Toys for tiny babies

[buddyleebaby]

DD is three weeks old and just starting to reach for things. I realize most popular toys are geared towards slightly older babies but she is in need of stimulation besides rattles, books, and mobiles.

Practically everything in the store claims to develop motor skills etc., so I'm looking for recommendations on toys that your dc was particularly fond of.
Any help would be appreciated!

ETA:I didn't mean to make it sound as if I wanted toys for her to interact with INSTEAD of me.

[deborah_r]

I truly think at 3 weeks old her favorite thing to play with will be you! And really, there's not much besides rattles, books, and mobiles...and that's probably plenty for a 3 week old. There seem to be an endless diversity of rattle-type toys, as well, so you could get a lot of variety in that category.

That said, Kai's favorite early toy was the Lamaze inchworm. We would lay it on him and he would hug it and play with the little feet.

[DDowning]

I second the Lamaz toys. Buzz and Celeste were especially popular with my son at that age.

[dr mom]

Her favorite toy will always be you, but I completely understand the need to have a few other distractions for her so that you can quickly shower or eat. What worked best for us was variety; Jared would devote an equal time to examining an expensive rattle or a tupperware lid. Ransack your kitchen, and get out tupperware, plastic utensils, measuring spoons, small mixing bowls, and rotate the selection frequently so that she always has something new and interesting to explore.

Rattles were a big hit, we had some from Sassy that wrapped around the wrist or ankle with velcro, and he loved those. He learned quickly that kicking made a noise! He liked the Gymini, because he could reach up to bat at the dangling toys, and we tried to rotate those every few days to give him new things to explore. He liked inspecting patterns as well - the black-and-white mobiles didn't appeal to me aesthetically, but we drew our own version on card stock and put the pictures about 12 inches from his face so he could study them.

[MeredithsMom]

At that age my DD loved just about anything from Manhattan Toys. She had the mobile, but I also bought a "car seat gallery" that featured large flashcards with the same images from the mobile. I didn't put it in the car, but would put a couple in my bag in case we had to wait at the doctor's office, etc. Just showing them to her made her happy and she would kick her feet, start breathing heavily, etc.

The only "toy" I can think of that she loved (and still does) is her Whoozit. You can find them at most chains, and they are also made by Manhattan Toys. She would sit on the Boppy on my lap and look at him and smile a lot.

I second the Gymini as well, though it took her a few weeks to warm up to that.

[August Mom]

Celeste the Sun from Lamaze was DS's favorite. It was the first toy he grasped. He loved pulling the stretchy rays. However, I agree, at 3 weeks, there's not a lot of interaction with toys. DS loved his bouncer (FP Kick & Play) most at this stage after Mommy. Another good Lamaze toy is the Clutch Cube. It has a very pleasing chime sound. The best aspect is the handles on each side, so that baby can hold on.

[dr mom]

These are the ones we used to make cards for Jared:
http://crafts.sleepingbaby.net/mobile.html

I preferred a do-it-yourself project to buying one of the ugly (but expensive) high-contrast mobiles from TRU. When he was no longer interested in looking at the black and white cards, I had no guilt whatsoever about taking them down and throwing them away, LOL!

Jan has all kinds of neat craft ideas on her site, and makes great slings too. :)

[entttc]

Winkel and skwoosh by manhattan toy.

[C99]

>babies but she is in need of stimulation besides rattles,
>books, and mobiles.

Nah, she isn't really -- unless you mean yourself to be the stimulation in addition to rattles, books and mobiles.

Rose likes looking at the Tiny Love SIM Mobile. She recently started cooing at it. And she loves looking at the way light and shadows play on walls and ceilings. Most babies love ceiling fans. Mine is no exception.

[mudder17]

Other people have had great suggestions, but yes, you are her favorite toy. :) One thing I would suggest is one of those taggies blankets. Kaya loved the tags on anything, even at an early age. It might be a good source of stimulation and with so many different tags, she'd probably not tire of it quickly. And being a small blanket (depends on the size you get), it'd make a good lovey as well.


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 15 months & counting
Kaya's cousin, due October 9th!!!

[anamika]

another vote for celeste. dd loved to stare at the big happy sun face.
also the tiny love mobile - but it'a bit overwhelming at first so maybe when she's a li'l older.
hth