Buying Guide to Toys

Infants 0 to 3 months

To come out of the cozy environs of the womb to the external world spells a huge transition for a baby. This is a time when he is exploring his new world with his limited senses. Bright and mono-colored toys with high contrasts and toys with blinking lights are visually stimulating. Solid red, yellow, green and blue are colors that appeal to a baby. Mobiles with blinking lights and soft music make a great toy for the baby as they invite the child to focus on the sound.

As the baby learns to grasp, introduce a variety of soft and smooth textured toys that help strengthen their finger muscles for a better grip. Unbreakable mirrors are another great choice for kids this age. While they don’t recognize themselves, they are fascinated by the image that they see. Babies at this stage are also developing their arm and leg muscles and are always kicking around. A simple activity gym with brightly colored cute mobiles, hanging rattles, play mats with rattles attached to the foot socks encourage motor development and hand eye coordination.

3-6 months

Babies this age, have a natural tendency to put everything that they hold into the mouth. Scatter small toys around the playpen. Ensure that these toys are made of non-toxic baby safe materials, are washable and do not have any sharp, small or loose pieces that can be a potential choking hazard. These are time for introducing stacking blocks which parents can pile up for the child to knock it over. Some child psychologists also recommend soft books with colorful pictures that parents can show and read to the baby.

6-9 months

At this stage babies can sit up independently while some may even be crawling. Give them toys with wheels that they can easily push around while crawling. Introduce and activity or play centers with colorful dangling toys and rattles that are within reach of your baby. Big colorful buttons, large colorful switches, the poppers and clickers can keep babies interested for hours. Checkout the vast variety of theme based activity centers and play-gyms by Fisher-Price.

Baby toys scattered around the room or playpen are a treat for the baby. Soft or wooden balls with different textures and large geometrical patterns are welcome. This is also an ideal time to introduce nursery rhymes books and CDs, which parents can sing along with actions.

Introduce a soft teething ring or a soft plastic rattle around the age of 61/2 to 7 months, when the baby starts teething. These baby-safe toys will help soothe his gums when he chews on it. Squeaky and squeezable toys of various textures help him differentiate between different feels and sounds. The child understands that if he presses the toy there will be a sound; this will help him understand the correlation between his action and result. Bathing toys like a squeaky rubber ducky or a color cup makes bathing time an enjoyable experience.

Short piled soft toys and animals of various sizes and colors are a source of joy for your baby. Often babies are known to fall asleep with their favorite soft animals. However avoid toys that have loose fur or a wireframe inside, as these can be hazardous.

9-12 months

Now the baby has learnt to stand up with support and will soon take its first step. A brightly colored baby walker with a wide soft handlebar gives mobility to push forward. By this time the child has also zeroed in on a particular toy or toys as a favorite which s/he carries around or reaches out for from the toy basket. Musical toys still continue to enchant the baby.

Once your baby has learnt to walk give him a big toy car or toy truck with a pulling string that he can pull along around the house. He can also take his favorite teddy for a ride in the truck.

Giving your child building blocks, Stacking blocks and rings of solid colors and sizes will help him learn about shapes and sizes. Parents should sit and play with the child and help him out initially. They can also speak aloud the names of colors and shapes, and repeat till the child has learnt to associate with them. Parents can now start reading story books to the child with the correct emotion. Interactive and pop-up books and books that make sounds are great fun.

Language development happens around this stage. Toys that are interactive and can speak words like mom, dad, dog, cat etc, at the press of a button, are very useful. Sand boxes, sand pits, shovels, and pails make great outdoor toys.

Toys for toddlers and preschoolers Age 1 to 3

Your little bundle of energy is now raring to explore his world. He needs toys that are interactive, educative and also a bit challenging. Playing with toys also helps in language development. Nesting cups, stacking rings; building blocks all give him a concept of biggest to smallest, develop memory as well as teach colors. Lacing beads and toys and linking sets are favorites.

This is also the time when girl toys and boy toys become more defined. Children are turning into social beings. This is the age when kids gradually get into imaginary play and mimic their same gender parents. Girls are given girl toys like dolls, tea sets, kitchen sets, furniture sets, etc and boys are given toys like cars, action figures, electronic toys, doctor sets, cash register, etc.

This is the time when the concept of numbers and alphabets is introduced and the child is rapidly building his vocabulary. The market is full of educational toys that are designed to aid your toddler’s coordination, creativity, thinking and social skills as well. Some other toddler toys include: building blocks, stacking toys, sand and water toys, bath toys, activity centers, music toys language toys, construction sets, zhu zhu pets etc.

Preschool is the stage of rapid physical growth and motor skills development as well. The baby can now walk, hop, run and jump with self confidence. Some toys that support and encourage these skills are – balls, push and pull toys, ride on toys, tricycles with big rubber tires, rocking horse, battery-powered toys, crawling tunnels, slides and swings.

Educational games for this age group include non-toxic arts and crafts supplies such as crayons, paper cutouts, cardboard cutouts, glue, large beads for including coloring, drawing, sketching, lacing, cutting, pasting, tracing with stencils, etc help to develop his fine motor skills. Flash cards, Construction toys, simple board games, Jigsaw puzzles, Shape sorters, wooden cube puzzles, as well as building blocks help develop the child’s cognitive skills. Lego Toys is a popular company that provides excellent quality construction sets and building blocks for various age groups.

Toys for school-going children Age 3 to 6

Once your child starts attending regular school he makes friends in school as well has playmates from the neighborhood. Your child begins to play actively with his friends and role playing is a major game. Girls will imitate their mothers if they are playing the house game or their lady teachers if they are playing school. Boys imitate their dads or the friendly neighborhood doctor who they visit. They add their own flavor to every role and toys help them a lot in this. Give your daughter an advanced kitchen set with a microwave, a refrigerator, and a mixer, practically everything that mimics the real thing. A dining table with plastic crockery, tables, chairs, etc is all fun yet educational. A toy fire engine, or a policeman’s costume and whistle, a stethoscope will turn your child into a fireman or policeman one day and a doctor the next day. Children also love stories and want their parents to read out to them regularly. Arts and crafts also continue to be a favorite. Kids love creating with their own hands and take pride in displaying these creations to parents to gain their approval. Backyard gym equipment, tricycle with helmet, construction sets with slightly smaller size but more number of pieces than that for toddlers, 10 to 20 piece puzzles, and dolls with different sets of clothes and accessories, action toys, hand and finger puppets, stuffed animals etc are some of the toys that kids in this age group enjoy.

Toys for Six to nine years

School going Kids at this stage want toys and games that require strategy and skill. Board games that deal with numbers like monopoly require them to use their math skills, snakes and ladders, chess requires strategy, word games like boggle and scrabble requires vocabulary, card games like UNO, science kits, battery-powered games, video games, action figures etc fascinate and stimulate their minds. Some children also join games such as swimming, soccer, badminton, tennis, etc and require proper sporting equipment for the game. Complex gym equipment, roller skates or roller blades, bicycle and helmets, jumping rope, pogo sticks, 3-D puzzles, advanced construction toys career dolls, art and craft kits, etc are toys enjoyed by this age group.

Toys for nine to twelve years

This is when lifelong interests are developed. Children participate in competitions to win and gain self-confidence. The choice of toys is more or less the same as before, only they are more advanced and challenging. Remote control vehicles, taller bicycles, sports equipment, protective gear, model kits, chess, dominoes, checkers, scrabble, transformers action toys, arcade games, musical instruments and novels are challenging and demanding for this age group. Children find Painting sets, sculpting, handicraft, sewing etc. that requires finer skills are also interesting.

Tips for buying toys for the kids:

Select toys that are age appropriate for your child. Ensure that the toys are baby-safe, non-toxic and washable. Buy toys that a child can play without too much parental intervention. Avoid toys that have small parts, sharp edges and wires. Find out if your child has any particular color or toy preference. Look for toys that are educational as well as fun.