Games and toys help to awaken toddlers, that is to say, the development of their senses (touch, hearing, smell, sight and taste). There are a multitude of so-called “early learning” toys on the market. Here are some tips for choosing them according to your baby’s age.

During his first year, baby goes from discovery to discovery. You will witness his first wonders, his first twitterings, his first vocalizations, his first bursts of laughter, his first grips of objects, etc. To help them wake up, you can offer them games and toys adapted to their age.

The mobile is a toy that is most often hung over the child’s bed. It is made up of small, colorful stuffed animals that spin when the element is turned on. The mobile can be musical and / or luminous. It is one of the very first baby toys because it can be used from the first days. The child is attracted by the movement and the colors of the mobile. This object can distract or calm him (the child is lulled by music and movement). The mobile participates in the visual and auditory awakening of baby. It can be used up to the age of about 8/9 months. Better to remove it when baby can stand up in bed and can reach the mobile with his hands. By attempting to pull on the parts that make up the mobile, the child could be injured.

Like the mobile, the rattle is a must-have during baby’s first year. It is also often offered to parents as a birth gift. The rattle can be offered to a child from 3 months old, when he begins to touch the things around him. This gripping object helps develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Some models are filled with maracas to make maracas when the child shakes it. This toy also develops baby’s sense of rhythm and musical ear. Before 3 months, baby can touch and look at the rattle. From 3 months and over, baby tries to grab the object, put it in his mouth, shake it and throw it away (these different stages do not happen at the same time). Opt for a colorful model, made of different materials (to multiply the sensations to the touch) and which makes noise.

The tumbler is a children’s toy with a rounded and massive base that allows him to stand up regardless of the position in which it is put. There is a wide variety of tumblers. There are pyramid tumblers which allow the child to stack several pieces, rattle tumblers (they make noise when baby tilts him), plush tumblers … The tumbler is generally a colorful toy, made up of different textures and can be filled with marbles. This toy develops touch and stimulates baby’s vision. It can be offered to children from 7 months old when they manage to grasp objects.

The play mat is a great way to encourage baby to explore his surroundings. You can “make” it yourself by placing a blanket on the ground and placing several early learning toys within easy reach of baby. There are also commercially available equipped with a flexible awakening arch directly attached to a carpet. You can also put an activity frame on a mat. The idea is to lay baby on his back or on his stomach and let him freely explore what is around him (the objects that are above him and next to him). Be careful, a baby must always be supervised by an adult when he is on a play mat. The mat has two big advantages for baby:

• it develops fine and gross motor skills. Baby tries to roll over from his back to the side and then face down to grab the toys with his hands. Simply lying on the ground, the child is also free to move around, which is not the case in a deckchair, a bathtub or a high chair;
• sight, touch and hearing are stimulated.

The play mat can be offered to babies from 5 months old. Some babies will start to be interested in it sooner, others later.

The musical activity cube is a colorful fabric toy that emits various music and sounds when the child presses on it. It is generally light and is made of different materials. The child can fully benefit from all the cube’s functionalities around 1 year old, but the object can be offered before. It develops fine motor skills and touch, and stimulates hearing.

The activity book is made up of different materials to vary the sensations to the touch. It can also be audible: by pressing on a particular zone, a sound or music is emitted. Activity books are usually very colorful to catch your baby’s eye. They can tell a story or be devoted to a theme (farm animals, fruits and vegetables, sea animals, etc.). The activity book introduces baby to reading, listening to stories and making him discover new worlds.