As your due date approaches, it is exciting to look for baby toys and other items for the little one who will soon be arriving.
During pregnancy, your to-do list can feel endless: making room at home, choosing a baby name, buying a cot or baby bed, packing your hospital bag and more. Perhaps you have even picked out your baby’s going-home outfit. You are doing well!
But what about the nursery—is it ready? If not, how can you get everything organised?
Generally, the first rule is to define areas for the things you need and the tasks you do every day, with your baby at the centre:
- Changing area: Use a dresser as a nappy-changing table, with a changing mat and a basket of baby essentials containing nappies, cleansing solution and wipes.
- Clothing and laundry area: Keep wardrobes and drawers organised regularly, as they will soon be filled mostly with baby clothes. Place a laundry basket near the dresser, and try adding suitably sized shelves inside the wardrobe. That is it! You will have all the supplies and equipment you need to care for your baby close at hand. Organisation makes all the difference.
- Sleeping area: A cot or baby bed with a firm mattress that fits snugly against its sides, a fitted sheet and a baby monitor nearby. Blankets, pillows, soft toys and cot bumpers should not be in the cot while your baby sleeps. If you are worried about your baby getting cold, use an infant sleeping bag instead, following the safe sleep guidance from the AAP.
- Play area: This one is still a work in progress... (For more room setup ideas, see What Should You Have in a Newborn’s Bedroom?)
If you have not bought any baby toys yet because you are unsure what your little one will play with, your preparations are not quite complete. Let us help you get started.
A good nursery needs a play area, but it does not have to be large or spacious to work beautifully. Play is essential for babies’ development from birth.
A baby’s earliest learning often comes from connecting the sensations of touch, sound and seeing their parents’ faces. Play has the power to strengthen these connections. As children grow, it is also a primary way to develop movement, communication and social skills, and to understand their surroundings. Toys help babies explore themselves and the world, stimulate their senses and encourage them to respond to what they perceive.
That makes toys an essential part of preparing for your baby. #Hape offers toys for newborns that are suitable and safe for supporting age-appropriate development. Let us take a look! (Or browse all the newborn toys in our shop.)
Before choosing any toy, check the recommended age on the label. Choose toys larger than your baby’s mouth, with no small parts that can come loose and no long strings or cords, following the guidance from HealthyChildren.org (AAP).
1. Multi-Stage Sensory Gift Set — Newborn Rattle Gift Set
This collection of sensory toys encourages your baby to interact with their surroundings and begin their first explorations. The newborn rattle gift set contains five pieces in lovely, gentle colours, designed for little hands to hold and help develop movement skills.
Babies go through a stage when they love shaking things. These rings and little figures make sounds for extra fun and have rubber parts babies can chew, which are useful for relieving itchy gums during teething. The toys are also durable, use non-toxic colours and make a lovely newborn gift. Regularly clean the parts your baby puts in their mouth.
2. Rotating Music Box
Suitable from birth, this gentle, soothing toy encourages young children to explore and enjoy some of their first musical experiences. Music is important for children’s development. To see its effect, try singing a lullaby—parents know how well it can calm a baby. Music can also express positive feelings and help babies feel happy and amused.
3. Musical Cloud Light — Cloud Mobile with Music and Lights
Its soft lighting and soothing instrumental music help settle newborn babies and lull them to sleep.
The cloud mobile features music and lights, with a fabric-covered body and a smiling wooden cloud face. The combination of sound and light stimulates your baby’s sensory development. It can be attached to a cot, baby bed or stroller. Read more at Musical Cloud Light: Cloud Mobile and Night Light.
Safety precaution: Secure the mobile firmly out of your baby’s reach so they cannot pull it or put it in their mouth. Remove it from the cot when your baby begins to push up on their hands and knees.
4. Bunny Stacker — Soft Bunny Stacking Toy
This bunny-shaped stacking toy lets your baby practise grasping, stacking and removing pieces one at a time. It helps develop hand–eye coordination and introduces the idea of small and large.
It is suited to the stage when your baby begins to sit and becomes better at picking things up. Parents can join in by counting the pieces or naming the colours together. Check the recommended age on the box before letting your baby play, and put the toy away afterwards.
5. Grow-with-me Rocking Horse
Last but not least is a childhood classic: the wooden rocking horse. It offers a lovely ride for beginning to develop balance. Children can practise holding on and rocking gently, slowly and steadily, or enjoy a more energetic gallop as they grow stronger, with hours of fun to be had. Who could resist this adorable friend?
Let your child start riding only when they can sit steadily without support—not merely hold their head up—and meet the age guidance in the manufacturer’s manual. An adult should supervise closely every time. Place it on a level floor away from stair edges and furniture. The rocking horse adjusts through three stages: with a surrounding safety rail, with a backrest, and finally with no barriers to your child’s development and movement in the saddle.
It is a great choice for a toy that grows with your child, with the durability to keep them playing for years!
These are just a few baby toys suited to stimulating your little one’s senses. Giving children a small selection of essential toys is a lovely way to keep their curiosity fresh and continually encourage their creativity.
Now you are ready to welcome your little one into the world, right?
If you are looking for an excellent developmental toy, ‘Hape’ is a great choice. We offer a wide range of wooden toys that support children’s development at every age.
Thoughtfully designed around how children learn, they help children practise important skills such as looking, listening, observing, using fine motor skills, solving problems, imagining and creating. They also support integrated academic learning through STEAM.
Their designs and sturdy materials focus on supporting children’s development, with safety as a priority. They use non-toxic colours and wood subject to quality controls in line with FSC standards. Their strength and durability give them a long useful life and make them environmentally friendly.
Hape is a wooden toy brand sold in many countries around the world and cites quality and safety standards such as ICTI, ISO 14001 and ISO 9001.
It is easy to see how Hape wooden toys can enrich these activities and help keep children away from screens.
What matters most is sharing happy moments as a family, because where there is love, there is a complete home! What activities do you and your child enjoy together? 😁
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