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ParentingLittles.com

Raising happy, confident, emotionally intelligent children

Best Brain Stimulating Toys for Babies

April 16, 2018 By Parenting Littles

At least once a week, I get asked “What toys are good for babies?” and “How do I choose toys that help my baby’s development?”

Having so many options to choose from can be incredibly overwhelming, and chances are, after wading through the sea of toys available and finally choosing something you think your baby will like, they’re more interested in the packaging it came in than the toy itself.

More often than not, many of the toys you have at home just end up collecting dust in a corner because your baby has little to no interest in it. Think cluttered space and money wasted.

Would it be helpful if you had an idea of what to look for when choosing toys that are fun and engaging for your baby? What if these baby toys could grow with your little one so you don’t have to constantly buy new toys at each new developmental stage?

Below are my top 10 ECE recommended baby toys.

  • Toys that are engaging and educational without being overstimulating.
  • Toys that will keep your baby’s attention for longer than 10 seconds.
  • Toys that can help your baby develop early executive function skills (ie. focusing attention, problem solving)

1. Life-size baby doll   2. Personalized photo book   3. Sensory balls | Whiffle balls
4. Beach ball   5. Stack & roll cups   6. Montessori wooden toy set
7. Stainless steel sauce cups  | Wooden spoons | Mini silicone bowls
8. Musical instruments   9. Ball pool   10. Rainbow wooden sound blocks


1. Life-size baby doll: Babies love other babies, and this realistic looking life-size doll offers your baby the chance to practice socialization. Non-mobile babies can have a buddy to practice tummy time with. Mobile babies can practice being gentle with the doll. You may even catch your baby chatting up the doll or even giving it kisses.

Tip: Size matters! Choose a doll that is at least 20" so it actually looks and feels real to your baby.

2. Personalized photo book: Drool-proof, durable, and easy to clean. This book has clear pockets for you to create your own picture book. Young babies under 4 months will love the high contrast patterns on each page. Older babies loooove looking at pictures of family members or familiar items, and it's also a great way to foster early literacy skills.

3. Sensory balls | Whiffle balls: Balls. Balls. Balls. This one is an ALL-TIME favourite for babies. Look for balls with different textures and of different sizes. This is a great toy to promote movement and coordination, no matter if your little one is at the stage of rocking on all fours but not quite crawling yet, or a full-on mover and shaker.

4. Beach ball: Adding on to #3, beach balls are light weight and can be adjusted to match your baby's developmental stage. For non-mobile babies, don't inflate the ball completely so it's easier to grip and grasp and so it won't roll too far away out of reach which can be incredibly frustrating for littles. For crawling babies, the fully inflated ball will be a challenge to catch so babies will get a chance to practice problem solving, persistence and patience.

5. Stack & roll cups: Stacking cups, nesting cups, balls, shaker, bowls.....this one toy can be played with in so many ways it will keep your baby occupied for a long time. Combine this toy with other items like a scarf and thread the scarf through the hole in the cup, or hide the scarf inside 2 cups snapped together like a ball for your baby to play hide and seek.

6. Montessori wooden toy set: Natural wood and different parts to manipulate and grip/grasp, this set is a great toy for practicing fine motor skills.

7. Stainless steel sauce cups  | Wooden spoons | Mini silicone bowls: Small kitchen items with different textures are another all-time favourite for babies. Stubby wooden spoons help babies practice hand-eye coordination as they venture into the world of solid foods, and stainless steel cups not only offer a fun reflective surface but the cool steel is also great for teething.

8. Musical instruments: Babies love hearing different sounds, and musical instruments that are see-through helps babies see where the sound is coming from as they work on coordinating their body to play music.

9. Ball pool: A mini kiddie pool filled with balls is endless hours of fun. Choose an inflatable pool that is low enough for non-mobile babies to do some tummy time on, and for crawlers and walkers to get in and out of on their own to promote independence. Add in some water with a couple of floating balls and you've got an entirely new toy (with supervision of course!).

10. Rainbow wooden sound blocks: Colours, sounds and textures. This set of blocks offers an array of sensory stimulation. Younger babies can use each individual block as a shaker. Older babies can practice stacking/banging them together and exploring the rainbow of colours for added visual stimulation.

Hopefully that gives you some ideas on what babies can and will do with these toys. The brilliant thing about these 10 baby toy recommendations is that they can grow with your baby as they find more complex uses for each item when they reach a new developmental stage.

  • Recommended by Professionals

     

    I love this book! ‘Uh-oh’ uses everyday situations to educate both children and their parents on alternative ways to handle challenging situations by promoting positive and empowering interactions. The photos of children make it visually appealing and the situations described are relevant to every family. As a professional and parent, I highly recommend this book and suggest it be a staple in every family’s home library!

    - Karen Battersby (Infant Development Consultant)

  • Play for my daughter. Meaningful lessons for me.

     
    My daughter and I were enrolled in Intelliplay Tots when my daughter was between the ages of 14 and 16 months. I cannot explain my gratitude to Cherrie for the incredible things she taught us. As an elementary school teacher I wanted to take ideas about social and emotional well-being and apply them to raising my daughter, but I was not sure how to do this at her young age. Cherrie provided excellent and detailed feedback and ideas about ways to allow your child to flourish as a toddler.
     
    More than anything else, I appreciate how Cherrie has helped facilitate a relationship built on love and understanding between my daughter and I. It is wonderful to see my daughter express herself, and to have the tools to help her do so. We have had so many great experiences with baby groups, but Intelliplay Tots stands out as the best because it provided a fun and social setting for my daughter, and meaningful lessons for me.

      - Randi Crace

  • Fun, educational and practical

     
    I really can't say enough good things about Cherrie and the classes she offers. They are fun, educational and a great way to learn practical tips on fostering the development of babies and/or toddlers. Cherrie's classes are warm and inviting and she is extremely knowledgeable on childhood development. She provides excellent and practical strategies around milestones and challenges that parents face each week.
     
    I've learned so much from Cherrie over the past few months and also loved connecting with other parents who have children of similar age as mine. Her classes are the perfect balance of promoting independent play while supporting the children's physical, social and emotional needs. I also love how her circle time is fun and engaging but not too over stimulating- her toys and activities always match the level of the children perfectly:) I can't wait for more classes and advice from you Cherrie as my little "E" turns into a crazy toddler!

      - Kym Weselak

  • Practical tips and tricks

     
    The classes Cherrie offers are great to provide practical, real life examples and an opportunity to practice. The tips and tricks I learned in this class have really helped us to better manage our 22 month old. I feel that I am much better at recognizing his needs and can intervene in a way that helps both of us - de-escalating melt downs faster or preventing them all together. I also really appreciated learning how to set up and support more independent play for toddlers.

      - Laura Gentile

  • Highly RECOMMEND!

     
    Cherrie has done so much to help our kids calmly interact with one another. Her useful tips for setting up an interesting and challenging play space has changed the way our kids play! We are so grateful for her guidance and highly recommend her classes and workshops.

      - Katie Fenn

  • TOTAL GAME CHANGER!

     
    The toddler class was a game changer for us! I would recommend these classes to anyone and everyone. We noticed a difference in our 18 month old twins the first week. ✨💕

      - Katie Johnston

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