Becoming a parent can be an overwhelming experience. Your child can add so much joy and meaning to your life. At the same time, it can be challenging to provide the right opportunities and environment for the development of your child. As a new parent, you want to give the best of everything to your child, including toys. Research shows that learning through play is an important part of a child’s development, so it is necessary for parents to know that rather than pamper their child with lots of toys, they should provide toys that are age-appropriate.
As an early childhood educator who believes in the Montessori method, I recommend toys that are developmentally appropriate, stimulating, and open-ended so that children can explore and use their creativity. Montessori-inspired toys are not flashy and often don’t include toys that move, talk or light up as the child passively watches on. They are designed to let the child explore, manipulate and learn on their own while having fun playing.
When you choose a toy for your child, it should be engaging and calming and should help them develop coordination, creativity, and critical thinking skills. Here, I’m giving you some ideas for Montessori and non-Montessori toys based on age range.
Birth to 6 months:
A baby who sleeps most of the time, in the beginning, will start to roll around and will soon be able to sit up and/or crawl. They’ll be looking around their environment and at people and will follow them with their eyes, Babies will be fascinated by movement, sound, simple black and white visuals to bright colors. Babies can reach, be fascinated with what their hands and feet can do, lift their heads, turn their heads toward sounds, put things in their mouths, and much more. So, At this stage, your child should have opportunities for free movement, and interesting objects that encourage such movement. And as, they are discovering their own bodies, working on eye-hand coordination, reaching, and grasping, the age-appropriate toy for this age should be anything they can reach, grasp, swipe at, pull, kick, shake, hold, suck on and make noise with.
Rattles, mobiles, squeeze toys, and fabric balls
For a newborn, you can start with toys like rattles and hanging mobiles. Babies are discovering how to use their hands, feet, and their senses, so your baby will love to explore textures, and grab, squeeze and shake these toys. They also provide visual and auditory stimulation and promote hand-eye coordination.
Link for Rattle: From Tiny Town / From Poco Kids
Link for Baby Mobile: From Kids Joy Store Nepal
Link for Squeeze Toy: From Baby Tree Nepal / From Farlin via Thulo.com
Link for Fabric Ball: From Usupso via Daraz
Activity gym
Activity or baby gym provides many developmental benefits for your child. The dangling toys, music, and textured materials like soft pillows and mats allow a safe space for them to move and play. Various textures and sounds will also refine their tactile and auditory senses. While playing and trying to grab and kick, your baby will initiate actions and repeat them. This allows them to understand cause and effect while having fun.
Link for Activity Gym: From Under One Roof / From Babies Day Out
While there are many toys and play materials that are fun as well as functional, the best way to play with your child is by using real-life materials. Household objects like wooden spoons, bowls and mugs are wonderful for curious babies. Name the toys and objects and have a lot of rich conversations with them. Although they are almost non-mobile, the baby’s brain develops most rapidly during this period. Therefore, we need to allow them free movement and opportunities to explore so that they gain interest in the world around them.
Picking the right toy will definitely help in the overall development of your child, but joining in on the fun and spending time with them is equally important. Playing with your child will help them achieve important physical milestones, develop their brains, improve their emotional and social skills, and encourage language development.
Another important activity for the development of language and vocabulary is reading to your child. Please stay tuned for another article on the importance of reading to your child and age-appropriate books. Until then, enjoy special playtime with your child!
Writer details:
Monica Pradhan is a Montessori-trained, early childhood educator. She is the Head of the Department of the Preschool at Nisarga Batika School. With more than two decades of educational experience as an educator, trainer, and administrator, she is passionate about working with young children and making a positive difference in their formative years. She believes that every child has an innate desire to learn, and can reach their highest potential if given a stimulating environment and appropriate learning activities.
Note: Monica Pradhan does not promote these particular toys from these stores and the items have been put based on relevancy.
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