Newborn babies typically do not need toys to play with. The reason is quite simple. The new world is more than enough to keep them stimulated and engrossed. The toys that we do buy for them are more of a developmental help rather than a toy to play with. That is why new parents need to be extremely careful in what they are buying as toys for their babies.
Most newborn toys come under the category of sensory and developmental toys. Sensory toys are those that stimulate your baby's senses, like hearing, touch, eyesight etc. Although babies cannot hold the toys, they can still recognise them and wave their hands and legs or bat at them.
1. Musical Cot Mobile
A cot mobile is a wonderful way to keep your baby engaged while she's awake. Buy a cot mobile with low, soothing music and two or three hanging toys so as not to overwhelm the baby. Some cot mobiles come with a dim light projection that can be used at night, which will help baby get used to the darkness at night.
2. Rattles
Baby rattles come in all shapes and sizes and can be made of wood, plastic or even cloth. Rattles are a great way of introducing your baby to different sounds and textures. There are different types of wrist rattles which are tied around the baby's wrist as a wrist band and and sock rattles that are worn as socks on the feet, which move and make noises as the babies move their hands and feet. This also adds a surprise element as the baby slowly realises that the noises are created by his own movements.
3. Play Gym
A play gym is a must-have for a newborn as it helps in the development of the palmer grasp where the newborn tries to control its reflexes by deliberately trying to catch hold of the rattles hanging from the play gym. The play mat of the gym is perfect for tummy time which helps is overall gross motor development of the baby. Some play gyms come with a piano attached towards one end whose keys can be struck by the baby's foot while lying flat on its back. A well designed play gym can keep the baby engrossed for more than half an hour at a go.
5. Cloth Books / Board Books
Books are the most precious thing that you can introduce to your newborn. You can lie beside the baby and read out the book or leaf through a book during tummy time, till the baby is old enough to be able to sit with you to enjoy a book. There are soft cloth books and hard board books with a touch and feel option so as to expose the baby to different textures. Repetition and rhyming words are loved by babies and you can make it a part of their bedtime routine.
6. Black & White Flashcards
Babies do not have a perfect 6/6 vision till six months of their life. They see everything in black and white and brown and do not recognise any colours for the first few months. During this period, big flashcards with a black, opaque picture in a white background with help develop your baby's eyes and also its focus. You can hold the flash card before your babies eyes and wait till it concentrates of the black picture and slowly move the card from left to right. You'll notice the baby's eyes move from left to right along with the movement of the picture. The same exercise can also be repeated with rattles. It helps prevent cross-eyed issues and also develops the eyes.
7. Bath toys
You can introduce some classic rubber bath toys to make bath time easier and more playful. Generally bath times can be a harrowing experience for both the mom as well as the baby. Turing it into play time might make the baby more interested in bath and can make life much easier for both the mom and the baby.
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