Beneficial Toys

Hi everyone,
Just wondering what toys you have found to be beneficial for your bubs I am talking 3months +
We have a play mat for Georgia which she loves and I read her books and sing to her and talk to her all the time but that is about it I want her to have something else for when she has her alone playing time. What did you find helped your bub.

a ball, bobbins on string are great..
different things in bottles like sand rocks lentils coloured beads..(lids glued on)
games a great for babies like peek a boo.
books are extra important keep up the reading and talking

You might not have time for this, but might know a nice nanna who can knit you up some small squares in various textures. These are so versatile and will last forever. They start out just feeling nice, then end up being peek-a-boo tools, then dolly blankets, then dinner plates, or makeup. They really stimulate the imagination.

Go to a local op shop and look for suitable coaster sets, which encourage a lot of pre-mathematical learning. Napkin rings, tied together on a ribbon make lovely sounds and are fun to explore.
Silk scarves, if you can get them cheaply.
Bits of wooden stuff. I have found heaps, no idea what they were originally for, but fun to explore, and later find use for them as pencil/paper holders, dolls' houses etc.

If you sew at all, or know someone who does, get some recycled materials and sew them up in a little tulle bag (orange and onion bags work, you just have to sew them up.) Things I have put in are: milk bottle tops, crunchy paper, corks, teaspoons, bubble wrap. Possibilities are endless. The tulle bag stops them from swallowing items, but they still get to explore them. And then you can just dunk them in hot soapy water to clean them.

Photo shops will often give you film canisters. Fill these with various things and glue the lids on. Ideas are: kidney beans, salt, sprinkles, marbles.

Finger and hand pupets are another toy that will last the test of time. Go for the fabric ones, really sturdily made ones, because they will love them up to and beyond 10 y.o.a.

Wooden blocks, if you buy a good set they will love them forever. Great for reaching for/sucking on now, knocking over in 6 months time, stacking later on and constructing further down the track.

As a PP mentioned, bottles with "stuff" in them are great, try also a combo of baby/vegetable oil and water with food colouring, or coloured water with detergent in it, or plain water with bits of cut up drinking straws in it. Glue the lid on, and you're away. Again, these can be really versatile. When I worked with under 2s I always had some of these around and kids do some really creative things with them.

So, um, that should keep you busy for the next year or so! I believe so much in using everyday items with babies; there's probably plenty more ideas to come :)

OK, I'm ready to confess my addiction now its over....

Although I think ALL of snugglys ideas are brilliant, and I use lots of those ideas myself - I got really hung up on the Fisher Price blocks with all the different things inside them. You can stack them up, some make noises, you can group them...
I built up heaps of them - food ones, circus, under the sea :redface: and thankfully the kids still adore them years later.

thanks for the replies girls, i have already done some of these things but to tell the truth I want something musical with lights and stuff if you know what i mean. What are the blocks called lulu, if i google them will they come up.

We got a Fisher Price toy from a garage sale for $10 which is like a tree house and has about 10 balls with different animals in them. You put the ball in the hole and it goes down and makes music turn on and all the balls spin on a turntable. Flynn still loves it! He didn't really start using it until about 6mths, tho you could use the balls during tummy time etc. IMO it is great for hand eye coordination and it also teaches cause and effect. Take a look at garage sales we have gotten some great stuff from them and WAAAAAY cheaper than brand new. Also another idea is a toy library. That way you can see if they like it before you purchase it! Other toys we love are a xylophone and a drum and on occasions I have gotten the keyboard out for him to have a bash at.

HTH :)

thanks catherinemoses for those ideas, I did think of the toy library your right good way to try before you buy. Will have to check out some garage sales.

we have fisher price stacking rings that have lights and music when you put rings on or off the pole.

We also have fisher price drums.

he also loves fisher price barnyard thing that has a spinning part that animals stand on and sings songs and lights flash.

DS didnt play with these till 6 months though.

3 months he loved his sound and lights play mat and a soft tublar squeeky toy and rings.

Actually, I love the Fisher Price blocks too. Even as a grown up.
When you clean them though, make sure that you just wipe them over with warm soapy water. Don't immerse them as they'll never be the same again.

I'm fairly sure that Einstein didn't have any light-up musical toys, and he still turned out brilliantly. Thjese things are a dime a dozen at op shops. Why? People get sick of them and throw them out. Our kids have enough landfill to deal with...

we have a fisher price rainforest jumperoo and my ds1 was absolutely obsessed with it! one of the best baby purchases we ever made- can't wait till ds2 is big enough to use it.