May 2021 Moms
mrosek91
member
Product spotlight: toys!
mrosek91
member
Hello! Today's discussion is a pretty big one: TOYS! We're unlikely to come up with a complete overview of every toy our kids wind up with, and certainly we can't always control the tornado of toys we all somehow accumulate, but it would be great to share some favorites, maybe aiming for the first 6-12 months or so to give FTMs some guidance on a few items to have on hand as our babies start to interact with the world.
When did your babies start to notice little baby toys? Which were the first favorites? Which toys did you have scattered on the floor, which did you have stashed in your diaper bag for emergency distraction, which did you have in the car? Any brands you love? Or particular style of toy? Is there something super special worth splurging on? Do you begrudgingly deal with a thousand blinking lights and loud plastic noises, or are you strict about only accepting organic wood blocks carved from virgin Nordic forests? Did you use a Baby Einstein? Did you babies have a lovey or comfort item to adore and drool on? On the flip side, is there anything you absolutely HATE and want to warn other moms about (or just vent)? And how do you store your toys? Any cute storage products to help with organization? Please share!
Re: Product spotlight: toys!
Other than that, any of those little toys that hooked on stuff and would rattle or crinkle and could be chewed on. She had some in the car and some on her bouncer thing and some on her baby gym.
Teethers are great for when the teeth are coming in. Anything, wooden rings, frozen teethers, books with rubber corners, teething necklaces, lovies with chewable everything. Also a great distraction when breastfeeders are teething and bite you when they're eating. They can chew a teether for a couple of minutes instead of biting.
I will continue to stockpile cloth books, I like board books, but they still get chewed on so much during teething. Cloth are so convenient, they can get chewed on, splashed on, sometimes crinkle and squeak and other interesting things.
I collected rattles, recorders, hand bells, noisy toys and keep them all in a little box and use them to make music, or noise. My DS enjoyed the rattles closer to a year and right now (15m) really enjoys the rattle stick, I think it's like a maraca.
Push toys were great when DS was starting to stand and move, but an upside down plastic crate worked really well for him and he couldn't tip it over which was a problem with the push toy when he was just starting to pull himself up.
When they start to explore, a kitchen set of their own is very entertaining. Old measuring cups, measuring spoons, bowls, wooden spoons etc. By DS loved my silicone spatulas, very great for teething and making noise. Also small gardening set and a bucket of water, beans, sand etc is also great when they stop putting everything in their mouth 9-12 months.
When they start to walk around a little broom is fun. And busy boards, so much fun, just find lot of little things and attach them to a board, spinners, latches, locks, calculators, little doors, tubes, zippers.
If you are artsy or handy with a needle there are some great projects out their. Felt books, cloth blocks, turn a stuffy into a taggie toy.
Here are some links because I could go on forever.
If you like daily activities toys/Montessori check out this channel.
If you want free or simple activities from birth check this site out. I wish I had seen it from day 1.
https://pathways.org/growth-development/0-3-months/milestones/
One thing I recommend is the rattles from the Manhattan toy company. We got both the Winkel, and the Skwish as gifts for DS#2, and he and DS#3 both loved them. They were great to first learn grasping, and then when they started teething they loved chewing on them.
**goes and immediately looks up banana toothbrush**
**goes and immediately looks up manhattan toy co**
**adds all to registry**
BFP #1 January 28, 2016
Felicity Joy, born September 2, 2016
My Chart
BFP #2 September 11, 2020
EDD May 23, 2021
*Rainbow 8/2015*
*Expected Rainbows 12/2018*
*Loss of Twin 5/2018*