Play Tips: Choosing the right toy at the right time
How your 10-month-old plays now
- With you holding his hands, he may walk.
- With her depth perception developed, she won't try crawling downstairs head first.
- He can respond to one or two simple instructions.
- She may anticipate the "surprise" phrase in favorite children's songs.
- He likes to play peek-a-boo—and peek around corners, too.
- When she drops something, she may look for it.
- He uses his hands to explore, poke and prod.
- She mimics more, copying others' actions.
- He begins to show preferences for the different sounds he hears in language.
- She can anticipate and remember simple sequences, such as expecting food when you open the pantry.
Toys that are right for this age:
More toys that are right for this age:
- Large balls with holes or ridges for grasping
- Link-together toys
Toys to encourage physical development, such as cruising and walking
Why your baby will enjoy this toy now:
A toy with progressive challenges—from simple activities to more complex ones—rewards increasing abilities while keeping frustration at a minimum. Multiple activity levels also help develop motor skills while encouraging and rewarding baby's achievements.
What you can do to help your baby learn more:
- "Colors, shapes, top and bottom, in and out, on top and underneath" … these toys are full of things to talk about and label, and concepts for you to introduce to baby. Point out your reflections in a mirror, dance to the music or see what surprise is under a peek-a-boo feature.
- "Where did it go?" At this stage, your child is ripe for grasping the concept of object permanence. Talk about the fact that objects out of sight can come back intoview, and demonstrate by hiding a toy and asking, "Where did it go?" Then reveal the toy and say, "Oh, there it is!" Soon, your baby will realize this concept outside of play, recognizing that you will come back and anticipating your return.
- Sharpen baby's tactile perception skills by pointing out the toy's different textures. Encourage exploration by gently placing your baby's fingers on the different textures, saying "Does this feel bumpy?" As always, take every opportunity to reinforce language learning by applying words to experiences.
- Exercise baby's visual perception in a similar way by pointing out the different visual patterns on the toy.
Toys to encourage early learning
Why your baby will enjoy this toy now:
When learning is presented in a way that's fun and engaging, children become more interested and more involved. Early learning toys help thinking skills develop and enhance vocabulary.
What you can do to help your baby learn more:
- Toys like these expose your child to the basic building blocks of learning … simple concepts like letters, numbers, shapes and colors. Use these concepts as points of discussion and play with your child, extending them to other parts of baby's world to help them make more sense. "That's the number five. Jane is 5 years old."
- If the toy moves, pass it back and forth to each other to introduce the concept of interaction and cooperation. "I'll push it to you, then you push it back to me."
- Add interest by playing letter or number games. Pick a letter and find something in the room that begins with that letter. Say the name of the letter and the name of the item out loud for baby: "That's a d. D is for Daddy." You're extending his learning, but you don't need to be concerned about teaching the actual letters or numbers at this age.
Sports-themed toys that encourage physical development
Why your baby will enjoy this toy now:
Sports toys like baseball, basketball, bowling and other games give babies on the move 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:
- To encourage your child's eye-hand coordination, try playing a simple ball game like basketball. Hold the ball in front of baby and encourage her to tap it out of your hand, put it in a hoop or drop it down a chute. This will help baby understand the idea of cause-and-effect.
- When baby's sitting up to play, encourage balance, coordination and interaction by sitting opposite each other, with baby's legs in a V and rolling the ball back and forth.
- When baby is either walking or able to crawl very well, take turns being the catcher and thrower, or the player and the retriever. Introduce the concept of an interactive "team" game by placing the ball back in baby's hands or lap so it's easy for her to make the connection.
Early role-play toys
Why your baby will enjoy this toy now:
The idea of imitation is just starting to take root—baby sees you do something and then tries to mimic what you've done. A role-play toy or familiar prop from baby's real-life world inspires pretend play and enhances imagination; it can even boost language development and self confidence as baby realizes he can do things, too!
What you can do to help your baby learn more:
- Give baby a "taste" of real kitchen equipment. Set out plastic cups and bowls and let her stack and sort to her heart's delight. Add a spoon into the mix and she'll make music for you, too!
- Sing along with baby's musical toys. Once she hears you, she'll want to join in!
- When baby plays with his toy, let him see you using its "real-world" counterpart. Spoon sugar into a bowl, measure something with a ruler—and watch your child make the connection between his toy and your tool!
- As you go about your day, reinforce baby's understanding of shapes. "Look at your plate—it's a circle, too!"
- Encouraging your baby to try things again and again can help increase his attention span. "Can you tap some more?" "Let's see if we can hear the ABC song one more time."
- Reinforce baby's accomplishments. "Great job! You got the square in the right spot!"