Educational Toys For Babies

When it comes to baby toys, I’m a minimalist. I like my kids to be able to use their imaginations without too much help from me. That’s why I was so proud of myself when my daughter first stacked rings by herself when she was only eight months old!

But there are plenty of toys that can help you get your little ones started on this kind of play—and more.

Why do we give educational toys for babies?

Educational toys provide a good foundation for your baby to develop many different skills while entertaining and engaging them. They usually give visual, auditory and tactile stimulation.

Ex:

They look at colourful books
Press a button and listen to music.
Touch and feel different textures.

These ample and varied stimulations for their senses are beneficial in their overall development. So in simple terms, Kids DO need toys and that’s a necessity even though how many toys and how much you spend is totally up to you.

Benefits of Educational Toys For Babies

As I mentioned earlier, educational toys can give that necessary stimulation for the baby to sense and explore the world around them.

They improve baby’s,

Cognitive skills– Toys that improve cognitive skills include shape sorters , building blocks, touch and feel books etc. Remembering colours ,shapes, problem solving related to stacking blocks, listening to stories and songs can develop your baby’s cognitive skills.

Their brain cells are growing rapidly these early years and more and more stimulation can benefit them a lot.

Gross motor skills– Toys that encourage gross motor skills are those which involve movement – like trikes or walkers – which will get your toddler moving around and exercising their body so they grow up healthy and strong!

Plus, this kind of play helps develop coordination between hearing what’s going on around them while also seeing where exactly those sounds are coming from (which is important if they’ve ever wanted careers such as astronauts).

Fine motor skills – Fine motor refers to the movements we make with the small muscles of the hands. Examples from babies include Bang two objects together, hold a spoon, put things into containers, pinch small objects with thumb and pointer finger etc

Furthermore, educational toys for babies can make learning so much fun. As experts say, during early childhood, play based learning lays a good foundation for future learning and development in children.

There are so many toys out there which can improve your child’s creativity and problem solving skills. Not to mention as they learn to play with toys and share toys together, their social skills also gradually improve make them ready for the world

Toys that encourage fine motor skills include rattles, teething rings and anything with buttons or knobs on it. Your baby will love playing with these toys because they’re easy for them to hold in their little hands and manipulate with their fingers.

As well as being educational, these kinds of games help strengthen your child’s hand-eye coordination as well as their sense of touch (which is important if they want to play violin one day).

Here Are Some of Our Favourite Educational Toys For Babies :

Touch and feel books

Touch and feel books are a great way to introduce different textures to babies. Soft woolly surface, rough rugged surface, glittery surface, bumpy and spongy surface all these provide so much wonder and curiosity for babies.

This fun way of exploring different textures can be one of the ways they acquire cognitive and fine motor skills early on.

Sensory playmat

This is a great place to have tummy time, explore and have fun. You will find your baby spending a good amount of time engaged with these fun little activities, while you get to have that much needed break to recharge. Babies love this kind of sensory exploration.

Sensory ball

My favourite baby toys are the ones that give give them sensory stimulation. No wonder there's so many sensory toys on this list. Sensory balls also have different textures in them to touch and explore.

They are squishy and squoshy so the babies can squeeze them and also can feel different textures on them. They improve your baby's fine motor skills and stimulate tactile and visual senses.

Ring stacking toy

Toys that encourage gross motor skills are great for babies who are just starting to sit up and play. These toys tend to be more colourful and engaging, with lots of bells and whistles. You'll find them at your local toy store or online, but if you're looking for something specific, here are some ideas:

Stroller Toys

These are like soft and squishy toys with bright colours and textures that can be attached to the sides of cribs or strollers so your baby can play while being carried around by mommy or daddy! There are rings attached to grip, beads attached so the baby can manoevre them using their little fingers, textured surface for tactile stimulation. They do keep the little ones engaged for a long time and can be a lifesaver at times. You know what I mean, right?

Soft books

These soft books have pages full of things like crinkly paper inside them so when the book is opened up it makes noise which will keep little ones entertained for hours on end! The bright colours attract your child's attention and fills them with curiosity. They come in all different sizes too depending on how old your child is (and whether he/she likes reading yet)

Shape sorters

Shape sorters are a good way to encourage your baby to learn about shapes. Some come with different shapes, while others only have one shape. The more difficult they are to put in, the better! These are ideal for problem solving and hand-eye coordination skills.

Baby gym

A baby gym is a great place to start, as it will give your child a safe environment in which they can play and explore. The best baby gyms will have toys that are easy for babies to grasp and that make sounds, like rattles or bells. Spending time here can improve baby's visual focus too.

They should also have mirrors so that your child can see himself/herself in action - this is especially important during the first few months of life when babies are just learning about their own bodies! Make sure the structure itself is stable enough not only so that it won't topple over (which could injure your little one), but also so that you don't need any special tools or skills to assemble it yourself at home before gifting away as an educational toy gift set!

It's also important not just how well-made things look on paper but how easy they'll actually be when trying out different activities together with kids under 12 months old; take into account whether any parts might break off easily if accidentally dropped onto hard surfaces such as concrete floors where toddlers tend spend lots time playing outdoors too often during warmer seasons."

Bath toys - Cups

These are ideal for dunking, measuring, floating and pouring water. Makes bath time so much easier plus there are multiple uses to them. This activity can improve hand-eye coordination and fine-motor skills as well.

Soft book and rattle set

Soft books and rattles are a great way to help your baby learn new words. They're also soft, easy to clean, and can be used in the bathtub. The best part? They pack up easily when you're traveling!

Toy phone

As your baby starts to learn about the world around him, he'll be interested in communicating with you.

A toy phone is a great way to encourage this interaction, because it can be used as a prop for pretend play and also help your child understand cause and effect.

Toy phones come in different shapes and sizes; some even have buttons that make sounds when pressed (which will encourage your little one's motor skills). So whether you're looking for something simple or more elaborate, there are plenty of options out there! Musical toys with handles, such as rattles or clacking rings

Musical toys with handles

Musical toys with handles, such as rattles or clacking rings, are great for babies under 12 months.

They encourage baby to shake, bang and clack them using their hands. The sound and movement of these musical toys can be fun for both the child and you! They build sight and sound recognition with colourful light, sound and music. This can be playfully therapeutic for the baby.
They can also help teach your baby about cause and effect--if they shake the toy enough times (or just once), they'll get rewarded with noise.

The best educational toys for babies are ones that encourage fine motor skills, gross motor skills and cause your baby to make noises. These toys can be great fun for both of you!

Push cart

This is the time where the little one learns to walk. A simple wooden push cart is a must have for any baby learning to walk as I think.

Cart space to stack toys is added bonus it encourages them to bring toys back and forth and keep moving. A pushcart is great for developing baby's gross motor skills.

Building blocks

Yes I know it requires a lot more problem solving and fine motor skills than a baby possess to build something from blocks. But trust me building blocks are lot more versatile than you ever imagined.

They can grip, stack , sort them, learn colours, shapes through them and of course in later years can build towers, trucks and buildings. It's a must have toy in your toy collection and you will never regret it.

Things To Remember When Picking Toys For Babies.

Toys with small pieces are not appropriate for babies and toddlers and always check the label before picking toys. (your discretion is also needed)

Apart from being age-appropriate, toys need give a bit of challenge to children. So they learn new skills and also find it interesting and exciting.

Check toys frequently for broken parts.
Simple toys with multiple uses are ideal
Get to know what type of toys your bubs likes best
Swap toys with friends
Teach them sharing toys, waiting for their turn and play together. These are essential social skills that go hand in hand with toys. Toys are never meant to be isolated with.
Try to go for environmental friendly toys. Ex : Wooden carts , blocks
Recycle plastic toys when there’s no more life in them.
Having a lot of toys may not benefit them as you expect. Instead give them a few at a time and they will enjoy them without being over-stimulated.
Invest in toys that can be used by different age groups. ex: Building blocks
Battery run toys pose a danger of children putting the battery in their mouth. Check them frequently and once worn out recycle them.
If the children do not have a new toy to play with and are bored, that’s perfectly ok. That’s when they imagine and be creative with what they already have. You don’t have to provide stimulation all the time!

Conculsion

We hope that this list has given you some ideas for toys to play with your baby. We know how hard it is to find the right thing, and we want to help make that process easier. Our goal is to provide parents with information about the best educational toys for babies so they can make informed decisions when buying gifts for their children or grandchildren.

Let us know what your baby’s favourite toys are and happy to update my list with great findings.