Baby Toy

Baby Toys To Stimulate Your Baby

By Elizabeth Geiger

We all want the best for our babies. We give them the love they crave, warm their bellies, and rock them to sleep every night. One important factor in becoming a new parent of a baby is providing them with the tools they need to learn, grow, and conquer the world. Baby toys are a very important investment for all parents to make. But what are the right baby toys to purchase for your baby?

Baby Toys to Stimulate Hand-Eye Coordination

Hand-Eye coordination is the ability to see and grab objects. At the age of four months your baby's hand-eye coordination is beginning to develop. Your baby will grab at objects, and try to pick them up. Don't worry, he will master this quickly. Around five to six months your baby will learn how to reach for a baby toy, perhaps a baby block, grasp it, and hold onto it. Around seven months, your baby will learn how to drop that toy when he is done playing with it.

Developing hand-eye coordination is a crucial tool for all babies to master, and as soon as possible. We use hand-eye coordination in every day tasks such as bringing a fork to our mouths, brushing our teeth and hair. Think about it. Mastering hand-eye coordination can help a person to be able to do more complex tasks like typing quickly on a computer, playing the piano, painting a masterpiece, even sewing a button on a dress. You could be the proud parent of a modern day Mozart!

When trying to help your baby, the best thing you can do is hold a baby toy within reach from him. Then wait for him to grab it. You do not want to show him how it works. To him, that's all the fun of it! Some baby toys that help with developing hand-eye coordination are:

• Blocks - Soft Blocks for ages 4 - 7 months and more sturdy blocks for babies older than 12 Months.
• Stacking Toys will teach your baby to not only maneuver the object, but to also fit them together.
• Household items such as plastic lids, plastic bottles.

Stimulate Your Baby's Senses with Textured Baby Toys

Have you felt the pull of your hair when your baby is about four months old? We've all felt it, and our reaction is first pain, then joy. A lot of us, just remove the baby's white knuckle grip, and say "No", but is this really the response we should be giving? This is your baby saying, "I need my sense of touch stimulated!" Maybe instead of just saying "No", give your baby a toy that will stimulate his sense of touch, teaching him that many different things have different textures, shapes, and colors.

There are many baby toys that will do just this. There are toys that have different textures such as bumps, and curves; Baby toys that have crinkly material, and other fabrics. There also toys that have all this and lights and music to stimulate your baby's sense of hearing.

Some toys that you might want to consider are:

• Crawl Mats and Play Nests - Baby crawl mats comes in several styles. One toy manufacturer, Galt, has created an infant play nest that stimulates touch, vision and hearing. The fabric covers inflatable ring creating a self contained safe play environment for babies and toddlers.
• Activity Cube - A big soft colorful block with fun activities for baby to explore. Features may include mirrors, crinkle material, wool, sounds and lights and more.
• Music makers - These baby toys allow baby to press different buttons and see what new sound is made.

Stimulate Your Baby's Mind and Emotions with Music

Have you ever heard a song that, no matter what mood you were in would cheer you up immediately? Or maybe one that made you sleepy? Well, babies feel all these emotions from music too. Music is a wonderful way to introduce your baby to their own sense of emotions, feelings, and the wonderful world of creativity and imagination! Several baby music CD's are available to invoke various feelings in your baby. Some better choices for parents to consider include the Brainy Baby® music collection.

• Peaceful Baby(TM) by Brainy Baby® - Calming, restful music that progressively lulls your child into a deep and refreshing sleep.
• Cheerful Baby(TM) - Cheerful Baby's compositions, melodies, rhythms and tonal ranges encourage a happy mood!
• Playful Baby(TM) - Vibrant, invigorating music that encourages your child to actively experience the richness of their world.
• Sleepy Baby(TM) - Calming, restful music that progressively lulls your child into a deep and refreshing sleep.

So What Do You Look For?

When you go toy shopping for your baby, you will want to focus on toys that will stimulate your baby's mind, senses, curiosity and imagination. For a baby up to one year old, keep it simple with large, soft baby blocks, stacking toys, play mats or play nests, activity cubes. As a bonus during playtime, throw a CD in the CD player and watch your baby touch, explore, and learn about his new found abilities!

© Elizabeth Geiger

You can find all the toys mentioned in this article at Baby Corner Store, as well several other toys for toddlers, and older children. Stop by, and see what you can find at [http://shop.thebabycorner.com]