clueless mom looking for toy ideas

[skohng]

hi all,

my ds has just turned 3mo, and although he still loves his mobiles and crib mirror, i think he needs more stimulation to help his development.

what the heck are we supposed to buy? what is age-appropriate for him that he'll like for a while? can you recommend at least one toy that's portable and one toy that you use at home for his "exercise"?

thanks!

[ellies mom]

Lamaze makes some darling toys that my DD just loved. Here is the link to Freddy Firefly. DD also had Buzz and Celeste.

http://tinyurl.com/7bwvr

This other toy was an absolute hit by Manhattan baby.

http://tinyurl.com/9sw52

Also remember your son has plenty of stimulation. Unless he is being kept in a cage, your surroundings are just fine. Those "enriched environment" studies were done on rats living in plastic cages. Sure compared to an empty box, stimulation makes for bigger and better brains, but rats in the wild have the "best" brains of all. Keep in mind, your son is living in the wild, so he's got what he needs. I'm not trying to get on your case; I hope it doesn't sound like that. I just don't want you to worry that you are not doing enough.

[ethansmom]

Agreed. ;-)

Do you have a gymini type playmat? DS loved this from very early on until about 6 months.

He also liked several Lamaze toys and maybe some rattles, but those might have been later...

[bricorssk]

You must have a gymini!!!!!

[Hippoharbor]

My DS, who turned 5 mths yesterday, loves his Lamaze Clutch Cube and Alley Cat, fabric books, baby einstein stationary entertainer, play mat, and a few random toys that I put on his blanket during floor time. At 3 mths, he spent a lot of time on his play mat. I also bought the Wind chimes to place on his play mat for him to kick/grab.

[momtogrant]

Here are some things that excited DS at 3 months and still entertain him at six months:
1. Manhattan Toys Whoozit
2. Tiny Love Activity Gym
3. Lamaze Fly Away Ladybug soft book
4. Sandra Boynton board books especially Snuggle Puppy, The Going to Bed Book, and Moo Baa La La La
5. At about 3.5 months he began to like the FP Jumparoo, but I still only let him use it a max of about 20 minutes a day, if that.

[skohng]

these are great suggestions - thanks so much!!

i agree, i'm sure just sitting around watching me do laundry is stimulation enough. this kid has been raring to go since birth though (2-hr labor, and he's my first!) so just want to make sure i can keep him busy!

thanks again!

[kellij]

At about 4 months my son started loving his exersaucer. I love baby einstein toys too. However, my son also has a thing for just the regular old remote control, I swear, I think he was definitely a man in a former life! :)

[IVFMiracle05]

Hi,
My DD loved her activity mats as well at that age (still does) She has a fisher price barnyard one and also a gymini tiny love as well. She really liked the barnyard one for the longest time but then she discovered she could pull them down and she'd have them all pulled down with in 30 seconds of me hanging them back up. She still uses the gymini and loves it. She also has an exersaucer that she really started getting into at abour 4 1/2 months. Although I think sometimes it's got too much stuff (too much stimulation) on it because she tends to get fussy in it quickly at times.
Anyway, hope that helps...

Kelli, It's so funny that you said you DS loves the remote control because my dd is totally facinated by it. If she's sitting on our laps and it's next to us, she will go after it like crazy. She'll be upside down, falling off our laps trying to get it. It's the funniest thing.

Tamara and Kylee (6 months)