Reviewing Toys

I never really post about crib toys because Bea doesn’t sleep in a crib. She sleeps in bed with me. I tried with a crib, I really did, but it was a waste of time (for us). We actually have a really nice wooden Ikea crib that is packed up in the attic and we also have a travel crib that I insisted on buying, my argument being that when we traveled to family member’s houses, Bea would need somewhere to sleep. All in vain.

The travel cot is still out but we mainly use it to store toys and Bea plays in it occasionally, but never sleeps in it. Eventually I know she will move on to sleeping on her own and then I wonder if I will start using crib toys. Crib toys is sort of a deceiving word because cribs toys aren’t necessarily about playing. They are often sold as soothing toys. However, I feel that this is an area where you really need user experience to help buy the right ones.

What are your experiences with crib toys?

crib toys, Ikea crot, travel cot, co-sleeping

Before Bea was born, the concept of baby-boredom seemed ridiculous to me. Surely the simplest things would entertain babies, how could they possibly get bored of toys? Of course, as soon as Bea was old enough to focus on objects, I quickly realized that baby boredom can happen. I’m making it sounds like a disease - ‘Watch out or your child could pick up….BABY BOREDOM!’

It’s not that bad, but it is frustrating when a toy that has worked for weeks at keeping them entertained, suddenly seems to them to be the lamest thing ever invented. This is especially frustrating when you’ve spent MONEY on it. Babies and infants can get bored of toys but don’t throw them away! If it’s a toy that obviously still has hidden depths that your child can discover at an older age, just put in the cupboard. Also try rotating toys on a bi-weekly basis, or even longer for older infants. This often works like a charm for two reason: a) they don’t even remember it to begin with and think they got a new toy and/or b) they might remember it and also recall how much fun they had and jump right in playing with it.

baby boredom, baby toys, toy rotation

Bea recieved a little Elmo Mini-Plush in the mail today! Just the right size, not too big, not too small. The Tickle Me Elmos that are so popular are a bit too big for her and also I think they can be slightly overwhelming for a little baby (7 months), considering the toy is as big as her.

Sesame Street Workshop is a non-profit educational organization, so buying their toys helps fund their programs, which is always a good thing. Sesame Street was one of the few shows that I was allowed to watch when I was a kid and I’m going to have to start searching YouTube so Bea can watch them in Europe.

Sesame Street Workshop, Gund, Elmo

Another present that my mom brought (picked up at the airport). She thinks these are a bit tacky but I love them. Fair enough, considering how much they cose (around $50) I’d expect to have the Mona Lisa painted on them but instead they have badly sketches little pictures that aren’t all that educational. But Bea loves them and I think they will last a long time in terms of entertainment factor.

I still can’t get over the price. Yes, the UK is more expensive, I know, I know. But Hamley’s is also a bit of a rip-off toy store. It’s great to take your kids there because it’s got a billion floors and you can spend hours playing with toys without actually having to buy anything but as far as economising, it’s the last place you want to go.

toy blocks, wooden blocks, alphabet blocks, baby blogs, educational toys

My mom arrived from the USA two days ago, along with a suitcase full of goodies for Bea. The best one of all was the activity walker that I couldn’t find anywhere. So far she’s spent a fair amount of time in it and she loves it. It gives her some indendence and makes her feel like she’s deciding what she wants to chew on, yank on and drool all over.

Baby walkers get alot of bad press, with good cause. Out of the plethora of baby toys, walkers have the highest injury rate. BUT not because of the walker itself but because of lack of supervision. Parents often don’t realize how quickly babies can get around in walkers. You baby-proof your house, usually for crawling (covering plugs, making sure there’s no wires to chew on etc…), but when they get into crawlers, babies suddenly have access to a whole new level of ‘toys’ to get their hands on. Bea has already been pulling the diaper bag off the changing table because she could reach the strap.

Main injuries are from falling down the stairs, burning themsleves, tipping over and eating unedible items. Of course, these can all be avoided if you are as vigilant as when they are crawling on the floor.

Saftey tips:

- Make sure the walker is on a smooth surface to avoid tipping over.
- Check that all items that are in their reach are baby-safe to avoid injury and burns (i.e. don’t do something incredibly stupid such as leaving the iron cord in reach!).
- Close all doors and gates that access stairs (even one step can send them crashing!).
- Make sure they don’t have access to a water source.
- ALWAYS, ALWAYS supervise them when being used!!!

Do walkers help with learning how to walk?

NO! This is one of the misconceptions that parents often have about walkers. Read this Q&A by Dr Greene to find out why walkers don’t help babies learn how to walk and can sometimes delay walking.

So why the hell should you still buy one?

Because they are fun and if used safely, kids can have a blast in them. Remember that not every single toy needs to be about pushing those development milestones and all toys should be used in moderation, meaning don’t stick your kid in a walker for three hours a day and then leave the room!

baby walker, activity walker, development, development milestones, infant development, Dr Greene

In the first few months of Bea’s life, she hated being in the car. We would often have to pull over after having barely gotten started on our journey because she work herself up into hysterics. Now, at 7 months, she is better. She falls asleep immediatly but still gets pretty bored if she’s awake and has nothing to play with.

At the moment we have one of my mom’s 70s pillow cases tucked in on the back seat. It’s got big black spot on a red background and she likes to look at it and poke it with her toes. I’m always looking around the car seat toys but haven’t seen to many actually IN-STORE - but there is alot of stuff on-line that looks promising.

Tiny Love Frog Kick & Mirror Car Seat Toy - I’m not too sure how long this would keep her entertained though.

Noah’s Ark Wiggling Animal Friends work on car seats and strollers.

I also like Pupsqueak Musical Toy, in the same genre as Wiggling Animals Friends.

My favorite so far is the Sunny Stroll Arch Baby Stroller Toy that looks like it will clip on to most car seats and strollers and will entertain for at least a couple of minutes…

After my rant about rattles, but not as a direct result, my mom sent me this Hug-A-World Rattle, which arrived this morning. I love it! It’s about 6″ across which is just small enough for my six month old to grab between her hands and it’s soft enough so that she can yank it around and make it rattle. AND it’s educational!!

I love toys like this because I know that even if she gets bored of it in a few weeks, when she a bit older and is learning about the world, colours, shapes, etc…she will once again find it interesting.

globe, rattle, educational toys, hug a plant

The search for the perfect rattle is an on-going, epic journey in our house. My partner was desperate to find our baby one before she was born, but with no success. The perfect rattle has a number of characteristics necessary to even make the list:
- must not consists of a ring with something that rattles attached to it.
- it should consist of a wand-like shape with something on the end of it. You often see traditional, silver rattles shaped like this, but these aren’t really made for little gums to chew on and could potentially be quite painful if your baby knocks themselves in the head with it…
- it must be light enought for a baby to wave around.
- it also needs to be heavy enough so that the baby doens’t just launch it across the room at warp speed. It needs to be a challenge.
- it needs to actually RATTLE, not just have rattle when an adult frantically shakes it in an attempt to get their baby’s attention.

Now, actually finding something like this is apparently impossible. I saw one once, with some Beatrix Potter character on it and didn’t end up buying it because it was $5 and I thought I could find a cheaper one…

I know it may seem a bit silly, all these specifications, but I think it reminds my partner of his childhood, so we continue to search.

rattle, silver rattle, childhood memories, baby shower

JellyCat Truffles Dog - LargeTruffle Dog, who we quickly renamed Roger, was given to Bea when she was born. I assumed that she wouldn’t be able to play with him until she was much older, but as soon as she started learning to how grasp, he became her favorite toy.

Jellycat toys are great for babies and little kids for a number of reasons: a) the fur doesn’t fall out when they tug at it. We were given dozens of little stuffed animals for Bea and so many of them she can’t play with because as soon as she gets her hands on them she starts yanking at the fur, which usually comes out and the goes straight in her mouth. But JellyCat toys seem to be able to withstand the nimble fingers of a six month old. b) The legs are weighted, as in a bean bag, so the animal can lie flat.

I found this was great for when she was in her bouncer or playing on a mat. In her bouncer, I lay it across her belly and she grabs at the nose and ears without it falling of her and on the mat it lies flat next to her, staying in her field of vision.

However, JellyCat company went down in my esteem slightly when I checked out their website and found that they describe themselves as “a lifestyle company”. What is that supposed to mean?

jellycat, stuffed toys, stuffed animals, Truffle Dog

Recently I’ve been getting alot of comments from friends (who have an interest in baby toys) about my daughter’s playnest. We have a used Mothercare one that was given to us when she was born. She started using it at around 5 months. Manufacturer’s recommendation is from birth, which is slightly too early because they can’t really do anything in it until they have full head support and some hand-eye coordination.

Playnests are suprisingly hard to find though. Mothercare doesn’t seem to stock them anymore and I could only find one at Toys R Us.

It obviously depends on your baby’s interest but playnests become really handy when your baby gets to the age where they can start reaching for toys but can’t quite crawl yet. Sitting in the playnest can give them a sense of independance and helps them work on developing motor skills.

Playnests are also great if your baby hates having tummy time. You can place them on their bellies on the side of the nest and while it’s not exactly the same as being directly flat on the floor, it will work their kneck and arm muscles.

While my daughter quickly got bored of the little animals on the actual playnest, she loves sitting in it with other toys. Nests are usually covered in textured material and squeaky toys but as with most of these sorts of activity centers, they can either cause overstimulation or loose their charm after a few minutes, so be prepared to give your baby another toy that works well in the ring.

One bad point of the playnest is that if your baby isn’t able to sit on their own yet, they will need something to support them so they don’t end up slipping into an uncomfortable position. I stick a small pillow or a folded baby blanket behind my kiddo, sometimes on both sides of her, and that gives her the support to play on her own for awhile.

It’s also great for travelling. You can deflate the ring, fold it up and stick it in a bag to take with you.

PS Of course, as with most baby toys, never leave your child unattended while in a playnest.

playnests, plat mat, travel toys