raw materials?
Proven, fully safe the material for making the first children's toys is an absolute basis. Under no circumstances should you decide to buy, for example, a rattle for a newborn or any other toy made of glass or wood without polishing. The toy should also be free of harmful substances such as Bisphenol A (BPA), formaldehyde, phthalates, heavy metals (such as lead, cadmium, nickel), dyes or other chemicals.
When choosing a toy in a store, we will not see whether it contains toxic compounds, but it is worth making sure whether there are none strong, chemical smell and whether the paint or varnish does not chip anywhere.
Children touch toys and put them in their mouths, which makes them more exposed to contact with them toxic substances than adults. This is enough for dangerous substances to enter their body and accumulate there, which may cause serious health problems in the future.
Beware of sounds in children's toys
Face-to-face contact with a carer is the most valuable for small children. The child likes the sound of human speech more than listening to mechanical sounds. When you buy the first toy with sound make sure it is not too loud. Excessive sound levels can damage hearing, especially in very young children. According to research by British scientists, there is no shortage of playing products on the toy market that exceed the acceptable sound standards.
According to the recommendations of the Polish Trade Inspection, the maximum volume of a toy for a child is 85 decibels. When shopping, check whether the selected toy has the appropriate approvals. Even if the playing object meets the volume requirements, make sure that it is not too close to your baby's ear.
However, if we want to buy an interactive toy that will be equipped with a sound-making function, it is worth choosing white noise. Plush Otter Breathing Soother by Fisher Price it is a type of completely safe toy that can be successfully purchased for the youngest children. It is equipped with a whole range of calm, relaxing sounds - including charming snoring, heartbeat, and white noise. In addition to the sound option, the plush otter is also equipped with a delicate, warm light and movement functions. Thanks to this, it has a satisfactory effect on development of the senses: touch, hearing and sight.
What's on the toy packaging?
Before purchase make sure that the toy has information on the packaging, such as:
- age indication,
- manufacturer's data,
- CE marks (for toys manufactured in the EU) or ASTM-F963 (for toys manufactured and imported from the USA),
- recommendations for the hygiene regime.
Pay special attention to squeakers and other bath toys that quickly accumulate various types of toys contamination and may even develop mold. From research by Swiss and American scientists, published in the journal NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes it appears that the inside of rubber toys is covered bacterial biofilm. Squeezing water out of them while bathing poses a risk of microorganisms reaching the baby's body, including the face. This may result in various types of infections.
Scientists suggest buying bath toys with sealed bottom, which does not allow water to penetrate inside. After each bath, thoroughly wash the toy with water and baby soap, and then dry it thoroughly.
Search for information about banned and withdrawn toys on the website of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection or in the Rapex system.
What too much is not healthy
Excessive visual, auditory and motor stimuli may overload and tire your child. This is confirmed by research by scientists from the University of Toledo, which shows that the children they have too many toys, they are more easily distracted and enjoy play less than those who have fewer toys.
Expert advises
Newborns actively seek information about the outside world and are oriented towards contact with their caregivers. When choosing the first toy for a child, be careful and observe the baby's reactions to the object as much as possible. Your baby's visual attention is particularly attracted by the pattern of a human face. Mutual training in selecting the appropriate physical distance and observing the baby's reaction to the speech addressed to him can be an idea for good fun not only for the child, but also for his parent.
Considering the above, it is worth considering buying toys that grow with our child. Already mentioned Explorer's House Educational Mat by Fisher Price, during the first year of life it can be adapted to various stages of the baby's life. Thanks to this, when purchasing one toy, we can enjoy three of its characters, each of which will be an interesting form of entertainment for the baby. From lying on the back, through activating the abdominal position, to a cozy hiding place during the crawling phase, when surprises await the baby, such as a glowing watering can or the sounds of music.
What is most important
New parents want to provide their child with everything that is best. Remember that quantity is not as important as quality. Toys are not everything. In the first weeks of life, the baby doesn't really need them, but a at any age they will not replace close contact with parents for a child. Scientists are also of this opinion.
Patricia Kuhl, director of the Institute for Brain Sciences in Washington, D.C., and her colleagues conducted research that showed, among other things, that infants learn much more effectively when they learn directly from other people, rather than through objects or devices.
So the most important thing is your presence and caring care: spending time together, touching, eye contact, talking to the child. These are key factors influencing the proper development of the infant. It is also worth remembering that from the very beginning the child should be accustomed to taking care of order, including arranging toys or putting them away. When there are a lot of them, it is more difficult to inculcate a habit of keeping order in a toddler. In addition, collected toys collect dust, which is a source of allergies.
Remember that the manufacturer is responsible for the safety of the toy, but the parents are responsible for the child's safety. Let's be careful while playing.
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