Newborn to 6 months : Favourite toys & entertainment

Hi lovlies,

I’ve been asked quite a lot recently about Clara’s favourite toys so I wanted to share some of her favourites with you.

SENSORY TOYS

From Newborn I loved all the sensory toys.  Not only are they great for their development, they are a great way to interact & bond with your baby.

Black & White high contrast soft books were amazing when she was little & she still likes them now, I bought these from Teytoy they are an ideal first book, non toxic crinkle soft material.

The texture books with ribbons, felt and crinkles are amazing too.  We have one from the White Company & Skip Hop – they are great as you don’t need to hold them & worry about the cardboard book edge going in their eye!  The older they get the 3D ones are great if you google or Amazon search: crinkle and 3d toddler books lots should come up. Wee Gallery do black and white sensory cards (of animals etc) which she loves me showing her.

Sensory textured balls are great, especially when they start to work out what their hands can do & for teething too: I love this make: Infantino Sensory Balls *

PRAM TOYS

For soft toys, Clara loves having something to play with in her pram and we got this great Lamaze Peacock* which clips on.

If you are looking for a rattle that is not too harsh for a little baby, this is perfect for something to hold onto – it helps young babies with their hand grip development. Soft Rattle & Teether*

SOFT TOYS

This gorgeous elephant* has been a big hit since she was about 4 months. You can play peek-a-boo which is great for little giggles!

ACTIVITY TIME

When Clara was newborn I would play ‘Say Hello To The Sun‘ in the background & then learnt all the moves from the classes. Unfortunately we only went to a few before they got canceled because of COVID however I just started doing the ‘class’ at home.  ‘Super Simple Songs’ is a great channel with music & nursery rhymes you can sing & dance along too & she particularly loves the Pinocchio song.

The activity mat/playtime gyms are great from Newborn age. Unfortunately they don’t do much for accessorising your home interiors, get used to the big bold colours as all babies seem to love them!! We have two and I would highly recommend both. Teepee Gym* Cushion activity gym*

Once Clara started to be able to hold her head and sit up with a little support, this chair became a firm favourite. It’s from Infantino and not only has music & lights to entertain your baby but it also acts as a really good booster and portable chair if you are going on a visit.   Infantine Music and Lights Discovery Chair *

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Something I wish I had got a lot sooner is some soft foam flooring. If you have a wooden or hard floor then these are ideal for play areas & to go under activity mats, as well as making your life more comfortable when you are playing with your baby on the floor. (We got ours from here).

Clara loved being on her tummy and it’s great for them to spend some time each day like this to strengthen their back and neck. She particularly likes this activity toy*when lying down, it’s from The ELC Blossom Farm range.

This last month Clara has loved music. I got her a musical instrument bag with various bits in (most of which I have to hold onto as too dangerous for her unsupervised but she loves listening, watching and trying to play.  The maracas & castanets are great so I would recommend finding something like this. I then got this Play a Tune Piano / Xylophone* which she can play & loves.

STACKING AND BUILDING BLOCKS

Things that can be stacked and built are classic toys for babies as they begin to hold onto things and place them down. It really helps with their hand eye co-ordination and the knocking them down is always a favourite game.

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These were a great starter pack of stack and build soft blocks. (link here)* And I also found these building blocks great for little hands and also teething! (Link here) *

TOY BOX

And finally, if you need somewhere to now put all of your baby’s toys, we got this gorgeous personalised toy box from Dreambox*.

There are some great subscription boxes that have sensory toys & books; The Little Sensory Box & Zazastorybox are lovely brands and they also make the perfect gift for a new family too.

I try and rotate all of Clara’s toys and books so she has a few out at a time. This way she doesn’t get overwhelmed and actually plays with things for a bit longer than when there are too many toys to chose from. I also keep a collection of books close by but particularly for a quieter time and before bed.

I just need to mention that as with everything baby related – I wouldn’t leave your little one unattended with any toys or anything you feel may be a choking hazard or dangerous should they land on it if rolling about.

Hope you find these recommendations helpful & your baby enjoys them too 🙂

Tessa Xx

*affiliate links have been used in this post