Your baby’s job is to explore and be curious. Forget all the hype about the expensive toys on the shelf to promote learning. Here are some ideas on how to make educational toys for your baby with everyday household items.
Safety first
It is important that you provide your baby with safe items to play with. When using household items keep the following safety tips in mind:
- Avoid items with long strings, sharp edges, or small parts that could be a choking hazard. You can determine if an item is too small by checking to see if it fits in a toilet paper roll tube. If the item fits, it is too small for your baby to play with.
- Supervision is key. Your baby is becoming more mobile and learning to pull themselves up and pull things down. Babies on the move can inadvertently get into unsafe situations.
Household item toy ideas
There are various household items that can make great toys. Items such as:
- Tissue boxes. Hide blocks, balls, or small stuffed animals inside an empty tissue box to encourage your baby’s exploration. At this age, babies are starting to understand that hidden objects are still there even if they cannot see them.
- Plastic bowls. Bowls with lids can be stacked and then — the fun part — knocked over! It takes eye-hand coordination and muscle control to stack things. Light bowls are a great way to get started learning this skill.
- Pots, pans, and wooden or plastic spoons. These items are great for banging and making noise. While making noise may not be your idea of fun, your baby will love it while also learning cause and effect — “I made that happen!”
- Boxes. There’s no limit to what your baby can do with boxes. If large enough, your baby can crawl in and discover a new space. Smaller boxes make great building blocks and encourage eye-hand coordination and muscle control.
- Pillows and couch cushions. Create an obstacle course for your crawler to crawl over and between things. Crawling onto things at different levels is great for building muscles and coordination.
Along with simple toys, your baby loves to play with you. Sit with your baby on the floor, and talk to your baby as your baby is playing.
Learn more
- Saying ‘no’ a lot lately? Set up safe ways to say ‘yes’
- Babies learn while on the move
- Why your baby needs to play and explore
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Posted In Children's, Family Medicine, Parenting
