So when responding to another thread it occurred to me that, whilst fairly organised on the nappy/clothing/pram front, my DH and I have practically nothing for our newborn child to play with.
Now, I know that they will spend the majority of their time nursing and sleeping, but I'd like to encourage those early instincts towards independent and co-playing, whilst not overstimulating them.
Whistles and bells are definitely not our thing!
So, a couple of questions:
1.) At what age would a child usually begin to use a playmat (love them!) Any favourite playmats out there? (I'm thinking colourful, engaging, washable and likely to be used for a longer time)
2.) Does anyone have any recommendations for a particularly good, colourful mobile (not sure the ecru style will really intrigue them). I'm more into animals etc rather than gender specific toys.
3.) Are there any activities/toys that a very young child will respond to?
...someone mentioned something about a giraffe once...not sure what that was about.
Thanks!
...I know this may be more appropriate in the parenting section, but I'm a bit scared of being flamed for my naivety, so have decided to stick with the safe, warm hand-holding of the pregnancy section. Hope you don't mind!