Sensory toys are an excellent choice for promoting healthy development in infants. These toys are designed to stimulate a child’s senses and encourage exploration, which can lead to improved cognitive and motor skills. But with so many options available, choosing the best sensory toys for infants can be challenging. This article will look at top options today, including toys promoting tactile, visual, and auditory stimulation. Whether a new parent or a seasoned pro, you will find great ideas for helping your little one develop and grow. So, let’s dive in and explore the best sensory toys for infants!
There are special baby moments every parent lives for, and it could be watching their baby crawl, smile, or take their first baby steps. The first time a baby tastes their mother’s food is another happy moment, so many parents cherish it, but the truth is all babies do not learn at the same pace.
Some babies grow up to have sensory issues, also called sensory processing disorders. Sensory processing disorder is a brain condition in which the brain has issues responding or receiving information from the senses. It could overwhelm people living with this condition with things in their environment.
You and I consider normal sounds that might frighten people with a sensory processing disorder.
A person comprises seven senses; vestibular, oral, vision, tactile, auditory, olfactory, and proprioception. People suffer from sensory issues due to little or excess input, and a person’s sensory system needs a particular input amount to stay regulated.
The cause of sensory processing disorder in babies remains unknown, but studies show it could be genetic or environmental factors. Parents who think their baby might have sensory disorders should talk with a physician and get their baby evaluated by an occupational therapist. The occupational therapist would evaluate the baby and determine if the baby has a sensory processing disorder.
Treating babies or kids with a sensory processing disorder involves teaching them coping strategies to overstimulate stimuli. They can be taught to learn strategies or activities to regulate such child needs.
Sensory diets can also be introduced to such kids, and this diet contains a list of sensory activities kids can engage in at school or home, as they help them stay focused and regulated.
Best Sensory Toys For Infants – Buying Guide And Recommendation
The interesting aspect about sensory toys is they possess so many exciting elements that will keep toddlers and babies entertained, and we are talking about elements like pictures, patterns, colors, songs, bells, and crinkles.
All of these elements make up a fantastic sensory toy for a baby, infant, or toddler, but what exactly are sensory toys, and why do you need to have sensory toys in your child’s nursery. The answer is simple; sensory toys are toys designed to help infants, babies, and toddlers stimulate one or more of the five senses.
These senses include the sense of smell, taste, hearing, seeing, and touching. Sensory toys could be a toy with several bright colors or a toy with various sounds. All of these aspects can stimulate a child’s sense, and you can count on a sensory toy to effectively stimulate a child’s senses more than once daily.
Playing with sensory toys for babies with a sensory processing disorder is important because it enhances physical and mental abilities, meaning it isn’t just for fun. Babies are constantly learning and trying to adapt to the world they have been introduced to, and developing skills and playing are important ways to boost a child’s development.
Watching a child develop through constant playing with sensory toys is amazing, and playing with sensory comes with certain benefits like;
- Improving hand to eye coordination
- Enhancing a child’s vision
- Enhancing cognitive language in babies
- Increasing motor skills
- Building spatial awareness
- Enhancing concentration in babies
- Improving a baby’s imaginative and creative skill
In addition, playing with sensory toys is another way of learning how to solve babies’ problems and learning how to engage with the people around them. There are so many benefits a baby can get from playing with sensory toys, and there are numerous sensory toys to select from when you go out shopping for a sensory toy for your little one.
If you want an environmentally friendly and long-lasting toy, you might go for something made out of high-quality wooden material. Bath time sensory toys help make bathing time fun for mother and child, and we have rounded up some of the best sensory toys on the market for you to make shopping very easy and convenient.
Best Sensory Toys For Infants Review
1. Baby Toys 3-6 Months Sensory Balls
This sensory is considered safe for babies as it is made out of non-toxic and high-quality materials that will cause no harm while your baby plays with it. It is also free from the burr, has smooth edges, and boasts a lightweight and soft feel that will make babies addicted to playing with this toy.
This toy comes with six convex and six concave balls that babies can easily pick up, ensuring that they tactile skills, and playing with this toy means babies will learn how to pick and grab items with ease.
Playing with these toys also boosts the senses in the body, and babies can develop problem-solving skills, motor skills, social interaction skills, and cognitive growth.
Pros
- These toys are well made and colorful
- They boast of a high-quality design
- They are durable and easy to play with
Cons
- They are difficult to wash
2. Infantino Sensory Balls Blocks & Buddies
These toys are designed to help babies explore texture and also improve gross and fine motor skills. Interestingly, this toy will grow alongside your baby as they are ideal for object recognition, learning a descriptive language, stacking, and sorting.
It is also safe for your child to play with as it is made using non-toxic and BPA-free materials that will not cause any harm to your baby sensitive skin or health. Unlike the previous toy set we talked about, parents will find this toy set very easy to clean, and this is the perfect gift item for any occasion like Easter, Christmas, Birthdays, and more.
Pros
- They feature smooth and soft materials
- They come in a variety of colors and shapes
- There is no difficulty in cleaning up these toys
Cons
- They are made out of PVC materials
3. Sassy Developmental Bumpy Ball
The next sensory toy we want to talk about is the Sassy Developmental Bumpy Ball which helps in building tactile sensitivity and helping babies learn about a variety of things. The interesting aspect of playing with these chunky balls is that they teach babies how to grasp, reach, and transfer items from one hand to another.
It creates a rattling sound that helps in connecting a baby’s brain right from when the baby was born till the baby gets to three years. Developing a vision is another benefit that babies get from playing with this sensory toy, and this is based on the fact that it comes with bold and bright colors and patterns.
Pros
- It has the perfect size for kids to play with
- This toy is perfect for preemie babies
- It encourages crawling in babies
Cons
- These toys are hard to clean
- Baby is at risk of choking because of their small size
4. Skip Hop Bandana Buddies Baby Activity and Teething Toy
It is a soft baby teether toy that comes filled with colorful sounds, patterns, and textures. It’s a hands-on type of toy and one that encourages babies to stay active, ensuring that the senses are stimulated through its crinkles, rattling, and other forms of sound.
Kids can play with this toy at home and while on the go, and just like all other sensory toys we have talked about in this guide, this toy is free from phthalate and PVC, meaning they are completely safe for kids to play with. Parents have nothing to be worried about while their kids play with this toy as it has no sharp or pointed edges.
Pros
- It encourages various activities and has bright, colorful colors
- It keeps babies entertained
- It encourages babies to interact with the people around
Cons
- They are not so safe as they are made out of cheap materials.
5. Halilit Baby Rainmaker Mini Toy
Finally, the Halilit Rainmaker Baby Mini Toy, and what parents admire most about this toy, helps babies build fine motor skills. It generates relaxing rain sounds that soothe babies while continuously gripping and shaking off this toy to help develop gross motor skills.
This is one toy parents can count on to work on the sensory issues in their kids, and this is because it is effective in engaging auditory, tactile, and sensory senses in babies. In addition, boosting reasoning and logic in babies is another benefit of playing with this toy, and it is made out of non-toxic materials, meaning it is safe for babies to play with.
Pros
- This toy is perfect for little hands
- It is completely durable
- It is perfect for kids of all ages
Cons
- It is hard and a little bit too noisy
Final Note
Babies can play and develop skills through playing with toys, and you can trust playing with these toys to help babies work on their strength, balance, and coordination. Playing with sensory toys is another way of increasing a baby’s confidence in exploring his surroundings.
Parents are always in constant search of toys that can help boost their child physically and mentally, and this is because the first two years of a little child are a vital one. This is where the baby gets to learn and develop in certain areas, and since babies like creative and colorful toys, parents are always in constant search of toys that will deliver great value for their money.
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Hey there, it’s Alice Dolton! I’m so happy you’ve stumbled upon my blog, where I share everything about babies, parenting, and family life. As a mom of three, I get the joys and challenges of raising kiddos, and I’m here to help you navigate through it all.– which is basically FAMILY, FOOD, BABIES, and FUN!