toys for little babies?

[kir]

In your experience, do you use toys with little babies (like 0-6 months)? They don't need teething, chewing things, right? And how much do they actually use rattles and stuff? I really don't know about this, so i'm asking. I was sort of thinking that all they'd do is sleep and snuggle with me :) but maybe i'm wrong about that.
Mobiles?
Mirrors?
Rattles?
Play mats?

I don't know.

Kiran

[birthjunkie27]

Play mates with the dangling toys from arches were a fave of ours. Even as young as 2-3 mos the babies can look at the dangly things. Ours seemed to be mesmorized by them. Also, Mirrors are good, as babies LOVE looking at faces. Rattle type toys didn't get any use till after 6 mos or so.

[veggiekicks]

Play mates with the dangling toys from arches were a fave of ours. Even as young as 2-3 mos the babies can look at the dangly things. Ours seemed to be mesmorized by them. Also, Mirrors are good, as babies LOVE looking at faces. Rattle type toys didn't get any use till after 6 mos or so.

My Ds loves staring and batting at the toys hanging from his arch mat. He is also getting very interested in his skwish toy, it's just right for him to grab and hold ( I've heard you can find these for cheaper, but here's a link so you can see what I'm talking about http://www.geniusbabies.com/skwisnewblac.html)

Another lifesaver for us is toys that can attach to his carseat. DS *hates* being in the carseat, so I limit outings, but for those times that we have to get out, these help. I also have a mat that has black and white patterns that I have in front of his carseat so he has something interesting to look at while we're in the car. (similar to this http://www.geniusbabies.com/caraccenplay.html )

HTH

[Prensa]

I dunno, my lil guy is 15 weeks and he has just a few toys and he really likes trying to get them in his mouth...I have a rattle thing that I found at Target and on the bottom is a clear globe that has colored balls in it for rattling and the top is kinda like a head, and there's a face and he loves to stare at the big round black eyes.

he also has this rattle (http://www.buybuybaby.com/shopping/prod_detail/main.asp?productID=144584&code=SEARCHDEX) which he really likes cause his hand fits around it and he tries to get the nubs into his mouth and when he does he chews on them.

he has one of these (http://www.babylove.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/scstore/p-FYS-1474.html?L+scstore+ihnp5231+1127592379) too and he really likes to chew on it, and lick it, but it's harder for him to get a grasp on.

and finally he has all these rings (http://www.babyuniverse.com/pro/baby/8516/GyminiRings-Primary.html) that came with other toys that fit really well in his hand and he tries to get in his mouth

for the record, he is not teething yet, and he won't take a pacifier.

He's getting really good at finding his thumb when he wants it.


One more thing, I have printed a bunch of these infant stimulation graphic (http://www.envisagedesign.com/ohbaby/infstim/graphics.html) thingies and he LOVES to look at them, I taped them on the wall above his changing table and he always looks while I change his fuzzi lil bunz :love

-P

[spiralmg]

Overhead mobiles were the #1 hit for us with DS. We bought a bunch for cheap at the local art museum, and hung them over the places where we liked to put him down.

Also, things to put in the mouth are always a hit.

Another GREAT find for us that we used during baths and diaper changes is this little spinning toy called "Pendulum Man" - $5.99-$11.99 depending on where you buy it. Here's the cheapest online place:
http://www.unclesgames.com/product_info.php/cPath/471/products_id/7072

It is basically a magnet attached to a spinner; you plug in the stick-figure arms and legs and then spin it around yourself. Not good for a bigger baby as they want to grab it...but absolutely mesmerizing magic for a little one - just the thing to grab the baby's attention away from the fact that you are struggling to put a t-shirt or diaper on him/her!

[hottmama]

My son had no interest in toys when he was a little baby. All he wanted was people to play with. I won't be getting any toys for this baby, but I'm sure we'll be gifted some. Maybe the baby will care for like, 3 seconds.

[DesireeH]

My dh liked his mobile and he loved this little bee thing we had that dangled and when you pulled on it, it went up and made a vibrate noise. That was the first time he laughed and he laughed soooo hard, dh and I were both in tears, it was sooo cute. The dog chewed it up and I've yet to find a new one! GRR. LOL I think it was a little cheapy thing from Carters. The dangly stuff was most liked for ds too. He could have cared less about stuffed animals, rattles, etc until he was older.

[kir]

Thanks!

In the past week i got a couple sets of emailed pictures from friends with babies, and they all had little *things* they were holding and possibly playing with -- play mats, cloth books. I really hate most stuffed animals b/c they're hard to keep clean and everything gets nasty and moldy in the humidity here....but the other things like mobiles and things sound good. I love the link to that infant stim site. that's cool!!

Kiran

[witchbaby]

small toys they can hold in their hands are always hits. nice rattles like haba wood rattles are great (we found our first one on the ground in a nice neighborhood!)-- they're beautiful and well-made and seem to be terribly entertaining. k loved her sassy livelinks, but i think any linking chain type toy would work. anything that can be gummed and chewed is cool, too. k also loved her "ally cat" toy from lamaze-- it had crinkly paws, rings on one hand, a bell on the other, different textures all over and vibrated when you pulled its tail (that was kind of creepy-- my mother called it "baby's first vibrator").

[allnaturalmama]

I really think it depends on the babes' personalities.

DS LOVED toys almost from birth. His early favorites were the types of toys suspended in front of him, like mobiles, car seat toys, and arches on play mats. He went to things he could grasp and shake very early. He had a remarkably long attention span and could be entertained for long times just with a single toy.

DD, on the other hand, just wanted to be held. I don't know that she ever noticed any of the toys we suspended over her! Much more content to be facing me in the carrier all day. DS would have gone crazy with boredom.

[hunnybumm]

I am not sure if you are looking at Christmas presents or just for something for baby to play with. But the Christmas presents that this baby will be getting are very practical (for the most part) and things it can grow into. We are planning on getting a bouncy seat that transitions into a toddler chair, an infant car seat (which we will be opening early), possibly a swing, things the baby can grow into and use 3, 6, 9 months from now. Of course a few unneccisary toys. ;)

One of DSs presents (21 months) is going to be a potty chair. We are trying to be practical this year rather than getting a ton of toys.

[IncaMama]

nak so will be short
mobiles
playmat with dangly things
black/white printed patterns (stars, checkerboard, swirls, etc)

re: rattles - until they have better hand coordination, i'd stay away from hard rattles. my ds whacked himself pretty hard with our wooden rattles and hurt himself. you can get soft rattles though