A newborn does not know how to manipulate objects, but he can perfectly distinguish between contrasting photographs and bright objects - they can be hung at a distance of 0-40 cm from his chest. If you want to hang the rattle on the wall, then you need to change the side every 2-3 days, as the baby may develop curvature of the cervical vertebrae.

In the second month, musical rattles will not hurt

The baby listens to music, while carefully examining moving toys, thereby studying colors. This promotes the development of hearing, vision, as well as the muscles of the neck, arms and face. It is recommended to turn it on for 10-15 minutes no more than four times a day, otherwise the toy will not soothe, but irritate.

Third month – rattles with handles and various bells are added

Holding such toys in his hands, the child learns to control them. Rattles should be light in weight, their handle should be thin for a comfortable and full grip. Better round shape- after all, the baby does not yet coordinate movements. It is useful to put bracelets and bells on the arms and legs - the baby will be interested in the sounds and he will decide to get to know his limbs better.

In the fourth month, the baby will need books and teethers

The child begins to manipulate objects - studying their properties: color, mass, surface shape. Buy him his very first book, sewn from various textures with rough material, laces and beepers.

At this age, teething begins, so be sure to purchase a set of teething toys filled with water or gel - when cooled, they relieve pain.

Fifth month. Touch mat

The developmental mat becomes truly useful. It encourages crawling without restricting space for movement and has mass beneficial properties. Usually after a month or a month and a half, interest in the rug is lost.

Sixth month. Cubes and crayons

The baby tries to hold toys not only with his palm, but also with two fingers. It's time to bring up the artist in him. For the first masterpieces, finger paints are suitable, then crayons. They should be short so that they cannot be squeezed in a fist - this is how the correct grip is trained.

Toy blocks are best for developing the eye, coordination and attention. Cubes with different surfaces. The most impatient parents can purchase alphabet cubes for learning letters in the future.

In the seventh month of life, balls and gurneys will come in handy

These toys play a stimulating role. A child seeing a bright, large, ringing ball will undoubtedly want to take it, and to do this he needs to reach it, thereby stimulating him to crawl.

Eighth month. Bath toys.

Ducks, pouring cups, flexics (drawing board, attached to the wall).

Ninth month. Molds and pyramids

The child already consciously manipulates objects: folds, twists, collects, rattles. The more containers of different sizes you can offer your child, the better.

Tenth month. Developers and sorters

The older the baby, the more interesting he is in objects that can be pressed on buttons - pulling levers, pulling, and also if it is musical, then this toy will attract the baby’s attention for a long time. Useful inventions are sorter buckets with holes of different sizes and shapes for pushing parts inside.

Eleventh month. Walker toys

The baby takes his first steps and for this he needs an incentive: rolling toys in the form of butterflies on a stick flapping their wings or a dog with spinning eyes will make the baby run faster forward.

Twelfth month. Dolls and puzzles

The child imitates adults. Toys should help him with this. The doll is not only an object for manipulation, but also training manual, you can play out different situations with her: carry her in a stroller, feed her, bathe her. Another source of knowledge about the world and its structure are simple wooden puzzles of 3-4 parts, which can contain a variety of pictures.

What toys should I buy for a child under one year old?

Toys for children under one year old, as well as for any other age, must meet all safety requirements. Special attention You should pay attention to the material of the toy, because babies at this age love to put everything in their mouth.

Toy for a child of the first year of life- this is not fun, but a source of new information. During the first year of life, the baby makes a colossal leap in development. He develops all types of sensitivity, coordination of movements and the initial elements of thinking.

Toddlers need toys that contribute to the development of vision, hearing, touch, hand movements, coordinated movements of the hand and eye. The toy should be comfortable for the child. But at the same time, the concept of its functional comfort is relative.

If the toys have calm color (pink or soft blue), the baby quickly gets used to them and stops noticing. In addition, the baby does not yet distinguish colors well enough to perceive such “undefined” colors as blue and pink. Toys should encourage the child to be exploratory, so that his hand reaches out to them following his gaze.

Each period of early childhood has its own toys, but in terms of their functionality they should be somewhat ahead of the child’s already achieved level of development.

Baby is one month old

At this age, toys should stimulate the child's senses; brightly and contrastingly colored rattles are especially useful.

1-3 months

First of all, toys should contain red, yellow, orange and green colors. Already at 1-2 months of life, it is necessary to hang a garland of rattles and mobiles over the baby’s crib. The arrangement of elements on the garland, taking into account the peculiarities of the development of visual sensitivity of a newborn, should be as follows. In the middle - red, then orange, yellow, green and blue at the edge.

The baby begins to raise his head and look the world around us. To develop motor skills and hand coordination, provide your baby with toys with different textures that are easy to grasp. Don't forget that they should also be rustling and noisy.

Starting from the 2nd month of life, it is necessary to hang baby toys 45-50 cm from the chest. With their help, he will learn to focus his gaze. Toys should be moderately bright and with pleasant melodic music. From time to time you need to update toys, hang new ones and remove boring ones.

3-6 months

For children from 3 to 7-8 months of age, the most important are didactic toys aimed at developing the basic types of sensitivity, as well as the gradual formation of the baby’s arbitrary actions. Toys should be bright, simple in shape, and preferably such that the child himself can change something in them. It’s good if with their help the baby can make some sound.

Toys may be different by relief(for example, a plastic hedgehog is useful for developing skin sensitivity). These can be all kinds of pendants with multi-colored rings, balls, sticks, hedgehogs on cords. By changing the position of the balls, an adult can actively attract the child's attention to them.

By the middle of the first year, a child who accidentally grabs a ring on such a garland begins to manipulate it and thereby swing the balls hanging from above, which, in turn, create a clattering sound. The child sees the result of the action of his hand and repeatedly achieves the effect caused. That's it coordination of the actions of the eye, hand and ear develops. These toys are aimed at helping the child learn to control his gaze, following moving objects. And even if the baby has not yet learned to use his hands, he just likes to look at the brightly colored objects hanging above the crib.

As an option, child psychologists suggest attaching specially designed pendant beads. When the bead is moved along the cord, first by an adult, and then by the child himself, the spatial and color composition changes. It is important that small parts pass freely through larger ones, and first an adult, and then a child, can mix them. You can also use a pendant with a mirror. The child sees his reflection in the mirror, communicates with himself without even knowing that it is him, and sees other details of space.

After 5-6 months, the child likes to hold objects in his hand, rattle them, and chew them. Plastic toys (like small rings placed on a large ring) are especially good because they won't peel off the paint and won't bite through like celluloid toys.

A child strives to explore the world through his mouth, so make sure that the baby cannot swallow the toy or its parts.

If the toy makes a variety of sounds, the little one will be delighted (make sure the sound is not too loud).

The best educational toys for babies up to 6 months – these are rattles that allow the baby to plunge into an unknown world physical properties surrounding objects, which the child explores with the help of his senses.

A three-month-old baby is already more actively interested in surrounding objects. You can use a garland with an elastic band that is attached to the stroller, and attach long rattles to it, which the baby will rock and make sound from.

From the age of 4 months, the baby consciously reaches out to toys that interest him and tries to get them.
When babies roll over on their tummy on their own, it is good to place the baby on the floor on a warm blanket while he is awake and put various toys around him. Various rattles, rubber, plastic and wooden objects without sharp corners and small parts, as well as soft, lint-free toys are suitable.

6-9 months

The baby already knows how to sit and is attracted in every possible way by both jingling toys and a variety of soft balls. Stringed large beads are perfect for developing fine motor skills.

After five months, babies become very mobile, trying to crawl, sit up and explore the surrounding reality. It’s still too early for them to part with their usual rattles, but it’s time to learn new entertainment. Psychologists recommend purchasing the following toys by the age of six months:

Rattles.Choose complex rattles with unusual handles and shapes so that the child learns to grasp them differently and develops fine motor skills. Especially interesting for him will be the now fashionable soft rattles in the form of animals and dolls. They usually have a built-in mirror or sewn-in massage beads, which will undoubtedly delight the little one’s fingers.

Rubber squeak toys . Ideal for a bath. The child can already sit and just wash himself; he is bored. Show how a duck swims or how a rubber frog squeaks; this will not only make swimming interesting, but will also expand the child’s understanding of the world. High-quality rubber beepers are easy to press and float smoothly.

Balls, cars.For a “crawler” it is important to have moving or rolling toys; they help the child master the first method of movement – ​​crawling. It is better if it is a horse on wheels or a simple medium-sized car. We choose bright balls and different sizes so that you can roll and skate.

Handkerchiefs, rags . At the age of 6-7 months, the child enjoys playing hide and seek, loves to find others and hide himself. You can cover a toy or your face with a variety of rags, and ask your baby “Where is mommy?” and admire with the child: “Here she is!” Creative mothers can sew a developmental mat from a variety of fabrics that will help the baby explore different materials and sounds (rustling, tapping, rolling peas).

Books.It's time to introduce the baby to the first book. Let it be thick (after all, the child will taste it first!), with large pictures and a minimum of text. Classics – “Ryaba Chicken” and “Turnip”.

Cubes and pyramids . The child will like large colorful cubes if the mother builds a tower out of them. The baby is still not good at building on his own, but he will destroy the building with pleasure! The same goes for pyramids; the baby can’t assemble them yet, but he’s already happy to hand the rings to his mother. A pyramid is needed with a stable base and wide holes for rings, these can be...

Educational toys. The simplest sorters, balls moving in arcs, rollers for balls - all this can be found in regular stores or departments for early development. Choose the simplest “developers” with a minimum of details, large size, simple shape. Once your baby learns to insert objects into the sorter holes or roll balls, you can purchase more complex objects. Most of these toys are developed by experienced teachers, so they not only keep the baby occupied, but also stimulate quick mental and creative development

9-12 months

In this trimester toys for children up to one year old can be very diverse: balls, marbles, cars, squeakers. Excellent educational toys are a variety of pyramids, sorters, and lacing.

At this time, the child’s favorite pastime is manipulating toys. The baby happily knocks one toy on the table and another toy, listening to the sound produced, waves it, drags it into his mouth, throws it and demands to pick it up. It is very good to use household items - wooden spoons, boxes, etc. At 9-12 months, children begin to willingly put small objects into one large container.

They begin to play a special role dolls. From 10-11 months, the child can already show his eyes, nose, mouth, arms and legs. In addition, at this age the baby should have blocks, a light ball, and books with hard pages. The child will also enjoy pushing the toy on wheels across the floor. It's time to introduce the baby to educational toys - a box with holes of various shapes, where you need to put different figures, simple construction sets with large parts, collapsible nesting dolls, etc. In a word, pamper your baby with educational toys, and don’t forget to play with him.

The baby no longer only crawls, but also walks holding onto furniture and sofas. Someone walks in a walker. But the kids want to take it, touch it, everything is interesting to them. The baby needs a variety of toys: squeakers, balls, balls, cars. Toys should be both soft and hard, of different shapes, textures, different materials. Also, children should be given handkerchiefs and rags, because they provide an opportunity for different actions baby: take cover, wrap toys. Children imitate various actions, for example, trying to put on pants.

Toys that require different actions: putting in, sticking out, building (pyramids), rotating, pressing, moving, moving.

Very exciting for one year old child may become children's houses. Children's playhouses help develop your little one's imagination, creativity. Believe me, such a house will serve him for the next few years.

Bath toys

At this age, you can already purchase bath toys, which should be very simple - plastic or rubber figures, preferably non-sinking. The first toys in the bath have educational significance: they move on the surface of the water, you can dip them, but they always come up, etc. More complex toys that perform various mechanical movements are suitable for slightly older children, but for now they will not be interesting and understandable for the child.

Educational toys for children up to one year old are designed to diversify children's tactile sensations, which ensures full sensory development. A child will develop much faster if he has as many toys as possible that “feel” different from each other. These toys include sensory mats and bags, and finger paints.

Manipulating objects also has a positive effect on early development Baby, children under one year old especially like toys with high functionality. Very popular among children after six months are sets of various containers that can be placed inside each other, interesting option A toy of this kind is a pyramid of cups.

for babies from 6 months better to give colorful toys from different materials, because From this age tactile sensitivity begins to develop. Children over 6 months are interested in pyramids, cubes, construction sets, and everything that moves and makes sounds. For example, a pyramid helps a baby train coordination of movements, develop fine motor skills, intelligence and attention. The cubes also contribute to the development of fine motor skills, improvement of motor coordination, voluntary attention and logical thinking. Both of these types of toys help babies learn colors.

The motto of the baby’s first three months is to watch and listen. After the first month of life, babies already perceive colors, so the most suitable toys will be both bright and contrasting, as well as calmer shades rattles, which can be hung at eye level of a child in a crib or stroller. Nowadays there are many different spinning musical toys that can also be hung in the crib. Small bells that can even be hung from a chandelier are also good. When choosing sounding toys, check how pleasant the sounds they make are and whether they are too harsh and loud.

It is known that in understanding the world around children, all senses are involved - vision, hearing, taste, touch, smell. That is why it is important for them to see, hear, touch and try everything.By 3-4 months kids begin to become interested in their arms and legs, actively move them, and examine them. You can diversify your baby's experience by using a soft-sounding rattle with Velcro, attaching it to your baby's wrist or ankle. Pushing your hands against hanging objects, the child learns to grab and feel them. And tactile sensations are very important, because this is one of the ways to understand the world.

For crawling babies , mastering the space of the apartment, will suit multifunctional toys, in which everything opens, moves, is pressed and at the same time makes different sounds. Moving toys will also be interesting. Don't forget that in household you can find many great items suitable for games. These are various pots, bowls, spoons, ladles, etc. Kids love games like this, when one object can be hidden in another, covered with a lid, and taken out again.

Water games also help the child develop. Kids are interested in pouring and pouring water from various containers. Games of “hide and seek” will also be interesting, when you hide objects and then find them together.

The ability to act with objects and manipulate them is an important step in child development. By learning to connect and separate parts, they not only learn the properties of objects, but also perfectly develop fine motor skills, which contributes to the development of speech.

A little later, when the child begins to walk, good remedy for its development there will be construction sets, prefabricated turrets, pyramids. Games with cubes are also becoming more varied. It is desirable that they be made of various materials - wood, plastic, fabric. A one-year-old baby will also benefit from simple kits for role playing games: dishes, doll furniture, animal figurines, doctor's set, cars, dolls, soft toys.

Rolling toys, that need to be pushed, for example, a butterfly on a stick or a jingling ball, will help the baby move more confidently, because they create a feeling of support. Playing ball brings great joy and positive emotions to a child. Ball games develop coordination and spatial orientation. The main thing is to play together with your baby. After all, no toy will bring the benefit that your imagination, creativity and desire to play with your children can bring.

For normal growth of babies in all respects , necessary sensory development of young children take under close parental control. Starting from the period of two to three months, mothers should take care that the baby gradually gets acquainted with objects of different sizes and textures and has the opportunity to touch and feel them.

In the first year of life, children's consciousness is most susceptible to assimilation of information about the size and shape of objects. Therefore, stock up on toys in the form of circles, cubes, pyramids, with colors pleasing to the eye, from environmentally friendly materials, dense in texture, but without sharp corners, which, on occasion, can be tasted without harm to health, since children explore this world with all accessible ways. At first, you can simply hang them on cribs.

When your child learns to sit, you can invite him to play with a toy that you can make yourself. Since characteristics of young children are such that they study objects thoroughly and from all sides, give him a box made of thick cardboard with many holes made in it.

The holes should have a diameter convenient for you and the baby, into which you can stick your fingers and study how it works from the inside. In order for the child to be interested in studying it, the insides of the box should first be covered with materials that feel different to the touch - fur, burlap, rough sandpaper, satin, and the like. The main thing is that the material is different. Explore the inside of the box together and focus your baby’s attention on the sensations he experiences when touching it. different types fabrics.

Educational toys

You also need to buy all kinds of educational balls, cubes and prisms. In addition, cubes and prisms for little ones should be safe, with slightly rounded edges. Particularly interesting can be sensory cubes made of translucent material, inside of which there are various figures, which kids look at with great pleasure. The cubes are also more functional, since they can be used later for construction. Remember, a detailed railway will be a good gift and a toy for your child, but not when the child cannot walk yet.
But sets of cups and pyramids are what you need. Such toys introduce the child to the concept of more and less. But when choosing toys of this kind, it is important to pay attention to the colors of the parts; they must correspond slightly to the colors of the rainbow, be distinguishable, contrasting and bright.
Cups are a multifunctional toy that will also last a child for a long time if made from high-quality materials. The cups can be stacked into each other or laid one on top of the other, played with them in the water or used instead of molds in the sand, even baby crib can become an arena for playing with cups; it is safe, since the child will not get hurt by them in a confined space. The cups can have patterned or smooth edges, various patterns or holes can be drawn on the bottom, especially for playing with water, in a word - a universal toy.
In general, it is worth remembering that after six months the child is just beginning to really get acquainted with the world around him and concepts, simple toys They will help him with this, but complex ones will only harm him.

Development of fine motor skills of the hands or
Some ideas on how to keep your child busy in the kitchen:
to have time to prepare everything

1. Cereals on a plate . Place two or three types of cereals on a large flat plate. The child picks it up, touches it, compares it, and you tell where it comes from and what you can do with it (porridge, for example).

2. Cover a sheet (cardboard, plastic) with a thin layer of plasticine. Pour buckwheat, rice, peas into different plates and show your child how to lay out patterns, pressing products into plasticine. You are guaranteed 10 - 15 minutes of silence.

3. The most delicious games – pour together two or three varieties of raisins, nuts, different in shape, color and taste. And let him sort them out.

4. We take different jars and lids for them. The child must select lids for jars. It is advisable that the lids be of different sizes, then it will be easier for the child to select them. The lids can be put on or screwed on. These can be small plastic bottles, jars from baby food and others that you can find in your kitchen. By closing the lids, the child trains his fingers and improves the development of fine motor skills.

5. Pour some juice from the berries onto a plate. Give your child a few pieces of refined sugar. Let the baby take turns dips the pieces into the juice and watches how the juice gradually rises and turns the sugar a beautiful color.

6. Place two cups in front of your child. Pour cereal into one and leave the other empty. Show your child how scoop up cereal with a spoon in one cup and pour over her to another. When there is little grain left in the first cup, show how to tilt the cup to collect all the grain.

7. Give your baby ice cube trays, a dropper and water. To make it more interesting, the water can be colored with juice. Let the child draws liquid into a pipette and pours it into molds. This game is great for developing fine motor skills and concentration.

8. Place semolina or other grains on a flat dish or tray. Let the child draws with his finger along the grain, leaving various shapes. Show your child how to draw the simplest shapes: squares, diamonds, circles.

When your child copes well with this task, make it more difficult. For example, you can fill the white paths from your fingers with cereal of a different color. To do this, teach your baby the finger movement with which we salt food. This educational game has a good effect on the development of fine motor skills, imagination and imagination.

9. Give it to the baby piece of dough. He will be happy to sculpt with it, while improving the development of fine motor skills of his fingers.

10. Educational game “Making beads”. You will need pasta with a large opening and a long string. Task for the child: string the pasta onto a string.

By the way, the more the baby works with his fingers, the better the development of fine motor skills of the hands and the earlier and better his speech develops. The fact is that in the cerebral cortex, motor and speech areas are located nearby. Moreover, speech is actively formed under the influence of impulses coming from the fingers.

So it turns out that the level and pace of development of a baby’s speech directly depends on how developed the subtle movements of children’s fingers are.

Let's sum it up

Up to 8 months of age, various bell games, rattles, hanging toys (for example, mobiles, rattles), something for biting, toys that can be rocked, with buttons for pressing, pulling, twisting, are good for the baby. Rattles and toys with a bell help expand the baby’s awareness of sounds, especially when he himself makes these sounds and can “experiment.” Toys should be light, bright and, of course, larger than the child’s mouth. A baby of 9-12 months of age can already buy books with large bright pictures no small parts.

If you are interested in how to work with a child, how to develop him, how to reveal all his abilities, then I advise you to pay attention to collection of educational games “Child development. How and what to do with a child from birth to one year" . In it you will find a huge variety of games and activities with your child for every month of the baby’s first year of life, which will contribute to his development.

These games are simple; no complex manuals or materials are required to play them. But they help make regular activities and walks with your child useful and interesting.

Just a few years ago, toys for children under one year old were represented by the same type of rattles, plastic balls and rubber bath ducks. Today, the range of products pleases with its diversity, which allows you to engage in the development of the baby in several directions at once. On the other hand, such an abundance of proposals can confuse any parent.

What does a child really need, and what innovation is just a marketing ploy? Are they so important in such early age musical products? Is it too early to buy educational toys for your baby? To get answers to all of the above questions, you need to familiarize yourself with the proposals and understand how they can benefit the baby.

Requirements for material and product safety

Parents usually trust the accompanying information on products that children's stores are filled with. If the cars or pyramids are marked “0+”, they can easily buy them for their kids. In some cases this ends badly. Children chew toxic paint from the surface of products or swallow small parts. When choosing toys for babies, you should not trust anyone; it is better to adhere to the following recommendations:

• Plastic should not emit a sharp or pronounced odor. After purchase, all plastic toys must be washed in soapy water and rinsed thoroughly. If even after such manipulations the specific smell of the item remains, there is a risk that a toxic product was used in production; it is better to avoid using it.
• Rubber inserts and parts should not fall off, wear out, or crumble. Babies need rubber balls from the first months of life, but it is better if they are solid, then the baby will definitely not bite or tear them.
• Products with scratches and chips are immediately discarded, no matter what purpose the toy serves. The presence of any defects indicates low quality of the product, i.e. potential risk for babies.
• We inspect fabric elements or objects down to each seam. The material must not crumble or have threads sticking out of it. Even such minor flaws can lead to the baby choking on lint or being cut by fibers.
• It is better not to use children's toys with fillers in the first year at all. If such a thing still interests the parents or the baby, you need to make sure that the little one cannot get to the filler and stuff it into his mouth.
• Sometimes it is enough to rub a toy you like a little to evaluate its quality. At a minimum, the surface should not stain your hands, not fade, or leave a greasy feeling on the skin.
• We make sure to check which toys have certificates and documentary evidence of the composition of the material. We especially carefully check cars, construction sets, modules and other items consisting of many parts.

When choosing toys for very young children, you should give preference to products made from safe food-grade plastic. In this case, the baby will be able to pull them into his mouth without risk to his health. Rubber and fabric elements must also be present in the range of items available to a child under the age of one year (so that he can get acquainted with new textures), but it is still better to additionally control the baby’s contact with them.

Must-have toys for newborns up to 3 months

The most pleasant and useful entertainment for children in the first three months of life is the contemplation of their mother’s and father’s faces and direct communication with their parents. And ordinary household items, such as napkins, washcloths, and towels stimulate the development of sensory perception in babies. But, despite the fact that these products do a good job of stimulating the development of a newborn, additional toys are still needed. It is best to please your child with the following devices:

• Mobile. A device with various figures that is hung above the crib. Today you can increasingly find musical versions of devices. The main thing here is not to make a mistake with the music. It shouldn't be too harsh or loud. It’s good if the figures depict something existing, for example, fish or flowers. Removable blocks that can be changed are welcome.

• Pendants for a stroller or crib. One of the main entertainments for young children. At first they just look at them, then they begin to reach for them, put them in their mouths, try to break them, or study them in some other way. Here you need to give preference to models with elements of different textures, shapes and functions.

Tip: Don’t try to save money on different garlands by hanging the same product from the crib to the stroller and back. A baby should have variety in this regard. It’s good if the products differ in color, shape, even musical accompaniment.

• Balls. You should not limit yourself to classic rubber or inflatable balls, which children can only look at; it is better to give preference to functional products. It is worth purchasing small, dense, smooth or rough balls, with which you can massage the baby’s palms, arms and legs. Children really love balls with different fillings, which make unusual sounds when they roll.

• Rattles. You need at least 3-4 of them. In general, these are the first educational toys for children under one year old. They allow the baby to activate vision, hearing, tactile sensations, and engage fine motor skills of the hands.

• Tumbler. Despite the fact that by the age of three months, children have not yet developed an interest in role-playing games, they all watch the tumblers with great interest. For very tiny babies, it is better to choose products that do not make too loud sounds.

All of the listed toys must be designed in such a way that there is not the slightest chance of a small part being separated. It is necessary that in small hands they remain a single, monolithic product, otherwise the baby may swallow the element.

Useful toys for children from 3 months to six months

During this period, you need to pay increased attention to what toys are purchased for the child. Now he needs developmental items that stimulate the development of sensory organs and fine motor skills. At the same time, we do not give up everything that the baby is already accustomed to. If you remove the boring module for a couple of days, the baby will have time to get bored and will enjoy it as if it were new.

• Matryoshka. For absolutely small child It is best to purchase a traditional wooden version, made in light, cheerful colors. It is better to remove the smallest figures, leaving 3-4 large ones.

• A unique and very useful invention that allows you to simultaneously entertain and develop kids. They can be simple or complex, with sound sections or “surprises”. If desired, you can even make a suitable product with your own hands; you just need to stock up on materials and fillers of different textures.

• It's time to purchase products that can diversify your baby's leisure time while he takes a bath. The modern range of offers is very wide. These can be rubber, plastic, foam objects. It would be good if they performed some additional function, for example, blowing bubbles under water.

• Cars. Even if at first the baby will only enthusiastically watch his mother ride new toy, after some time he will become interested in its design. For some time, the baby will only spin the wheels of the car, but then more daring experiments will certainly follow. To begin with, it is recommended to make do with large products consisting of a minimum number of parts, but gradually you will have to expand the “vehicle fleet”.

• Cubes. Initially, these should be lightweight structures with rounded edges in bright, but not acidic colors. In addition, babies need crumb cubes that perfectly stimulate tactile perception.

• Figurines. Not detailed, but understandable images of animals, flowers, and people will allow kids to learn to distinguish them from each other by the most obvious signs. It is recommended to reinforce classes with such products using pictures so that the child understands that the same object can look different.

Already at this age, the child needs not only to be provided with toys, but also to be dealt with personally. Considering the fact that now the baby is able to react not only to visual stimuli, it is worth connecting all the capabilities of existing products (cars roll, nesting dolls are disassembled, cubes are placed on top of each other, and much more).

The optimal set of items for the period from 6 to 9 months

The principles for choosing toys remain the same, but now you can pay attention to more complex analogues of the usual options.

• Cubes. Heavier ones, for example, made of wood, which confidently stand on top of each other, stimulate the child’s development of not only fine motor skills, but also muscle strength.

• Inserts and children's sorters. They are replacing the clumsy nesting dolls. Thanks to these products, little children can be taught to correctly estimate the size of objects, stack them, and build towers. By the age of 7-8 months, children begin to feel the urge to create something new. If you provide them with appropriate materials, in the future you will not have to worry about their coordination, memory, logic and intellectual development.

• Constructor. The simplest, consisting only of blocks or simple geometric shapes, stimulates all the baby's senses. It is quite possible that at first the baby will use the parts of the set only to knock them against each other. There is no need to try to teach him everything right away, everything will come in due time.

• Dolls and baby dolls. They should not be small; it is better to take the simplest samples, which can be used to show children what parts of the body and face a person has. According to experts, this is one of the must-have toys for children of both sexes.

But it is better to refuse such advertised interactive toys with all their buttons and levers. You shouldn’t instill in your child a love for various gadgets from early childhood. Developing fine motor skills with the help of a spinning top, bags of cereals and ropes is no less effective and does not cause any harm.

Products for infants 9-12 months

Toys are becoming more and more complex, and games are becoming more varied. By this time, the child should have developed many skills that need to be further developed and consolidated.

• Cars. Now these are more detailed products that not only roll with the help of your hands, but also make special sounds, can move with the help of a remote control or ride on their own if they are somehow accelerated.

• Pyramid. The base on which the rings are strung will perfectly entertain the baby and teach him to group elements by size, color and shape.

• Mosaic. For a small child, the floor option is ideal. It is better to pay attention to sets that do not contain many parts, but with their help you can create not just one figure, but several.

These are only the most necessary products that, despite their simplicity, will captivate the baby and contribute to his development. But they will be enough for the first year. You should not overwhelm your children with the same type or useless toys, they will only distract them from what is really important.

Toys are an integral part of a child’s world from the first month of life. From the first days of newborns, they are given rattles and soft toys. And parents themselves often cannot resist buying a funny toy. But never break the main rule: all toys must be absolutely safe for babies. Children of any age need toys made of non-toxic materials, pleasant colors, non-hazardous rounded harmonious shapes, aesthetically pleasing ones that do not produce sounds that irritate or frighten the child.

4 to 6 months

By 4 months, the baby begins to explore toys. Stock up on toys of different shapes, textures, colors, sounds. It is no longer difficult for a child to reach a bright button with his finger, and gradually he learns to press it. The faces of toy animals are examined. Bells and bells that can be tied to a leg will come in handy. By the age of 5 months, children play with them with pleasure. During this period, children show their first preferences. They already choose their favorite toy from several.

By 6 months, a child will need rubber bath toys, play mats of different textures and colors, rattles of different weights, shapes, with different sound effects, and balls of different sizes.

From 6 to 12 months

By 7-8 months, the baby begins to actively take an interest in everything new. During this period, the child’s intellectual cognitive base is formed. Parents should take into account the needs of the baby when choosing which toys are best to offer the baby, what size, texture. Still remember the main condition for the safety of any toy. There should be no small easily broken parts, chewable material, toxic dyes, or sharp irritating sounds.

From this age, the child begins to master toys that can be inserted into each other and taken out. Bright boxes with lids will come in handy. By 11 months, the baby will learn to cope with the pyramid and will learn to play with blocks.

Rattles will give way to musical toys. Particularly attractive are the buttons that can be pressed to make music play or a bright light bulb to light up.

By 11 months the child masters role playing games, learns what actions can be performed with the toy. He learns to take pity on a toy, rock a doll, move a car, feed a bear, and throw a ball. Balls are still indispensable: they help to learn to crawl and walk, develop motor skills, and teach a child to play with a toy.

From 11-12 months, introduce your baby to puzzles. The need to take and put small parts develops fine motor skills, and the process of assembling a picture itself develops perseverance, develops imagination and logic. However, remember that without adults, the child is not yet ready to play with puzzles; the parts will be torn and chewed. And this is natural and normal.

Learning to play

Many parents believe that simply giving a baby a new toy is enough. This is a big misconception. From the first months, each new toy should be presented to the baby. We need unique traditions of introducing a new toy.

1. First, calmly and kindly show the toy, give him the opportunity to examine it and get used to it.
2. Move the rattle and introduce it to a new sound. Do this delicately so that the child is not frightened by the sharp sound.
3. From 3 months, teach to reach for a toy, push it, and make it move.
4. Don't be lazy to re-feed abandoned toys over and over again. If you get really tired, tie a rattle to the crib by a ribbon and teach your baby to pull the toy out on his own.
5. From 6-7 months, explore toys together: look for and press buttons, look at and name parts (nose, ear, mouth, eyes, wheel, etc.).
6. From 10-11 months, teach to remove and string the details of the pyramid, commenting on the size and even color.
7. Show what towers and trains can be built from cubes, group by color.
8. Learn to play with soft animal toys or dolls: start, feed, stroke, comb.
9. Show how you can put cubes and balls in a car and carry them.
10. Teach how to hit the ball, throw it, and roll it on the floor.

By selecting toys for a child by month, parents ensure proper development appropriate to his age and abilities. This is the only way to educate harmonious personality who is not afraid of difficulties.

As soon as he is born, the baby begins to explore the world. At first, he simply observes what is happening around him, the actions of mom and dad, and then he himself strives to touch the objects around him, pat them and taste them. Modern parents have wonderful helpers - educational toys for children. Before one year of age, a child learns a lot, and this learning process is very important. Let's take a closer look at which toys from the huge assortment offered by stores are really worth paying attention to.

Pendants and music mobile

These are educational toys for children under one year old, which are among the very first to be used. The mobile, or carousel, is hung above the child’s crib, secured on a special bracket. It is usually equipped with several bright toys, which vary in color and possibly in size. They move in a circle, and this is accompanied by a light, simple melody. The baby learns to follow the toys, watches their movement, and then tries to reach them. Later, you can remove the pendants from the base of the mobile and use them separately. They can have lighting effects, rustle or ring.

Developmental mat

If the mobile is hung above the crib, then the mat is simply placed on the floor. It is also equipped with hanging toys. The baby reaches out to them, takes them out, examines them. If a child lies on the rug on his back, then he sees those pendants that are on the arc, but if he turns over on his tummy, he won’t get bored either, because on the base there are usually strings attached that you can pull, rustling animals, and maybe , even the mirror, of course, is completely safe for the child. Often educational toys for small children (pendants) can be selected separately for the rug, because they are removable, like the arcs themselves.

How to choose pendants

Musical educational toys for children should not sound loud. The melody should be unobtrusive, light and pleasant.

Pendants can have different shapes, sizes and textures, but they must be bright and have a pleasant shade. It's better if it's one of the colors of the rainbow. But under no circumstances take toys with acidic tones, they can irritate and contribute to overexcitement of the child or his fatigue.

You can purchase several toys, varying in shape, tactile sensations and sounds. These can be wooden educational toys for children, or plastic, soft, etc. But there is no need to hang them all on the mat at once. It is better to alternate them so that the baby does not get tired of them.

When purchasing, pay attention to ensure that the toys match the actual images. For example, the bird should look like a bird, and not like a hybrid of an elephant and an ostrich. And it’s better if those who fly in nature fly over the baby: birds, butterflies, bees, and let elephants and dogs remain on the ground.

Rattles

Since ancient times, people have been using such educational toys for children under one year old. First, the mother shows the baby a rattle, rings it, removes it from the baby’s field of vision and checks how he reacts to extraneous sounds. And then the baby himself, as soon as he begins to confidently hold something in his tiny hand, takes the toy, tastes it (there’s no way without this), examines it, shakes it and rejoices at his first achievements.

The rattle promotes the development of auditory and visual perception, concentration. Some of them help develop fine motor skills.

For a very tiny baby who was born just a month ago, it is better to choose small rattles on the handle or on a ring. They will be easy to grasp with a small fist and not difficult to hold. Later, you can introduce your child to other types of this toy. For example, for variety, you should purchase a rattle with beads or a “rumbler.” It not only sounds, but also allows the baby to develop as he can pull strings, move elements, and fiddle with parts. And most often, such toys do not make ringing sounds, but tapping or rattling sounds.

Pyramid

According to many parents, pyramids are the best educational toys for children. They are suitable for those who are already six months old. For such a young child, a toy helps develop sensorimotor coordination, and older children can use it to learn colors, sizes and shapes.

For a baby under one year old, choose a pyramid of 3-4 rings, no more. It will be difficult for him to arrange a large number of elements in the correct order. The rod should be short to make it easier for the child to remove the rings. It is better if the pyramid is plastic, it will be easier to wash it, and the mother can be calm when the baby puts it in his mouth.

Earbuds

Many teachers of various times, including the Nikitins, Zaitsevs, Montesorri and others, believe that the best educational toys for children must include inserts in their list. They can be of two types: frames and bowls. The first are three-dimensional boxes or frames in which slots of different shapes are made. The inserts themselves are inserted into them, in turn. Usually these are wooden educational toys for children. Bowls are a set of things of the same shape and different sizes. More often these are cups, cubes, halves of a ball, etc. They are inserted into each other or built into a pyramid.

By playing with inserts, the baby gains first knowledge about sizes, learns the relationship between the size and shape of objects, and coordination of hand and eye actions. These toys are very useful. They promote the development of imagination, because you can play with them in different ways. Again, you can arrange a first acquaintance with color. Insert bowls are useful in the sandbox, in the bathroom, and even for impromptu tea drinking.

Dynamic Children's Educational Toys

For children, such toys bring new discoveries and joy. Take, for example, the spinning top. As soon as you lightly press on its handle, it will spin. It is easy to imagine the delight and surprise of a child. Thus, dynamic toys are those that respond to targeted force. So, for example, modern robots do not belong to this category, because they are turned on by a button or remote control, and the baby does not learn anything new for himself and cannot correlate the action with the reaction.

On the contrary, a dynamic toy helps to establish a relationship between the impact on it and the “surprise” that arises - movement, sound, etc. This contributes to the development of cognitive activity. The best educational toys for children, if we talk about dynamic ones, are the following:

Yula. Popular at all times. To set it in motion, you need to press a button or handle. The important thing for a child is that he can do this himself, without the help of adults. He realizes that his action entails something unexpected.

Tops are different. Some simply spin, others make sounds, others are equipped with lighting effects, and others combine several functions at once. Musical educational toys for children are also suitable for very young children. In this case, mom or dad will rotate the spinning top, and the baby will watch it and listen to the melody.

Also interesting are toys that contain animal figures or a rider on a horse. In the first case, when moving, a visual effect of a round dance is created, and in the second, it seems as if the rider is jumping over obstacles. This “coming to life” of the characters is the key point here.

Somersault acrobat. This is a figurine of a clown sitting on a ladder. As soon as you move him to the top step, he begins to somersault, going down. The most interesting thing is that it does not fall.

Tumbler. Everyone remembers this “childhood friend.” Previously, these were standard nesting dolls, but today they can be various animals. The bottom line is that if you tilt the toy, it gets up again and doesn’t want to lie down. A nice bonus is the sound the tumbler makes when moving. You can even give this toy to yourself small child- it is very easy to put into action.

Figurative toys

Educational toys for children under one year old also include a variety of dolls and animals. With their help, the mother builds a certain plot and tells fairy tales to the baby. Such games influence the child’s socio-emotional position and contribute to the development of his personal sphere. If you choose a baby doll as such a toy, the baby will gradually begin to compare himself and her. All this will help the child to enter the big world of people in the future.

For the first games of a baby up to one year old, the following story-based (figurative) toys are suitable:

Kolobok;

Tumbler;

Animal figurines (including plush and rubber).

For physical development

This is one of the largest groups of toys. But it's not just sports equipment like balls. This includes pendants and stretchers for the crib. They contribute to the development of coordination of movements.

The same balls can also be different. So, a small ball is perfect for a baby, which he will learn to hold in his hands. Almost from birth, children do gymnastics on a fitball, and at an older age (after six months) a massage ball will come in handy.

It will be interesting for the baby to play with “smart” toys that “run away” from him. They stimulate crawling. As soon as the child touches the toy, it rolls away from him and again “wait” for them to catch up with her.

When discussing educational toys for children (photos of a number of them are in the article), it is impossible not to talk about wheelchairs. If your baby is learning to walk, he will need a stable cart with a handle. Anyone who is not even thinking about taking their first steps will love the rope ride. Well, if the child already walks more or less well, a lollipop will do.

Conclusion

As you can see, toys are not only entertainment, but also indispensable aids in the development of a child. However, it should be noted that it is not necessary to buy half the store to provide your child with everything they need. Of course, only true craftsmen can make musical educational toys for children on their own. But some things can be “re-qualified”. For example, bracelets with large buttons make great motor skills toys for children. True, you should not leave your child unattended when he plays with them.