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Original poster

Baby toys- what has your baby's best toy been?

64 replies

whizzyrocket · 12/09/2011 15:33

Hey there,

I'm due my first baby (a boy) in 8 weeks time but have yet to buy him a single toy. I've had a bit of a look at mothercare's website just now and have come away feeling rather uninspired. I know he'll probably be given plenty but if you were going to recommend a particular type of baby toy what would you choose? What does your baby enjoy?

Thanks

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Risette · 12/09/2011 15:47

When first born, my dd just loved lying on her back under her playmat. It was a tiny love one, and the toys that dangled from the arches above were detachable and made different noises (crinkly, bell etc)...this was pretty much all she enjoyed in the early days.

However, I also recommend the musical toys. I have a Jellycat brand elephant. When you pull the il it plays 'beautiful dreamer' We quite often played with that before bed time.

JarethTheGoblinKing · 12/09/2011 15:50

Sophie the Giraffe

mohara · 12/09/2011 15:53

Another vote for a play gym/mat, they are just stimulating enough for newborns but not too 'in their faces'. Also gives you a chance to have a cup of tea without having to balance baby in the other hand!!
Congratulations and good luck!!

yok2t · 12/09/2011 15:55

DD had a Fisher price jungle play mat with arches that she seemed to enjoy but the winner in the early weeks(and months) was a black and white mobile of pandas, she would have happily stared at that for hours. She also liked lamaze toys, we had the firefly and the panda.
Linky:
www.amazon.co.uk/Flensted-Mobiles-FM-079-Panda-Mobile/dp/B0017DKBW6
www.amazon.co.uk/Learning-Curve-LC27024-Freddie-Firefly/dp/B000I2Q0F4/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby&ie=UTF8&qid=1315839240&sr=1-1
www.amazon.co.uk/Fisher-Price-K4562-Rainforest-Gym/dp/B000FFL58Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby&ie=UTF8&qid=1315839275&sr=1-1

Risette · 12/09/2011 16:10

oh yes, anything with strong contrasts is good. I had a book called Black and White, that was brilliant, and the rhymes in it were good too.

Original poster
whizzyrocket · 12/09/2011 16:11

Thanks. The price of the gyms was rather off-putting but if you recommend them I'll definitely take another look.

Did you not worry though that they were spending too much time on their backs? I worry about flat-head syndrome as they tell you that you must put them down on their back all the time.

OP posts:
JarethTheGoblinKing · 12/09/2011 16:13

If they're on the floor and supervised you can always put a thin cushion under the head. We did this with DS (supervised only) as he had a very flat head.

Original poster
whizzyrocket · 12/09/2011 16:23

You say "had". Did it sort itself out or was it something you did something about? I've been worrying a little about preventing it happening.

OP posts:
SlinkyB · 12/09/2011 16:32

My ds is 7mo and has always liked playing with a Fisher Price plastic chain of rings thing, which has little felt pieces and a mirror on it. We put it on his car-seat/pram. Think you can buy them in the bigger supermarkets.

He also loves a soft, rainbow-coloured ball I bought him from IKEA for £1! He sleeps with a little comforter with a little bear on it which we were bought. As he's my first we got bought SO much so try not to go mad. Good luck with it all.

Original poster
whizzyrocket · 12/09/2011 16:43

Sadly I have no chance of going mad buying for him. We haven't bought much at all (no cot yet!) as we knew we were going to be moving before he was born (two weeks left in this house) so when I do get to buy for him there will be quite a few practical things that need to be covered by our budget as well.

That's why I want to make sure that what I do buy isn't likely to be a naff toy he won't be interested in. Thanks for the tips though. You seem to be saying that the sensory things with different textures, mirrors etc. are best. I'll definitely be having a look when we next go around Ikea. I'd already clocked their Brio for when he's older but I'll take a better peek if you recommend it.

OP posts:
SlinkyB · 12/09/2011 16:56

Yeah, I love the IKEA baby toys; very soft, good quality, cheap, ds loves them (he has a couple of their mice too) and, most importantly, they're machine washable Grin Handy for when the little darling spews milky sick all over them. I also left the ridiculously long labels on them, so they're easier for him to grab.

If money is a worry, then let me assure you that toys shouldn't affect your budget too much...ds's current favourite 'toys' are:

An empty water bottle
Empty tissue boxes
A dvd case
Shoes or footwear of any description
Packets of baby wipes

He will literally hyperventilate and commando-crawl past a whole heap of Fisher Price toys to suck on a Converse trainer! Strange child...

P.S If you're off to IKEA would also highly recommend the Antilop highchair (along with the other zillion MNers)

milkyjo · 12/09/2011 16:58

We moved house when I was 37 weeks pregnant and just bought the essentials. Me and my DH didn't buy ANY toys for our DS, we got given absolutely shed loads when he was born and then it was Christmas 2 weeks later. It was only from about 3 months that he actually started 'playing' with his toys. He used to stare at a JellyKitten navy and white striped zebra, other than that it was the pale stripes on the inside of his carrycot - where he would sleep in the day! He is 9 months now and his favourite toy is an empty water bottle filled with raw black beans!

Original poster
whizzyrocket · 12/09/2011 17:01

Is that their wooden one? I've been eyeing up the stokke ones on ebay but I think I'll wait until he's here and big enough to sit before buying anything. Thanks for the tip though.

I like that your boy has a shoe-fixation! :) I remember my baby sister developing a need to arrange all of our shoes neatly in pairs when she was about one!

OP posts:
Original poster
whizzyrocket · 12/09/2011 17:02

And fair point! Christmas! I'd forgotten that. How handy. I think having a November baby was a wise move!

OP posts:
forkful · 12/09/2011 17:10

skwish!!

Haberdashery · 12/09/2011 17:34

Baby links are brilliant! Look on the ELC website. My DD is just five and she's been playing with hers more or less continuously since she was a few months old (now wears them as bracelets). And they're useful (for hanging things off buggies and cots etc) and cheap. What more could you want?!

AlpinePony · 12/09/2011 17:35

Shapes are in my cookie jar,
Triangle, heart and star
There's a circle over there,
Here's a squ-are.

[Weep]

nailak · 12/09/2011 17:40

jumperoo....

ConfessionsOfAWareFanjo · 12/09/2011 17:44

Bouncy chairs are good too. DD loves hers and it's only cheapish one (£25ish). We also got a second hand play gym for her. Check out ebay (freecycle, second hand stores...), there is lots there and tiny babies don't care if their toys aren't brand new!

sjuperwolef · 12/09/2011 17:45

a caretpillar toy that crinkled, rustled, jingled and rang was our best buy, dd didnt like her playmat till around 4 months and despised her bouncer with a passion.

a toy arch for the pram is another brillaint buy, we had a tiny love one with an air balloon, helicopter and something else on it.

once they are a bit bigger dds fave little portable toy was by far and away her v.smile phone - the one with the moon and star buttons and sings ''call your friends mommy too we can ... something...'' we had to forcibly remove it from her and the toy room age 4 Grin that was a brilliant buy.

startail · 12/09/2011 18:23

Yes baby links and several of the elf things on the same pg. look good. Basically anything relatively light and thin, if you can hook on of those links to it, a baby can grab it.
We had a cute dinosaur, but he was too heavy and is legs were too thick.
Has it a bit to grab, shake or crinkle that's baby hand sized.
Remember a small baby can't crawl after things, big chunky toys roll off and are ignored. DD1s absolute favourite was a very simple teething ring with flat plastic animals. It was light to shake and latter the rabbits ears were good to chew on.

Sleepglorioussleep · 12/09/2011 18:35

Try eBay for baby gym-they're washable. Tiny love really good. My dd has lamaze firefly - absolutely loves it, and the jelly cat zebra. Much kicking of legs, smiling and waving when she sees them. In fact most jelly cat things are great, and most tiny love.

wompoopigeon · 12/09/2011 18:37

No toys needed when they are brand new. You'll get given loads anyway.
Stacking cups fantastic from 6 months!

Woodlands · 12/09/2011 19:37

Talking of Ikea, I bought their baby gym (wooden and tasteful) for my friend's baby and she loves it (aged 11 weeks).

I agree you'll get given loads. The things I actually bought rather than was given were Lamaze toys - DS loved those. I agree about stacking cups - he got those for Christmas (aged 5 months) and still plays with them constantly now, aged 14 months.

fireflyz · 12/09/2011 20:41

lamaze space symphony activity gym - my son was still playing with it until he was 8 months old, used to fall asleep on it when really small too :)