What toys and rattles on the bed to choose?

Newborn babies do not yet have sufficiently developed hand motor skills to play on their own, however, like any children, they are very fond of toys that parents hang them on the crib.

Due to the fact that the small owner cannot reach his property with his hands, some parents at first somewhat ignore the need to buy hanging toys and rattles, but in fact such gifts are often performed not only entertaining, but also developing functions. Therefore, it is necessary not only to purchase such things to the baby, but also to know how to choose them correctly.

The sides of the bed, hung with various trinkets, are not just beautiful children's room décor, but a full-fledged developmental allowance that allows the kid to train certain skills and better understand the world around him even at that stage when he is not even clearly visible. Of course, such advantages are provided not by any pendants, but only by those recommended by specialists, however, people noticed the developmental effect of such design in ancient times.

Today, due to the fact that manufacturers began to produce moving musical carousels (the so-called mobiles), such accessories have become even more useful, because now they are swinging and making sounds without the direct participation of the mother.

It is necessary to briefly list the benefits provided by the use of toys and rattles for newborns.

• A newborn in the first months of his life is developed so poorly that he is not even able to focus his gaze on a particular subject. Bright spinning toys, especially with music, literally rivet the attention of the child, forcing him to learn concentration. Moreover, in some cases, you also have to turn your head or the whole body in order to better see the object of interest, and this is already a huge bonus in terms of physical activity.
• At the age of 2 months, thanks to the trinkets, the child begins to master the concept of volume. If you lie in a crib all the time, you will not make up a complete picture of the world around you, and since you cannot focus attention either, then only toys hanging directly from the headboard will help to form such a concept.

• The grasping reflex is present in the infant from birth, but in the first stages of life it is unconscious. Over time, the child must learn to pick up various objects, and it is precisely the small trinkets that hang on his crib that will become an excellent simulator for this. The first successes in this lesson will be noticeable at about 4 months.
• It will be difficult for a child to get an adequate idea of ​​the distance in a cradle, but you can’t live without this skill: it is necessary at least for normal orientation in the room. With a large number of toys, the child eventually learns to focus vision on each, gradually understanding how far the object in question is located. It is advisable to hang toys at different distances from the baby, occasionally changing their position, but electric carousels often solve this problem.

Of course, this knowledge can be obtained over time without hanging toys, but in this case, the development of the baby will slow down. Moreover, toys equipped with the function of playing a pleasant melody, contribute to a more rapid sleep of the baby, because the mother does not have to lull him.

The range of various baby trinkets is quite large, but there are general rules that will help not to be mistaken with the choice and to purchase just such a toy that will like the baby and will not harm him.

• Child safety is paramount! Manufacturers use different components for the production of goods, but as a general rule, high-quality products cannot smell bad. Ideally, it should not smell at all, since odor is already certain secretions, fumes that can harm a child. What we feel for a minute as an annoying factor can cause irreparable harm to the baby, who cannot even move away from the source of evaporation.
• The attachment of the toy, suspended on the side, should be strong enoughso that the child just could not break it. Interest from the small owner is guaranteed, because the product is produced with such a calculation, but if the same hanging carousel falls, it can injure a curious baby.

• In most countries of the world, children's products are subject to mandatory certification. In the case of purchasing goods on the market, the availability of supporting documentation is not at all guaranteed, but any serious store or distribution network is simply obliged to provide it upon the first request of the consumer. If the toy looks doubtful, and the seller refuses to show a certificate of quality, it is better to refuse the purchase.
• As a rule, children's toys are sold packed. Their purity plays a huge role, because children tend to pull everything into their mouths, which is why various bacteria often get into their bodies. For this reason, buying toys on the market or even from friends is undesirable, but if it does happen, you should carefully wash the product with soap and water before hanging it on the crib.
• Crib toys should be bright, to attract the attention of the child, but the main thing here is not to overdo it, because in the same crib the baby must somehow fall asleep.

• A similar requirement is put forward to music. If a toy can play a melody, the latter should be beautiful and pleasant, and most importantly - unobtrusive. Too loud noise or unpleasant sound, disharmony in the composition can make the baby experience unpleasant sensations, and then this toy will be only a source of irritation. The requirements are no less severe for the rattles; parents are obliged to listen to it even in the store to make sure that its sound is pleasant and quiet.
• Separate hanging toys or their parts must be conditional medium size. If the object is too small, there is a risk that the baby will try to swallow it with all the unpredictable consequences, and very large elements limit the child’s view.

Theoretically, you can hang almost any small toy on the side of the cradle, however There are several varieties of such accessories that are particularly popular.

• Electric Carousel. A beautiful toy really resembles a bright carousel, and during rotation it also loses a pleasant melody to the ear. The great advantage of this solution is the electronic version, because several melodies are programmed in each mobile - this allows you to adjust to your mood or simply avoid bothering one melody. Usually, the volume is also regulated, at the same time the mechanism is started by pressing one button. True, such a purchase will be quite expensive.

• Mechanical carousel It is much cheaper, while having a somewhat more pleasant sound - its mechanism resembles that in music boxes. However, such a device must be started regularly, and in the first seconds after a strong institution, the melody will play faster, and in the end, on the contrary, will slow down.

• Stretch marks They represent a whole set of individual toys that are hung over a child on a stretched string connecting the sides of the crib. Individual toys can be hung directly on the sides, observing the main rule, according to which from them to the eyes of a child should be approximately 30 cm.

• Various garlands and spirals also popular.

• A few years ago, a well-known Italian manufacturer of children's goods Chicco offered a slightly unusual innovation, in which the baby will be entertained projector. The principle of operation is very similar to the similar device for adults, but the children's projector does not require additional storage media: it is already programmed to play pictures and melodies that should interest or reassure the little one. As a rule, the projection is displayed on the ceiling.

Many mothers, spending a significant amount of maternity leave at home, prefer to make a toy for the cradle with their own hands, because it is not only cheap, but absolutely safe. For this you need only the ability to sew.

It is the fabric that is the simplest material for home processing, because the base is most often made from it. You should choose natural materials like cotton or flax, felt toys are also very popular due to the pleasant texture, but it is better not to use synthetic fabrics. As a filler, it is also desirable to use only natural materials - in particular, any kind of cereal will fit well.

Most often, mothers sew garlands or spirals on their own: they are made quite simply and do not require special artistic skills. If you want to do something more for the child, you can sew pillows for him toys, which will look like ordinary pillows, but with a cute pattern, ears and other interesting attributes. In this case, it is better to replace the filler with a softer one - instead of cereals, use sintepon or cotton wool.

In the independent making of baby trinkets, it is important to remember that all the details of them must be carefully fixed, and they themselves must be as strong as possible. Children are pulling into their mouths, so the slightest button that has come off or dropped grain can cause the curious baby to choke.

Remember that a child’s own box for toys is not yet needed - all his playable property should now be placed before his eyes. For this reason, there is no need for too much variety of models.

How to sew a toy-spiral, see the following video.