From the moment a baby is born they are on a rapid learning curve learning about the world around them. Although a newborn is unable to actively interact with a toy, don't be fooled into thinking that toys aren't an important part of their young lives. At this age the most important thing is to start stimulating their senses. Suitable toy ideas are listed below.
Cot mobiles[]
At this age a baby's visual system can only focus a short distance and can best pick out high contrast colours (such as black and white), so a big bold design is best - babies also tend to like happy smiley faces. This, combined with the soothing music that most encompass, is a good way to settle any baby
cot book[]
This is a fold out piece of fabric that attaches to the cot with various different pictures. Often they are 2-sided starting with black and white images for newborns and progressing to coloured images when a little older.
Activity mat[]
Activity mat or baby gym is a must have! A mat with a dome over it that has a number of dangling toys hanging from it. At first baby will love to simply lay and observe, but as they get older they will try and grab at the toys above them. Baby boys like to play with themselves. There are a number of different activity mats on the market - so one that has various different textures, different toys, maybe a mirror etc will offer baby the best play value.
Baby Gym
Baby gyms allow parents to give infants comforting and entertaining environment to relax and play while giving them the peace of mind that they are helping to stimulate their development. While baby gyms are widely available, each gym provides its own special functions, whether it is a specific theme to match your nursery or portability for a baby on the go. Some activity mats even have electronic functions like playing music and make some basic sounds. Most baby gyms are priced very reasonably, so purchasing more than one baby gym in order to meet the various needs of your household and lifestyle is easy to do.[1]
There are many toy manufacturers producing high quality baby activity mats. Most popular brands are Fisher-Price, Baby Einstein and Lamaze.
Bouncy chair[]
This is another must have! A baby, no matter how young, needs to experience different positions while awake (although a newborn will sleep for around 20 hours a day!). A bouncy chair allows them the freedom to view their world from a new perspective. Many will sit contented in their chair for ages as they watch the world go by! Bouncy chairs range in price from $20-$100 USD.