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DEVELOPMENTAL TOYS

Infancy is a time for learning about the environment by developing the senses of sight, touch, sound, taste, and smell. To stimulate this development, toys should include a wide variety of textures, shapes, sounds, colours, and weights.

Parents should exercise particular caution concerning toys suspended from or tied on to cribs and playpens. These toys include crib gyms, mobiles, music boxes, and toy suspension rods. There is a risk of baby's clothing or limbs becoming entangled in any of these toys if they are left in place after a child becomes even slightly mobile. We therefore recommend that all such toys be removed when baby begins to push up, around the age of 5 months.

After a baby's first six months, increasing mobility and greater co-ordination demand different types of toys to stimulate healthy development. Progress is made as baby masters finer motor skills, eye/hand co-ordination, and colour and shape recognition. Fill-and-dump play, and toys for stacking, nesting and sorting are helpful in the development of these skills.

As a child gains the ability to move around, especially to walk, toys for pushing and pulling that produce pleasant sounds are motivating and highly enjoyable. Pull toys should have a protective knob on the end of their shaft-type handles to avoid injury to the child in the event of a fall. Strings should be tangle-resistant.

Remember that safety is of utmost importance in choosing toys for infants and toddlers. All toys must be smoothly finished, well rounded, and fully washable. Check for loose or easily removable pieces; these could be inhaled or swallowed by an infant. Avoid rattles that are long and thin enough to become lodged in an infant's throat, and brittle plastic toys which might shatter. Check the condition of all your baby's toys on a regular basis as an added safety measure.