For a parent the most valuable commodity is time.
A child that is blissfully asleep is the number one way to buy yourself that much needed ‘me’ time, but it’s amazing what the right toys can do for you and them as well.
Glow Dreaming has compiled a list of age appropriate toys for development that don’t just entertain your little one, but give you time to breath. Essentially, they do you both a world of good.
The right toys at the right time really help in the physical and mental development of your child, assisting them in the different developmental leaps that happen at different ages as they grow. Not to mention that using these toys before the wind down period helps tire your child, getting them ready and in need of rest for their bedtime routine.
The result? A good night’s sleep for all.
Age Appropriate For Newborn Development
- Activity Mat
- Use the matt without any of the clip-on’s that hang from the arches as this can be a bit too overwhelming for a newborn. Place the matt over a cushy surface like carpet or a rug and use it for tummy time!
- Music Playing Mats/Toys
- Hearing is one of the first senses to mature in a baby. Introducing music at this age can be both calming and stimulating. Fast tempo rhymes can excite your bub whereas having mum or dad sing a lullaby can calm them down.
Age Appropriate For 1 Month Development
- Activity Mat
- Now you can add clip on toys! We recommend to clip them around the perimeter of the arches, not have them all in the middle! This will encourage your little one to look around and get those neck muscles working!
- Mobile
- Colour isn’t really a factor in your baby's vision until about 3 months old. So black and why patterns really hold their attention! You can purchase mobiles with interchangeable hanging option to suit different age groups!
Age Appropriate For 2-3 Month Development
- Plastic Rings / Baby Keys / Crinkle Toys
- All these things allow baby to start learning with their hands! They will be encouraged to grasp things and find out exactly what those little hands can do!
- Baby Mirror
- Your baby is now noticing their own reflection and beginning to see things for what they are...literally! Having a baby mirror on an activity matt or even in the car is a great idea!
Age Appropriate For 4-5 Month Development
- Teething Toys
- Gum pains can begin around 4 months old, even though teeth maybe 1 or 2 months off, it is a good idea to get them something to much on. A great tip is to keep your teething toys in the fridge as the coolness will sooth their gums!
- Rattles
- Rattles are fantastic for exercising those arms and learning their grip even more! They’re also great for teaching in the way that baby will come to realise that when they shake the rattle, sound comes out! They are learning that by doing ‘A’ you can get ‘B’ - this tie into their interactions with the things around them as well as problem solving!
- Know-Knock Blocks
- These big, soft blocks are a good toy that your baby can grow with. In their younger months they will find them fascinating with different textures and patterns. When they begin to grow, they will love stacking and creating with them!
Age Appropriate For 6-8 Month Development
- Board/Cloth Books
- Great for little hands to learn and feel new textures and hear new sounds. Not only can you read to them, but this another one of those toys that allow your baby to learn more about what their little hands can do! Not to mention, books in these forms are near indestructible!
- Stacking Cups
- These are great for hand-eye coordination. This toy also teaches your baby about object-permanence; how something can still exist even when you can’t see it!
Age Appropriate For 9-11 Month Development
- Play Kitchen
- Exploring is key at this age! If you have the space a kiddy kitchen a great idea! Opening/closing as well as filling and emptying the cupboards is great for bubs at this age. They also feel a sense of importance and connection when they can play with different household items that they have seem mum and dad use themselves!
- Activity Table / Water Table
- Seeing how things work is also fascinating at this age! Buttons that light up, different bits-and-bobs to play and move around, sounds and noises - you’re allowing your baby to figure out what all of their senses do! As well as the indoor activity tables, the summer version being a water table is also a good time. It’s similar in concept but works with water.
Age Appropriate For 1 Year Development
- Push and Pull Toys
- Like little walkers, baby lawn mowers as well as the animal on a string. This allows them to understand the different movements, as well as cause and effect.
- Ride-on Toys
- Like bikes without the wheels that require you to push with your feet or maybe a tricycle! These types of toys allow your child to explore their environment with more independence.
Age Appropriate For 2 Year Development
- Musical Instrument
- Dress Up
- Jigsaw Puzzles
- Connecting Toys
All the above have a combined development value of hand-eye coordination, problem solving, spatial awareness and independent play.
The Glow Dreaming provides is a non-habit-forming sleep aid. When children are born, they haven’t developed their circadian rhythm, this is what tells their brain when it is time for sleep, and when it is time to be awake – essentially when to release melatonin.
Glow Dreaming helps ensure that through those developmental leaps, your little one is getting the sleep they need.
For More Information About How Glow Dreaming Can Help Create A Healthy Sleep Routine Without Creating Dependency, Click The Link Below.
www.glowdreaming.co.uk