Best Musical Toys
If you spend a lot of time with a baby, the sound of silence might be music to your ears. But baby, on the other hand, is usually ready to pump up the jam!
Baby’s hearing develops quickly after birth, and babies are naturally fascinated by rhythm and melody. But don’t feel as though you should stick to singing “Rockabye Baby” for the next few years. Babies are open to all musical genres, and chances are that the more appreciation you show for a song, the more they will like it, too.
You can turn listening to tunes into a learning experience by demonstrating how to sway, clap, sing or stomp in time to the music. Musical toys–like pianos, guitars, rattles and more–will enhance playtime and improve fine motor skills like grasping, pushing and lifting. Being exposed to music can also build essential language skills by teaching baby to differentiate and remember sounds. And best of all, rocking out to your favorite songs is always a good time.
And if you don’t know the lyrics, make them up! Baby certainly won’t tell anyone that you thought the lyrics to Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” were “Hold me close, young Tony Danza.”
Here are some of our favorites:
Looking for more toys?
Rosie Colosi writes books for curious kids and articles for parents who are counting the minutes until bedtime. Once upon a lifetime ago, she played Mrs. Claus in The Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes, but now she mostly focuses on singing songs from Annie to her two little girls.
