How to Choose Appropriate Toys for a Baby

Be sure that the toys you choose are appropriate for your baby.

Toys for babies should be safe, educational, fun and age-appropriate. Below are some tips for choosing appropriate toys.

Instructions

How to Choose Appropriate Toys for a Baby

1. If the toy is too basic or too advanced for your baby, she will not get much enjoyment from it and could actually injure herself. Your baby may like playing with a toy made for a 2-year-old. However, it may not be safe for her to do so.

2. A baby will enjoy a toy that stimulates one or more of his senses. A colorful mobile is stimulating to his sight; a musical toy will stimulate hearing.

3. Make sure that the toy is sturdy and well-made. The paint or finish on a toy must be nontoxic, and there should be no sharp edges or corners.

4. Choose toys that are washable to prevent bacteria growth--infants put everything into their mouths.

5. Toys that are too small or have small, removable parts present a significant choking risk.

6. Toys that have strings or ribbons longer than 6 inches are unsafe for your baby due to the risk of strangulation.

7. Make sure that all stuffed animals are safe. The eyes must not be made of small pieces that can be pulled or chewed off. Be sure the stuffed animal has no loose wires and strings and that it is well made.

Tips & Warnings

• One way to judge a toy's appropriateness is to simply watch your baby play with it. Does he seem interested in the toy? Does he play with it as it is intended to be played with?

• Toys can help your baby develop motor skills and encourage her intellectual growth.

• If a toy is too easy for your baby, she will become bored.

• If a toy is too hard for your baby, he will become frustrated with it.

Resources

• Baby Playmats
• Age-appropriate toys