A Few of My Favorite Things--10 Months

So I haven't done one of these in a while...since four months, actually.  And since I'm in need of a post for this week, I thought I'd do what all mom bloggers do in this situation--tell people what they should buy.  This one is going to be solely devoted to toys, check back next week for some of my other favorite things. 

I think the best toys are ones that are open ended and grow with your child.  So the subsequent links are favorites that Bitty has been playing with for a while, and I expect that she will continue to return to in the future and discover a whole new way to play with them.

1.  Baby Band

Always a fave with Bitty and her pals.  Plus, it might make your child smart in math and better in reading and have a longer attention span.  There is some correlational data about this in three to five year olds;  why not give the babes some early experience experimenting with rhythms?

Or, Toddler Band

2.  Baby Maracas

3.  Baby Tambourine

4.  Sassy Sensory Ball Set

Babies love balls.  Lots of different types and textures.  A good variety of balls with keep your babe entertained. 

More Balls

These are nice and easy for little babies to grab on to, and Bitty still likes to carry them around with her.



This Too

5.   Go old school.  There is a reason that the classics are still around.  They've stood the test of time and babies still love 'em.

Nesting Cups

Shape Sorter

Your baby will probably just start out mouthing the pieces.  Then she'll dump them out of the box and bang them together.  Then she'll engage in the favorite baby pastime of filling and dumping.  Eventually she'll sort the shapes through the corresponding holes.  This one really grows with baby.

Stacking Rings

Bucket Of Beads

6.  Earlyears Busy Ball Drop

Ok, so this one is probably for an older baby--the manufacturer lists it for nine months and older.  Bitty just became interested in this at ten and a half months; some babies would probably get into it earlier than nine months.  She has been very interested in this lately, and I really like it because it is good practice for those small motor skills.  At first she really struggled to drop the ball on to the ramp properly, but after a few days I could already see her directed movement was becoming more smooth and precise.  I like it.

7.  Soft Blocks

Every baby needs blocks!

8.  Hide and Squeak Eggs

Why do babies love these?  I dunno, babies are weird.



9.  Toys made out of wood
 
I read a book a few months ago, The Power of Play: Learning What Comes Naturally, by David Elkind (good book, a must read), and in one chapter the author commented about how children nowadays don't get the opportunity to explore with toys of a composition other than plastic like they used to.  I try to make a conscious effort to look for old-fashioned wooden toys, but you know what?  It's hard!  Especially for this age group.  Bitty's mema found her some wooden teething toys on an etsy site called little alouette that Bitty has enjoyed.  The toys are made from locally sourced wood and finished with organic flax oil.  Here is the website, and here is their etsy site. By the way, the dogs also love these toys.  :-/
 
Now go get your credit card and when the toys arrive, tell your husband that they are early birthday gifts from great aunt Louise.