Reviewing Toys

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

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