The top 5

March 7, 2007 | Print

Natural Baby Toys

We spent 2006 testing toys on our own babies. We’ve discovered that our older kids loved certain toys that our current little ones don’t like as much.

Here are 5 toys that all our kids liked to rattle and chew:

1. For the youngest babies, the best toy can be the simplest: a small cloth (napkin sized) set on the floor in the shape of a mountain peak.

As a young baby practices his grasp, the peaked cloth offers lots of material for him to grab. It’s easier than a rattle. The cloth also feels good to chew. We use organic burp cloths or the softest colored cloths we can find.

2. The Skwish is a great first toy. Easy to grasp, with moving wood balls that make a soft sound when shaken. We put our littlest ones on a blanket on the rug with a Skwish beside them.

3. The Kathe Kruse Rainbow Baby is a sweet toy for watching and admiring. A good toy for young babies.

4. Selecta’s Wooden Picture Book is a favorite for older babies. A safe book for them to chew while older siblings are reading their own books.

5. When we have babies in the house, we keep a bowl of wood grasping toys handy. For young babies we put a few on the blanket next to them for floor time. Older babies can reach inside and pick a rattle for themselves.

Our favorite brands are HABA and Selecta. Favorite models: Selecta’s Tellina and Dolcino and the HABA Grrow-l.

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