Play Tips: Choosing the right toy at the right time
How your 2-month-old plays now
- He may smile at people and coo when spoken to.
- She shows excitement by waving her arms and legs.
- He's able to learn that one event follows another.
- She will turn toward a sound at her side, but she can only locate those sounds that are in front of her.
- He can start learning to make things happen.
Toys that are right for this age:
Floor gyms with flashing lights, music and hanging parts to look at
Why your baby will enjoy this toy now:
The senses are your baby's first sources of learning. Floor gyms enhance both visual and listening skills with plenty of stimulation. And by encouraging your child to kick, reach and bat at hanging toys, they help motor skills develop and lay the groundwork for an understanding of cause and effect.
What you can do to help your baby learn more:
- How will your baby see this toy? Get down to floor level and look up at it yourself. This will help you know where to position her underneath for the most interesting view. Change your baby's position every once in a while to freshen the view.
- To encourage communication between you and add fun to playtime, play with this toy together. Pick a time when baby is in an active play mode, not sleepy or hungry or overly stimulated. You'll be able to tell; if the toy looks too busy for her at the moment, she'll close her eyes.
- To help your baby learn there's a connection between words and actions, move the parts and talk about them as you go: "Shake-shake-shake. See the silly little face smiling at you?"
- If your gym has music or lights, hum or sing along to the music and point out the light-up features. The more you talk to your baby and directly engage her, the more you're benefiting her development.
Toys that encourage physical activity, such as kicking
Why your baby will enjoy this toy now:
Kicking comes naturally, and exercises the muscles your child will use one day for walking. Regular playtime games that encourage kicking are a good start—be sure to put your baby in a light diaper or none at all so she can move her legs freely.
What you can do to help your baby learn more:
- Position your baby in front of this toy so her feet are within easy reach of it. Lean over and playfully talk to her. She'll be so pleased to have your attention that she'll start to kick the toy and make exciting things happen!
- Even at this young age, you can introduce the concept of cause-and-effect. When she kicks say, "Oh, look what you just did! You made it light up!" or "You made the music play!" Eventually, with more playful encouragement from you, your child will make a very important connection: I did it! I made that happen!
- Take time to point out some of the toy's features—identify the colors, point out the faces. This will help baby realize there's a connection between things and words.
Activity quilts
Why your baby will enjoy this toy now:
Arms and legs are always on the move these days as baby kicks and reaches, bats at toys or grasps them, and perhaps even gives crawling a try. A soft quilt full of visual appeal, different textures, and busy activities can satisfy a lot of needs—from exercising motor skills to stimulating senses to challenging cognitive skills—all in one comfortable place!
What you can do to help your baby learn more:
- Activity quilts usually offer many fun ways to reward your child's attempts at interaction. Get baby ready by positioning her so her arms and feet are within batting and kicking range of the activities.
- For a challenge, switch the position of the activity toys, if you can. Watch closely and you'll be able to see your baby noticing these changes and trying to figure out what's different.
- Colors and high-contrast patterns are a great way to stimulate your baby's visual sense. Point out the colors, name the animals; even though your baby won't understand the meaning of your words yet, she will understand that as you move your attention to different parts of the toy, she can switch her focus too.
- If the quilt plays sounds, take advantage of this opportunity to stimulate your baby's sense of hearing. Take your baby's hands in yours and gently clap them together to the music. Make expressive faces as you playfully sing along or imitate the sounds.