The early days of infancy and toddler years are more than just feedings and diaper changes. In between these activities, babies seek entertainment. Or else, they slumber the whole day and become cranky at night. Hence, you need to balance their sleep with some playtime. This makes toys a part of baby essentials. Playing keeps them engaged and entertained. But the significant factor is it also contributes to their progress.

But buying toys for babies is not similar to shopping for older kids. They are not yet developed to understand things. They are at a learning stage where making sense of the world is a gradual process. During this phase, it is essential to choose their playthings carefully. You want to ensure you focus on safety, size, and age-appropriateness. Also, you need not purchase a lot as toddlers grow out of them quickly. If you are unsure, consider these playtime essentials:

Rattlers
This is one of the first toys for most babies. It has all the characteristics that fascinate the little ones. The noise and handy design help them shake and watch in wonder. Besides, rattlers come in colourful designs that grab their attention instantly. With innovations, you get advanced versions that include musical notes and other variations.

Baby playmat
Babies are susceptible to their surroundings. They get easily irritated with external sounds, crowds, and distractions. Hence, they need their space to relax and play. This gets achieved with a baby play mat. It creates a multipurpose room where toddlers engage in activity play, tummy time, and other activities. The soft cushioning protects the little hands, knees and feet from hurting.

Activity centres
Newborns grow rapidly, which changes their needs with time. As they progress to standing up and walking, they need more challenges. This helps in their physical and mental development. Getting them activity toys help achieve this purpose. They are great for exploratory play, where children get to bounce and play with different playthings in one place. As they provide immense scope for learning, their use extends for years.

Stacking pyramid
Toddlers have a developing brain. Hence, they cannot comprehend complex concepts. But they can learn things quickly. Even if you cannot directly teach them, stacking toys build the foundation. These are simple open-ended games that let babies explore shapes, colours, and sizes. They subconsciously make sense of these things with trial and error.

Shape sorter
Shapes and colours are an essential part of our lives. Therefore, they form the central aspect in most toddler playthings. As the little ones can only learn so much, this acts as a good start. Here, they distinguish between stars, hexagons, rectangles, squares, diamonds, triangles, and other shapes. Also, these come in different colours to assist in learning.