It’s the most wonderful, magical, and stressful time of the year. How do we know? Because we’re giving you our 2022 gift guide way, way early…
How do we figure out what gifts we like? We narrow it down to a few things:
- Is it cool?
- Does it support child development?
- What makes it stand out from all the rest?
- What do the reviews say, specifically with durability and longevity?
So without further ado, here is the first of our FIVE gift guides for 2022.
In your baby’s first year, they are learning to visually focus and engage with their surroundings. As they gain more control of their body, they will explore and interact with the objects and people around them through trial-and-error. They start to commit daily information to memory as well as learning and producing new sounds/words for language development.
Jollybaby Baby Infant Sensory Musical Stuffed Alligator
Why We Love it:
Okay, I may be a bit biased (UF alum, Go Gators!), but this cute gator has all the bells and whistles a baby could want. Designed to be your infant’s first companion, this cause-and-effect toy encourages auditory and fine motor development. It squeaks, crinkles, rattles, and plays music. This stuffed animal is brightly colored with different patterns and textures and bonus: it has a ruler on its belly so you can check your baby’s growth at any time.
Yes, for some ages, bells and whistles can be distracting and overstimulating. But for babies, this will do the job of creating fun and consistent stimulation for all of the senses, especially when they are in control of it.
Infantino Super Soft Building Blocks
Why We Love it:
Once your baby can get a stable base of support, they’ll want to get their hands (and mouth) on objects to see what they’re about. These make a perfect first set of building blocks. They are easily stackable and aren’t quick to fall over. They are super soft and squishy, which can help strengthen hand and finger strength. And texturally, they can also erve as a teether. Because they are open-ended toys, the mileage on these bricks will go as far as your child’s imagination will let them.
iPlay, iLearn Baby Musical Turtle
Why We Love it:
Crawlers need a good motivator, which is why we love this little turtle! There are other crawling toys on the market, but they either move too fast or can easily be knocked over once your baby swipes at it. This one encourages mobility with crawling and has light and sound buttons (because at this age, infants like to button mash). It also counts and recites the alphabet in both English and Spanish. Oh, and it can take a beating since it’s shatterproof.
Battat Discover Farm Animals Wooden Activity Cube
Why We Love It:
Once your baby gets that strength and stability in their extremities from crawling, it’s on to walking. But to get there, they must pull to stand and find their balance on both feet. Activity tables and centers are helpful for this purpose, especially ones like this. This award-winning wooden activity center has 5 sides of fine motor cause-and-effect play that includes spinners, zigzag tracks, and bead mazes, encouraging upright posture while sitting to pulling up to stand and balancing on both feet. The bending and reaching to interact with each section help promote postural control and build strength/stability in the legs necessary for walking.
Stocking Stuffers
Baby Development toys are great stocking stuffers because they are usually small enough at a lower price point. These little items are also good on the go.
Early Learning Centre Little Senses Maracas
12 Pcs Pull String Learning Ropes with Bubble Fidget Toys and Sliding Balls
3-Piece Suction Cup Spinner Toys
beiens High Contrast Black and White Books
All of the linked items can also be found on our Child(ish) Advice Holiday Gift Guide Amazon List.
We do not receive a commission through these links. We’re just really big fans!
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