Having a baby is a huge joy for the whole family. Modern parents, as well as grandparents, are trying to provide the crumbs better conditions for development. In stores you can find hundreds of products, some of which lull the child, others improve visual and motor coordination, give the first idea of the world. How not to get lost in this variety? What toys for newborns will be really useful?
Development features
Child psychologists are sure that the child does not need toys the first 2-3 weeks after birth. At this time, a sea of new impressions falls upon him: he breathes and bathes differently, feels the touch of his hands, clothes, hears unfamiliar sounds. All this needs to be adapted. And the best assistant in this will be my mother, and not an ultramodern rattle.
Toys for newborns from 0 become interesting crumbs in a month or two. While the baby sees the world around him as blurry spots, he does not know how to focus his eyes, cannot grab a rattle on his own, push it to make it ring. However, some toys may still come in handy. All of them help the baby to calm down, feel safe and sleep soundly, even if mom is not around.
Comfort
The diaper or blanket becomes the best toy for many babies. They are soft to the touch, they can be pressed against you, suck the corner and fall asleep side by side. This is exactly what the first-born Englishwoman Susan Canizzo did. This gave the woman an idea. She took a regular diaper and sewn her head from a soft toy. Susan's product was impregnated with her milk, so that the baby could smell her mother's and feel safe.
Such a toy for sleeping newborns was called a comfort. She really helps babies cope with stress when her mother briefly leaves. Comforters are made from natural soft fabrics or knitted from cotton threads. Usually a toy is a napkin to which the legs and head of a bear, a bunny, a cat or another animal are sewn. The face is embroidered with thread. The use of buttons, beads, bows and other jewelry that can be torn is not allowed.
Touch handkerchief Tag toy
This toy is very popular in Europe and looks like comfort. It is made in the form of a two-layer handkerchief from natural fabrics, into which a soft, rustling material is embedded. Ribbons and lace of various textures and colors are firmly sewn around the edges. The kid can suck and sort out the toy with his hands, listen to the soothing rustling. Such an activity will distract him while his mother drinks tea or is absent for urgent matters. So that the handkerchief is saturated with the smell of milk, it can be worn near the chest, as well as comfort.
You can not worry by leaving a similar soft toy for newborns in the crib. It is absolutely safe, easy to wash, absorbs saliva well, unlike ordinary teddy bears and dogs. The last crumbs are better not to give. In a cute bunny, there may be too much dust, which will provoke an allergic reaction.
Toy warmer
Infants often suffer from colic. A warm heating pad will help to cope with this disaster. But the device from the pharmacy is unlikely to cause sympathy in the baby. In the stores you will find cute toys-warmers for newborns, filled with various cereals, cherry pits, fragrant herbs. After heating in the microwave for 2 minutes, they retain heat for several hours. Cute animals are usually liked by children, as they are pleasant to the touch, smell delicious, take the shape of a body. Moms with pleasure take them with them for a walk in the winter.
Such a useful toy relaxes the baby, warms, soothes. It’s good to fall asleep with her. Especially if there is fragrant lavender inside the soft animal. No less popular filler are cherry stones, which help with colic, colds, pains.
Toys with Noises for Newborns
Being in the mother’s tummy, the baby gets used to the background noise: heartbeat, inhalation and exhalation, the movement of blood through the vessels. That is why many parents find it difficult to rock the baby in complete silence.
To soothe the baby’s nervous system, specially designed noises can be used. They help to cope with overexcitation, relax in a new place, drown out the sounds of repairs from the neighboring apartment. On the market you can find toys for newborns:
- With white noise. This is a monotonous hum, which is created by the sounds of rain, incoming waves, wind, fan, vacuum cleaner, air conditioning.
- With pink noise. It is an alternation of low and high frequencies, repeated periodically. Crohe such a noise resembles the heartbeat of mom.
The sound level can be adjusted. Low sound is preferable - up to 50 dB. Many toys with noise have a standby mode. After some time, the sound turns off. If the baby moves or whimpers, the noise is automatically turned on. Children get used to the quiet accompaniment and quickly fall asleep under it. Pediatricians are advised to use such a toy for babies with sleep disorders. She is hung on the wall of the crib in the legs of the crumbs.
Sami with a mustache
Loving parents can make toys for newborns with their own hands. This requires basic sewing skills and a lot of shreds of natural fabric. For a tactile handkerchief, two 16x16 cm squares will be required. Inside, put in a rustling foil or film. Sew the double-folded ribbons and lace of different colors firmly from the edges.
It is better to make a hot-water bottle from warm fleece or cotton. Filler can be dried cherry seeds, buckwheat, peas. On the Internet, find a pattern of a soft toy that you like. Choose calm colors. Paws and head fill with filler (cotton wool, holofiber). Fill the toy body with cherry bones. You can separately sew a pillow, stuff it with groats and put it inside a soft animal. It remains to fasten the parts of the body together.
The only thing that mom can’t do at home is a toy with noises. Sounds themselves can be turned on on a computer or cell phone, but they will not automatically fade and amplify when the child moves. This will have to be controlled by adults.
Toys for a crib for newborns
A month-old baby can already hold his gaze on one subject. He begins to explore the world around him. He is fascinated by toys moving in a stream of air. At this time, it is recommended to hang objects over the bed at a distance of 40 cm from the baby's face so that he can examine them.
You can use special pendants in the form of garlands, pieces of corrugated paper, bells, simple mobiles. The latter are easy to do with your own hands. Fold paper using origami birds, cut cardboard butterflies, hang feathers, strips of fabric, pompons, etc. on the strings. It is convenient to use a hoop for embroidery as a frame. The mobile is suspended in the field of vision of the baby to the ceiling, on a hanger for flower pots or attached to a canopy.
Musical carousel
However, the mobile can also be bought in the store. It is attached to the side of the crib. Outwardly, the toy resembles a carousel, on which small rattles, animals, angels, etc. are spinning. All this is accompanied by melodic music. Babies become interested in such toys at the age of 1-2 months. With their help, they learn to concentrate on objects, develop hearing, calm down.
Mobiles are electronic and mechanical. The first run on batteries. Parents have to start the second after the end of the playback cycle. Such a toy for newborns can lead to whims if the baby does not fall asleep, and the music suddenly interrupted. Some of the merry-go-rounds allow you to choose melodies, at night they play the role of a night lamp, project an image of the starry sky or other pictures onto the ceiling, emit white noise, react to crying.
How to choose a mobile?
A musical carousel is not cheap. Her choice should be approached with all responsibility. Pay attention to the following points:
- Material. The base should be made of high-quality, durable odorless plastic. Hanging toys are best to choose soft. They should be easy to remove. Instead, periodically post homemade figures from paper and other materials.
- Music. She should be calm, melodic. It is better to choose the classics, the sounds of nature. When the baby grows up, he will be interested in perky songs. It’s good if the toy for newborns from 0 has several melodies in its repertoire, as well as a volume, intensity control. No need to turn on the sound every time, let the crumbs stay in silence.
- A nightlight is a necessary accessory in the first two years. It is better that it runs on mains rather than on batteries. The light emitted must be calm, subdued.
- If you are limited in money, choose a reliable mobile with a minimum of functions. A cheap toy that can do everything is likely to fail quickly.
Black and white pictures
In addition to moving objects, babies look at drawings for a long time. Scientists have proven that children under two months of age better perceive contrasting images. They like straight and broken lines. With the development of vision, complex, curved contours begin to attract them. It is good to distinguish all the colors the child learns only by 4 months. That is why soft cubes, rattles, crib sides, books with black and white images are produced for newborns.
However, any mother can make such toys for a newborn with her own hands. Black and white pictures are easily found on the Internet. They can be printed on a printer, inserted into transparent files and attached to the sides of the crib, near the changing table, on the walls of the apartment, in the bathroom. Kids study them with interest. Exposure is best changed periodically. Also, black and white cubes can be made of cardboard and hung from a rotating mobile.
First rattle
This traditional toy for a newborn becomes interesting for babies in 2-3 months. Prior to this, the child reacts to its movements and sound only if the rattle is in the hands of an adult. Giving it to play independently is dangerous, since the baby still does not control his movements and can hit himself, drop the toy on his face, be afraid of an unexpected ringing.
Which rattles are the smallest? Of course, they should be light, soft (rubber, plastic, fabric), durable, so that the baby could not chip or tear off a piece. You can purchase the following types of rattles:
- Ringing bracelets on a leg or handle. They are made of fabric and fastened with Velcro. Such toys amuse children, learn to coordinate movements.
- Rattle maces with two balls at the ends.
- Ring or oval with strung plastic figures. When they move, they knock on each other.
- Teether ring made of silicone or rubber with pimples, tubercles. By taking it in their mouths, babies massage their gums.
- Rattles made of fabric that make a soft sound during shaking.
Toy with a good face
A two-month-old child loves when they talk to him, look in the eyes, and smile. The human face instantly attracts his attention. This can be used by choosing toys for newborns. A tumbler toy with large, expressive eyes and a friendly smile will be a good gift. If you swing it, you will hear a melodious sound. However, playing with the tumbler is better with the elders.
Big rag dolls, various animals (cat, dog, bunny, lion cub) with cheerful, smiling faces will also please the baby. They can move in the hands of mom, dance, talk with the baby. Kids usually laugh back. You can put the toy friend in the crib so that the baby can examine it.
Safety regulations
When choosing toys for crumbs, you need to remember a few rules:
- Go shopping to the store. Demand that they show you the supporting documents for the toys.
- There should not be any odors.
- Sharp corners, weak mounts, small parts at this age are unacceptable.
- The sounds that the toy makes should not be too loud and harsh.
- Better if the colors are contrasting.
- Before leaving your child alone with a toy, observe his actions. Make sure the rattle is completely safe for your baby.
A toy for a newborn is the first assistant in the study of the world. Responsibly to her choice, because the development of her beloved crumbs depends on this.