Dr. Toy's Smart PLAY Smart Toys – Expanded & Updated 4th Edition. Stevanne Auerbach

baby will giggle and appreciate your rendition of Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Paul Simon, Tony Bennett, Pete Seeger or your favorite recording. Sounds of popular or classical music will delight. Put on Puccini,, Scarlatti, Verdi or Vivaldi, Mozart or Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite.” These offer your offspring early (and, optimally, continuing) exposure to the classics, and a grounding in music appreciation.

       4. Rattle

      Rattle stimulate auditory awareness, eye-hand coordination, and they get the baby’s attention. Different rattles make a variety of sounds and many have a calming effect. When a baby is irritated, she will be distracted by the soft shaking sound and turn to it. Be sure to keep your baby’s rattles washed and away from heat.

      You want to be sure whatever comes close to your baby’s mouth is clean. You do not want the rattle to be damaged. You do have to keep an eye on your child but also on what he plays with.

       PLAY POINT

      It is best to get baby adjusted to being in a playpen before she starts crawling or it will not work as effectively later on. In the beginning, she should not be in the playpen for other than a very short time, and only if you need to handle some activity that needs your complete attention. Take her out and engage her in another activity before she starts, or at the earliest signs of fussing. Set up the playpen in the room where you will be working if at all possible.

      Different rattles offer different sounds for different occasions. When you change your infant, a rattle will occupy and calm her. Take along several with various sounds when you are away from home, at the pediatrician’s, visiting, or traveling. Other rattles will soothe her when she is teething or fussing. By experiment you’ll learn which rattles work best. Call the baby’s name and shake the rattle gently as you talk or sing to her quietly. Don’t overuse it or the baby will lose interest. Rattles provide easy finger exercise and give the baby something easy to grasp.

      Some rattles are designed for very young infants; later teething-ring rattles are available for the older child. Rattles may be found in smooth wood; clear, soft plastic; and durable cloth. Some have surprise objects inside to watch for and provide extra visual interest.

      Buying a rattle from a company you have researched gives you reasonable assurance that the toy is not defective, will not fall apart, and meets toy-safety standards. Be sure you find a reliable rattle and keep it clean.

       5. Stuffed Plush Toys

      Soft stuffed toy animals are collected from the time you send out birth announcements to your offspring’s adolescence and beyond. These toys are consistently popular. The baby will probably receive several, which can be displayed easily on shelves; don’t let them clutter the crib. One is adequate as a stimulating, visual plaything Stuffed toy play grows with the baby. At first “teddy” is strictly decorative, but as the child grows he will find comfort in his soft, plush animal. The connection is soothing. He will want to taste him, grasp him, let him fall down, and throw him. As his ability to grasp, hold, and lift objects develops, so does his attachment to teddy.

      Soft toys are also a source of communication. Your baby will begin to make sounds to teddy, just as he makes sounds when you are near. Let the new plush friend “speak” with the baby when you first take the toy to him and he will relate more quickly to it.

      Soft animals work well on car trips and are convenient to amuse the baby if he gets cranky. When the toy “talks” about the adventures you both share on the trip—the passing sights, the next stop—time will pass quickly for the contented baby.