Best toys for babies in India

Tips For Toy Shopping

How many toys does your child need? Not a room full. Not even a cupboard full. Kids actually just need about 10 toys or at the maximum say 20 – the toys have to be frequently rotated so that the child doesn’t get bored. Less toys are good because it challenges the child to use her imagination, maintain focus, become resourceful and organized and above all it makes them appreciate and value what they have. So, if you really think your baby needs that toy, then go ahead, but take an old one from her huge collection and give it away to an underprivileged kid who can’t afford it.
NEVER EVER buy a toy that works on a button battery. You can never keep an eye over your baby for every second of her life. If a child swallows a button battery and god forbid, the parent doesn’t know about it, it will end up being fatal to the baby. The battery corrodes, eats in to the child’s stomach and internal organs causing internal bleeding and finally death. So, don’t think about keeping the toy and throwing away the button battery. What if someone else at your home without knowing about the dangers of button battery put in one and you do not know about it? So, just throw away all such toys.
If your child mouths everything, then buy wooden toys painted with children friendly dyes or at least BPA free toys from reputed manufacturers. They are definitely pricier, but a lot safer too.
Always consider whether the toy is age-appropriate. The manufacture guidelines will give you a fairly good idea whether it is appropriate for your child, but more importantly consider your child’s developmental milestones and interests. A classic example is a stacking ring. Manufacture guidelines suggest that it is suitable for babies aged 6 months up till 2 year. But does that mean your 6 month old is ready to play with it? Not necessarily. When my son was 6 months, he had just started rolling and to play with a stacking toy, at the minimum the baby should be able to sit.
More than often, the best toys for your child may not be from a toy store, but rather from your kitchen. Haven’t we often seen kids leaving the toy aside and playing with the cardboard box it was packaged in? Spoons, bowls, plastic bottles, empty cardboard boxes engages and excites babies a lot more than a thousand rupee worth toy you buy from the store.
In order to prevent choking hazard, never buy a toy for a child less than 3 years of age, if it has a part smaller than 1.5 inch in width, height or length.

Best Toys For Newborn

Honestly, I don’t think newborns really need any toys at all. They are in fact marveled by the new world and toys act only as a distraction and not as stimulation. During this period, it is the best to just let them observe. At the maximum, buy just 1-2 rattles to distract them when they cry. If your baby starts teething (which usually doesn’t happen by 4 months) then buy a teether or two. Ensure that the rattles are lightweight, as babies at this age wouldn’t have much control over their hand movements and might hit themselves with the rattle.

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You may also be interested in Best Toys For Toddlers

Best Toys For 3-6 month Old Babies

Manhattan Toy Winkel

Find latest price ( Amazon) This award-winning toy is actually a rattle cum teether that is made of BPA free plastic. Babies love it, as it is of perfect size for their little hands and the gentle texture feels good to gnaw on. The bright colours and the rattle in the center cube catch their attention too. Many parents are amazed at how such a simple toy mesmerizes the baby. In addition, the toy can be refrigerated to soothe the teething baby’s sore gums.
Baby Gyms

Babies are really fond of play gyms as it is colourful and has a lot of engaging toys. It helps in their grasping and reaching skills, gross motor development and provides sensory stimulation too. It is better to buy play gyms that can be used beyond the infant stage. Fischer Price Piano Gym, Ocean Kick and Crawl Gym and Convertible Car Gym are some of the play gyms that can be used up till toddler-hood.

Read more: Best Play Gyms For Babies & Toddlers
WubbaNub Pacifier Plush Toy

Find latest price ( Amazon) Made out of medical grade silicone, WubbaNub is an amazing soothing toy that is part pacifier and part plush toy. Babies love it, as it is self-soothing, huggable and so very cuddly. As for parents, they are just happy that it never gets lost and also because the one-piece construction of the pacifier ensures that there are no germs hiding between cracks.
Take Along Mobile

Find latest price ( Amazon) Suitable since birth, this take along mobile gives babies a sense of security and also engages them with the soft dangling toys and pleasant music. Unlike usual mobiles, you can attach this mobile easily to cribs, car seats, strollers and bassinets.
Mirrors

Babies in this age group are amused and delighted by mirrors. It helps them focus and explore things that a face can do as well as promotes social and emotional development. You can either prop your baby in front of the mirror to let her explore or there are a number of play gyms that has mirrors. Floor mirrors can be bought online too, however, they are a bit expensive.

Best Toys For 6-12 month Old Babies
Stacking toys

Once babies are old enough to sit up, stacking toys are likely to entertain them. It helps in developing their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, in addition to developing their sense of colour, shape, size and sequencing. Though babies will not try stacking them right from the beginning, the bright colours and textures will amuse them. It isn’t just babies, even children aged 2-3 years love playing with stacking toys.
You could start with simpler stacking toys like these-

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And later move on to complex ones like these-

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Lot Of Links

Find latest price ( Amazon) This bunch of 24 textured links is a versatile toy that is great for home and travel. Babies love it because its colourful and the textured surface feel good to gnaw on. Once they are older, they can make long links and play with it too. As for parents, “Lots of Links” is easy to clean and you can even link other toys to it and hang it to entertain the baby.
Sassy Developmental Bumpy Ball

Find latest price ( Amazon) With multiple materials and textures and gentle rattle sounds, this bumpy ball helps develop the baby’s tactile sensitivity and improves their reaching and grasping skills. Babies are delighted at the bold bright patterns and its bumpy shape.
Multifunctional Play Center

Find latest price ( Amazon) These are suitable for hyperactive babies who tend to get bored quickly. As it has different activities like shape sorter, piano, telephone, abacus, bead maze and so on, the baby will be happily engaged. These activities also help develop baby’s motor skills, tactile and hearing skills, visual skills and hand-eye coordination.
O Ball Rattle Car

Find latest price for single piece ( Amazon) Made of soft, flexible material and with ample finger holes to grasp and roll, this toy is great for babies who have started crawling. The colourful beads rattle and roll inside the wheel making sounds that will delight your baby. This definitely will be a toy that your baby will carry with him throughout his toddler days.
Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes

Find latest price ( Amazon) This toy can truly be called your baby’s first ipod. She will enjoy the classic melodies, bright lights and colours that this toy makes. She can hold it easily thanks to the comfortable caterpillar handles. And the best part, its so compact that you can take it along for all your travels and keep your little one happily engaged.