Age Appropriate Toys

asarem93 · August 2014

So I know it's a little early for this because newborns don't really need toys....right? But now that I am basically done shopping for necessities, I want to get some toys for baby Spencer. Is there a good list or website that shows age appropriate toys by month? Or can somebody give me suggestions? TIA!

golfingdarwinfish · August 2014

I just google, read reviews on amazon, and look around for things that are entertaining, have some sort of texture, promote sensory development, hand eye coordination, etc....... Motor skills will come, but not something I'm worried about this go around.

asarem93 · August 2014

I'm just stuck on when to give him what lol. FTM alert lol.

golfingdarwinfish · August 2014

I'm also a FTM...

From a quick google search:

Birth - 6 months

Things they can reach for, hold, suck on, shake, make noise with—rattles, large rings, squeeze toys, teething toys, soft dolls, textured balls, and vinyl and board books
Things to listen to—books with nursery rhymes and poems, and recordings of lullabies and simple songs
Things to look at—pictures of faces hung so baby can see them and unbreakable mirrors

asarem93 · August 2014

I have googled and did see some lists, I guess everything looks dangerous to me lol.

ETA: I was more hoping for a discussion than a straight forward answer. Like some toys parents have absolutely loved in the past or anything unique people have found.

persephonerose · August 2014

Target sells these rattles, they are cloth/stuffed with a handle and come in different shapes. We have a few that are mickey mouse. It has mickey's face on one side and a soft mirror surface on the other side. DS1 loved those things. The Oball was also nice for a first toy. Other than the stuff that came on the play mat we had lots of textured teethers. I don't think we used much more than that during the first 6 months. Melissa and Doug has a nice website that you can sort by age, I like their wooden toys a lot. One step ahead also has some really nice educational type toys and is sorted by age.

Like this

asarem93 · August 2014

Those are adorable! And I'll definitely check out Melissa and Doug, I hadn't heard of that before.

BreandMikewedding · August 2014

Light weight rattles that they can grip and mouth at. I also really like the chimes that can attach to the car seat or stroller. They will jingle when they move and as baby gets a little older they can grab it and jingle it.

MorganWP · August 2014

DD didnt really "play" until she was 2/3 months but we had a couple rattles and things that dangled off her stroller hood or we attached them to the sides with those plastic rings. Her playmat/gym was a favourite too. Also anything they can chew on.

Also, wrist rattles are good for newborns because they move their arms involuntarily and they still get the noise.

asarem93 · August 2014

I think the only toys we have ATM are from the baby shower and they are all more for like 6 months. A toy phone, stuff like that. But someone did get us a pack of wrist rattles.

persephonerose · August 2014

As for unusual stuff, when DS1 was around 7months I made several sensory bottles (goggle or pinterest has a ton of examples) I used purelife water bottles and added things like bright colored beads or rice to them and hot glued the lid on. DS1 is now 20 months and still plays with them. They worked great for teething and have really held up to all of the biting, throwing, and being stepped on.

Every few weeks I squeeze them to make sure there is no punctures and check the lid but none of them have shown any issues.

asarem93 · August 2014

I've seen a few sensory bottle diys on pinterest. I never clicked them because I saw ask the small pieces.... I guess I should have known they were glued shut lol.

persephonerose · August 2014

asarem93 said:

I've seen a few sensory bottle diys on pinterest. I never clicked them because I saw ask the small pieces.... I guess I should have known they were glued shut lol.

The first one I did freaked me out. I was constantly checking it. I even had DH try and get the lid off and squeeze it to make sure it was secure.

asarem93 · August 2014

Lol I'm already going to be a paranoid mess.... Do they make bottles out of bulletproof glass lol. :-S

Justabean3 · August 2014

citrus lane app has good info

angeltennis3 · August 2014

In our newborn care class, they recommended black, white, and red toys because that's what newborns can see. They recommended a website (I will have to look at my notes) that you could even print images from that stimulate newborns so when they start doing tummy time, you can move the picture around and try to encourage them to lift their head and look in a different direction.

Other than that, we will probably use Christmas as an excuse to buy a few toys!

reneenearl · August 2014

So around the time DS1 could sit up (6
Months old) he loved the Poppity pop Dino. He would sit in front of it and just laugh and laugh and laugh. That's a toy I usually reccomend when people ask.

The O ball, which can found anywhere, Walmart, target etc for a few dollars was another huge hit as soon has he could grab onto things. The o ball is easy for babies to grab.

The fisher price kick and play piano was cool to watch him play with. He would really get his legs going on it. He was a few months old when he started using that.

A baby mirror for tummy time and the baby gym were things we used immediately.

JessAnnJ · August 2014

I agree with PP. Mirror, oball, we also had a sassy infant gift set with a few toys. Our DD loved to stare at this book and other similar books. Evan as a newborn you could see her focusing on the pictures.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0525420282/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1409363346&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40

MendozaAJ · August 2014

https://m.toysrus.com/skava/static/product.html?type=TRU_product_us&url=/product/index.jsp?productId=11785407&domain=http://www.toysrus.com

We bought this picnic basket for my DD first Christmas. She was 10 months old. The box said for 6 months- 3 yrs. She is 2 1/2 and just now likes playing with it now. My advice, don't always go with the ages on the box.

vrj0522 · August 2014

DS was only 4-6 weeks old when he started kicking at the hanging things on his bouncer so I recommend the plastic rings with little textured toys or rattle that you can hang on their car seat or from their baby gym/playmat. They also sell baby mirrors and he loved his. Teethers and other textured toys or rattles are good too. You'd be surprised how soon they start using toys. DS was only 4 months when he started playing on the exersaucer.

trisharenee0316 · August 2014

I strongly echo the recommendation for the Fisher Price Kick n Play Piano! Best baby purchase we made: https://smile.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Kick-Play-Piano-Discover/dp/B00CWN3FNM?sa-no-redirect=1

LightBright515 · August 2014

I have an exersaucer for LO when she is able to hold her head up.

Multiple play mats to kick around on, and I'll probably get the piano toy previously mentioned.

I'm just going to take it one day at a time..

AmandaJean12 · August 2014

You want some light toys that they can hold and pass back and forth between their hands (a developmental milestone). Different tactile sensations, rattles, play mats with things they can look up at/kick/reach for are all great.

cozybluebear · August 2014

Lots of colorful teethers and rings. My son loved his Sophie giraffe. Heck, he's 19 months and still pulls it out every now and then especially when his teeth hurt.

crystal8503 · August 2014

Don't over think this, it's way less stressful than you're making it for yourself. Look at the tags on items because they give you age ranges avd just use your judgment. Your baby might not like anything you get anyway and that's okay because you'll figure out what he likes as you learn his personality. There are several newborn toots my son still love to play with at 20 months.

MorganWP · August 2014

Ohmygoodness! I can't believe I forgot about Sophie. We had two gifted to us, a mini teether one and the bigger original one. DD loved them both. She unfortunately lost little Sophie in IKEA but she still plays with big Sophie sometimes.

aminalex · August 2014

I worked at a toy store a few years ago and Sophie was BY FAR the best seller for newborns through to about a year. People would buy it for gifts and parents would get 2 at a time in case their kid lost one and would freak out. It's made of a soft safe rubber that has a head which is perfect baby mouth size and legs that at perfect for little baby fingers to wrap around. Also, if you're going to get a stuffed animal, make sure the eyes are thread and not plastic, as there is always the possibility that they can pop out and cause a choking hazard.

TheOtherJacobsons · August 2014

I plan on making some toys.

imagine7696030614 · October 2014

I dug up this thread looking for some toy ideas...was thinking about getting a couple wrist rattles and a Sophie. Then I looked up the Sophie and saw that there had been a recall. The details seem confusing to me (only recalled in Germany? High level of carcinogenic substance in rubber? Certain numbers are ok? Etc.) Anyone know more about this? Think it's okay to buy one now? Seems like so many products coming over from China contain hazardous materials..don't know what I can trust for LO!

Saragoeswest · October 2014

imagine7696030614 said:
I dug up this thread looking for some toy ideas...was thinking about getting a couple wrist rattles and a Sophie. Then I looked up the Sophie and saw that there had been a recall. The details seem confusing to me (only recalled in Germany? High level of carcinogenic substance in rubber? Certain numbers are ok? Etc.) Anyone know more about this? Think it's okay to buy one now? Seems like so many products coming over from China contain hazardous materials..don't know what I can trust for LO!

I thought Sophie was from France. Is that not true?