To an infant and toddler, everything is a toy. Fingers and toes, crib rungs, buttons and strings on clothing, people and pets, household objects, and even pieces of lint are toys. A child's play is her work. Her task is to learn about herself and her world, and her toys are the materials with which she learns.

Because your child will play with anything within reach (and things you thought were out of reach), it is your job to be sure that her reachable world is as safe as possible. It is also upto you to offer appropriate new challanges to your baby. The right toys are ones that will be interesting at your child's current developmental level - not too difficult or frustrating and not too limited or simple.

This doesn't mean that you must buy lots of expensive toys. Many parents, in fact, are discouraged to find their children prefer to play with the boxes that toys come in rather than the toys themselves. You can provide your infant with nearly everything she needs by making toys at home or by simply allowing common household objects to become playthings.

• You can suspend some colorful pictures from a clothes hanger to make a mobile. (Make sure any strings or cords are secured tightly).
• When your baby starts to play with her own feet, you can sew bells onto her shoes or booties.
• A set of unbreakable mixing bowls or plastic containers for dropping things into and dumping things out of fascinates all babies.
• You can make a simple "clacking " toy by stringing a number of empty wooden thread spools together.

Following are some considerations you should be aware of, whether you make or buy toys for your child.

Safety

Toys and mobile parts of toys must be large enough to prevent your child from swallowing them. Pieces must not pull or break off or be able to be chewed off, and toys should not have sharp points or edges. Materials should be labled nontoxic.

Durability

Toys should not break under the kind of abuse your child can and will give them.

Versatility

A particularly good toy will have many uses at many different ages or developmental levels. There will be more than one right way to use it. Good toys also stimulate more than one sense. For example, some clutch toys now on market have interesting textures to touch and mouth, and have a bell inside to stimulate hearing and encourage shaking or turning. Few, if any, toys appeal to all the senses, but many appeal to more than one.

Zulekha Alam.

Author of article: Jogger Stroller.

My daughter had a few of these toys while she was growing up, and i think they're an excellent choice

Where where toys like this when we were kids!!!!! I love the Winnie the Pooh light.

Excellent post

I love that winnie the pooh cuddle and snuggle gym!! I have seen those around and I keep seeing them on comericals so they must be good.. I wanted to buy it but my daughter is a little older now but I'm sure she'd still love to play with it!! Same with the light, they are great, they even play sounds too!! There's another one that my daughter has and fish and other sea creatures swim around when its turned on and they can play with it too!!

Great advice and they are excellent toys for babies that age!!