Toys for Newborn

Before I talk about the toy industry, let me tell you what kind of toys you get from your relatives when you give birth to a child. In most cases, the toys you get are easily held in the hand and make some kind of sound or are soft toys.

In the case of soft toys, until they are used as pillows or beds, they are a waste in the initial phase. While in the case of handheld toys which make sounds are instrumental as they help in catching the attention and diverting their mind.

Now if I talk about the toy industry then it is growing day by day. One child policy is the main factor behind its growth. One child is pampered to the limit till he/she gets stubborn. And toys are an important part of that pampering. I remember while I was growing up there was no concept of the toy box or toy corner in the house and these days, you will definitely see a toy box or toy corner in the house.

Toy Companies have bifurcated toys according to the age of the child. Thus, moving forward, I will talk about the toys which you actually need age wise.

0-3 months

In the first quarter, you need the toys to grab the attention of the child. The toys to calm the child down and the toys to keep him/her busy. Handheld toys which produce some kind of sound are highly helpful in diverting a child’s mind. The toys attachable to the baby bed, carry cot and swinger keep the child busy. So invest in these toys.

The toys on which you should not waste money are placards, soft toys and moving toys. Placards are promoted for developing eyesight but there are a lot of substitutes which are easily available at home. Soft toys in the first quarter are a total waste unless they are pillows or beds. Moving toys like cars and other vehicles may frighten your child as in this phase, they are adapting to the outer world. So keep them away in the first quarter.

3-6 months

In this phase, the child starts observing everything around. So it is better to have vibrant toys, different colours attract the child. So balls and balloons of different colours are the best options. These days balls and balloons come with the lights attached to them, so if you can get them then your child will enjoy the tiny lights and will have a great time playing with them. And they won’t even be heavy on your pocket.

Moving toys should be avoided in this phase as well. Soft toys can be tricky, just take care of the fur on them.

6-9 months

In this phase, focus on teethers and walkers. The child will learn to sit and will try to stand up in this phase of life, so it is important that you motivate him/her to walk. Apart from that, the teething process may also start, so there will be a lot of itchy feeling in a child. Due to that, the child starts putting anything and everything in the mouth. Thus, the habit of teethers proves to be a good one in this phase.

Among teethers, there are two types: plastic and wooden. In that, I would say encourage your child to have wooden teethers. He/she might not like the taste in the beginning but ultimately, it will develop. When it comes to walkers, there is a huge variety of them available in the market. The range goes well over 10K. So invest accordingly.

9-12 months

This is the phase where a child takes the play part seriously. A child enjoys almost everything. Moving toys, bats, racquets, lights, walkers, tricycles, shoes making sound, balloons, balls, utensils and what not! A child enjoys everything it can hold and spoil. In this phase, a child spoils the food, throw it on the floor and then eats it from the floor.

In this phase, a child also starts making his/her preferences in the toys and gives you the signs of his/her liking. So have a set of different toys and see what kind of toys he/she prefers the most and absolutely loves playing with.

I hope this post will help you in recognising the different toys for the first four quarters of your child. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.