Play Tips: Choosing the right toy at the right time

Toys that are right for this age:

More toys that are right for this age:

  • Soft animals or balls of varying textures
  • Containers with items to fill and empty

Sports-themed toys that encourage physical development

Why your baby will enjoy this toy now:

As babies become more mobile, they're delighted to put their new skills in motion. Sports toys like baseball, basketball, bowling and other games give them a chance to grasp, roll, throw, and exercise motor skills while enjoying the confidence-boosting cheers and encouragement of their biggest fans—mom and dad!

What you can do to help your baby learn more:

  • Reinforce your child's color-matching skills by naming different colors on the toy: "See the blue ball? Can you put it in the blue chute?" Let's get the green ball now!"
  • Make a game of taking turns. When playing a game like basketball baby makes a basket, then you make a basket. This way you start building an early understanding of the concept of taking turns, a skill that will come in handy as she begins playing with other children.
  • See if your child needs a demonstration to fully understand how the toy works. Let him play at his own pace, so he can investigate and experiment with it. But if you feel the time is right to add another dimension to his play, model another aspect of the toy to him or another way to play with it.
  • At first, your child may only be aware that the ball is going in and down and out, for example, and not pay attention to where it's coming from. Call attention to it, and build surprise and excitement by saying things like, "I wonder where the ball will come out … oh, there it is!" When you do, you'll be adding anticipation to your child's repertoire of important thinking skills.

Link-together toys

Why your baby will enjoy this toy now:

Your child is likely to be much more skillful with his hands right now, and eager to put those dexterity skills to work. Toys that snap together and pull apart are perfect for practicing fine motor skills.

What you can do to help your baby learn more:

  • Demonstrate for baby how the beads or links make a fun popping sound when you pull them apart … pop! pop! pop! This will help baby connect sounds with their source.
  • Vary the visual patterns to arouse baby's interest in the toy and give him something to look for. As you put the strand back together, point out the colors of the parts—in some places, put all the red pieces together; in other places, all the blue, etc.
  • Show your baby how the cars of the train link together, and help her disconnect them, again and again. At this age, it's unlikely your baby will be able to connect the pieces, but just trying is a great exercise for eye-hand coordination and developing strength and grasping skills.
  • By the way, your baby will probably enjoy waving and shaking the strands around, so get ready to duck!

Toys that encourage eye-hand coordination

Why your baby will enjoy this toy now:

Put-and-take toys give your baby experience in problem solving and the joy of accomplishment. Conquering little challenges helps children find their own answers and prepares them to tackle the next question.

What you can do to help your baby learn more:

  • Use these toys for language learning: talk about the colors and shapes, and introduce concepts such as bigger and smaller and top and bottom. Ask, "Where does this triangle go?" By putting words to what is happening with the toy, you're helping your child understand the concepts behind language. And by experiencing a concept, your child will internalize it.
  • "What comes next?" Introduce sequencing by laying the pieces out flat on the floor, with the biggest piece at one end and the smallest at the other. Place them along a straight line, such as the edge of a carpet, so baby can easily see how they progress from smallest to biggest. Talk about the sizes, beginning with the extremes: "This is the biggest ring and this is the smallest." Eventually, you can introduce the in-between sizes.
  • Let your child be the discoverer and explorer with this toy, because that's the joy of play!

Outdoor toys and swings

Why your baby will enjoy this toy now:

The joy of motion and the chance to get a different view of the world are just part of the pleasure of outdoor toys like swings. It's also a chance for you to help your child make connections between words and meanings (forward/back, up/down, etc.) and to understand directions.

What you can do to help your baby learn more:

  • Make the most of playtime by singing to your baby, playing peek-a-boo, "I-spy" or another silly game the two of you enjoy! Whatever you're doing, try to make eye contact so you can see each others' expressions and smiles!
  • Reinforce baby's receptive language skills by talking about motion: "You're swinging back and forth" or "you're moving up and down." Count out loud the number of times baby goes back and forth, and point out things in your yard for baby to see, labeling them with words.
  • Swing-time is a nice time to sing soothing nursery songs that, along with the back-and-forth motion, will calm and relax your baby. Experts say connecting music and movement reinforces children's learning as they experience something new.
  • As baby gets older, use this time to teach about safety. For example, explain that it's not safe to get too close to a swing, or to run in in front of or behind it when other children are swinging.

Push & pull toys

Why your baby will enjoy this toy now:

Once toddlers develop good balance, a push or pull toy invites them to attempt new physical challenges. Practicing walking skills helps build confidence, and newly-mobile children love to bring something of theirs along—wherever they go!

What you can do to help your baby learn more:

  • Help your new walker practice balancing and walking by encouraging her to bring her toy along on little excursions through the house. It will make her proud to be able to bring something of her own along while she's walking. Plus, it gives her a confidence boost until she's more secure with her balance.
  • For a lesson in action/reaction, point out how the sound and speed of the toy changes as your child changes the way she pushes it: "Push it along slowly…now faster!" "You're making the music play!" "See how the lights flash when you push it?"
  • Remember, putting words with the actions helps your child understand connections between words and concepts.
  • When you pull out your vacuum, pull out your child's push toy! Your child will enjoy imitating your actions and "helping out" as you clean up.

Toy telephone

Why your baby will enjoy this toy now:

Imitating words and phrases helps children learn to make sense of the world. Toy telephones are perfect for encouraging speech, providing an opportunity for "two-way" conversation and a common ground for enhancing communication skills. They're also lots of fun!

What you can do to help your baby learn more:

  • Promote your child's language development and persuade her to engage in early "conversations" by pretending to call her, or helping her call her dolls and stuffed animals.
  • She'll want to press the buttons and hear the sounds over and over again, so let her go. Besides being good for a laugh, these actions cement in her mind the idea that what she is doing is causing something else to happen.
  • Reinforce the concept of numbers introduced in this toy by talking about numbers as you go through your daily routine: "You may have one banana and two crackers." As you give the items to your child, count them off out loud, "One, two, three … "
  • Eventually, this toy can serve the very practical purposes of teaching your child her phone number, how to place a call and the polite ways to receive one.