Moving about and exploring the world, the people about them and their own bodies is more important than toys for this age group. Many of the things that children of this age enjoy playing with are not toys. Kitchen implements such as wooden spoons, brown paper bags, wrapping paper, face washers and sponges, mugs and funnels, your car keys and a leaf on the ground will all prove to be interesting and fun.

Putting things in and out of other objects is as much as fun as playing with the objects. Some days babywill seem more interestedin dropping his toys, so you can pick them up and put them into a basket, then actually doing anything with them - this is all fun for him.

So when you are unpacking shopping or unwrapping presents or about to throw away a cardboard tube, consider whether these may be safe for baby to play with. At this age babies love novelty.


Toys for this age group include

• Posting toys
• Heavy cloth or plastic books with large bright pictures
• Balls of different sizes, soft and hard, balls that jingle and balls that rattle
• Chunky movables such as little cars on plastic wheels
• Large soft blocks
• Musical toys such as drums
• Toy telephone, toy key ring
• Stacking rings
• Simple puzzles with large pieces
• Buckets, cups, mugs, and floating bath toys
• Stuffed toys


Toy safety checklist

Toys can and do injure children, so before you buy or give your child a toy, think of these safety points.

• Does it have sharp edges or rough surfaces? These could give your baby a cut or splinter.

• Is it washable?

• How breakable is it?

• Is it age suitable? Read what the label says. Giving a child toys that are meant for older children will not help his development; he is more likely to be bored, and the toys could be dengerous to this age group.

• Are there loose parts? These could be choking dangers. If the toy fits into a 35 mm film canister, it is too small for a child under three.

• Are there gaps or holes? Check there are no gaps where a finger might get trapped.

• Does it make loud noises? Even some toys meant for babies have a squeak that can damage a child's hearing. If in doubt, do not offer it.