Stages of Play Development - Baby Activities & Toys



On his tummy he pushes with his hands and flexes his feet. He rolls from his tummy to his back. Stationary objects are now much clearer, but he still prefers visual patterns with strong contrasts, defined borders and bright colors. His hands are open and he reaches out to touch and grasp. He uses his mouth to explore objects. If offered a toy, he will look back and forth between the toy and his hand, laboriously adjusting the position of his hand. He smiles at other babies, especially the one in the mirror. He is beginning to be able to do two activities of his choosing at the same time, like shouting and reaching.



Roly-poly bat-at toys Toys that help develop a sense of self Hand-held musical toys Activity toys Baby books for patting, pointing & talking Measuring spoons Squeeze toys with surprise sounds



Go Baby Go!™ Crawl-Along Musical Ball™	Go Baby Go!™ Bat & Wobble Penguin

Your baby is probably still playing on his back or tummy, and possibly trying to sit up. A roly-poly toy is perfect for this stage because baby can make it move without causing it to roll away. At first, make the action happen yourself so baby can see what it's all about, then watch what baby does in response.
To encourage baby to move his developing muscles, put this toy within his view, at arm's length away. Baby will want to move toward it to get a closer look.
Introduce a roly-poly toy when you're giving baby some tummy-time. Put it on the floor in front of him where he can easily see its bright colors when he lifts his head up. Baby can look at it and bat at it to make the intriguing action happen. Freshen the challenge by occasionally alternating it from baby's right side to his left.



Little Superstar™ Sing-Along Stage™	Precious Planet™ Crib-to-Floor Mirror

Hold your baby on your lap and position this toy in front of you, as you would hold a book. If the design includes bold patterns or other interesting features in addition to the mirror, explore all sides of the toy with your child and describe what you see as you go.
Take a peek into the mirror yourself so baby can see your reflection. Then hold it up to your baby's face so he can see his own reflection. Your baby probably won't recognize himself yet, but he will be fascinated with what he sees there!
Tummy-time is important for developing neck muscles. To encourage your baby to play on his tummy longer, give him something to look forward to by placing the mirrored side of the toy within arm's reach for baby.
It will be easy to find ways to bring this toy along on baby's travels throughout the day; move it from the crib to the stroller for sensory stimulation on the go. Or give baby something new to look at from his bouncer seat by putting this toy next to him on the floor.



Laugh & Learn™ Sing-With-Me CD Player	Little Superstar™ Little Jam Band™

As baby advances to grasping and shaking toys, look for hand-held toys that are ready to reward his efforts with music and sounds. And at this stage, your child is developing a better understanding that his actions control the reactions (music and sounds) from the toy.
Give your baby the opportunity to explore all of this toy's visual patterns, colors and textures. While you're holding baby on your lap, help support the toy and let him focus on whatever's particularly fascinating or silly to him at the moment. He'll benefit from it in many ways because there's so much about it that will stimulate his senses.
Initiate the idea of object recognition and identification by pointing out the toy's features and labeling them with words. “Listen to the silly song he sings when you press his nose!”



Precious Planet™ Floating Activity Hippo	Laugh & Learn™ Jumperoo™

Invite your baby to explore all of an activity toy's features by going through them together, helping him feel the different textures and activate the sounds and movements. All of this sensory stimulation prepares a memory bank of experiences that will continue to grow.
Since such a toy is good for "anytime play," think of it when your baby is playing on his back or tummy and not just when he's sitting up. Baby won't be able to resist all the colors and actions that tempt him to reach out and touch. This will enhance his eye-hand coordination along with cognitive skills.




All children develop at their own pace, and reach milestones at different times. The highlights mentioned in this web site are meant as approximate guidelines only. If you have any questions about your child's development, consult your healthcare provider.

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