As I’d been warned by friends with kids, the first three months with our newborn were purely about getting through it and figuring out what worked for our new family member. We were first-time parents staunchly in “survival mode.” The products we used the most during the newborn period were basically diapers, wipes, swaddles, pacifiers, and burp cloths. There wasn’t much in the way of toys. Our little one was too busy being upset about being in the outside world to pay attention to things dangling above her playmat.
Three months old was a turning point. She started to sleep through the night (with the help of the Merlin Suit), she grasped objects, and she developed a stronger neck that was better able to support her head during tummy time. Toys could now enter the picture in a more meaningful way.
Sleep-wise, we’ve since suffered through a steady series of setbacks, for various reasons. Meanwhile, the play side of things keeps evolving. She’s almost six months old and our little lady is having fun flipping around and engaging more deeply with the people and objects in her world. I have a feeling that crawling will come more swiftly than we expect. Eep!
The toys she’s enjoyed over the past few months are simple. As it happens, they’re inexpensive, too. Ultimately, it doesn’t seem to take much to capture a baby’s interest.
We have two 10-inch storage cubes basically full of toys, which is too many. To spare you from drowning in doodads, here’s what our girl has liked the most, roughly in order over time:
This mini mobile clips easily to things like playmat bars, etc… When she was teeny tiny she didn’t really pay attention to it, but one day the lightbulb turned on and she was all about watching it spin! ($11.17 on Amazon)
This little buddy may be her ultimate favorite! While small, it has a bit of everything going on: plastic bits, soft fabric bits, crinkly bits (the wings), and a rattle inside. There are lots of different sensations involved with this guy. We wound up buying two so we always have one with us in our diaper bag. It serves as a great distractor. ($5.99 on Amazon)
This is great for when they enter the phase of sticking evvveryything in their mouth. It’s softer and more flexible than it appears and makes gentle rattling sounds when it moves. ($8.99 on Amazon)
This is another one that she wasn’t so into when she was super little, but has been increasingly engaged with. Freddie’s kind of huge compared to her, so initially she wasn’t able to manipulate him that well on her own. Like the bug rattle, Freddie is a multifunctional dude. He has lots of bright colors, crinkly wings, hard plastic rings to grasp and chew on, and other little surprises. ($14.99 on Amazon)
We have been unfolding and propping up this house-shaped toy during tummy time so the little one has something to look at. There’s a black and white high contrast side, a colorful side, and other cute bits included, like a stuffed bird in a pocket and a mirror. She is especially enamored with the side that depicts a little doggie taking a bath, for some reason. Hey, whatever works! ($14.99 on Amazon)
Books have been getting more and more interesting to our little lady over time. Initially, it was mostly about the cadence of our voices and the attention that comes along with being read to. Then she got excited by the pictures, too. Now there are two new elements: how they taste and feel! We read her these quick books and then let her grab and gnaw away on them to her heart’s content. They’re easily wiped clean and really do not tear. It’s amazing. ($5.95 each on Amazon)