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Choosing The Best Baby Toys

Updated on September 1, 2014
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Why It's Important To Choose The Best Baby Toys You Can

If you are looking for some of the best baby toys available then you are going to find a great selection here whether you are buying for your own child or as a gift for someone else's baby.

It's a well established fact that a baby's earliest learning experience comes from the things they play with.

The baby toys that you provide your child with should be capable of stimulating their senses, enhancing their first learning experience in terms of their imagination, enabling them to develop muscle control and co-ordination, prompting idea development and even helping them to develop problem solving abilities.

Many parents spend a small fortune on baby toys only to find their child soon loses interest. But the selection of baby toys here you should find that because you are stimulating them they will retain their interest.

So let's take a look at what you need to consider when you are buying baby toys and then take a look at some of the best available!

Buying Baby Toys

Who Are You Buying Baby Toys For?

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My Favorite Educational Toy For Babies

This octopus is not only super soft, but super happy as well. His big round eyes and ear to ear grin is just the kind of happiness babies should be around every day.

Octoplush has a soft velour body with satin patches featuring different shapes and colors stitched on each one of his legs.

He can speak in three languages, English, Spanish, and French and also plays musical medleys for your baby.

Give any of his legs a squeeze and he’ll say the name of the color and shape that appears on it.

Factors To Consider When Buying Baby Toys

Here are the key things that you need to consider when you are choosing the best baby toys

Safety

This is the prime factor and key to healthy toys for your baby. There are several aspects that you should consider to ensure that your baby's safety is fully guaranteed.

  • Does the toy have quality guarantee?
  • Is it made of fabric or toxic plastic?
  • Are there any loose parts that could cause choking?
  • Can the toy parts pinch the baby's little fingers?
  • Is your baby too big (in physical size) to play with the toys?

The Baby's Interests

It is always important always observe your baby's interests and preferences and choose baby toys according to the interests you observe in your baby. Being aware of these interests is quite instrumental in making the right choices. It also shows that you value your child's ideas and respect her feelings.

The Baby's Age and Development

It is essential to choose baby toys according to your baby's current stage of development and age. The instruction labels will help you make an informed decision by giving you a basis of evaluating the toys. This helps you realize when your baby is at an unusual stage of development for his age.

In most cases, the packing box will have instruction labels with the recommended ages. However, the final decision of whether the toy is appropriate for your child rests with you since you know the most about your child. For instance, your child may be ahead in language development than most babies his age. Such differences greatly influence the toys you chose for your child.

Educational Toys

Children develop 50% of their intelligence within the first five years of life. Therefore, at this stage, their brains grow very fast. Besides being a great source of fun, baby toys enhance co-ordination, creativity, social and emotional resilience. It is important to settle for baby toys that have educational purposes. Such toys should have abstract shapes, pictures, and instruments. This will help your child develop self-confidence, sense of recognition and coordination at an early age.

Baby toys that mirror real life will help your baby acquire real life skills. These are ideal platforms for your baby to learn about animals, the water world, and the human body. Therefore, you should consider what your child will learn using the toys.

The toys you surround your baby with play a vital role in a baby's life and might be the best companion they have. Besides being a source of entertainment, babies learn a lot while playing with toys. Baby toys can keep babies amused, stop them from crying, and keep them busy when they do not have special attention.

Types of Baby Toy

What Sort of Baby Toys Are You Looking For?

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Best Educational Toys for Babies

Babies are continually growing and developing every day which is why it’s important that we fill their days with fun, excitement and education.

And you can do this by getting babies educational toys which are plentiful and come in so many varieties. These types of toys help to develop baby’s physical and mental aspects as well as emotional. Check out some of the best educational toys for babies available online below.

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Bug Jug Fill & Spill Soft Baby Toy

Your baby is never too young to play with bugs, especially when they’re colorful, soft and cuddly.

The Deluxe Bug Jug toy features a soft see through just with a mesh top lid and four multi-textured bug toys that rattle, squeak, crinkle and jingle. Your baby will learn how to develop his hand eye coordination each time he spills and refills the jug with the bugs.

This self storing toy is convenient for on the go use and is perfect for little hands 6 months and older.

VTech - Move & Crawl Electronic Activity Ball

It’s the ball that keeps on rolling with fun and laughter. The self-rolling Move & Crawl Ball from Vtech is motorized and features colorful light up buttons that teach your little one all about numbers and shapes.

There are also animal buttons that tells the name of the animal as well as the sound that they make. In addition to lights and sound, the ball also has colorful ribbons and character buttons for added tactical stimulation.

This toy is recommended for babies between the ages of 6 to 24 months.

Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Stack & Roll Cups

The Stack & Roll Cups provides babies with so many educational activities all in one neat and colorful toy. Included in the set are 10 multi-colored stacking cups and one happy faced jingle ball.

Your baby can stack them, nest them, count them, and even roll them. The cups fit together to form a ball, you can even place the small jingle ball inside to for added sound effect when the ball rolls around.

It’s a great way to teach your baby about color, numbers and sizes.

B. One Two Squeeze Blocks

Blocks are always a fun toy for children no matter how young or old. This set of blocks are designed just for babies and perfectly sized for their tiny hands.

There are 10 blocks all together, numbered from 1 to 10. Each block features a different color, a number on one side and animal imagery on the remaining sides. Your baby can stack them, squeak them or even chew on them.

They’re made from 100% reusable polypropylene plastic bags which makes them safe and eco-friendly. They also float on water which makes them fun bath toys as well. Babies 6 months and older will enjoy these soft sculptured, colorful squeeze blocks.


The Best Baby Teether Toys

Teething can be an uncomfortable time for babies as well as a frustrating one for parents who do everything they can to try and relieve their baby’s pain and discomfort.

In addition to pain relievers and soothing gels there are also great baby teethers that help make your baby’s teething stages more bearable and even enjoyable for your little one.

Here are some of the best baby teether toys you can get your baby.

Munchkin Twisty Teether Ball

At first glance you might think this toy is a ball that started to grow multiple heads, but in actuality it’s one of the most unique teethers you’ll find.

This teether ball features 10 different teething textures that’ll help to sooth baby’s tender gums. You can also twist, shake, rattle and roll the teether ball for more fun and exciting sound effects.

Not only does this toy make a great teether but it also lets your baby develop their motor and sensory skills. The toy is available in pink and yellow or blue and green.

Kids Preferred Amazing Baby Blanket Teether Bear

Babies like to chew on their blankets anyway so why not get them one that is solely designed for that purpose.

This Baby Blanket Teether Bear is perfect for your little one. It features a multi colored blanket with a soft teddy bear head, textured teether hands, and fun dangling rings on the bear’s feet.

The body of the bear also makes rattling, crinkling, and squeaking sounds for extra entertainment and fun.

Sassy Flutterby Teether Developmental Toy

The Flutterby Teether features a bright and colorful butterfly character that provides your baby with a gentle gum massage when the chew on the soft textured wings.

The top part of the wings is filled with water and freezes when you put it in the freezer. This also gives baby a cooling sensation that helps to sooth and relieves painful gums.

An easy grasp handle finishes the design which allows baby to hold the teether toy easily and securely.

Best Newborn Baby Toys

There are three things a newborn baby concerns themselves with; when are they going to eat, when do they get to sleep and what awesomely fun toy can they play with.

While the first two elements come in pretty standard forms, i.e. milk/formula and every 2 to 4 hours, newborn baby toys offer a wider range of fun and exciting options.

Check out some of the best newborn baby toys you’ll find online.

Lamaze Garden Bug Wrist Rattle & Foot Finder Set

Now here’s a toy that you don’t have to worry about your baby losing or accidentally dropping on the floor.

This set of soft and colorful wrist rattles and foot finders feature adorable smiling garden bugs on them. Every time your baby waves their arms or kicks their feet, the bugs will make a rattling sound.

It’s a great way for babies to discover their hands and feet as well as explore stimulating tactile senses.

Sassy Go Go Bugs

This set of Go Go Bugs is simply amazing and stimulates baby’s senses from sight, to sound and touch. The Go Go Bugs feature bright contrasting colors that will grab and engage baby’s attention.

The adorably smiling faces of the bugs will also help to calm and delight your baby. The set comes with three different bugs, a lady bug, a butterfly and a bee. Each one makes a distinct chiming, crinkling or rattling sound.

Repositionable Velcro straps allow you to conveniently attach the bugs to your baby’s crib, car seat or stroller for so they can play with the bugs anywhere, any time

Lamaze Musical Inchworm

Baby will simply love this cuddly musical inchworm. This is one colorful bug parents will be delighted to have their babies play with.

The plush worm features a soft velour exterior with a wide variety of colors, textures and sounds built into its body and a measuring ruler printed on its underside that can measure baby up to 24 inches.

Everything about this worm will excite your baby and stimulate their senses. In addition to making rattling, squeaking, crinkling and jingling noise, the inchworm also plays popular kid song If You’re Happy and You Know It when you give his head a squeeze.

Lamaze High-Contrast Discovery Shapes Activity Puzzle & Crib Gallery

Now here’s a toy that’ll not only entertain your baby as a newborn, but it’ll also grow with them into their early toddler years.

This activity puzzle and crib gallery features colorfully animated images that include high contrast patterns and friendly looking animals that help to promote visual stimulation.

Activities that include shapes, sounds, and puzzles encourage baby’s problem solving and develop fine motor skills as well as hand eye coordination. Give your baby a head start in fun education with this awesome toy.

Bright Starts Rattle and Shake Barbell Rattle

Rattles would have to be one of the oldest baby toys ever, but they’ve managed to become one of the most popular ones as well.

Nowadays there are hundreds and thousands of rattle variations and this barbell rattle is just one of the ones that is designed specifically for your newborns.

It features clear rattle heads with colorful beads and reflective mirror like balls inside and a soft textured twisted handle that makes it easy for your baby to grasp.

Best Toys 6 Month Old Baby

Your baby is quickly outgrowing his infant toys and needs more than just soft cuddly stuffed animals to stimulate his senses and encourage his development.

The following are some of the best toys for 6 month old babies and older. They all consist of elements that will entertain and engage your baby’s senses as well as promote healthy motor skills and cognitive development.

Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Rock-a-Stack

There are many different types of stacker toys out there for children, but this one adds a brighter touch to an old time favorite.

This 5 piece infant stacker features 4 translucent stars of varying colors and a musical star that fits on top of the post. When the stars are stacked onto the base, lights dance through them while classical music plays.

The stacker plays three classical pieces and two popular children’s song your baby will surely enjoy.

Baby Einstein Bendy Ball

It’s not like any other ball you’ve seen before. This Baby Einstein Bendy Ball will surely bring fun and laughter to your baby.

It features a soft and flexible plastic structure with primary colors and a happy caterpillar on the center band. The surface of the ball has integrated holes that make it easy for baby to hold and grasp.

There is also a rolling chime ball inside that makes interesting sounds and provides for added visual stimulation.

Bright Starts Clack and Slide Activity Ball

Children love balls which is why there are so many different kinds you can buy.

This one has all sorts of fun and whimsy integrated into its design. Amongst some of the delightful features are a spinning frog, a beaded caterpillar chaser, a spinning mirror paddle, noise making rings, rolling ball with rattle beads, and multi textured handles that make it easy for baby to hold and play with.

This would probably have to be one of the most entertaining and engaging ball you could get your little one.

Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Projector Soother

This toy brings the wonders of the ocean right to your baby. It features a scenic light show that lets your baby discover the depths of the ocean while they lay in their crib.

In addition to the light show, they’ll also enjoy soft soothing lullabies and calming ocean sounds. The musical light shows plays for a full 12 minutes and as your baby grows you can change the images for more colorful and complex ocean scenes.

The toy tilts allowing for multiple viewing angles and the best part is your baby can also enjoy this toy on the go.

Hohner 4 Piece Baby Band

This 4 piece baby band lets you give your baby an early introduction to music and sounds.

The set is basically made up of baby rattles designed to look like mini instruments. It features a mini rainbow shaker, a baby rattle, a cage bell and a baby maraca.

All the pieces are made from BPA, lead and phthalate free materials. Each one is brightly colored and perfect for your baby’s tiny hands. There’s also an included carrying case for easy storage and portability.

© 2014 pkmcr

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