Toys for Baby

What Are Developmental Baby Toys?

By Kathy P Baker

The first year of your child's life is a time of great importance for their mental and physical development. How can you help make the most of this time? By giving them the best resources, such as developmental baby toys. Unlike toys that simply entertain your child, these toys are meant to build up your baby's fine motor skills, help with recognition of sights and sounds, familiarity with various textures and brain development. Some of most popular items in this category of toys are baby mobiles, gyms, play mats, jumpers and bouncers. Read on to learn more about each of them and how they can add to your baby's growth!

Baby Mobiles

The baby mobile is classic. It is likely you had one hanging above you as you lay in your own crib. They come in simple forms and then there are the more techie mobiles that are on the market today. There are baby mobiles to fit every nursery theme you can dream up for your little one. The most important aspect of the mobile is that it helps baby to work their neck muscles while strengthening their eyes and allowing for hand eye coordination practice once they pass the pre-reaching point. Your little one will thoroughly enjoy being entertained by a colorful spinning array of objects by day, and at night the steady movement of baby mobiles comfort baby as they drift off to sleep.

Baby Play Mats

Once your baby is ready to partake in some tummy time, this is the best kind of product in developmental baby toys for just that! These colorful play centers provide stimulating fun for your baby just about anywhere, as many available are also take and go friendly. Play mats are most entertaining for 0-8 month old babies. They're soft and textured and come with embedded pictures and playthings (think rattles and flaps) to keep baby busy.

Baby Jumpers

Once your child is beginning to pull themselves up and stand, they'll enjoy jumping around in a jumper! They'll delight in the freedom it offers them, with themes, light and sound adding to the fun. There are many types of baby jumpers on the market, including the more modern forms that stand alone with built in toys for baby to touch and grab, as well as the older jumpers that attach and hang in a doorway. These are simple, but still allow baby to jump around and entertain himself.

Baby Bouncers

Younger babies love lying around in a baby bouncer. Comfortably positioned to support your infant, bouncers allow baby to lay back and enjoy the results of their constant movement. Adorned with colorful often detachable toys hanging just within baby's reach, these developmental baby toys also provide an opportunity to build up motor skills, eye coordination and they're easy to tote around.

Baby Gyms

The baby gym is one of those "must have" first year of life toys, like baby mobiles. These gyms provide endless play that appeal to all of the senses. Soft, bursting with color, shapes, light and sound, these gyms are perfect for babies of all ages. Lay baby down for tummy time and they'll enjoy grasping the attached toys and mirrors or lay them on their back so they can reach for the various objects hanging from the arches.

Remember to always check and make sure the developmental baby toys you purchase meet safety standards and that your baby enjoys them as he or she learns!

If you'd like to see the variety that is available of the products mentioned above, check out the Baby Developmental Toys pages at Learning Toy Stores You'll also find other kinds of learning toys amongst the stores there.