What toys and rattles for the crib to choose?

Newborn babies do not yet have sufficiently developed hand motor skills to play on their own, however, like any children, they are very fond of toys that parents hang on their crib.

Due to the fact that the little owner cannot reach his property with his hands, some parents at first somewhat ignore the need to buy hanging toys and rattles, but in fact, such gifts often perform not only entertainment, but also developmental functions. Therefore, it is necessary not only to acquire such things for the baby, but also to know how to choose them correctly.

Purpose of purchase

The sides of the bed, hung with various trinkets, are not just a beautiful decor for a children's room, but a full-fledged developmental aid that allows a kid to train certain skills and better understand the world around him even at the stage when he is not even clearly visible. Of course, such advantages are not provided by any pendants, but only by those recommended by experts, however, people noticed the developmental effect of such design even in ancient times.

Today, thanks to the fact that manufacturers began to produce movable musical carousels (the so-called mobiles), such accessories have become even more useful, because now they swing and make sounds without the direct participation of the mother.

It is worth briefly listing the benefits of using toys and rattles for newborns.

A newborn in the first months of his life is so poorly developed that he is not even able to focus his gaze on a particular object. Bright spinning toys, especially with music, literally grab the child's attention, forcing him to learn concentration. Moreover, in some cases, you also have to turn your head or the whole body in order to better see the object of interest, and this is already a huge bonus in terms of physical activity.
At the age of 2 months, thanks to the trinkets, the child begins to master the concept of volume. If you lie in a crib all the time, you cannot form a full-fledged idea of the world around you, and since you also cannot focus attention, only toys hanging directly at the head of the bed will help form such a concept.

The grasping reflex is present in an infant from birth, but in the first stages of life he is unconscious. Over time, the child must learn to pick up various objects, and it is the small trinkets hanging on his cradle that will become an excellent simulator for this. The first successes in this activity will be noticeable at about 4 months.
In a cramped crib, it will be difficult for a child to get an adequate idea of the distance, but without this skill he cannot live: it is necessary at least for normal orientation in the room. With a large number of toys, the child eventually learns to focus his vision on each, gradually understanding how far away the object in question is. It is advisable to hang toys at different distances from the baby, periodically changing their position, but electric carousels often solve this problem.

Of course, you can get this knowledge over time without hanging toys, but in this case, the development of the baby will slow down. Moreover, toys equipped with the function of playing a pleasant melody help the baby fall asleep faster, so the mother does not have to lull him to sleep.

If motion sickness for further sleep occurs at the same time every day, the baby may even develop a daily routine, which is very convenient for parents.

Selection rules

The range of various children's trinkets is quite large, but there are general rules that will help you not to make a mistake with the choice and purchase just such a toy that the baby will like and will not harm him.

Child safety is paramount! Manufacturers use different ingredients to produce goods, however, as a general rule, quality products cannot smell bad. Ideally, it should not smell at all, since the smell is already certain secretions, vapors that can harm the child. What we feel for a minute as an annoying factor can cause irreparable harm to the baby, who cannot even move away from the source of the fumes.
The fastening of the toy suspended from the side must be strong enoughso that the child definitely cannot rip it off. Interest on the part of the little owner is guaranteed, because the product is produced with exactly this calculation, but if the same hanging carousel falls, it can injure a curious baby.

In most countries of the world, baby products are subject to mandatory certification. In the case of purchasing a product on the market, the availability of accompanying documentation is not at all guaranteed, however, any serious store or retail chain is simply obliged to provide it at the first request of the consumer. If the toy looks questionable, and the seller refuses to show the quality certificate, it is better to refuse the purchase.
As a rule, children's toys are sold packaged. Their cleanliness plays a huge role, since children tend to pull everything into their mouths, which is why various bacteria often enter their body. For this reason, it is undesirable to buy toys on the market or even from friends, but if this does happen, you should carefully wash the product with soap and water before hanging it on the cradle.
Crib toys should be bright, to attract the child's attention, but the main thing here is not to overdo it, because in the same crib the baby must somehow fall asleep.

Too bright a poisonous gift will have an excessive stimulating effect - the baby will sleep poorly, turn into an irritable and capricious child.

A similar requirement is put forward for musical accompaniment.... If a toy can play a melody, the latter should be beautiful and pleasant, and most importantly - unobtrusive. Too loud noise or unpleasant sound, disharmony in the composition can make the baby experience unpleasant sensations, and then this toy will only be a source of irritation. The requirements for rattles are no less severe, parents are obliged to listen to it while still in the store to make sure that its sound is pleasant and quiet.
Individual hanging toys or their parts should be of a relatively average size. If the object is too small, there is a risk that the baby will try to swallow it with all unpredictable consequences, and very large elements limit the child's view.

Kinds

In theory, almost any small toy can be hung on the side of the cradle, however there are several types of such accessories that are especially popular.

Electric Music Carousel... A beautiful toy really resembles a bright carousel, and during rotation it also plays a nice melody. A huge advantage of such a solution is the electronic version of the performance, because several melodies are programmed in each mobile - this allows you to adjust to the mood or simply avoid the annoyance of one melody. Usually, the volume is also regulated, while the mechanism is started by pressing one button. However, such a purchase will be quite expensive.

Mechanical carousel it costs much less, while having a somewhat more pleasant sound - its mechanism resembles that of a music box. However, such a device needs to be wound up regularly, and in the first seconds after a strong institution the melody will play faster, and in the end, on the contrary, it will slow down.

Stretch marks are a whole set of separate toys that are hung over the child on a stretched string connecting the sides of the crib. Individual toys can be hung directly on the sides, observing the main rule according to which there should be approximately 30 cm from them to the eyes of the child.

Various garlands and spirals are also popular.

The garland should not be perceived as a New Year's electrical appliance: in the children's version, it is a series of balls made of plastic, wood or fabric that cannot change their color, but they look bright and attractive enough.

The renowned Italian manufacturer of baby products Chicco a few years ago proposed a slightly unusual innovation in which to entertain the baby projector. The principle of operation is very similar to a similar device for adults, but a child's projector does not require additional storage media: it is already programmed to reproduce pictures and melodies that should interest or calm the baby. As a rule, the projection is displayed on the ceiling.

Self-production

Many mothers, spending a significant amount of maternity leave at home, prefer to make a toy for the cradle with their own hands, because it is not only cheap, but also absolutely safe. To do this, you only need the ability to sew.

It is the fabric that is the simplest material for home processing, because the base is most often made from it. You should choose natural materials such as cotton or linen, felt toys are also very popular due to their pleasant texture, but it is better not to use synthetic fabrics. It is also advisable to use exclusively natural materials as a filler - in particular, cereals of any kind will work well.

If the body of the toy is not tightly filled, the product can turn into a rattle.

Most often, mothers sew garlands or spirals on their own: they are done quite simply and do not require special artistic skills. If you want to do something more for your child, you can sew toy pillows for him that will look like ordinary pillows, but with a cute pattern, ears and other interesting attributes. In this case, it is better to replace the filler with a softer one - instead of cereals, use a synthetic winterizer or cotton wool.

When making children's trinkets yourself, it is important to remember that all their parts must be carefully fixed, and they themselves must be as strong as possible. Children pull everything into their mouths, so the slightest button that comes off or a grain of cereal that falls out can cause a curious baby to choke.

Ideally, it is undesirable to create products that have well-protruding parts, especially those with sharp or hard edges.

Remember that the child does not need his own toy box yet - all his play property should now be placed in front of his eyes. For this reason, there is no need for too many models.