- Prepare your child for a new toy by describing different features as you and your child explore it, hand over hand.
- Talk about the toy; what it feels/sounds like, what to do to make it work and what happens when it does.
- Tummy-time play will encourage your child to hold his head up and push on his arms; these actions help to get him ready for moving.
- To keep toys within your child's reach, try confining them in box tops, planter bases, etc.
- Try creating a new play area within an empty inflatable pool, tent, porta-crib, etc., which defines boundaries. Anchor some toys in this play area so your child becomes familiar with them, and rotate other toys frequently for variety and to keep the play fresh.
Toys/Features to Look For
- Overhead gyms
- Word-, sound- and music-makers
- Toys with realistic sounds and figures
- Toys that react to simple touch
- Mirrored toys
- Toys with high-contrast colors, patterns or lights
- Toys that magnify
- Varied textured surfaces (e.g., soft, bumpy, smooth, etc.)
- Toys with differentiated areas (e.g., dials, buttons, knobs)
Play Stages
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Experience Stage: Using senses to explore a toy
Sammy combines your child's sense of touch with sound for a world of new discoveries. Its machine-washable soft fabric arms provide different activities and textures to feel and explore. Press its nose to hear and feel music, fun sounds and vibrations. Attach the arms to the top of Sammy's head for a new shape to explore.
Click here to find out what you can do to help your child play and learn with this toy.
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Discovery Stage: The toy guides your child's play
This easy rolling drum creates musical chimes as your child pushes and pulls it across a floor or other surface. Roll it anywhere to create music wherever she goes!
Click here to find out what you can do to help your child play and learn with this toy.
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Expanding Imagination Stage: Finding even more ways to play with a toy
This phone introduces your child to numbers and counting, animals and their sounds, and a few friendly first greetings. Flip the pages to find an animal to call (each one is identified as the page is turned), then push buttons to hear numbers counted out in that animal's sound. Or select the music mode to hear a song related to the animal's picture, then push buttons to build a song note by note. Pick up the receiver to hear friendly greetings … "Quack! Quack!"
Click here to find out what you can do to help your child play and learn with this toy.
