You probably envy your baby's freedom to play day in and day out. However, did you know that to babies, playtime is serious business? Experts say babies play not only to have fun, but to work on a number of skills. A baby educational toy can help your baby work on many skills. Some of them include:
Social skills
Cognitive skills
Gross Motor skills
Fine Motor skills
Cause and Effect relationships
Visual and Audio recognition
You can help your baby make the most of playtime by investing in a few toys that are both fun and educational.
One time-tested educational toy is an activity or "busy" box. This item hangs on the side of the crib and offers your baby buttons to press, levers to pull and the reward of a sound or sight when he performs the actions correctly.
Babies, like adults, love music. Toys that reward your baby with a familiar jingle or a silly sound will encourage him to try to make it happen again. This teaches your baby cause and effect and helps with his or her memory skills.
Mimicking your actions is one way your baby will show you he or she is developing. Nurture this interest by supplying him or her with plastic dishes, a shopping cart, a lawn mower, even a toy cell phone.
Your baby will show an interest in shapes and how they fit with others before you know it. As soon as you see your baby trying to put his or her fork into a cup or fit a ball through the cat door, buy your baby a toddler-friendly puzzle. The best puzzles at this age are basic shapes and have small doorknob-like handles to lift out the pieces.
Like puzzles, shape sorters help your child learn what fits and what doesn't. Shape sorters can be plastic, wood or fabric and have openings in the shape of small inserts, such as circles, stars and hearts. These toys will help your child develop dexterity while stimulating their problem-solving skills.
Your baby will also benefit from all kinds of blocks. Interconnecting blocks can feed your older baby's imagination, but make sure they don't snap together in such a way that fingers might be pinched.
Basic alphabet blocks train your child's eyes to recognize letters. Brightly colored blocks will attract interest, and eventually will help teach sorting skills.
Most parents have a lengthy video or DVD arsenal at their babies' disposal. Cartoons and classics are fun for your baby, but videos can also be learning tools.
Look for videos that engage your baby. Find movies that enlist in your help so your baby will have some real-time reinforcement. Music and bright colors will capture your baby's interest while learning sounds, sights, colors, numbers and letters.
Don't forget your computer. There is a wealth of educational software on the market today. Music, numbers, shapes, animals and other collections will delight your baby, and tapping on the keys with Mommy or Daddy will encourage learning.
Expose your baby to a variety of educational toys, but don't be too concerned about how they are specifically used by your baby. All toys can be educational to babies, as they offer new touch, sounds and experiences for your baby to explore.
