Baby Toys Gifts

Baby Einstein is a world leader in developmental media (CDs, Discovery Cards, books) and products (Toys, Gears) for babies and toddlers. Winner of the AMBY Award’s “Top 10 Best Baby Products of the Year” six years in a row. Babies are exposed to the world around them by using real-world objects, music, art, language, science, poetry and nature in playful, enriching ways.

GUND is known worldwide for its top quality, soft and huggable plush designs and toys. Award-winning GUND toys appeal to all ages, from infants up, and are perfect for both play and collecting. The 110-year old company is based in Edison, New Jersey, and distributes throughout the United States and Canada as well as in Europe, Japan, Australia and South America.

The Aspen Brands Company, based in Duluth, Georgia, is an industry leader in the design, manufacturing and sales of baby shower favors and boutique-quality baby gifts toys The Aspen Brands Company has been recognized with several awards and honors. The Aspen products have been featured in Entrepreneur magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Modern Bride magazine and Brides magazine, among others.

Selecting Baby Toys

The use of toy accessories may or may not be necessary for one month old babies, but as the baby becomes more sophisticated, toys become vital to mental stimulation. Select toys that are appropriate for the baby's age; refer to the manufacturer's guidelines.

Playing toys helps develop a baby’s emotional, language, social, intellectual, and problem-solving skills.

Giving a musical baby toy a shove, batting at a mobile, transferring a rattle from one hand to another, all of these help baby learn about the world around them, and helps them connect sound, touch, taste, sight, smell to objects; to recognize patterns, shapes, and colors; develop memory and hand-eye coordination. That's how baby learns.

The right infant toys can make key developmental stages more fun for baby and new parents. Choose our many awards winner infant toys, include Baby Activity Toys, Musical Baby Toys, Baby Learning Toys, and Soft Toys.

Toys for Month 1

Black and white mobile toys: Install a mobile with black and white shapes above crib, just out of reach (about 12 to 15 inches above the crib mattress). During early weeks of life, the baby will respond more positively to black and white shapes than to colorful shapes.

Music toys or media: Use a radio, cassette deck, CD player, or music box to introduce the baby to music. Studies suggest that higher, calmer, and more melodic music, such as lullabies, will be most appreciated by the baby.

Stuffed toys: Babies frequently mistake these toys as living, breathing companions. This is a technical glitch that usually disappears within seven to twelve years.

Toys for Months 2 to 6

Activity pads: Sold as an accessory at many baby toys stores, activity pads are floor pads with multiple colors, patterns, and overhanging toys that help the baby learn how to swat at and eventually reach the things that interest him.

Books: Select books that the baby can explore with all of his senses. Board books, cloth books, and foam books are all useful toys for getting the baby interested in reading. Let him/her play with these books as he/she will, whether he/she chooses to look at them, fell them, or gnaw on them.

Instrumental toys: Many babies enjoy playing and listening to music. Small drums or bells can tune the baby's audio sensors.

Mobile toys: At six months, the baby has the ability to see colors and to process complex shapes. To help develop his visual sense, choose a hanging or moving mobile with unusual shapes and bright colors. Replace the black and white mobile with a colorful one over the baby's crib or in an area under which the baby can lay down.

Rattles, squeaky toys, and balls: As the baby develops the ability to grab and manipulate objects, give him/her small hand-held toys to enhance these skills. Toys that make sounds will teach the baby the principles of cause and effect.

Unbreakable plastic mirror: Place one next to the changing table or attach one family to the side of the crib to provide a few minutes of daily entertainment and self-awareness.

Toys for Months 7 to 12

Balls: The baby may still enjoy tasting toys, so make sure the balls are too large to fit in his/her month. As the baby approaches 12 months, he/she may begin to roll or even throw a ball back to you.

Bath toys: Rubber objects that float, hold water, squirt, and/or stick to the side of the tub may entertain the baby during cleaning.

Blocks: Wooden and plastic blocks will help the baby learn to place and stack objects. Many babies prefer knocking over stacks of blocks to stacking them. This is normal functioning.

Puppetry and stuffed toys: Entertain the baby by putting on shows or making his/her inanimate friends dance and sing.

Pull toys: These toys often perform in some way when the string is pulled. Playing with these toys will teach the baby basic cause and effect. Always supervise the baby when he/she is playing with any toy featuring a pull string. He/she may swallow the string or pull tab.

Walkers: Once the baby is strong enough to pull up on furniture and take a few supported steps, many users purchase a walker. These wheeled toys can be used by the baby for support while taking his first few steps. Walkers can be wagons, wheeled chairs, or anything the baby can hold onto and use to propel himself/herself across the floor. Saucer walkers, however, are not recommended.