Toys - Activity

T
oys. That very word conjures up fond memories of our childhoods – our favourite teddy bear, the toy Aston Martin or Ferrari we wrecked in the sandpit which would now be worth rather a lot of money, the dolls who used to hold the finest tea parties in town. We all have our memorable favourites, and yet the ones that we should be remembering fondly are those simple gadgets we played with as babies and toddlers.

These ‘activity toys’ were a stroke of genius by whoever thought them up. Simple little things with spinners, rattles and flaps – anything that could be moved or would make a noise. We found these fascinating, and modern babies are no less inclined to be just as intrigued. Toys like these which are geared for certain times in a child’s development are designed to be interesting and fun to play with, and yet allow the child to learn basic things. Shape sorters anyone?

To the layman, a newborn isn’t going to do much except cry a lot, be handled by absolutely everybody and make all sorts of messes. However, they will be very curious about the world around them. They are interested by human faces, are attracted by bright colours and will grab and bat at anything they can. They know nothing about the world that they have entered and want to find out everything they can as quickly as possible and they are learning an incredible amount.

For newborns up to three months old, they are very simple to please. Music boxes with predictable and soothing sounds keep them happy, particularly when it’s nap time. Mobiles that hang above the crib or cot will fascinate them for hours as it moves and has things they can touch. In fact, anything they can feel directly and get a reaction out of is great. Squeezable toys covered with different textures is very stimulating, and if it makes a noise when squeezed, so much the better. Anything they can interact with by mouth contact is also fantastic, given their predisposition towards tasting anything and everything they can.

After three months things can get slightly more complicated. At this stage the simple cloth or foam picture books come into play, as do the spinny, rattly and flappy devices. It’s always easy to track down a six-month-old child at play due to the amount of rattling emanating from their location. Soft, lightweight blocks can also be introduced at this stage, though if they use them to make a perfect replica of Durham cathedral you’d better start saving for Oxbridge.

From about eight months onwards, children will start to make up their own activities. Small and rounded push toys such as stylised cars and animals on wheels are ideal as they can be pushed around wherever the child wants them to go. Musical instruments such as bells and shakers are great for budding Beethovens whilst soft dolls enter the neighbourhood to host the first of many tea parties. Toys with action and result – such as pop up toys – and simple nesting or stacking toys will help with their intellectual development. Even adults don’t get these right first time!

By the time their first birthday arrives – always a happy time – the toys that children like to play with tend to consist of action toys with movement and sound. Twisting and turning actions with noises still occupy a child who also has foot-to-floor ride-on toys, tunnels, toy boats and drums to play with. The dolls hosting the tea party now have some simple accessories to facilitate the event whilst the musical accompaniment is now joined by toy drums and bongos.

Such toys spread over the child’s first year will serve to both help their intellectual development whilst at the same time keep them happy and occupied. This allows the strained parental unit to have a cup of tea and a sit down for five minutes in the safe knowledge that their precious offspring is happy, safe and busy.
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