I love toys that have multiple uses or stages to them. The kind that my daughter can play with simply at first, then progress with the toy’s features as she progresses in her development. As a mom and certified educator, I want to share a few toys that can help with your baby's development. I'll also share some educational insights that are quick and to the point so multi-tasking moms like me can be a mom-boss (or dad-boss) while making sure your baby is the smartest baby on the block!
This blog is about three toys that address movement skills - to be specific, fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are when babies learn to use their fingers and hands.
When my daughter first started playing with the wooden ball drop toy by Melissa and Doug, she was learning to place the balls in the holes. I pushed the balls for her and they went down the ramp. She would pick them up again and place them in the holes. This took a lot of coordination for her to accomplish. Eventually, she was able to push the balls down the hole herself. Now, at fifteen months, she uses the hammer to punch the balls down the holes. This toy’s features progressed as my daughter progressed! When she’s ready, I’ll introduce colors and ask my daughter to get the yellow ball and so forth.
The plastic ball drop by B. toys is a similar toy but has more of a visual to the ball drop. It is higher vertically, so my daughter played with this when she was sitting up independently. She is at the stage where she can use the hammer to pounce balls and enjoys watching them go down each level. This toys is also introducing the concept of cause and effect. The cause is pouncing with the hammer, the effect is seeing the ball go down each level. Using the hammer to pounce the toys requires hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
The third toy I wanted to talk about is the nail and hammer bench. I remember playing with a version of this when I was a kid! This is the Melissa and Doug version and it has been well played with by my nieces and my daughter. My daughter recently showed interest in playing with this toy herself. She enjoys pushing each “nail” down, which is a great exercise for her fingers. Occasionally she will use the hammer. Both ways also introduce the idea of cause and effect.
One of the other developmental stages is called cognitive skills. These toys also address this stage in the area of problem solving. When a baby has to figure out where something belongs and how to fit it there, the baby is developing her problem solving skills.
Now don’t stress and think each time your baby plays with these toys she has to be working on a skill! I just hope it helps you be more aware and when you can engage in playing with your baby, you can remember some of these ideas to help with your baby’s development.
**If you purchase the toys linked within this blog, I may make a small commission at no extra charge to you. Thanks for reading!
