Kids and toys go hand in hand, but there’s more to play than mere entertainment. Toys play an important role in reaching developmental milestones like motor skills, cognitive growth, and sensory development.
Toys are vital for early childhood development – even at its youngest stages. Playing with toys helps babies explore their world through touch, sight, and sound. Toys also foster early curiosity that will serve children their entire lives.
When do babies start playing with toys? According to medical experts, they begin batting or hitting toys at about 2-3 months old.
Early Development and Exploration
Children begin life exploring the world around them, even before they are mobile. The first 6 months of life are crucial for hitting developmental milestones down the line.
0-3 Months: Sensory Exploration
In the earliest stages of their development, babies learn through sensory experiences. At this age, babies start to recognize faces, but toys help them develop depth perception and hand-eye coordination.
Toys help stimulate their vision, hearing and touch. Babies are drawn to high-contrast objects and sounds like those from rattles. High-contrast colors help develop babies’ vision and sounds sharpen their auditory skills.
4-6 Months: Reaching and Grasping
How do older infants benefit from playing with toys? When they are between 4 and 6 months old, babies start reaching for objects. That helps them develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. At this age, they begin to explore how objects feel. They learn the difference between soft, smooth, or rough textures.
To encourage tactile learning, toys like soft, textured items or teething rings help babies explore through touch. In doing so, they also begin to learn about cause and effect.
The Role of Toys in Cognitive Development
Once babies are about 7 months old, toys begin to help them with greater cognitive development. They continue to explore the world and build upon the skills they started learning at birth.
7-9 Months: Cause and Effect
When babies are between 7 and 9 months old, they begin to enjoy toys that make sounds, light up, or react to their touch. These dynamic toys help them understand that actions have consequences, i.e. cause and effect.
Children at this stage also begin to remember how toys work, which promotes memory skills. By 9 months old, babies develop more structured memory functions. Repetition can help build cognitive strength.
10-12 Months: Exploring with Purpose
By the time babies are about 10 months old, they can use toys with a purpose. For example, they begin pushing cars, placing blocks or solving simple puzzles. Solving problems like fitting shapes into matching holes boosts babies’ critical thinking and spatial awareness.
Toys help babies between 10 and 12 months grasp basic problem-solving skills. They also learn to understand simple instructions, such as turning pages of books.
Social and Emotional Growth Through Play
Young children continue to develop skills through play after their first 12 months. As they broaden their horizons, they sharpen their social skills and receive emotional support.
Interactive Play and Social Skills
When babies play, they learn to interact with others. They gain social skills by sharing toys with siblings or handing them back and forth with caregivers. Toys like plush animals and puppets help babies understand basic social cues like sharing and taking turns.
Emotional Bonding
Toys like plush animals can comfort babies, offering them a sense of security that fosters emotional development. Studies show that interactive play with parents helps babies form stronger emotional bonds. That helps them regulate their own emotions. Toys are great for bonding rituals like bedtime routines.
Encouraging Play at Each Stage
One of the best ways parents can send their babies on a lifelong learning journey is encouraging play at every stage of development. The more toys – especially the educational variety – a baby is exposed to, the closer they get to hitting milestones.
Creating a Play-Friendly Environment
To encourage play, you should create a safe, stimulating environment where babies can freely explore their toys. A designated play area would fill this role, for example. Keep the space clutter-free so your child can focus on the toys.
Rotating Toys
If you want to keep your baby engaged, simply rotate toys. This helps prevent overstimulation. It also boosts cognitive development by offering new challenges.
Interactive Play with Caregivers
Babies learn language, social skills, and emotional regulation through interactive play with caregivers. Simple games like rolling a ball or clapping along to music helps build these skills. In fact, studies show that when babies are exposed to interactive play, they develop better language skills.
Safe and Educational Toy Selection
Are you ready to encourage your baby’s development by playing with toys? It’s important to consider toy safety and educational value.
Safety Considerations
Ensure your baby’s safety by choosing age-appropriate toys that meet safety standards. Avoid small parts and look for toys made of non-toxic materials.
Small parts can pose as choking hazards for babies younger than 12 months, so always check the recommended age on toy packaging. Educational brands like Safari Ltd. offer toys that meet strict safety regulations.
Educational Toys
Toys from Safari Ltd. promote learning about animals, nature, and different cultures. Toys like figurines and Toobs bring science and history to life. They do so while remaining fun and engaging. Of course, some figurines are too small for the youngest children.
Educational toys improve language development by introducing babies to new words and concepts. Just naming animals or learning about different habitats will help your baby reach milestones.
Babies Reach Milestones Through Play
What’s the best way to set your baby on a course toward lifetime learning? There’s no better way to help them reach milestones than through play. Babies start responding to simple toys before they are even 1 month old, and as they advance, so do the ideal toys.
When choosing toys for your baby, pick playthings that foster learning while remaining fun. Safari Ltd. offers a host of educational offerings, sure to help your baby reach important milestones.
Parents should explore Safari Ltd.’s collection of educational toys that are designed specifically to support your baby’s development. Some toys like Good Luck Minis are too small for babies, but they are perfectly appropriate as your child grows.
