Toy safety is a big concern for all parents. There are tons of toys on the market that look like a lot of fun for your baby, but do everyone a favor and wait until your child is the appropriate age before buying them. Small parts and pieces can easily choke your little one and cause unnecessary trips to the hospital. So how do you find toys that are appropriate? All toys should have an age limit posted on the outside of the toy box, but here are some other guidelines.
- Babies 0-2 months: Newborns quickly learn to recognize faces, voices, and sounds, so buy toys that are stimulating with high-contrast colors and geometric patterns. They also love seeing their own reflections, which makes mirror toys a real treat for parents because your child is likely to giggle uncontrollably.
- Babies 3 to 5 months: In these months, your baby begins to show signs of developing hand/eye coordination and his vision is almost perfect. Great toys at this stage are toys that play hide-and-seek, play sounds or music, large picture books, and board books. Your baby may also be teething now, so teethers or other toys that are safe for your baby’s mouth are also recommended.
- Babies 6-9 months: Your baby is most likely sitting up or even crawling and has more strength and better coordination. Reading to your baby at this stage is great for development. Recommended toys would be toys like activity centers, stacking toys, musical toys, shape sorters, balls, music CDs, and of course books.
