Developmentally Appropriate Toys For Infants

How to find the “right” stuff to support your baby From the moment we expect the arrival of a new baby, we tend to start thinking about the gear we need. It helps us make logical, linear sense of the giant change that we know is coming to our lives. So we make a list: car seat (check), burp cloths (check), diapers (check). Strolling down the aisle of a local big box or baby store, we think about what to register for or what we probably need to get for our growing, changing baby. We hear a constant barrage from friends, family and colleagues about the latest “must-have” learning toys and gadgets, the things that are “absolutely essential.” Anything to place more control in our hands. Anything to make it all a little easier. So, here’s a scenario I want you to imagine. Does this sound familiar? Image by Ayelet Marinovich, published first on Instagram You’re cruising down the aisle, and you come upon the infant/toddler section and… boom! it’s a “stuff” explosion. Gear. Toys. Devices. #allthethings … and though perhaps you thought you had what you needed, you suddenly find yourself questioning everything: Do I have what I need? Do I even know what I need? Am I doing / going to do it “right?” It can get overwhelming fast. When it comes to supporting your baby’s development, it doesn’t have to be this way. You already have all the “right” tools to support your baby: you just need to know how to use them. Those early days, weeks, and months with our babies are incredible and intense. We put so much pressure on ourselves to “get it right,” and all of us – at some point – have felt that we’re “doing it wrong.” The adventure of raising tiny humans is an ever-changing landscape of highs and lows, and we often feel that just when we’re “figuring it out,” everything changes.  But connecting with a baby is not at all about having the “right” toys and tools… it’s about learning to maximize the tools you already have (in the precious few moments that you can drink in that baby). It’s about learning about the developmental basis for the things you’re already doing, so you can do them more and think of new and simple ways to “change it up” (to keep it interesting for both you and for your baby). It’s about finding new ways to use and reuse incredibly powerful, developmentally impactful materials that are already all around you, becoming an expert on your own baby so you don’t have to rely on Dr. Google. When you learn to recognize the tools you already have to boost your baby’s development, you’re able to maximize the time you have with your baby, you’re empowered to “get it right,” and you’re able to unlock the power of everyday routines and everyday objects to figure out how to play with your baby. Infant Resources From Learn With Less  If you want to learn more, you can learn all about what I’m talking about right here at