In the first year of life, the baby develops rapidly. He not only grows, but learns to perform various movements and learns the world. This happens through communication with adults and in the game. Almost from birth, the baby needs toys. Therefore, parents who believe that it is too early for the child to play can delay his development. But those who buy too many toys for the baby can also harm him with this.
After all, he simply does not have time to know the world around him, tired of the abundance of impressions. Therefore, you need to know what educational toys should be for children under 1 year old. Parents should understand that it is not necessary to buy expensive super-fashionable mobiles and sorters. In addition, the child should not have too many toys. The main thing is that they correspond to the psychological characteristics of the baby's age. And not only entertained, but also developed it.
Features of the psychological development of children up to a year
At this time, the child learns a large amount of information. After all, he needs to get acquainted with everything that surrounds him, learn to control his body and manipulate objects. The main development in a child at this age is through the senses. He needs to know not only how the objects look, but also how they sound, what they taste like. The baby receives basic information about the world, feeling everything that falls into his field of vision. It is very important for him to receive a wide variety of sensations: hear different sounds, touch materials that differ in shape and composition of the surface, see the correspondence between his actions and the movement of objects. In addition, for his harmonious development, it is very important that mom is always there, talking with him, showing what needs to be done with toys, and introducing her to the outside world. Therefore, when parents buy something for their baby, you need to consider these features.
What are children's educational toys
In general, for the development of a child up to a year, any household items and everything that surrounds him may be suitable. But the baby also needs toys. And in order to be called developing, they must meet the following requirements:
- It is necessary that they can be manipulated: throw, knock, squeeze, disassemble or invest somewhere.
- Educational toys for children up to 1 year old must be pleasant to the touch. It is desirable that the child receives a variety of tactile sensations: touched fur, wood, smooth materials or ribbed.
- Children's educational toys should sound. Sound can come from pressing or squeezing, pressing a button, or rocking. It should be quiet and melodic.
- For a toy to develop a child, it must have recognizable natural shapes and colors.
- Parents need to know that clockwork and electronic toys will not bring any benefit to the baby. Since they cannot be manipulated and they act without the participation of the child, they quickly bother him.
How to choose educational toys
Photos of bright and beautiful mobiles, rattles and dolls, as well as happy babies playing with them, encourage parents to buy a lot of unnecessary things for their child. The abundance of toys, many of which can also harm the baby, often inhibits its development. What parents should pay attention to:
- Toys for babies of this age should be safe. Pay attention to the material, especially the paint with which they are painted, because the baby takes everything in his mouth. Toys should be easy to wash and not have sharp corners.
- The sounds made by the toy should not be loud and harsh. Best of all, if it is rustling, the sounds of bells, a quiet squeak or a knock.
- Educational toys for children up to 1 year old must be durable. See that the child cannot break or break it, so that it does not crumble or disassemble.
- It is also necessary to pay attention to the size of the toy: it should not be very small, but such that the child can hold it.
- Make sure that the toys do not have long ropes and shoelaces in which the baby can get confused.
Safety is, of course, the main thing, but everything that you give your child must meet one more requirement: to be useful to him.
What skills should toys develop?
- Almost everything the baby is looking at develops visual perception. Toys should attract his attention so that he sees them. It is recommended that only primary, vibrant colors be present. Mobility, suspended moving toys and large, vivid pictures contribute most to the development of vision.
- The development of auditory perception is also very important for the child. He must learn to turn his head towards the source of sound and relate it to the subject. To do this, you need to have toys that sound differently: bells, mobiles with melodic music, rattling and rustling rattles, rubber tweeters.
- The development of tactile sensations occurs with the help of different toys. The child learns the world through touch, so you need to give him the opportunity to feel different surfaces. Soft educational toys filled with padding polyester, rustling balls and other fillers are well suited for this. The development of touch occurs first with the help of rattles with a different surface, then the baby needs sensory bags and rugs, a child older than 9 months can already buy modeling dough and finger paints. At this age, it is important that children have wooden toys that develop not only tactile skills, but also cognitive activity.
- As soon as possible after birth, the baby needs to improve coordination of movements and especially fine motor skills of the hands. To do this, first rattles and a mobile are used, then inserts, toys with moving parts, balls, touch mats and sorters are added.
- It is very important that toys develop cognitive activity, attention and memory. The kid must learn to manipulate objects, to distinguish between their shape, color and size. Various inserts, pyramids, dynamic toys with a surprise, children's books and soft educational toys are best suited for this.
For a baby up to 3-4 months
In the first time after birth, the baby is almost not needed toys, because he sleeps a lot. The best way to develop it is to communicate with mom. But he still needs to buy some toys:
- a mobile that not only attracts the child’s attention with melodic music, but also helps the development of tactile sensations when the baby accidentally touches it;
- rattles are the most versatile toy that comprehensively develops a child (there should be 3-4 different in form and sound).
Toys for children up to 6-7 months
When the child begins to sit, he is already learning to manipulate objects, so he needs:
- tumblers;
- musical toys ;
- balls of various shapes and sizes;
- sensory bags made of natural fabrics filled with peas, cellophane or small balls;
- developing mat.
What does a child older than six months need
When the baby begins to sit, the assortment of his toys expands greatly. To those
he had before, you need to add:
- light large cubes;
- pyramids of 2-3 parts;
- musical instruments;
- wooden toys that develop cognitive activity and fine motor skills;
- cups in-ear;
- moving toys: spinning top, wheelchairs and cars;
- touch mats.
Which is better - to buy or do it yourself?
Now in any store you can buy a variety of educational toys for children up to 1 year old. And many parents buy them in large quantities. But such an approach can, on the contrary, slow down the development of the child. Purchased toys, of course, are needed, but you need to give your baby the opportunity to experience the world around him. A comb, a sock, a box with a lid, a saucepan or spoon are often much better stimulate the cognitive activity of the child and his motor skills. Educational toys for boys and girls at this age do not differ, and they can be made independently. For example, string large beads on a lace, fill bags of natural fabrics with peas, rice or semolina, sew a touch rug from different pieces of fabric and much more. The main thing is that mom should remember that the child develops correctly, you need to play with him, show different objects and actions with them, and not just put him in the playpen surrounded by heaps of toys.