Toys for Developmental Purposes

In a constant battle to be at the top, The United States strives to be the best at everything, even when it comes to their youngest. Researchers work long hours to design toys that are not only enjoyable at face value but also provide children educational and developmental value. Now when speaking about a newborn, there isn't much you can 'teach' them, but they have a lot to learn; For example, dexterity, language, emotion, etc. You'll find that today many parents analyze every toy they put in front of their child, verifying that this toy will in fact be good for something more than just entertainment. In reality, I believe children are clever in their own ways and learn through experience - (have you ever seen children drop their Buzz Light Years and Barbies just to jump into a huge box from a refrigerator and make believe they're soaring off into space, or paddling down the Allegheny or Mississippi?). My point is that no matter what a child has in their hands, I'm convinced that they're learning something, whether it's how their arm moves back and forth, or their fingers clutch the toy, or the sounds that come from it when they move it around. But there is something to say about these researched toys.

Yesterday, when Baby Mommy came home, she told me about how a coworker's 10 month old had to wear a helmet because he didn't receive enough tummy time and had now formed a flat head. The parents of this 10 month old committed little time to putting their baby on the floor because within 5 minutes she would start screaming. So my task for this week, and for the weeks coming, is to increase tummy time for Baby Boy. But when I thought about it, what baby wouldn't scream if they were taken from their rocker where they can see the world around them and placed on their stomachs to look at the carpet? In hopes of making Baby Boy enjoy tummy time a bit more, I placed Henry the Hippo in front of him, and to my delight it worked! I raised Henry a bit above eye level so Baby Boy had to use his arms and legs to push up to see Henry. After about 3 minutes, he was still smiling, and had figured out how to roll himself over, something he much preferred over lying on his stomach. This whole activity got me thinking. Is there a toy designed to encourage babies to lie on their stomachs or to at least occupy them during tummy time? So I went in search for some age appropriate toys! Here's what I found.

To make it easier for anyone interested in toys that are designed for specific developmental skills, Ebeanstalk is a great source. These toys, for ages newborn to 12 years have been created in mind of a developmental purpose (or purposes) with an explanation under 'features'. Below are a few of my top picks from 'baby toys'.

Whatzat: Dexterity and Emotion

This cloth creature can be hung from a stroller or mobile arc. It gives the baby texture to touch, colors and patterns to explore and the legs pull down and vibrate back up.

Whoozit Icicle Toy: Imagination, Dexterity and Emotion

This toy not only inspires the 3 month old with sound, shape and movement, but as the child grows, the toy will also change in use. It can be rolled, thrown and shaken.

Boing, Bobble & Bounce: Dexterity

This toy isn't just for Dexterity. It your child with an outlet for language, sound, and imagination. Each head wabbles and makes a sound when hit. The suction on the bottom allows this toy to be attached to a highchair, floor or divider in the car. This is a great toy for Baby Boy's tummy time!

Octotunes: Education and Dexterity

What child doesn't like noises, tunes and music? Octotunes provides just that, with each tentacle a different note when squeezed. The songbook that comes with it can be used when the child is bigger and can pick up on small patterns and tunes.

Here are some other great websites that provide similar toys.

Tiny Love: Search for toys by age, elements and category

Toys R Us: They have a great website divided into categories for developmental skills - Cause & Effects, Sights & Sounds, Manipulatives, etc.

Fisher Price: 'Find a Toy' by checking the box. They compile a list based on what elements you want a toy to possess.