Baby Games and Toys for Babies

When babies reach four months they will begin to recognize and relate to sounds and colors. They will begin to learn the sound of your voice saying their name, and they will respond to it. Playing "Peek-a-Boo" is a game that babies love and will begin to respond to at this age. They will laugh and this time it won't be from gas.

Bright colors and motion will begin to attract them. As their motor skills begin to develop they will reach for colorful moving things. Their eyesight is still not completely developed which is why bright primary colors are going to attract their attention over a soft pastel color.

At this stage of human development, giving a child attention by playing simple games with them will help in the advancement of the rational thinking portion of their brains; with their auditory or listening association skills; their motor skills as they learn to reach for bright moving objects; and their sensory skills that also include sight, touch and taste along with their hearing.

Toys such as mobiles, activity gyms, activity centers, rattles, squeeze toys and even objects strung across their bouncy chairs, car seats and strollers will grab their attention as they grab for the objects. Look for softer objects for these little hands. Hard plastic can sometimes hurt their delicate skin and little fingers.

Make sure that none of the objects are something that can break loose easily. The first thing a baby does when it grabs an object is to stick it in the mouth for the senses of taste and touch. They are learning how things taste and how they feel. Remember that everything is brand new to this brand new person and everything is a learning experience.

What I am really loving about this is the way the visuals work. It looks so beautiful as the fish go swimming by. Almost like watching fish in a real aquarium. The soothing classical music works with the relaxing effects of the "aquarium" to sooth baby right to sleep with mesmerizing effect of the swimming fish.

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Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium

Now is the ideal time to get soft cloth books for babies. If you haven't already started reading to your child, now is the time to start. Babies will learn to understand words long before they gain the necessary motor skills to speak them.

Reading simple baby cloth books slowly, while enunciating the words well, will give babies a head start on their vocabulary and comprehension skills. Colorful books made of cloth will get their attention quickly and will prevent any damage to the books from baby grabbing at the bright colors. While reading or talking to your child, speak as you would normally speak to another adult. Forget using baby talk when reading and put emphasize ion single words.

For example say, "this is your book" as you show the babies their books. Then pause and wait to see if baby responds. This encourages babies to vocalize and respond to the pausing in your speech after having seen the object and hearing your spoken words . This is the beginning of teaching the nuances of your language along with the correct intonations of speech that makeup a normal conversation.

Babies can grab at the books all they want without any damaging effects on the material. They just are not strong enough to tear the cloth, unlike paper. Yet, on the other hand, just try to get their little fist to open and release a handful of paper!

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Lamaze Cloth Book

This is the approximate age that baby games will advance to simple "Hide-and-Peek", "Patty-Cake" clapping games and gentle tugging and pushing types of games. These games may seem silly, but besides stimulating your child's laughter, they actually stimulate your child's growth too.

For example, playing "Hide-and-Peek" helps to develop the understanding of the concept of object permanence in the child's mind. When playing this type of baby game you will say things like, "Where's the bear?", as the bear is hidden behind your back and when revealed, "Here's the bear!" You can do this from under a blanket saying, "Where's Mommy?", then peeking out from under the blanket saying, "Here's Mommy!"

Playing "Patty-Cake", and "Clap-Clap-Clap" types of games are very important because they help your child to learn eye hand coordination.

Gentle tugging and pushing games will help to develop your child's motor skills. For example, saying, "I've got the blanket" while gentle pulling on the blanket.

Introducing a non-breakable mirror is is really good tool for your child at this age. I use to hold my babies in front of a mirror and point to their image saying,
"Who's that?"
"Who's that in the mirror?"
"That's _____ " (baby's name).

The smaller hand held mirror is good for games or for baby to play with alone.

Photo from Amazon

If you didn't get a mobile for your baby with the nursery bedding set you may want to consider this one. It is very cool as it projects scenes onto the canopy of the turning mobile while music plays. It comes with a remote so if you want to restart it, after 20 minutes of playing, you can do it remotely. Remove the canopy and you can project the scene on to the ceiling for older babies.

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Precious Planet 2-in-1 Projection Mobile

The reason I chose this particular rocker is because of the soft toy bar that comes with it. The soft toy bar has 3 bright colored fun toys that can be easily removed. The soft toy bar is a nice feature for baby to play with and because it is soft instead of hard plastic it will be easier on baby's little hands and face.

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Precious Planet 2-in-1 Projection Mobile

A 6 to 9 month old baby can be expected to go through remarkably rapid learning stages as they make an immense growth spurt in both physical and intellectual abilities. Usually at this age a baby will learn to sit and stand, and perhaps even learn to crawl around on their own.

During this period of development, babies will begin to perform deliberate movement skills and respond more readily to the voices of others. For example, they will recognize the voices and respond to the sounds of familiar family member while reacting with stress to strangers.

An increased ability to think and remember actions and sounds will be noticed and this will take your interactions and game playing to a whole new level. This is when you will be please that they remember how to stack toys, or hit a button to get a remembered response from an activity toy.

This is, in my humble opinion, the best educational toy that Fisher-Price has made this year. Every baby that I have seen play with this toy cube (LOL - all of two) stays occupied for the longest time and will crawl right over to it time and time again.

My neighbor has one for her baby and a friends grandchild has one. I think my friends and I might be the ones enjoying it the most though, as we get the biggest kick out of playing with these babies or watching these babies play with this activity block on their own. It is more entertaining than a movie watching these babies discover how things work!

All of the baby games that are age appropriate for learning are included in this activity block. It will teach your baby cause and effect through discovery; help to develop their thinking skills; develop motor skills through eye to hand coordination just to name a few. It is amazing how quickly these little ones will learn to get the blocks and tumble them down over and over. The spinning top fascinates these little ones and the first time I saw my friends grandchild get a sound out of it, gosh I wish I had a camera with me. Hysterical!

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Incrediblock

Start you baby off by playing with this toy together. You can sing along to your baby naming body parts or the alphabet. As your babies gets older and grow with the toy, they will be able to play with it alone and will love it. They will end out dragging it around with them while they laugh and sing with it.

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Brown Laugh & Learn Learning Puppy

Pop N Push Car

Babies love playing with this adorable and very affordable little Pop N Push Car. And the great thing about it is that while baby is pushing and pulling it around having a fun time the toy encourages motor skill development.

Babies will begin playing with this type of toy at about 6 months of age and will play with it for many more months to come! The more developed babies motor skills become the more active they will become with this type of toy.

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Pop N Push Car

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Fisher-Price Go Baby Go! Poppity Pop Muscial Dino

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Toys Play 'N Ride Train

The Chomp & Clack Alligator Push Toy encourages independent exploration even before a child can walk. The manufacturer suggest this toy for a baby 1 years old and up, however, if your child is already showing signs of standing and holding on to get around, then baby is ready for this type of toy.

According to the manufacturer, "The toy's design helps teach motor skills as well as basic cause and effect. With each step your child takes, the alligators take turns opening and closing their mouths with a gentle clacking noise. The alligators' noise and animation encourages movement and development of gross motor skills, while spinnable, slidable beads on the handle supports help improve fine motor skills."

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Deluxe Wooden Chomp and Clack Alligator Push Toy

Fisher Price has done it again with a fabulous age appropriate toy wagon full of things that will teach your baby and at a much more affordable price than the Incrediblock, which you already know I love.

Even though I do not know anyone that has this baby toy, after reading all the reviews, I think this one is #2 on my list for the best baby educational game toy made by Fisher-Price and possibly of all the baby toy manufactures. The jury is still out on that one.

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Stack 'n Surprise Blocks Musical Croc Block Wagon

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Plan Toys Cone Sorting

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Eco-Friendly Rainbow Sound Blocks

Babies need lots of physical and emotional attention to develop and learn healthy behavior. Without an abundant supply of physical and emotional attention, children are at a high risk for anti-social behavioral and emotional problems as they grow up. Children that have never received this type of physical and emotional support as babies are more likely to commit suicide as teenagers. They are more likely to become involved in gang behavior and flourish in criminal, anti-social behavior.

Before you make a decision to bottle feed instead of breast feed.... think about this. Before you decide to prop your baby's bottle in a baby rocker, car seat, playpen or a crib instead of holding your child in your arms to loving feed that bottle...think about this. Before you leave that child alone for hours in a play pen without any human contact.....think about this.

It is imperative to the healthy mental and physical development of your child to physically hold your baby; to play games with your baby; to laugh and sing with your baby; and to give all of the unconditional love you can give every minute of every single day to your precious child.

Let's All of Us Give Love to All of the Children of the Universe that We May Have Loving Adults in the Future.