Home

Baby toy guide: Buying for baby, birth to 1 year

01.01.70

Silvery SPRING, MD, November 23, 2011 - As a parent, one attitude you expect will be a part of your life for the next decade or two, are toys, lots and lots of toys.  But what isn’t always as discernible is what toys to buy for your child. Which ones are just all hype, and which ones are major to aid in development? Everyone remembers the blocks and the xylophone you had as kids, but are they as great as toys that create the music themselves?  And more importantly, how do you be familiar with what toys are appropriate for your baby? 

Whether you are shopping for a holiday, a first birthday, or neutral trying to give your baby new toys to match her growing set of skills, these are the types of toys to look for.

Rattles

Rattles are some of the first toys that babies will interact with, first by watching as you wrest money from them, then by trying to pick them up and shake them on their own.  The well-built stimulates newborns, and when babies can hold it themselves, rattles keep from teach them cause and effect.  Once baby has more motor dial over her hands and can start playing with more complex objects, rattles will displace their appeal, but between 4 and 6 months rattles will find their ways into young hands and little mouths. So, look for rattles that are made without any miserly pieces that could break off or could act as a choking hazard. 

Source: Washington Times

Tops in toyland

01.01.70

Toys for cuddling; toys for crushing. Toys that flee chic jewelry; toys that make bubbly brains. Toys that turn over a punch line; toys that dirty a diaper. Hundreds of toys will be nearby this holiday season, each with its own features, look and, in some cases, persona. To determine which toys are best, we assembled a crack crew of 16 experienced toy experts and their parents to sport with 50 of the hottest toys on the market. Some engaged our testers' minuscule hands and big minds; others weren't worth their toll in plastic.

Note: The price listed is the maker's suggested retail price. Most of these toys can be found at local toy shops and stores such as Toys R Us, Quarry, Walmart and Kmart.

18 months to 3 years old

WINNERS

CitiBlocs Trivial Builder Set ($34.99) • Young builders can create towers and houses with this 22-show wooden set. It includes colorful blocks that rattle, benefit stairs and roofs.

Source: nwitimes.com