Baby Toys for Newborns to 12 Months

Welcome to Baby Toys 123 where you will find a range of baby toys that your newborn baby will enjoy playing with and help stimulate them in their development up to 12 months and onward.

In the first year your baby develops rapidly and reaches some amazing milestones, but they do need help from you in the form of a loving and nurturing environment with positive interaction. This doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune on the most expensive toys available but to find ones that provide stimulus to learn and explore.

The First 3 Months

When your baby is newly born they aren’t able to hold their heads upright and their movements tend to be uncoordinated but this soon changes. After about four weeks you will notice your baby is making an effort to focus and track on objects within their view.

At about 6 weeks old your baby will be starting to give you those beautiful smiles that just give you a funny feeling inside and may also have started to recognize your voice.

At 3months old you will notice that your baby can consistently follow movement of objects that go up and down or from side to side. In the meantime they will have also discovered their hands and feet and will spend many hours kicking their feet and inspecting their little fingers.

Baby Toys for 0-3 months

Toys with bright and contrasting colours will fascinate your baby most at this age. Hold the toy in front of them and try moving it slowly from side to side so they can watch the movement and then progress to up and down.

Small, soft toys which your baby can grasp will help them expand on using their hands. Initially the baby’s first instinct will just be to grasp, but the more they play the more they will discover new movements, small rattles or soft toys are good for this age group.

Another option to consider is a mobile or baby gym, which is suspended above baby and will help them with mastering head control by looking at the mobile. You don’t have to spend a fortune on these it’s not hard to make your own by suspending toys from a pole balanced between two chairs.

Provide plenty of interaction to your baby by reading, singing or talking to them which help develop their listening skills. You don’t need toys for this but might like to try some.

Baby at 3 – 6 months

By the time your baby is four months old you will notice they can hold a rattle and will be trying to put it in their mouth. Whilst not fully co-ordinated they are definitely learning, and will keep trying to grab at new things in front of them.

They will be starting to hold their heads up and rolling on to their tummy. As their arms get stronger they will start to use them to hold themselves up. Which all help with muscle development.

Baby Toys for 3 – 6 months

Toys that can be easily held encourage co-ordination and even more so when they make a noise to keep baby interested in exploring. Plush balls that make sounds when rolled or squeaky toys are good at this age.

Baby at 6 – 9 months

By six months you will notice baby has gained a lot more control of their hand and foot movements. They will start to reach out for toys being held in front of them, and shake or rattle them when they get a hold.

Between 6 to 9 months your baby will start attempting to sit up by them self and you should encourage this by positioning them between your legs or using a pillow to help prop them up. With a bit of practice they will soon be able to sit up themselves without any support. Some babies will even be attempting to get onto their hands and knees pre-empting the crawling stage.

Baby Toys for 6 – 9 months

At this stage having toys that your baby can see while sitting up will encourage them to stay upright. Even a simple bowl and wooden spoon can seem fascinating, or if you want to be a bit more creative toys that wobble but don’t fall, or activity gyms entice your baby to get more adventurous.

Much as you may not want to hear about it, toys that make noise are good at this age, especially satisfying for your baby to be able to shake and bang and hear an outcome for their efforts.

Toys that move are also a good incentive, whether they are just balls that roll, or wheels that can be pushed, your baby will make efforts to move and follow.

Your baby at 9 – 12 months

By now your baby is starting to get far more active and co-ordinated. They will have progressed from just lying down to sitting and crawling around whenever they can. Some will have even started walking and pulling themselves round using the furniture or whatever comes to hand.

Your baby will be showing curiosity in their surroundings and forever exploring new objects. They will have started learning basic manipulating skills, and activity toys will keep them fascinated for lengthy periods of time.

Baby Toys for 9 – 12 months

Now is the time to introduce building toys that can be stacked or nested and help your baby develop their problem solving skills. Any toy that has a cause and effect such as those that spin or play music when buttons are pushed will be popular and interesting to your baby.

You might like to think about introducing baby’s first books now whether they be made of material or stiff cardboard. Many of the baby books these days have been designed to be interactive with popup figures inside.

Are Baby Toys Expensive?

Basically it comes down to what you want to spend, the type of toy and the quality and brand. Whatever you decide it’s important to check that the toy meets safety standards. Take advantage of sales and discount stores, and if you really can’t afford new toys and buy second hand ones make sure you disinfect them thoroughly first.

Avoid toys which can’t be washed and make sure there are no broken parts that could cause an injury.

When buying any toy for your baby always make sure that it is suitable for the age of your child. Following these few simple guidelines will help you in making the right choices for your baby.