One of the perks of being work-at-home is I get to spend more time with my little man.
Cloud is turning 2 in January and I’m so lucky that I was able to witness each of his milestones, from crawling to building his puzzle. It brings pure joy watching my kid when he discovered how to do things on his own. I still remember the days when he was so tiny and delicate but looking at him now, he has grown a healthy active little man. And for that, I’m giving myself a pat on the back for doing such a great job!
In between my workload, I make sure to spend time on baby games with my little man.
According to Dr. Marilyn Segal of Parents.com,
“Playtime helps develop a baby’s social, intellectual, language, and problem-solving skills. Toys and games aid your child in learning to master motor skills and figuring out how the world works. When he’s stacking toy rings, for instance, your baby is exploring their shape and what happens when they’re thrown. He’s developing hand-eye coordination as well as learning to recognize patterns and colors, how things are similar and different, and spatial concepts like “up” and “down. The most important ingredient in play, however, is not a toy, but you. Your baby loves your attention, and playing is how he bonds with you and other caregivers.
Here’s what else he’ll learn from his favorite toys and activities — and how you can play up these important lessons.“
One of our favorite baby games is wooden puzzles. Puzzles serve as an important learning tool for toddlers as they provide many skills and mental learning benefits. As early as 20 months old, Cloud can place all the shapes on the puzzle by himself. Puzzles also help to refine their fine motor skills when they are required to pick up, pinch and grasp pieces and move them around, trying them in each slot until they get the correct places.
Solving puzzles also brings a sense of achievement that boost their confidence and self-esteem for the kids.
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| Fisher Price Newborn-to-Toddler Play Gym (website to be updated) |
Play gym, despite its hefty price, is one of our best buys for my kid. Cloud started to enjoy it when he was 3 months old until he reached 1. The best part is when you can keep it and save it for the next baby. I couldn’t be happier when I read at Momi Berlin’s blog where she enumerated the 5 advantages of having a play gym. My most favorite is the mental benefit where babies can learn at a very young age the basics of cause and effect.
Play gym is a great investment, I must say.
Because there are so many baby games available in the market, finding the best one for your child can be daunting. Not because they are called baby toys that doesn’t make them 100% baby safe. According to Parenting.com, the most basic safety tip is to purchase age-appropriate toys. Read and heed those warning labels, they are there for reasons and often prompted by accident.
Never let your kids play toys with smaller parts because they are tiny and tempting for a curious baby, and can be deadly. Any item small enough to fit through a toilet paper roll is small enough to fit down a young child’s windpipe. Another thing to look for labels: phthalates, those chemicals that make plastics softer. According to some study, it might disrupt normal hormonal balance and could possibly be associated with behavioral issues and asthma.
So take note of this when buying toys for our little ones.
What is your most favorite baby game for your little one?
I would like to hear it in the comment section below!
This post is a partnership with Nakturnal.
It is amazing how some of these things can help with development – I always think the baby jungles look cute. x
I love puzzles for my little one. The very chunky ones are so much fun!
thanks for the tips Mommy..Learned something ,my twins are turning 2 this July and i love to try everything you wrote here ☺️ As of now they love to hear me singing hehehe and then sinasabayan nila..I also joined them watching Their favorite Disney Movies ☺️
I played pick a boo with my daughters. Who are now 5 and 4. I do have my son due any day now so this post was perfect for me! Taking notes.
My kids always loved their play gyms. They also liked their exersaucers.
Those are great! They keep your baby active and they are also able to learn through it. It's really nice to have one of these in your home.
What a great games for keeping them active and fast development, My son would love to play the big leggo
I love the play gym! You are so right that fostering those skills from the beginning is important. You can definitely tell if it has or has not been fostered.
omg! can i just say that I envy those parents now with so many things to buy for their babies! like that playgym! i bought one for my friends because I wanted to play with it as well when I saw it before in the shop but my daughter doesnt need it coz she's 8 haha acitivities for babies are a must to help them learn more to their surroundings
We are expecting a bundle of joy in March. As a teacher and mommy, I am looking forward to my little one using these things and activating their brains.
These games are all very helpful.