When choosing toys for your baby, pick those that can grow with them as they grow and mature developmentally. These toys will entertain and engage your little one from infancy to toddlerhood.
LeapFrog My Talking LapPup
LeapFrog offers learning toys for babies, toddlers and older children. Their collection of toys and games aren’t just fun for kids, they also help develop their motor and cognitive skills. Your baby (and toddler) will love the LeapFrog My Talking LapPup (Playdex, $29). Featuring colourful lights and lively sounds, the puppy (Scout or Violet) talks and sings to your child. Babies can press the buttons, roll the spinner and slide the puppy biscuit, while toddlers like to explore colours, letters, numbers, opposites and shapes with all the learning games and songs. My Talking LapPup is appropriate for kids aged 6 to 24 months.
Go Baby Go! Poppity-Pop Musical Dino
Babies love the lively music and ball-popping fun of the Go Baby Go! Poppity-Pop Musical Dino (Kmart, $55). As your infant becomes a toddler, they’ll also love counting the balls, naming the colours and much more. This toy isn’t just fun, it’s also terrific for grasping and hand-eye coordination. It encourages babies to crawl after the balls, and engages toddlers with its sounds, colours and movements. Go Baby Go! Poppity-Pop Musical Dino is geared toward children aged 6 to 36 months.
Chicco Teddy Count-With-Me
It’s a tremendous benefit these days for children to learn a second language. By surrounding your kids with toys, games and even TV shows that incorporate two languages, you can help them become bilingual quicker than you’d imagine. Chicco carries a variety of bilingual toys suited for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. We love Teddy Count-With-Me (Chicco, $50). This toy engages your baby with colours, sounds and lights. Kids love turning Teddy upside down and hearing him giggle. Soft and cuddly, this toy is perfect for infants but will also help toddlers learn their first letters and numbers in both English and Italian. Teddy Count-With-Me is suited for children aged 6 months and up.
Wooden bricks
Not all toys are electronic these days. Get back to basics with some good old-fashioned bricks and blocks. These Wooden Bricks (Mothercare, $25) are a great way to introduce babies to stacking. They promote fine motor skills and enhance creativity. As your baby gets older, they can learn to make a tower, sort the bricks by size and colour and much more. A simple set of bricks like these can engage your baby, toddler and preschooler for years.
Quick tip
To save on toys and baby gear, shop for used items from resale shops and sites like eBay. As children outgrow their toys relatively quickly, you can find next-to-new items at bargain prices.
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