The Low Down on Toys

With everything I’ve walked through these last few weeks (no pun intended), I think it’s time for a more, “news-you-can-use” post, and toys fit right into that. If you're looking to follow some of the suggestions I've laid out, there are toys you shouldn't buy for your baby and great options for things you should consider.

As you've gathered, the basic philosophy is: Don’t introduce something that your baby isn’t naturally developmentally ready for. 

“Bad” Toys 

1. Pushers: I consider these anything with wheels that allow baby to place his or her weight on the toy and push forward. The issue with these toys is that if baby is not already able to walk by himself, he’s not learning the correct way to balance or carry his weight.
   
   

   

   Example of a "pusher" toy that should be avoided
   until baby can walk on his or her own.

   Marianne Hermsen-Van Wanrooy discusses muscle imbalances constantly, and this is a great example of something that could lead to that if used too frequently.
   
   Dr. Husband also says these cause baby's weight to be forward, which can overload his back, hurting his spine.
2. Exercisers: I believe I’ve written about these before, but they have to be on this list. Basically, anything that is placing your baby in a standing position before he can stand on his own is a no-no.
   

   

   So fun and convenient, but not ideal for a
   baby who cannot walk on his own.

   
   
   
   
     “The baby hasn’t developed proper stability in order to support the spine in an upright position," Dr. Husband says. "The way we know that a baby can support the spine properly is when it can sit on its own. Before the baby actually can stand on their feet, these also stimulate the primitive supporting reflex—we want to inhibit primitive reflexes, not stimulate them.” 

“Good” Toys 
To me, there are two keys to what I consider “good” toys—sensory and simple. I try to avoid lights and sounds because for the most part these can be overstimulating, at least until the baby is older.

If you recall, for tiny infants Hermsen-Van Wanrooy at one point suggests something as simple as a sock because this is light weight, soften and (if clean) fine for the baby to chew on.

Remember, a new born or infant up to three months really doesn’t need much of anything. Your face and voice are plenty. Come at her from the sides vs. overhead. You also don’t really want them to grasp much, so don’t hand her toys to play with.

As she grows and is seeking out something to do, a great place to start is with things you already have around your house. I would create treasurer baskets every week or two filled with random knick knacks. Sensory bottles were also a hit with my son because he could shake them. He also loved baggies filled with aloe, stickers or glitter. I'd tape these to a window to reflect light. Just search any of these things on Pinterest for a host of ideas.

If you’re looking for actual products, one I loved was Sophie the Giraffe. She’s lightweight, BPA and phthalate-free and has lots of spots to chew on. We also liked the Baby Einstein book, “Water, Water Everywhere”—and I still read it to my son tonight!

Are there any suggestions you have? If so, leave them in the comments!