Guide to toys up to 12 months
Toys play a large and fun role in your baby/child’s development as children learn through play and using their toys.
Newborns spend most of their time watching and learning from your facial expressions, and your voice and don’t need too many toys as such. But then they grow so quickly and before you know it they will begin to need more stimulation as they take more notice in their surroundings and are more interested in toys.
We have devised a quick reference point for the types of toys for up to 1 year olds using commercially purchasable toys. Bear in mind that there are some items that a child will enjoy playing with, some materials you can offer that have more than one purpose.
Let’s break it down further and give more specific developmentally appropriate toy suggestions for children up to 1 year old. This age love and are more drawn to toys that are colourful, lightweight, have various textures and are made of non-toxic materials. This is because children at this age learn through sight, touch, sound and taste and often put things into their mouths to explore them. Sensory mats are an excellent example as it covers sight, touch and sometimes even sound.
It’s important to remember, to play it safe.
This is generally guided according to a child’s individual developmental ability and is roughly around the following ages.
Guidelines for toy selection
| 3-6 months | 6-8 months | 8-12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Your baby will be drawn to high contrast colours and patterns, things that move or make noise. This in the first few weeks the contrasting colours can include black and white with as they grow older the introduction of colours. It is more about the contrast rather than the actual colours.
| During this age you will likely notice that your baby will be showing greater interest and precision in picking up and grasping objects, they may be sitting up with support, and starting to babble and make different sounds. They will be putting most things in their mouth as their way of exploring. This is the age where they will like to stack things, put things in their mouth, grasp things and they will enjoy seeing themselves in the mirror.
| Your baby is now very active and is no longer satisfied with staying in one spot. They will respond to a wide variety of stimuli and will be looking to further explore their world.
|
Top tips when choosing toys
- Ensure toys conform to Australian Standards.
- Be aware of product recalls (www.recalls.gov.au).
- Dispose of packaging after opening the toy.
- Always use safety equipment when using a toy or equipment for example use a harness when using swings.
- Be aware of small pieces as choking hazards. The general rule is if it is smaller than the old film canisters then it is too small.
- Put toys away after use to avoid falls, do not leave toys on the stairs, etc.
- If you buy second hand ensure they are in good working order with no broken bits or cracks, etc. Be aware of the age of the toys as standards have changed over the years and what may have been ok years ago may not be considered safe now.
- Always supervise a child with a toy.
