Best Toys for Language Stimulation for Babies

Best Toys for Language Stimulation for Babies

“Toys are children’s words and play is their language”- Garry L. Landreth

Recently many articles are published on social networking sites guiding the parents to limit their child’s screen time and how it effects the child’s overall development. Often I have heard curious new mothers ask regarding what to give to engage the child to play. So this article is dedicated for all the new mothers who would like to engage their children in activities which are helpful for overall development of children.

Babies learn and develop quickly during their first year of life, and play is an essential part of this development. Toys can help stimulate a baby’s language skills and cognitive abilities, but with so many options on the market, it can be difficult to know which toys are the best for language stimulation.

Toys are children’s words

Many toys these days are available in market which can be easily used for playing. But if you are an innovative mother and want to tickle the creative bug inside you there are many safe and appropriate materials which are typically available at home. Starting from gift wrapping papers, cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, jars, their lids many other things can be used in different ways by children.

To start with let’s understand that

– Children love big colorful things/toys.

– They love if toy has different sounds or can move around

– Easily accessible

– Real objects attract them more than the toys.

– Talk to your child even when they are playing this makes them understand things much better.

List of good toys include-

For very young infants till 6 months– soft Rattles, large colorful rings, soft/ rough textured balls, simple nursery rhymes. They love to explore the sounds near them. Even phone ringtones, Door bells are great attraction to them.

For children till 1 year–

As they start exploring things while moving around their interest shifts to toys which are also movable. They respond to their own names and other common words, also start identifying body parts, find hidden objects, and put things in and out of boxes. Toys like baby dolls, hand puppets, large different shaped beads with bowls, water with unbreakable cup, soft books, building blocks, cartons to hide their toys or big enough to play peek-a-boo, moving carts, cars with batteries or moving animal toys can be given to them.

For 1 year old–

At this age they start walking around , may even start climbing stairs. The biggest milestone is that they start imitating more of what you do. Here board books with simple and real pictures, white board/black board or drawing book with crayons, toy phones, dolls with accessories, realistic vehicles, wooden blocks, shape matching cut outs, simple puzzles, pegboards, animals toys can be given to child. Don’t forget to put papers around your room walls and be ready to let the scribbling begin!!

For children between 1 to 2 years–

Child’s language learning and usage grows rapidly. They can speak in 3-4 word simple sentences. Children also get interested in lot of physical activities like learning to jump, climbing stairs, rolling doing summersaults etc. Children learn emotions as well, have good control of their hands and fingers and like to do things with small objects. At this stage you can give problem solving Toys for Language Stimulation ( puzzles, find things in sand/water), blocks, sorting activity (with fruits, vegetables, clothes etc.) pretend playing helps a lot ( using dolls, cars, kitchen sets, puppets, toy phones,).

 

 

Dough can also be given to make new shapes or things, child safe scissors for cutting different shapes and pasting them in scrap book. Things for using their large and small muscles—large and small balls for kicking and throwing, ride-on equipment (but probably not tricycles until children are 3), tunnels, low climbers with soft material underneath, and hammering toys. Toys help in developing various skills such as language, fine motor skills, creativity, imagination, etc. You can use a single toy in different ways. In this blog, we will go through various toys that promote imagination in kids.

You will find it amusing, that you don’t really need fancy, trendy, or expensive toys to do so. Even the simplest toys can promote imagination in kids. In conclusion, toys can play an important role in promoting language and cognitive development in babies.

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