Skill Development Toys for Babies buying guide

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Skill Development Toys for Babies

While it is all fun and games for the little ones, some of those games can also help your baby learn and develop new skills. These toys help make sure your baby gains proficiency with all of his or her natural skills and abilities. They help in various stages during the first years of your child's life. Developing motor skills, hand-eye coordination and your child's natural talents are are very important part of an infant's growth process. As infants grow they want to become more involved with what's happening around them and become more and more curious about their environment. Choosing toys that help them master their motor skills will help them further interact with their environment. By picking out the right toys for your newborn, infant or toddler, you can help ensure that these toys encourage them to develop and fine tune all of their skills as they grow. In the first two years, you may want to consider toys that tackle the following skills.

Top Picks

Stacking Toys

According to Oompa toys they promote a love of color and form.
Teach spatial relationships and help develop coordination and matching skiils
Are good for both infants and toddlers. (better for those closer to or older than 1 years old)
Examples: blocks, soft cubes, and stacking rings.
Prices start around $10 and can be as much as $100 for a large wooden block set.

Sorting Toys

Fine tunes motor skills.
May influence mathematical abilities and problem solving
Develops hand-eye coordination as well as investigative skills.
Look for large shapes and wide openings so small children don't get frustrated.
Prices begin at $10 and increase as the toys become more intricate and interactive.
Examples include: activity boxes and shape sorting houses.

ABC Toys

It's never too early to work on early letter recognition.
Look for bright colors and interesting patterns.
Examples: magnetic letters, alphabet blocks and alphabet puzzles.
Prices will vary wildly depending on toy size and construction (plastic will be less expensive than wood).
Some alphabet toys are interactive. MSNBC awarded Touch & Discover Alphabet Town with their top pick.

1-2-3 Toys

Introduce the concept of numbers and math.
Look for bright colors and interesting textures.
Examples: magnetic numbers, abacuses, wooden blocks and number puzzles.
Prices can start as low as $2-$3 and increase rapidly depending on size and construction.
Music and lights can make counting more fun for kids.