As a new mom one of the things I wondered a lot it how can I play with my daughter when she is so little. Funny Story: My husband told me when Aria was about a month old, that he felt so bad because she was kind of boring. He felt like a bad father for even thinking that. Turns out, a lot of father’s feel this way with a newborn. It is actually a myth that babies cannot play, even though it may seem like they aren’t doing much, they can still take in so much around them.
Sensory stimulation is important for babies brain growth! And playing with your baby through all stages of development is vital for bonding with baby. My daughter Aria is now almost 9 months old, and definitely more active and easier to play with. But I wanted to share some great Discovery Toys for Infant Stages of Development that we found so useful throughout this past year.
0 – 1 Month Old – Play Mats/Black and White Toys/Mobiles
This black and white play mat can be used on the ground for tummy time or hung up for visual stimulation when baby is on their back!
Tummy time is one of the first things babies practice. It helps them to strengthen their back and stomach muscles so they can learn to roll over. Plat mats are wonderful first toys for newborns 0-3 months old. Bright colors and especially black and white are great visual stimulation since those are the colors babies see first. Mobiles are so much fun for babies and sit at the perfect distance for them to be able to see as their vision develops they become more and more entertaining, and it is so fun to watch! Aria LOVED her mobile we put on her crib and would squeal with delight when we turned it on to play music and rotate.
1 – 3 Months Old – Crinkle Toys/Graspable Texture Toys/Unbreakable Mirror
Mirrors are SO FUN at this age. Aria would be so fascinated with the baby in the mirror!
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These easy to grab toys are perfect for babies learning to grasp!
At this stage babies are learning to grasp and hold onto things. This could probably include your hair! Light weight, easy to grasp toys are perfect for development at this age. Also because babies are beginning to see color now, bright colors are so fun and visually stimulating! A baby safe mirror is also wonderful at this stage even though babies do not understand that they are seeing themselves in the mirror, the baby in the mirror is very entertaining!
3 – 6 Months Old – Teething Toys, Soft sound-making toys, Rattles
Teethers are a MUST-HAVE at this stage! These are all great and I would put our in the freezer for extra soothing of sore gums!
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From 3-6 months old babies become more active and aware for longer periods of time. Aria used to grab onto a rattle and shake it like crazy squealing with delight. Sift rattles, and teether are developmental favorites. They also get better at reaching out and grasping toys and holding onto them for longer periods of time. Toys that are easy to grab and light enough to hold onto are great! At this age everything goes in the mouth since babies are working on their first teeth, so stock up on those teethers! Freezer safe ones are also great!
6- 9 Months Old – Graspable Balls/Stackable Toys/Books/Activity Center
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Babies are tons of fun at this stage, and need what seems like almost constant entertaining. Their brains are developing at high speeds at this point and love to learn! Graspable balls that can be thrown, bright colored books, stackable toys and cups, and entertainment centers are all favorites! An entertainment center like the one shown above is wonderful for helping baby to use their legs to stand and jump too! I love this one for Aria because I can set her in it and work on laundry without worrying about her crawling off somewhere.
9 – 12 Month Old – Ride-On Toys, Activity Tables, A play safe kitchen cabinet
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At almost a year old, babies are all over the place and so explorative! Now is when you really want to make sure all those kitchen cabinets are locked up safe! I like to have one cabinet in the kitchen that Aria can get into and pull out play safe toys, she feels like she is helping me and has fun pulling all the toys out every day! Activity tables are great to continue leg use, and are so entertaining! Sometime they can entertain for hours! So fun! And finally a ride-on toy and scooter are the best for babies learning to walk. You can get indoor and outdoor scooters like the one shown above, and even a rocking horse at this age!
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