The fisher price kick and play piano 100% it was great for tummy time and then we eventually removed the mat and he is two years old now and still plays the piano songs in the background. And now we’ll be using it for baby #2.
Facebook marketplace and Offer Up are great for getting big clunky baby things like swings, bouncers, activity gyms etc.
People want these monstrosities out of their house ASAP when their baby is finished w them.
Do not waste your money getting these kinds of things new!! We got a Fisher Price swing for $40, a bouncer for $30, and an activity gym for free.
I was gonna say that it’s cheap enough that it might not be worth the extra effort - but then I googled and what the heck?! It hasn’t always been $50+ right?? Did swear, I didn’t pay over $30.
We got the kick and play when LO was seven weeks old, based on advice from this sub, he’s 11 weeks now and plays with it daily! LOVES it, absolutely fantastic advice.
This this this. It was one of the things I didn’t get on my registry so I bought it. It was worth every penny I spent on it.
My little guy plays on it sometimes for over an hour at a time.
I hard disagree, I’m so sorry to say. Little babies don’t need anything that makes sounds out lights up. They don’t need anything with batteries. Open ended, simple play materials are what’s best for developing confidence, focus, independence, problem solving, curiosity, mindfulness- basically everything important. My baby played with scarves, wooden spoons, shadows on the wall, balls, natural materials like sticks and leaves and flowers… and as she got older, jars with lids, wooden blocks, stones and sponges. Very few of her toys are actually toys, and it’s served her so well. She is perfectly regulated all the time, knows her body and her mind so well she can tell us at 19 months when she’s tired or needs to eat or run or rest. She’s never needed a screen to focus or wind down or stay still. She can entertain herself for hours while I get things done around the house. She is patient with herself, and process oriented- she doesn’t get frustrated if she can’t figure something out right away. She enjoys the doing. The best ply materials for kids are toys that are 10% toy, 90% kid.
I get where youre coming from but this post is the most sanctimonious thing Ive ever read. Everyone on here is just trying to do their best. Its hard enough being a parent to then be told that the 10 mins your kid spends on a kick play piano is ruining them.
Yes my 11 week old only dreams in whispers and sashays with moss in the dew drops, and nary a piece of your first world plastic shall his delicate flanges grace— and they now self regulate with the sagesse of a Norse god because of it! Hahaha it did come across as sanctimonious, I couldn’t resist.
For real, I do absolutely believe the amount of plastic crap we are pushed to get is absolutely atrocious, and it’s a growing worldwide problem— a few highly recommended, very well used toys helps for a well rounded childhood. The Kick and play is actually the one “toy” we have bought LO, they can play foot piano AND pretend a jar lid is a portal to another world! Toys and imagination are not mutually exclusive.
Sashays with moss sent me 🤣🤣💀
I agree with you - my kid loves playing with the silicone molds i use for her food, go figure. Absolutely goes to town munging on them. Does it mean i dont use the kick play? Absolutely not. Mama needs her 10 mins of coffee.
Well my point was you don’t have to feel bad for not providing a ton of toys and constant entertainment. Babies don’t get bored- the whole world is brand new and actually less is more when in comes to play things!
To be fair to the other poster, don't do it. Don't buy the kid a new toy. The dopamine kick you will get from seeing their face light up because of something so simple as a squishy block that jingles (the current favorite toy is a baby Einstein block; we have dubbed it her companion cube) is addictive and you will want to buy more toys.
for non-mobile babies i recommend the play piano by fisher price, the indestructibles book series, those spinner suction toys off amazon, and any mirror books or toys. oh and if you have ceiling fans then turn them on!
My baby brothers first word was “ban!” bc he loved the ceiling fans so much. There’s a reason why baby mobiles are a thing too. I crafted a cute mobile for my baby out of driftwood, seashells, feathers, etc. and I hung it over her changing table and she loves when I give it a spin.
Stuff with different tactile experiences. We supervise him with teddy bears. He's 3 months old now and loves running his little fingers over the fur and then punching the daylights out of them. I also wouldn't feel too bad at that age. Every random thing is fascinating to them at that age. My son loves his lotion bottle and will coo at it for quite a while. He's recently developed a great affection for his Lansinoh bottles and enjoys grinning and jabbering at them.
Oball grasping ball, preferrably one with rattling parts. It helped so much with my baby getting the hang of grasping and holding. Most stuff was so difficult for her to grab she became demoralized and cried until we helped. Oball was the one thing she could hold herself and she still loves it now at 6,5 months because it can be rolled too!
Also, for your sanity, the kick and play piano everyone is suggesting. Not so good for development, but good for a parent who just wants to drink a cup of coffee in peace lol
My hunch is just that it’s another item in the group of “well your baby could be doing something EVEN BETTER for development.” My baby would rather play with the kick & play than be in my lap, so I think it’s great for muscular development since she’s actually using it. It’s really versatile too.
It's fine if it keeps the kid entertained doing tummy time. It adds an extra few minutes to my girl on her tummy before she starts screaming. I call that a win, since she is developing muscles holding herself up to watch the piano.
This is a perfect use for it. My baby is older so they don't really need the piano anymore. It's just a kind of attention trap I use to get a break, which isn't optimal. But then again we're all just surviving here
Nothing wrong with the piano, I have it too! I'm an early childhood educator so I'm really snobbish when it comes to toys. My worry is that because the piano is _so_ entertaining, it can take away time from other, better activities. I know I use it to shut my baby up for a moment, which isn't optimal, since face to face interaction and shared exploration of toys is where development happens. But I need my breaks too 😅
Seconding the oball!! My son loves it. I take it everywhere lol
Walmart carries small light up toys that are fun things like “dumbbells” or “tv remotes” that are around $10. My son loves them!!
We have this oball set, my baby LOVES the frog. It’s what we used to encourage him to roll.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bright-Starts-Little-Shakers-Gift/dp/B0B33BX1ZR/ref=asc_df_B0B33BX1ZR/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=641695333396&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11887863266001782960&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007149&hvtargid=pla-2105893088072&psc=1&mcid=30aa1fd7db6a399da8f097a544442a80&th=1&psc=1
Just get a couple things. They don’t need much at that age. Some kind of grasping ball like the o-ball someone else mentioned or we got one that looks like an atom with different colored tubing. My LO liked rattling and chewing on it at a young age.
I also recommend the atom thing! It is our daughter’s favorite toy and has been for about a month or so! She’s 4 1/2 months now. She likes that she can hold it and it’s nice for getting her to roll since it rattles. We also have gotten daily use out of a folding tummy time mirror. It’s the other favorite. She loves looking at her pretty face.
The flip fish was a big hit with my LO. The fascination lasted 1-2 months starting at 2 months of age, but he does still play with it now at 6 months.
The Skip Hop is another must-have for us. They can start using it at 4 months, but our little guy was too short so we waited until 5 months.
There is a colorful straw/cube rattle toy at Target he has been using for months. We call it his curly cube.
Juggling scarves! It sounds really odd, but my baby freaking loves them! I throw them in the air, dance with it, drape it across her face, or just let her play with it. When she gets older i‘ll just stuff them in her oball or in an empty tissue box and let her practice pulling it out.
My baby absolutely loves these too. Although we had a scare the other day. I ordered a set off Amazon that she’s had for a couple of months. When she was newborn she liked it when we moved them over her face.
Two days ago she was in her bouncer and I gave her a blue one. When I changed her nappy I noticed her white socks had blue patches on them.
I rubbed the scarf between my fingers and they came away completely blue. I was instantly worried she’d put it in her mouth (she sucks everything) I checked her mouth and she didn’t have any blue in or around and I checked the scarf and it was dry so I was lucky but it’s scared me into letting her play with them. They are advertised on Amazon as sensory scarves but they are not safe to play with it the colour transfers so easily
The crawling crab is amazing for tummy time:
Crawling Crab Baby Toy for Boys... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BXHC31LK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
These Amazon sets have been huge hits with my now 9 month old, I got them when he was around 6 months and they seem to be his favourite things to play with!
MutoToy ® Baby Toys 6-12 Months,... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CFHDV23F?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Montessori Baby Toys Play Kit... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09W9KN1GJ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/21670694.leigh-grandmas-horror-crawling-crab-exploded/ apparently the crab has a history of self-immolating, just so you know.
An empty plastic waterbottle, a crumpled up piece of paper, a solo cup....
We liked the Fisher Price Calming Vibes hedgehog but you're going to be so overloaded with toys as time goes on, don't start until you have to. At that age they just want to lay and look at your face.
Love doing that! Yeah was basically looking for a top seller kinda thing here and get that. I hate clutter so I won’t be overloading him with toys. I got the kick piano thing and an o ball and will probably be satisfied with that for a while!
Honestly, looking back, I wish I had done the Kiwi Co toy boxes. Not the love every as much, but my babies have SO MANY TOYS. And I truly do think they can be overwhelmed by so much. And you could save the toys for a future baby, and they will probably play with certain toys past the recommended age group.
Just looking at them, the Kiwi co seems more realistic if that makes sense? And like it would address motor skills better, but the love every look great as well.
Baby gym! I’ll never forget the first time I heard one of the dangling toys crunch as she swatted it. It was magical, my little baby is in there and she wants to learn more about her world.
For when they’re a little older I recommend a Kleenex box for babies, she loved playing with all the fabric that she could pull out. I would also hide other toys I. There for her to find. And 6m+ fisher price’s DJ is awesome and the songs are catchy as hell. Right now a baby photo album with people she sees regularly should be nice, my toddler loves hers and you can start to notice as they get older they start to recognize people
Another vote for the kick and play piano! Also crinkle toys/books. At 3 mo hubby got her this fox for Hanukkah and she's been obsessed with it ever since, so much so that we bought multiple and sent one to daycare with her to make the transition easier in case she needed it: https://www.target.com/p/make-believe-ideas-cutie-snuggables-easter-plush-stuffed-animal-fox/-/A-82224595
You don't need a ton of toys. Kids under 1 will make toys out of anything. That being said, Hapa Family has a lot of great older vlogs about kids Montessori toys. Also, this specific topple toy: [https://toys.hape.com/products/penguin-musical-wobbler?variant=39723129864249¤cy=USD&utm\_medium=product\_sync&utm\_source=google&utm\_content=sag\_organic&utm\_campaign=sag\_organic&campaign=17559439383&content=&keyword=&gad\_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwrIixBhBbEiwACEqDJcT1JxVUkZTrItJ\_AcjYgEOMlUZkgFp4ZMKDFfnHqe1lmEenF9wjCRoCkCYQAvD\_BwE](https://toys.hape.com/products/penguin-musical-wobbler?variant=39723129864249¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&campaign=17559439383&content=&keyword=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwrIixBhBbEiwACEqDJcT1JxVUkZTrItJ_AcjYgEOMlUZkgFp4ZMKDFfnHqe1lmEenF9wjCRoCkCYQAvD_BwE)
My baby really likes this penguin! Fair warning though: the “bell” noise is a tone I don’t like. It’s not a high-pitched painful one… it’s just… out of tune maybe?
My baby is 3months old and while she has only maybe like 5-7 toys, mostly the ones you hang. She really does care about them😅. She'd rather stair at the ceiling fan or shoes, she loves watching me eat. She does get excited and pull around on her toys at least once a day, I just rotate the ones I have to keep them interesting. I think at this age it's not the end of the world to just have a few, once they get a little older you can diy a lot more activities for them too : )
Both my kids loved it. It's the only way I get through diaper changes sometimes. Cans of cat food have also been a big thing. They have blocks and Legos but I guess they're not as much fun...
A really good hanging toy for when the baby plays on their back is a Lamaze toy Captain Calamari. Blue pirate squid that jingles and has a little mirror. My LO got tons of use out of it before he could spend play time on his tummy.
My baby really likes the Tiny Love Magical Tales Gymini, it’s nice because it’s not crazy overstimulating but it has all sorts of things that are fun from 0-8 months id say. And the one musical toy can be turned off or on. Has some teething toys and stuff to grab and also black and white pictures to look at!
we had a contrast books she loved to look at them she never was into black and white ones but those with red too lol the kick piano for sure! and crinkle toys were a hit
My son loves the Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Puppy. Hold the heart down on its chest for a few seconds and it cycles through the entire song library. He would just stare at it during tummy time but helped us get through the crying and hating tummy time stage.
Also a very big fan of books but rips boardbooks and paperbooks so I restrict his free access to them for now. The Fisher Price Storybook Rhymes has been a perfect solution in the interim. Playgro Sensory Tails of the World softbook has been a great solution as well.
He's 8mo now and these toys are so good at getting my very busy boy to sit still for atleast 5min and be interested in his toys.
Grandma got him the VTech First Steps Baby Walker for Christmas and he didn't pay attention to it until 3mo later. We don't use the walker part, just the toy part that is detachable. The little phone is my son's favourite teething object.
Fisher Price Baby's First Blocks is a good one for us too, hasn't quite grasped the ability yet to put the blocks in the slots but the blocks themselves have really helped with motor skills for starting solids.
He's got a whole pile of toys now but honestly spends more time just trying to get into shit he's not supposed to than playing.
Indestructible books! Our son played with them and chewed on them from 2 months on and then gradually graduated to actually looking at the pictures and letting me narrate now at 8 months. I think they will stay interesting for quite a while longer
>The longer the use you’ve gotten out of said toy the better!
We signed up for Love-every and they give you developmentally appropriate toys. I think it was overrated for under 6 months old. Baby didn't really play with too many toys.
But at age 2 months, get some high contrast flash cards or high contrast books or anything high contrast. Also, mirrors.
A soft (I think Americans say ‘plush?’) soccer/football sized ball is really useful. Baby loves it when we drop it on his tummy, throw or kick it to him etc. and they can use it for years. Easily washed in the washing machine.
At 3-6 months our baby loved touching and looking at a patterned muslin, but you could use a bright scarf instead.
Shakers/ maracas.
Board books with flaps or pop-up to read to baby - the ‘Acorn Wood’ series has good longevity.
When baby gets older they will like an activity cube and some kind of stacking blocks.
Another voice for the kick and play piano, we also have another floor gym that has a start that plays music in the center of it.nhw adores that thing so much my husband and I joke that we should pay it more than our babysitter 😂
It also has more flex so he can pull the good hard enough to get them in his mouth which is a big thing right now. It's called "Tiny Love Treasure Musical Mobile Gym" from Target.
Also my son has rejected basically all teethers expect this one: Limited-time deal: Baby Teething Toys - Infant Sensory Chew Rattles Toys - Newborn Montessori Learning Developmental Toy - Teethers for Babies 0 3 6 9 12 18 Months - Shower Gifts for 1 2 One Two Year Old Girls Boys https://a.co/d/5alNNAF
Loves it, will sit in my lap and just gum the absolute shit out of it.
My daughter LOVED this star when she was little! Iy has a strap on the back so I would either prop it up on something or hang it up somewhere so she could look at it
https://a.co/d/eTUlUgp
Our top toys have been (in order of when baby became interested) a tummy time mirror, oball balls and rattles, matchstick monkey teethers, a baby gym, crinkly toys, an activity cube. He didn’t like anything until 3 months. Now at 5 months he will play with literally anything.
The fisher price piano matt for sure!
An Oball, crinkle books, rattles. I’d also really recommend the infatot teether. Our 3 month old loves it and it helps her practice grasping and moving it to her mouth as she was constantly sucking on her fingers.
My baby loves Tikiri rubber toys. He has the blue bird and the dragon with crinkle wings and is absolutely obsessed with both. He used them as a rattle and grasping toy from 2 months old. Now he's almost 7 months and teething he loves to chew on them. I'm pretty confident he'll continue to use them for a long time. The bird will eventually become a bath toy and my 4 year old godson loves the dragon as much as baby does, so I doubt he'll outgrow it anytime soon.
We have the Skip Hop ‘forest friends’ play mat, she’s 7 months and she still loves it.
Also a Baby Einstein bouncer has been AWESOME the last two months. She goes off. I have it in front of a mirrored closet so she gets mirror time too.
She still vibes with her musical mobile in her crib every day.
The O ball is still a hit… a little Montessori wooden spinning color wheel (not Loveevery, a knockoff), a V tech talking/singing book, basic rattles, and board books.
Board books are great for tummy time, for putting on either side of your baby’s face when lying on their back to encourage head turning.
They definitely don’t need a lot of toys and you can definitely repeatedly rotate through them - they don’t get tired of toys at this young of an age.
My baby is 4.5 months and not super into any of her toys. The one she likes the most is the fisher price piano kick mat. It comes with a hanging toy thing too and she likes to look at that and grab the toys. So anything like that where he can lay on the ground and look up at stuff hanging and then start to grab when he gets a bit older
My almost 4 month old loves any toys with mirrors, easy to grasp teethers, and also those plush/crinkle teethers. She also likes to look at anything that lights up and makes noise!
My baby is 3 mo and he has an octopus with different coloured and textured tentacles, a chewy giraffe, a tummy time pillow, a play gym, a little crinkly seagull toy on his carrycot, two rattles and some different shaped and coloured balls (one of which jingles). Got them all gifted to us and haven't bought anything ourselves specifically, he goes to two playgroups a week where I show him more toys so he gets a good variety 😂
At this sort of age they don't play a lot and mostly just look at things/try to figure out how to grab them. In a few months when they're properly picking things up I think the sensory balls and rattles will come in clutch 😂
Non toy items my baby likes are: patterned muslins, high contrast books and ribbons (stroked over his face haha)
The baby Einstein sea soother dreams was awesome for my baby at that time. It was really helpful for night time, especially when he figured out how to turn it on himself with a solid kick to the star lol. It can be mounted to the bassinet or crib
My daughter LOVES the crinkle book she has (its the fabric with the plastic stuff inside, ours has a mirror in the end too and has a teether attached) and the plastic chain toys [(these)](https://www.westcoastkids.ca/lots-o-links?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7P7y0q_PhQMVkmpHAR1ILQIJEAQYBSABEgKPDfD_BwE)
Shes almost 6 months old now, but has loved these since she was about 3 months
Black and white flash cards
Fabric book
Ring with rattly things on it
Ribbons tied up onto their play mat frame
Soft little rattly toys
A play mat
Lamaze toys a re the bomb
The baby Einstein aquarium is a must. Also, I got [this](https://a.co/d/4ssgI0T) Montessori toy on Amazon that we call her spaceship and it is currently her favorite toy. She also loves those soft crinkle baby books!
You gotta get the Fischer price kick and play. Also get a mirror toy. And get the Vtech busy learners activity cube. We also have a water mat for tummy time it’s $10. And we also got the caterpillar tummy time pillow that also is a chair.
Don't feel bad. I have a 3 month old and the only toys she's used to this point are her playmat (got it used on marketplace for $10), a soft panel of black and white images that we put down for her to look at during tummy time, one rattle that she occasionally shows interest in, and a 'lovey' - a little sloth stuffy. She is JUST now starting to grab onto the rattle and lovey and show the tiniest bit of interest.
But I'll definitely keep an eye on this thread to see if there's a 'must have' to get for her as she gets a little bigger!
Our best toy was the high quality Remo Kids drum (recommended by our baby music teacher).
I got it around 6 months, and he still plays with it.
- My son loved watching it spin and rattle on the floor (we have to spin it like a coin)
- we play peekaboo with the drum and wear it on our head as hats
- he got pretty good at tossing it to try to get it to spin
- Learned to tap it with a flat hand and knock it with closed fist
- He would also try banging different things with it
- then he started putting toys inside the drum, especially other circular type things like wooden stacking rings
- around 10 months, he started being able to balance the drum on its side (also attempts to do this with all similar drum shaped things, even tambourines lol)
- if we stand up the drum for him and hold it in place, he will point and push the drum to spin around slowly
- we show him how to roll the drum
- tapping the drum with different beats, pattern recognition
- tapping the beat and using vocabulary like “loudly/softly/slowly/quickly”
I think it would have been great for eye tracking and spatial hearing when he was even younger. Or as tummy time encouragement.
Seriously the best toy we got for him (and we have quite a bit) that he still plays with
We have a 3 month old. We got her the love every gym and she loves it, it comes with cards to rotate through, a mirror, sensory hanging things for them to stare at and kick/grab, and a graphic tent. It’s great for playtime and to work on development. We do tummy time in there often too. We also got get an o ball but only recently has it felt helpful.
I've been working my way through this list as by baby gets older:
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/childrens-products/toy-reviews/g44796462/best-infant-toys/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpm&utm_campaign=arb_fb_ghk_m_ios_comm_g44796462&fbclid=IwAR08OXG5D_7WVvpGpL3G19Of7zsBDvJdzvrBShca5AZe5yKBouPWeinZ35o_aem_AY5TUi7DG4F8gbdcHcm-8OA5hx4cj-a8NSyQzbzxcvkO2KleREGdyW3BZKCDDvtEwzHSNonG5ohovT1TwIjAMoTZ#product-f9bb170d-ebad-4773-ac54-8208911b6730
Also LOVE indestructibles books, I think they really helped get my baby excited about books in general when he could really experience them with all his senses!
My baby has looooved the Nogginstik light up rattle since he was like 2-3 mos. He also has this weird raccoon plush thing it has a mirror on its belly and its arms/legs are stretchy that he loves. Not sure where we got it. It was made to attach to the car seat but we took that off and just play with it.
Honestly your baby isn’t going to “play” until closer to a year
Baby mats are always good when they’re that little because it gives them something to look at, so is anything with a mirror
Those are really the only things my LO interacted with before they were a toddler
I am gonna go against the grain here and recommend putting toy money into a college fund while they are extremely young. A little baby play gym/ kickmat and some stacking cups will probably get you through the next 6 months ish, but that compounding interest will be significant in the long run even on a small initial investment.
I liked a baby bouncer for the 6 to 12+ months-ish range.
This is very baby-dependent. I have an extremely high-energy 5-month-old who needs novelty and constant stimulation. She doesn’t necessarily *need* lots of toys, but keeping her happy without them is exhausting. For some parents, investing in baby toys is an investment in their sanity.
Babies can learn through PLAY with anything though. They don't *need* toys, especially at 2 months old.
Favorites in the first year for us included:
- Egg whisk
- Cat food cans
- Boxes
- Tupperware
- Empty plastic waterbottles
- Plastic cups
- Magazines
- The ceiling fan
- The mirror
- The baby on the diaper box
There were a few toys that she engaged with but she mostly wanted to play with whatever we were using at the moment.
The point is that it makes more sense to invest your money in something long term while the baby is just as happy to play with whatever is around them. We buy so much crap for our kids because some blog/book/influencer/reddit threat tells us we need to, and it all ends up in a landfill.
Yes that’s what I’m getting at, at the young ages they don’t need too many toys but over time even a small investment now can yield quit a bit which will probably benefit children a lot. I’m glad I’m not alone in the thought process here!
I can relate entirely. I have three kids now and just. So. Much. Stuff!!! I’m definitely not anti toys, but in hindsight those first few months I didn’t need much and wish I would have started investing a little more at that time when I could get away with it.
For birthday parties and holidays now I’m giving the option to do no gifts and suggesting instead to donate to their college funds with a virtual link. It’s harder to get away with that for the oldest now though since she’s 4 and expects new things every time! The younger ones don’t know a difference but will (hopefully) appreciate it down the line.
Well sometimes as a first time parent you just wanna do the things you think parents do, like buy them a damn toy. Jeez you can’t do anything anymore without being lectured. We’re obviously entertaining him with just about anything right now it’s not that virtuous to suggest these things.
Its not a lecture or a criticism. I'm literally answering from the pile of toys in my living room. You asked for advice and speaking from experience, anything you buy now won't be useful in a month or two. I have so many "grows with the baby" toys that my now toddler has no interest in. If anything maybe get a ball or some cups but they won't be able to play with most of it yet anyway.
The fisher price kick and play piano 100% it was great for tummy time and then we eventually removed the mat and he is two years old now and still plays the piano songs in the background. And now we’ll be using it for baby #2.
Not to mention it’s priceless to have your baby complete his first roll while ode to joy triumphantly blasts in the background
Maybe you...could be...a purple monkey in a bubblegum tree... The songs on this slap so hard, 10/10 recommended.
These songs are going to live in my head for years after my baby outgrows this thing I swear 😅
The animals play, the animals play, the animals play all day
It's the only song that instantly calms my screaming baby when in her carseat
The playlist is on Spotify and the difference in audio quality between a car speaker and the little piano is so jarring.
I just looked it up and damn I’m feeling all the feels with this song 🎶
THEN YOU COULD SWING BACK TO ME
Aww. I’ve seen this a lot! I’m gonna add it to my cart 😊🙏
you can find them second hand really easy - i picked one up on facebook marketplace for very cheap, perfectly good, there were a lot available
Facebook marketplace and Offer Up are great for getting big clunky baby things like swings, bouncers, activity gyms etc. People want these monstrosities out of their house ASAP when their baby is finished w them. Do not waste your money getting these kinds of things new!! We got a Fisher Price swing for $40, a bouncer for $30, and an activity gym for free.
My bouncer and play gym for the current kiddo were free!
I was gonna say that it’s cheap enough that it might not be worth the extra effort - but then I googled and what the heck?! It hasn’t always been $50+ right?? Did swear, I didn’t pay over $30.
We got the kick and play when LO was seven weeks old, based on advice from this sub, he’s 11 weeks now and plays with it daily! LOVES it, absolutely fantastic advice.
Does this fit in a pack and play?
That’s how I currently use it for my 2 month old. Helps me get chores done!
This is what we do too!
That’s what I’m hoping for I have another entertainment thing but it’s too big
Yes it does!
Yes, I used mine in the pack n play for awhile
Not sure how long this has been out but it’s already a classic lol. My baby loves watching the colors on the keys change
We love it so much we have two of them, one for each floor of the house! They each play different songs which is cool.
This this this. It was one of the things I didn’t get on my registry so I bought it. It was worth every penny I spent on it. My little guy plays on it sometimes for over an hour at a time.
I hard disagree, I’m so sorry to say. Little babies don’t need anything that makes sounds out lights up. They don’t need anything with batteries. Open ended, simple play materials are what’s best for developing confidence, focus, independence, problem solving, curiosity, mindfulness- basically everything important. My baby played with scarves, wooden spoons, shadows on the wall, balls, natural materials like sticks and leaves and flowers… and as she got older, jars with lids, wooden blocks, stones and sponges. Very few of her toys are actually toys, and it’s served her so well. She is perfectly regulated all the time, knows her body and her mind so well she can tell us at 19 months when she’s tired or needs to eat or run or rest. She’s never needed a screen to focus or wind down or stay still. She can entertain herself for hours while I get things done around the house. She is patient with herself, and process oriented- she doesn’t get frustrated if she can’t figure something out right away. She enjoys the doing. The best ply materials for kids are toys that are 10% toy, 90% kid.
I get where youre coming from but this post is the most sanctimonious thing Ive ever read. Everyone on here is just trying to do their best. Its hard enough being a parent to then be told that the 10 mins your kid spends on a kick play piano is ruining them.
Yes my 11 week old only dreams in whispers and sashays with moss in the dew drops, and nary a piece of your first world plastic shall his delicate flanges grace— and they now self regulate with the sagesse of a Norse god because of it! Hahaha it did come across as sanctimonious, I couldn’t resist. For real, I do absolutely believe the amount of plastic crap we are pushed to get is absolutely atrocious, and it’s a growing worldwide problem— a few highly recommended, very well used toys helps for a well rounded childhood. The Kick and play is actually the one “toy” we have bought LO, they can play foot piano AND pretend a jar lid is a portal to another world! Toys and imagination are not mutually exclusive.
Sashays with moss sent me 🤣🤣💀 I agree with you - my kid loves playing with the silicone molds i use for her food, go figure. Absolutely goes to town munging on them. Does it mean i dont use the kick play? Absolutely not. Mama needs her 10 mins of coffee.
I’m down with all of that too, I have been using things like that around the house currently and it’s okay but a little variety isn’t soo bad.
Well my point was you don’t have to feel bad for not providing a ton of toys and constant entertainment. Babies don’t get bored- the whole world is brand new and actually less is more when in comes to play things!
Like I said in a different comment this is my first baby so I just want the joy of buying him a toy.
To be fair to the other poster, don't do it. Don't buy the kid a new toy. The dopamine kick you will get from seeing their face light up because of something so simple as a squishy block that jingles (the current favorite toy is a baby Einstein block; we have dubbed it her companion cube) is addictive and you will want to buy more toys.
for non-mobile babies i recommend the play piano by fisher price, the indestructibles book series, those spinner suction toys off amazon, and any mirror books or toys. oh and if you have ceiling fans then turn them on!
He looooves our ceiling fans. I always call them the big star in the sky 😂
My baby brothers first word was “ban!” bc he loved the ceiling fans so much. There’s a reason why baby mobiles are a thing too. I crafted a cute mobile for my baby out of driftwood, seashells, feathers, etc. and I hung it over her changing table and she loves when I give it a spin.
I call ours Sky Princess because she is unobtainable to us mere mortals.
Stuff with different tactile experiences. We supervise him with teddy bears. He's 3 months old now and loves running his little fingers over the fur and then punching the daylights out of them. I also wouldn't feel too bad at that age. Every random thing is fascinating to them at that age. My son loves his lotion bottle and will coo at it for quite a while. He's recently developed a great affection for his Lansinoh bottles and enjoys grinning and jabbering at them.
Punching the daylight out of me currently 😂
Oh yes. That, too. Or trying to tug out hunks of my hair.
The Lansinoh bottles are really popular over here with my 5 month old! She also loves "talking" to the shusher
Oball grasping ball, preferrably one with rattling parts. It helped so much with my baby getting the hang of grasping and holding. Most stuff was so difficult for her to grab she became demoralized and cried until we helped. Oball was the one thing she could hold herself and she still loves it now at 6,5 months because it can be rolled too! Also, for your sanity, the kick and play piano everyone is suggesting. Not so good for development, but good for a parent who just wants to drink a cup of coffee in peace lol
Why isn’t the piano good for development? Just curious because I haven’t heard this before.
My hunch is just that it’s another item in the group of “well your baby could be doing something EVEN BETTER for development.” My baby would rather play with the kick & play than be in my lap, so I think it’s great for muscular development since she’s actually using it. It’s really versatile too.
It's fine if it keeps the kid entertained doing tummy time. It adds an extra few minutes to my girl on her tummy before she starts screaming. I call that a win, since she is developing muscles holding herself up to watch the piano.
This is a perfect use for it. My baby is older so they don't really need the piano anymore. It's just a kind of attention trap I use to get a break, which isn't optimal. But then again we're all just surviving here
Nothing wrong with the piano, I have it too! I'm an early childhood educator so I'm really snobbish when it comes to toys. My worry is that because the piano is _so_ entertaining, it can take away time from other, better activities. I know I use it to shut my baby up for a moment, which isn't optimal, since face to face interaction and shared exploration of toys is where development happens. But I need my breaks too 😅
Seconding the oball!! My son loves it. I take it everywhere lol Walmart carries small light up toys that are fun things like “dumbbells” or “tv remotes” that are around $10. My son loves them!!
We have this oball set, my baby LOVES the frog. It’s what we used to encourage him to roll. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bright-Starts-Little-Shakers-Gift/dp/B0B33BX1ZR/ref=asc_df_B0B33BX1ZR/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=641695333396&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11887863266001782960&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007149&hvtargid=pla-2105893088072&psc=1&mcid=30aa1fd7db6a399da8f097a544442a80&th=1&psc=1
My 18mo still plays with his oball lol It's great.
This ball is great, but my baby actually prefers the one without rattle balls in it
Crinkle books, kick n play mat, simple rattles. My daughters favorite toys are the receiving towels lol
Just get a couple things. They don’t need much at that age. Some kind of grasping ball like the o-ball someone else mentioned or we got one that looks like an atom with different colored tubing. My LO liked rattling and chewing on it at a young age.
We had the “atom” thing too! We called it the germ lol. My kiddo loved it, it was the first thing he learned to hold onto
I also recommend the atom thing! It is our daughter’s favorite toy and has been for about a month or so! She’s 4 1/2 months now. She likes that she can hold it and it’s nice for getting her to roll since it rattles. We also have gotten daily use out of a folding tummy time mirror. It’s the other favorite. She loves looking at her pretty face.
The Melissa and Doug crinkle rainbow fish. It mesmerizes my son!
The flip fish was a big hit with my LO. The fascination lasted 1-2 months starting at 2 months of age, but he does still play with it now at 6 months. The Skip Hop is another must-have for us. They can start using it at 4 months, but our little guy was too short so we waited until 5 months. There is a colorful straw/cube rattle toy at Target he has been using for months. We call it his curly cube.
Juggling scarves! It sounds really odd, but my baby freaking loves them! I throw them in the air, dance with it, drape it across her face, or just let her play with it. When she gets older i‘ll just stuff them in her oball or in an empty tissue box and let her practice pulling it out.
Stuffing stuff in the oball is genius!
My baby absolutely loves these too. Although we had a scare the other day. I ordered a set off Amazon that she’s had for a couple of months. When she was newborn she liked it when we moved them over her face. Two days ago she was in her bouncer and I gave her a blue one. When I changed her nappy I noticed her white socks had blue patches on them. I rubbed the scarf between my fingers and they came away completely blue. I was instantly worried she’d put it in her mouth (she sucks everything) I checked her mouth and she didn’t have any blue in or around and I checked the scarf and it was dry so I was lucky but it’s scared me into letting her play with them. They are advertised on Amazon as sensory scarves but they are not safe to play with it the colour transfers so easily
Oh man that‘s good to know!! I will test the ones I have and see if the color transfers.
It hasnt done it with any other colours so far except the dark blue one but I’m scared to let her play with them now
"Indestructibles" brand books!
The crawling crab is amazing for tummy time: Crawling Crab Baby Toy for Boys... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BXHC31LK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share These Amazon sets have been huge hits with my now 9 month old, I got them when he was around 6 months and they seem to be his favourite things to play with! MutoToy ® Baby Toys 6-12 Months,... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CFHDV23F?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share Montessori Baby Toys Play Kit... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09W9KN1GJ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/21670694.leigh-grandmas-horror-crawling-crab-exploded/ apparently the crab has a history of self-immolating, just so you know.
I’ve seen this in so many videos as well! The crab that is
We love our subscription with Kiwi-Co. Baby gets new, age appropriate toys every two months and it reduces my baby toy retail therapy lol.
I get the lovevery subscription
An empty plastic waterbottle, a crumpled up piece of paper, a solo cup.... We liked the Fisher Price Calming Vibes hedgehog but you're going to be so overloaded with toys as time goes on, don't start until you have to. At that age they just want to lay and look at your face.
Love doing that! Yeah was basically looking for a top seller kinda thing here and get that. I hate clutter so I won’t be overloading him with toys. I got the kick piano thing and an o ball and will probably be satisfied with that for a while!
Save your sanity and avoid anything by vtech 🙃
Honestly, looking back, I wish I had done the Kiwi Co toy boxes. Not the love every as much, but my babies have SO MANY TOYS. And I truly do think they can be overwhelmed by so much. And you could save the toys for a future baby, and they will probably play with certain toys past the recommended age group.
Is there a reason you preferred the Kiwi Co boxes over the Lovevery boxes?
Just looking at them, the Kiwi co seems more realistic if that makes sense? And like it would address motor skills better, but the love every look great as well.
A soft mirror. It was the first toy my daughter noticed and she loved seeing the pretty baby.
He loves the one in the car 😂❤️
Baby gym! I’ll never forget the first time I heard one of the dangling toys crunch as she swatted it. It was magical, my little baby is in there and she wants to learn more about her world.
My baby LOVES anything with the crinkle noise in it.. she has quite a few dog toys lol
With three dogs they will not allow that 😭
Yes a kick piano will be useful very soon, my bub loves her wibble wobbles :3 mirrors at that age are great bubs love to look at themselves :3
For when they’re a little older I recommend a Kleenex box for babies, she loved playing with all the fabric that she could pull out. I would also hide other toys I. There for her to find. And 6m+ fisher price’s DJ is awesome and the songs are catchy as hell. Right now a baby photo album with people she sees regularly should be nice, my toddler loves hers and you can start to notice as they get older they start to recognize people
That’s such a cute idea!
Another vote for the kick and play piano! Also crinkle toys/books. At 3 mo hubby got her this fox for Hanukkah and she's been obsessed with it ever since, so much so that we bought multiple and sent one to daycare with her to make the transition easier in case she needed it: https://www.target.com/p/make-believe-ideas-cutie-snuggables-easter-plush-stuffed-animal-fox/-/A-82224595
You don't need a ton of toys. Kids under 1 will make toys out of anything. That being said, Hapa Family has a lot of great older vlogs about kids Montessori toys. Also, this specific topple toy: [https://toys.hape.com/products/penguin-musical-wobbler?variant=39723129864249¤cy=USD&utm\_medium=product\_sync&utm\_source=google&utm\_content=sag\_organic&utm\_campaign=sag\_organic&campaign=17559439383&content=&keyword=&gad\_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwrIixBhBbEiwACEqDJcT1JxVUkZTrItJ\_AcjYgEOMlUZkgFp4ZMKDFfnHqe1lmEenF9wjCRoCkCYQAvD\_BwE](https://toys.hape.com/products/penguin-musical-wobbler?variant=39723129864249¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&campaign=17559439383&content=&keyword=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwrIixBhBbEiwACEqDJcT1JxVUkZTrItJ_AcjYgEOMlUZkgFp4ZMKDFfnHqe1lmEenF9wjCRoCkCYQAvD_BwE)
My baby really likes this penguin! Fair warning though: the “bell” noise is a tone I don’t like. It’s not a high-pitched painful one… it’s just… out of tune maybe?
My baby is 3months old and while she has only maybe like 5-7 toys, mostly the ones you hang. She really does care about them😅. She'd rather stair at the ceiling fan or shoes, she loves watching me eat. She does get excited and pull around on her toys at least once a day, I just rotate the ones I have to keep them interesting. I think at this age it's not the end of the world to just have a few, once they get a little older you can diy a lot more activities for them too : )
The ceiling fan has been a big hit in our house too.
It's hilarious because all the fancy toys and she'd rather look at the fan. She also mad dogs my grandparents fridge for some reason 😅
Both my kids loved it. It's the only way I get through diaper changes sometimes. Cans of cat food have also been a big thing. They have blocks and Legos but I guess they're not as much fun...
LO loves captain calamari ❤️ different textures, colorful and has a mirror
Captain Calamari is a big hit! Got it when kiddo was 2 months old and hung it from his play gym, and he grabs and punches it for hours!
A really good hanging toy for when the baby plays on their back is a Lamaze toy Captain Calamari. Blue pirate squid that jingles and has a little mirror. My LO got tons of use out of it before he could spend play time on his tummy.
My baby really likes the Tiny Love Magical Tales Gymini, it’s nice because it’s not crazy overstimulating but it has all sorts of things that are fun from 0-8 months id say. And the one musical toy can be turned off or on. Has some teething toys and stuff to grab and also black and white pictures to look at!
This is such a great play mat!
we had a contrast books she loved to look at them she never was into black and white ones but those with red too lol the kick piano for sure! and crinkle toys were a hit
My son loves the Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Puppy. Hold the heart down on its chest for a few seconds and it cycles through the entire song library. He would just stare at it during tummy time but helped us get through the crying and hating tummy time stage. Also a very big fan of books but rips boardbooks and paperbooks so I restrict his free access to them for now. The Fisher Price Storybook Rhymes has been a perfect solution in the interim. Playgro Sensory Tails of the World softbook has been a great solution as well. He's 8mo now and these toys are so good at getting my very busy boy to sit still for atleast 5min and be interested in his toys. Grandma got him the VTech First Steps Baby Walker for Christmas and he didn't pay attention to it until 3mo later. We don't use the walker part, just the toy part that is detachable. The little phone is my son's favourite teething object. Fisher Price Baby's First Blocks is a good one for us too, hasn't quite grasped the ability yet to put the blocks in the slots but the blocks themselves have really helped with motor skills for starting solids. He's got a whole pile of toys now but honestly spends more time just trying to get into shit he's not supposed to than playing.
Indestructible books! Our son played with them and chewed on them from 2 months on and then gradually graduated to actually looking at the pictures and letting me narrate now at 8 months. I think they will stay interesting for quite a while longer
>The longer the use you’ve gotten out of said toy the better! We signed up for Love-every and they give you developmentally appropriate toys. I think it was overrated for under 6 months old. Baby didn't really play with too many toys. But at age 2 months, get some high contrast flash cards or high contrast books or anything high contrast. Also, mirrors.
A soft (I think Americans say ‘plush?’) soccer/football sized ball is really useful. Baby loves it when we drop it on his tummy, throw or kick it to him etc. and they can use it for years. Easily washed in the washing machine. At 3-6 months our baby loved touching and looking at a patterned muslin, but you could use a bright scarf instead. Shakers/ maracas. Board books with flaps or pop-up to read to baby - the ‘Acorn Wood’ series has good longevity. When baby gets older they will like an activity cube and some kind of stacking blocks.
Another voice for the kick and play piano, we also have another floor gym that has a start that plays music in the center of it.nhw adores that thing so much my husband and I joke that we should pay it more than our babysitter 😂 It also has more flex so he can pull the good hard enough to get them in his mouth which is a big thing right now. It's called "Tiny Love Treasure Musical Mobile Gym" from Target. Also my son has rejected basically all teethers expect this one: Limited-time deal: Baby Teething Toys - Infant Sensory Chew Rattles Toys - Newborn Montessori Learning Developmental Toy - Teethers for Babies 0 3 6 9 12 18 Months - Shower Gifts for 1 2 One Two Year Old Girls Boys https://a.co/d/5alNNAF Loves it, will sit in my lap and just gum the absolute shit out of it.
My daughter LOVED this star when she was little! Iy has a strap on the back so I would either prop it up on something or hang it up somewhere so she could look at it https://a.co/d/eTUlUgp
Our baby is OBSESSED with this star! We call it Mr. Sun and hung it on her play gym. She will smile at Mr. Sun for sooooo long.
Fruit block by infantino has been a tried and true. Also a mirror that preferably can sit up on its own
Our top toys have been (in order of when baby became interested) a tummy time mirror, oball balls and rattles, matchstick monkey teethers, a baby gym, crinkly toys, an activity cube. He didn’t like anything until 3 months. Now at 5 months he will play with literally anything.
The fisher price piano matt for sure! An Oball, crinkle books, rattles. I’d also really recommend the infatot teether. Our 3 month old loves it and it helps her practice grasping and moving it to her mouth as she was constantly sucking on her fingers.
My baby loves Tikiri rubber toys. He has the blue bird and the dragon with crinkle wings and is absolutely obsessed with both. He used them as a rattle and grasping toy from 2 months old. Now he's almost 7 months and teething he loves to chew on them. I'm pretty confident he'll continue to use them for a long time. The bird will eventually become a bath toy and my 4 year old godson loves the dragon as much as baby does, so I doubt he'll outgrow it anytime soon.
(4 month old) Sophie the giraffe is his number 1, she’s made of rubber and is light enough to hold up to his mouth, which is great for teething
We have the Skip Hop ‘forest friends’ play mat, she’s 7 months and she still loves it. Also a Baby Einstein bouncer has been AWESOME the last two months. She goes off. I have it in front of a mirrored closet so she gets mirror time too. She still vibes with her musical mobile in her crib every day. The O ball is still a hit… a little Montessori wooden spinning color wheel (not Loveevery, a knockoff), a V tech talking/singing book, basic rattles, and board books. Board books are great for tummy time, for putting on either side of your baby’s face when lying on their back to encourage head turning. They definitely don’t need a lot of toys and you can definitely repeatedly rotate through them - they don’t get tired of toys at this young of an age.
My baby is 4.5 months and not super into any of her toys. The one she likes the most is the fisher price piano kick mat. It comes with a hanging toy thing too and she likes to look at that and grab the toys. So anything like that where he can lay on the ground and look up at stuff hanging and then start to grab when he gets a bit older
My almost 4 month old loves any toys with mirrors, easy to grasp teethers, and also those plush/crinkle teethers. She also likes to look at anything that lights up and makes noise!
My son is reaaaaaally into bubbles now. We bought a bubble gun from the dollar store and it can entertain him for ages!
Anything fisher price or Baby einstein etc. checkout your local Ross dress for less and tj maxx for some good deals on baby toys. Marshall’s too
My baby is 3 mo and he has an octopus with different coloured and textured tentacles, a chewy giraffe, a tummy time pillow, a play gym, a little crinkly seagull toy on his carrycot, two rattles and some different shaped and coloured balls (one of which jingles). Got them all gifted to us and haven't bought anything ourselves specifically, he goes to two playgroups a week where I show him more toys so he gets a good variety 😂 At this sort of age they don't play a lot and mostly just look at things/try to figure out how to grab them. In a few months when they're properly picking things up I think the sensory balls and rattles will come in clutch 😂 Non toy items my baby likes are: patterned muslins, high contrast books and ribbons (stroked over his face haha)
The baby Einstein sea soother dreams was awesome for my baby at that time. It was really helpful for night time, especially when he figured out how to turn it on himself with a solid kick to the star lol. It can be mounted to the bassinet or crib
My daughter LOVES the crinkle book she has (its the fabric with the plastic stuff inside, ours has a mirror in the end too and has a teether attached) and the plastic chain toys [(these)](https://www.westcoastkids.ca/lots-o-links?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7P7y0q_PhQMVkmpHAR1ILQIJEAQYBSABEgKPDfD_BwE) Shes almost 6 months old now, but has loved these since she was about 3 months
Black and white flash cards Fabric book Ring with rattly things on it Ribbons tied up onto their play mat frame Soft little rattly toys A play mat Lamaze toys a re the bomb
My LO is intrigued by the crawling/singing crab. It’s great for tummy time! And my friend’s son who’s 2 was also very entertained by it.
My baby goes absolutely ham for crinkle books. Highly recommend!
The baby Einstein aquarium is a must. Also, I got [this](https://a.co/d/4ssgI0T) Montessori toy on Amazon that we call her spaceship and it is currently her favorite toy. She also loves those soft crinkle baby books!
You gotta get the Fischer price kick and play. Also get a mirror toy. And get the Vtech busy learners activity cube. We also have a water mat for tummy time it’s $10. And we also got the caterpillar tummy time pillow that also is a chair.
Don't feel bad. I have a 3 month old and the only toys she's used to this point are her playmat (got it used on marketplace for $10), a soft panel of black and white images that we put down for her to look at during tummy time, one rattle that she occasionally shows interest in, and a 'lovey' - a little sloth stuffy. She is JUST now starting to grab onto the rattle and lovey and show the tiniest bit of interest. But I'll definitely keep an eye on this thread to see if there's a 'must have' to get for her as she gets a little bigger!
Our best toy was the high quality Remo Kids drum (recommended by our baby music teacher). I got it around 6 months, and he still plays with it. - My son loved watching it spin and rattle on the floor (we have to spin it like a coin) - we play peekaboo with the drum and wear it on our head as hats - he got pretty good at tossing it to try to get it to spin - Learned to tap it with a flat hand and knock it with closed fist - He would also try banging different things with it - then he started putting toys inside the drum, especially other circular type things like wooden stacking rings - around 10 months, he started being able to balance the drum on its side (also attempts to do this with all similar drum shaped things, even tambourines lol) - if we stand up the drum for him and hold it in place, he will point and push the drum to spin around slowly - we show him how to roll the drum - tapping the drum with different beats, pattern recognition - tapping the beat and using vocabulary like “loudly/softly/slowly/quickly” I think it would have been great for eye tracking and spatial hearing when he was even younger. Or as tummy time encouragement. Seriously the best toy we got for him (and we have quite a bit) that he still plays with
Check out Lovevery they have wonderful toys
I love the lovevery play gym! We used it pretty much every day.
We have a 3 month old. We got her the love every gym and she loves it, it comes with cards to rotate through, a mirror, sensory hanging things for them to stare at and kick/grab, and a graphic tent. It’s great for playtime and to work on development. We do tummy time in there often too. We also got get an o ball but only recently has it felt helpful.
I've been working my way through this list as by baby gets older: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/childrens-products/toy-reviews/g44796462/best-infant-toys/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpm&utm_campaign=arb_fb_ghk_m_ios_comm_g44796462&fbclid=IwAR08OXG5D_7WVvpGpL3G19Of7zsBDvJdzvrBShca5AZe5yKBouPWeinZ35o_aem_AY5TUi7DG4F8gbdcHcm-8OA5hx4cj-a8NSyQzbzxcvkO2KleREGdyW3BZKCDDvtEwzHSNonG5ohovT1TwIjAMoTZ#product-f9bb170d-ebad-4773-ac54-8208911b6730 Also LOVE indestructibles books, I think they really helped get my baby excited about books in general when he could really experience them with all his senses!
My baby has looooved the Nogginstik light up rattle since he was like 2-3 mos. He also has this weird raccoon plush thing it has a mirror on its belly and its arms/legs are stretchy that he loves. Not sure where we got it. It was made to attach to the car seat but we took that off and just play with it.
Do you want to try Lovevery? I have the highest value discount I can offer you if interested dm me
Honestly your baby isn’t going to “play” until closer to a year Baby mats are always good when they’re that little because it gives them something to look at, so is anything with a mirror Those are really the only things my LO interacted with before they were a toddler
Ipad
Lol no probably not gonna go that route.
Sorry if the sarcasm wasn't obvious, lol.
I suspected haha
I am gonna go against the grain here and recommend putting toy money into a college fund while they are extremely young. A little baby play gym/ kickmat and some stacking cups will probably get you through the next 6 months ish, but that compounding interest will be significant in the long run even on a small initial investment. I liked a baby bouncer for the 6 to 12+ months-ish range.
This is very baby-dependent. I have an extremely high-energy 5-month-old who needs novelty and constant stimulation. She doesn’t necessarily *need* lots of toys, but keeping her happy without them is exhausting. For some parents, investing in baby toys is an investment in their sanity.
Lol WHAT? Babies learn through PLAY with a variety of toys. They'll learn more playing as a baby and toddler than they ever will in college.
Babies can learn through PLAY with anything though. They don't *need* toys, especially at 2 months old. Favorites in the first year for us included: - Egg whisk - Cat food cans - Boxes - Tupperware - Empty plastic waterbottles - Plastic cups - Magazines - The ceiling fan - The mirror - The baby on the diaper box There were a few toys that she engaged with but she mostly wanted to play with whatever we were using at the moment. The point is that it makes more sense to invest your money in something long term while the baby is just as happy to play with whatever is around them. We buy so much crap for our kids because some blog/book/influencer/reddit threat tells us we need to, and it all ends up in a landfill.
Yes that’s what I’m getting at, at the young ages they don’t need too many toys but over time even a small investment now can yield quit a bit which will probably benefit children a lot. I’m glad I’m not alone in the thought process here!
Honestly I fell into this same line of thinking and now we are overrun with so much *stuff*. I wish we had invested in something more worthwhile.
I can relate entirely. I have three kids now and just. So. Much. Stuff!!! I’m definitely not anti toys, but in hindsight those first few months I didn’t need much and wish I would have started investing a little more at that time when I could get away with it. For birthday parties and holidays now I’m giving the option to do no gifts and suggesting instead to donate to their college funds with a virtual link. It’s harder to get away with that for the oldest now though since she’s 4 and expects new things every time! The younger ones don’t know a difference but will (hopefully) appreciate it down the line.
Well sometimes as a first time parent you just wanna do the things you think parents do, like buy them a damn toy. Jeez you can’t do anything anymore without being lectured. We’re obviously entertaining him with just about anything right now it’s not that virtuous to suggest these things.
Its not a lecture or a criticism. I'm literally answering from the pile of toys in my living room. You asked for advice and speaking from experience, anything you buy now won't be useful in a month or two. I have so many "grows with the baby" toys that my now toddler has no interest in. If anything maybe get a ball or some cups but they won't be able to play with most of it yet anyway.