By Dian Dewi
Still wondering what kind of gift you should give the baby of your life this holiday season? Should you give picture books? Toys? Clothing? Shoes?
Wonder no more! Choosing a gift for a baby should be simple. Just ask yourself what delights a baby.
There are many things which delight a baby. But toys are undoubtedly at the top of the list. Children, even at a very young age, have already been delighted with good toys. Playing with toys is baby's work. And if you shop wisely, not only the baby will get fun toys which you feel good about giving. She will get the educational ones too.
So why not give a nice baby educational toy this holiday season to the baby of your life?
Choosing an infant toy which is fun, safe and educational sounds simple, but in reality it is not that simple. Go to any toy store and you will know what I mean. Today's market seems to be saturated with baby toys, all marketed as baby educational toys. Deciding which toy to buy is becoming an art that not everybody are skilled in doing.
Here are few tips to make your shopping for baby educational toys easier:
First, the toy has to meet safety standard. This means that you have to adhere to manufacturer's recommended age. Don't buy toys which are intended for older children, even if you think the baby is genius. For safety reason, don't buy any toy which has these followings : sharp parts, small parts which can easily be put into the mouth and swallowed, and long string.
Second, buy toys which are durable and have a good play value. Aim for a toy which can be played in many different ways and at the same time can grow with the child. Get the good quality version of toys of this nature because they are worth it.
Third, if you plan to buy more than one toy, try to get toys which address as many as key developmental area as possible. What are the key development areas we talk about here?
* Gross motor skill. Toys which encourage gross motor skill development including kicking and throwing are good to buy. The examples of such toys are play gym and small balls.
* Hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Toys to be manipulated, including toys for poking, grabbing and turning are good for babies older than 3 months. Examples of such toys are play gym, and toys with an activity center.
* Spatial awarenes. Toys which are good for this purpose includes baby building blocks, stacking rings and nesting cups.
* Senses: touch, sound, vision and possibly smell. In order to stimulate senses, get infant toys with these following features: bright contrasting colors, lots of different textures, different sound and possibly different smell.
And finally, I can hear you saying: "Yes, stacking rings are good. But surely I can't get those five dollars plastic stacking rings at the discount store for a holiday gift." I know what you mean. You want the gift to be special.
If you want a unique toy , special stacking rings for instance, you have a better chance of getting them by going to specialized online toy stores. They usually have one-of-a-kind-toys. In the case of stacking rings, I find that some stores carry special stacking rings made from fabrics. One of the adorable stacking rings I found is the stacking rings which form an animal figure. So the top ring has ears and eyes, the middle one has hands, and the bottom one has legs.
So don't waste your hard-earned dollars buying 'ordinary toys'. Get baby educational toys for your baby.
Happy shopping !
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Dian Dewi works as a researcher, is a busy mother of two young children and is the webmaster
Best Child Toys, a website which provides information on how to choose good child toys including baby educational toys.
Quality Holiday Gift for Babies
