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SEMINARS

A toy does not have to be expensive or fancy to be engaging and almost anything can be a toy.

Tupperware and cardboard boxes have been favorite toys for years. However, if you are going to invest in toys, buy a few high quality wood toys rather than lots of plastic ones. Your baby will get more out of them and your apartment will look a lot less cluttered! Keep in mind that what might seem simple actually engages your child's creativity more than many ''educational'' toys, because your child has to use his brain more to play with them.

What kinds of toys:

• By 3 months, introduce a rattle, some grasping toys and some other fun objects that your baby can enjoy looking at. By 6 months you can introduce a ball that your baby will have fun rolling and wooden blocks that he will like to put in his mouth, and hold. At 9 months your baby will start to enjoy anything that stacks or nests. For your baby’s first birthday, consider a push toy, an egg shaker, some finger puppets and a doll. Of course, throughout infancy, board books are wonderful too. As your toddler grows, he will have lots of fun with puzzles, sorting boxes, Mr. potato head and child sized musical instruments.

Where to get them:

• If you are nervous about the number of recalls for toys manufactured in China, there are toy websites that disclose where toys are made and focus on European and other notably safe manufacturer sites including www.oompa.com and www.moolka.com. If you are concerned about the toys you already have, you can also check how certain toys are rated for chemicals such as lead and unhealthy plastics at www.healthytoys.org.

Organize:

• Organize your child’s toys according to type in open, labeled boxes (e.g. plush, blocks, animals, music, books, dolls, wooden). Provide only a few options every week or so, rather than leaving out all toys at once. Encourage your child to clean up after playing, children naturally enjoy sorting so cleaning is fun for them!

How you play:

• Always be sure to let your child direct his play. Play should never involve being forced to learn in a structured environment, and that includes structured play at home. When it comes to play, if your child doesn’t want to engage in a game you initiate, let him lead you in the play direction he prefers. A simple game of peek-a-boo is one of the biggest baby brain boosters out there! If your child expresses an interest in a toy, go ahead and model for him how to use it but don’t force him to get it right.

Avoid:

• Remember, if it needs batteries, it probably requires less creativity on your child’s part. KEEP IT SIMPLE. He’ll learn more from exploring and playing with blocks than from a complicated, battery-operated toy!
• Be skeptical of “educational” toys that claim to provide extra learning opportunities for language, literacy and math. While some of these toys may be great, many of them don't require any creativity to play with, and are "adult centered”. Research consistently shows that learning through rote memorization does not really mean your toddler is actual processing what he is repeating. Something that seems very simple is often the most stimulating for infants.