Developmental toys: 0-6 months
Apart from being easy to clean and totally safe for your baby, there are some other things to keep in mind if you're after toys that will help your little one develop important skills
The amount your baby will grow and change between birth and six months is immense. From being able to do nothing without you there, they will begin to develop visual and learning skills which will allow them to play and enjoy their toys.
Visuals
In the first few months, your baby won't be able to see more than about 10 inches in front of their face. Their vision will be fuzzy, but that's not to say they won't like the look of things!
Your best bet when choosing toys for this young age is to select things with bright, contrasting colours such as black and white, or black and red. The difference in the shades will stimulate your baby's visual development, and help them to pick out different shapes and patterns.
Best buy: Infant Stim-mobile - £24.95
Sound
Music is a great way to see your baby reacting to something at a really young age. Toys that play songs, a tape player or a musical mobile will all help to stimulate their senses. Try them out with everything from classical to pop, and see how they react. Different styles might provoke some serious leg kicking!
Best buy: Lullaby Light-up Lamb - £9.99
Recognition
Your baby can recognise your face from about one month but it will be quite a bit longer before they begin to recognise their own. They will however, like looking at their own reflection in a mirror. Attach a baby mirror (one that's not breakable) to the side of their cot or invest in a mobile with a mirror that hangs down. Your baby will love gazing up at the baby in the sky, and by 3 months, they might even flash it a smile!
Best buy: Infant Stim-mobile - £24.95
Hand-eye coordination
Between 3-6 months your baby will begin to discover the many uses of hands! They will learn how to grasp things and reach for toys they want to look at. Squeaky toys are good for helping them to understand that their actions can have a direct effect on things - and for making them giggle! Rattles will also have the same effect.
Best buy: Magic Bopper - £6.00
By Charlotte Gunn
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