Everyday Ways To Connect To Your Little One
Mommies, ready for a fun week ahead with your little one? Come on, as much as your little darling makes you tear out your hair, accept the truth that your baby also makes you go back to those fun playful days of your own childhood, isn’t it? There is absolutely so much you can do with your little one, playing and doing things together and bonding!
You do spend a lot of time with your little one, but other than diapers and feeds and schoolwork, are you really spending that fun time together? Why not book a full hour of one-on-one fun with your little one? If your baby is too young to speak, pick her up in your arms and talk to her with lots and lots of smiles. Hear the giggles and gurgles, make some of your own and be a baby with baby!
Massage time is essential time for baby’s growth and development, and massage time can be an important connect time too. Remove all the noise from the room and make it your and baby’s special time; as the little one enjoys your caring fingers shaping and strengthening those little baby arms and legs, sing a rhyme or play a lullaby or share a story. You’ll be amazed at how soon your little one learns these stories and rhymes!
Time for a bath? Of course there are a lot of bath toys that your baby loves, but what about baby’s best friend jumping in to play with water as well! YOU Mamma! Splash spray and squirt…have fun, play with water with your baby as you clean up your little one, and have some cuddly moments as baby comes wrapped in a towel right in your arms!
Bath over its time for a sleep? As the baby mobile or the rhyme-toy plays a lullaby, sing to your baby, look into those little bright eyes and bring in the sleep fairy…your baby will love the bed-time ritual, we promise!
Going out for a little walk with little one? Identify the birds and flowers as baby toddles along with those baby steps..
Play together….what more fun to have some baby-mamma time together than to play along with baby and baby’s favourite toys!
Create..take a few old paper sheets and use all kinds of colours you can. Baby crayons are quite a fun way to colour up the day! And sometimes, it’s okay to let your little one get a little dirty, of course under constant adult supervision.
8 Quick Ways To Ease Your Little One Into The Nursery
Mumsies, while you’re trying to get back into your relationship as a couple, one of the first steps to start the balancing of roles of mother and partner is to help your little one sleep in the baby room, or nursery.
1. Begin by doing up the room in bright and cheerful colours, something that will instantly appeal to the little one and add a fun element to the room. Use stickers, wall decals and wallpaper to do it up in style.
2. All babies love soft toys, so why not do something creative in the nursery with soft toys? Deck up the shelves, or place them around the floor for baby to want to play with. 
3. A colourful and soft play mat will be a sure hit – babies can crawl, sit and play on it, even doze off to sleep! So get one now!
4. Bright and cheery curtains in baby’s favourite characters will prove quite a hit.
5. Why not get a display shelf that allows you to showcase baby’s favourite items?
6. Brighten up the room with some fun lights.
7. Make it your baby’s very own personal space by putting up a picture/activity board, showing off baby’s pictures and creative side.
8. A comfortable cot, complete with favourite characters on the bedspread and the pillow to accompany baby to sleep.
Educational Toys – Starting The Learning Process Right At Home
Dear Mum,
We know that as a working mum, you may not always be around your little one. While a mother is a baby’s first teacher, for times when you’re not by your little one’s side, it’s a good idea to leave an educational toy with your baby, one that will not only be fun, but also help baby learn and explore!
One of the most basic, as well as important, tool to ‘educate’ your child and encourage them to observe, question and understand is TOYS. Your baby’s first joy will be a special toy, and what better way to use toys that will not only be fun, but also help them learn as they play! Today, toys are much more than just a play thing. They aid your child’s growth and development, stimulate interest and open a world of ideas and possibilities.
So be sure to pick what’s right for your little one.
Eye-Hand Coordination:Rattles, beaded toys, clip-on toys, balls, bending and twisting toys are all great to help your baby through the first learning stages of eye-hand coordination. More toys here
Colours And Shapes:Your little one will not be able to identify colours for the first two months, but after that, it’s going to be a riot of colours and shapes every where the little eyes see. Mobile toys, play gym toys, toys with bright colours and patterns, blocks, rattles with different shape and colour attachments are all a great way to introduce your little darling to the world of colours, shapes and patterns. More Toys Here
Movement: Toys with wheels, dangling toys, balls in different shapes and sizes, wind chimes and skiddy toys are great fun and will help your little one understand and grasp the concept of movement. More Toys Here
Motor & Cognitive Skills: Toys that require stacking and building aid in the development of your child’s reasoning skills, and the concept of maths and numbers. They also help develop hand and finger muscles, thus assisting your child’s motor skills. More Toys Here
Outdoor toys: These are especially good for increasing your child’s physical activities and stamina, and help establish a sense of movement and direction. More Toys Here
Perceptual Skills: Musical toys not only assist your little one in learning music and rhythmic skills, they also encourage sensory t
endencies in your baby, thus giving them a creative way of self-expression. More Toys Here
Emotional & Imaginative: Dolls, cartoon toys and puppets can open a world of imagination for your little ones, as they create and enact their own stories and plays. Not only this, toys such as these end up being your child’s comfort toy, with a strong emotional bond being formed. More Toys Here
Educational toys: These can be a fun way of learning. In addition, educational toys also help develop your child’s social skills like sharing, boost creativity and encourage curiosity and exploration. More Toys Here 
Social Skills: Multi-player games, especially board games (and there are a host of board games for small babies), can help your child develop social skills, assist in public speaking, leadership qualities and the ability to manage a team. These are not only fun and interesting for your little one, but can also be a source of entertainment to the entire family. More Toys Here
On-screen games: Used in moderation, these are good for developing hand-eye coordination. They also enable your child’s developmental skills like problem-solving, imagination and decision-making. More Toys Here
Top 10 Board Games To Play With Your Little One
Love playing with your little one but want to get the entire family involved? We give you a list of the top 10 board games that the e
ntire family can play, with some cheating when your little one is involved if the game is not entirely age-ready for your kid. Get one home and enjoy!
- UNO: This is one of the most popular games that families love to play. Not a typical card game, this one will let your little one grasp the concept of colour and numbers, till the time they actually learn to play. Ideal for 2 and above.
- Life: A fun kid/family game that tells your child about the importance of decision-making in life. Questions likes, will you study, will you go to college, what will happen if you do or don’t will take players through different modes in the game. A fun way to show your kids the way of life. Ideal for 4 and above.
- Puzzle Games: There are many board puzzles that will let your child develop vocabulary, memory skills and creative thinking. Ideal for 2 and above.
- Tell-A-Story Game: Get a story-jigsaw game that will let your child build a story, step-by-step. Ideal for age 3 and above.
- Scrabble: Your little one won’t learn all spellings at one go, but this is a fun way to introduce spellings to your little one and help them learn as they grow. Ideal age 4 and above.
- Find The Difference: This is a fun board game that will sharpen your child’s observing skills and let them spot the difference between two similar pictures. Ideal age 3 and above.
- Baby Animals: This fun board game will teach your baby the names of animals and their babies. Ideal age 3 and above.
- Memory Game: A stack of thick cards that come with picture pairs. Playing will sharpen your child’s memory and observation powers. Ideal age 3 and above.
- Monopoly: Your child won’t immediately learn the tricks and tips of this one, but an early introduction to Monopoly will give your little one a lesson in the importance of money and decisions. Get one in a kid edition. Ideal for 4 and above.
- Family Game Stack: Get one of those family game packs that come with the classic games like Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, Candy Land and some more.
What Toys To Carry While Traveling With Your Little One
Planning that big trip with your little one? Well, having a baby in the car will be quite a lot of fun, we can assure you that, but as with a little one, there will be many instances when your baby may be uncomfortable, bored, or plain cranky, and these are the times you need to be prepared for, to make the trip fun and memorable.
Here are the top ten toys you can easily carry along while traveling by road/air with your little one. Read on:
- The first thing to keep in mind is to carry toys that you know baby already loves and spends a lot of time with, especially those with which baby has an emotional attachment
- Carry a comfort toy. If your baby has a toy which is a sleep toy, ex. a sleep-time teddy, make sure you carry that along
- Get some new toys to surprise baby and make them excited
- If traveling by car, carry lots of buckle-up toys, ones that you can attach to baby’s car seat, or at the hold-rail of the car door
- A doodle-draw pad is something that most babies and even toddlers love. Get one that is small and portable, and can easily fit in th
e baby bag. This is an ideal toy for road/air travel - Rattles for your little baby.
- Carry a few board books / voice books/musical books that your little one as well as toddler can read along easily.
- Travel jigsaw puzzles are ideal for babies of all ages. Get one that is appropriate for your little one. For younger babies, get ones with fewer pieces and ones that are easy to grasp. For toddlers and a little older babies, get ones that come in different fun and educational modes.
- Sticker activity books are great for a little older babies
- Carry along a small battery-operated toy, like a toy phone, educational laptop, or some fun toy that lights up and has features like sound, rhymes, voice alphabets and all. This is an ideal toy to carry in the car, but may not be suitable if traveling by air, as you will need to remove the batteries before boarding.
What To Look Out For When Buying Toys For A New Born
Toys are going to be your little one’s companion for a very long time. Not only will they fill your darling with smiles and fun, a good toy will also aid your baby’s development and growth, as well as help in achieving various milestones and skill sets. So it’s really important that you pay close attention to what toys you’re buying for your baby, and know the key points to keep a look out for when shopping for toys.
One of the first things to keep in mind is to make sure the brand you buy from is a reputed one. If the brand has had a ‘toy safety recall’, definitely stay away from the same.
Any toy with small buttons or ribbons poses a potential safety/choking hazard. Even if you think your little one can’t take out the ribbon or any other such small part of toy, there are chances that the same might come out on its own and may find its way inside baby’s mouth.
Small babies, especially infants, will put everything in their mouth, so make sure the toys are not such that might leave colour easily.
Toys with sharp or uneven edges are a hazard as they can hurt your baby.
Read the label carefully and make sure the product you buy for your baby is completely free of any toxic elements, especially lead.
Things like toy magnets, spikey playthings, any product with buttons, bows and anything that might come off is a choking hazard.
If you are giving your little one soft toys to play with, make sure you clean them at regular intervals, as they attract a lot of dust.
For any doll or toy with hair that you buy, make sure you remove the toy’s hair, as it could lead to sucking/chewing and choking.
Remember, anything that you buy for your little one will definitely make their way into baby’s mouth. So read all labels carefully and make sure you buy only age-appropriate products.
Choosing The Age-Appropriate Toy For Your Little One
A good toy should excite and encourage your child at every age. Whether it’s a rattle or a complex board game, if it can’t challenge a growing mind, it’s really no use. FirstCry recommends choosing toys according to the age of your little one. We’ve come up with a list that will help you make an informed choice.
0-6 months: For the first two months, your baby will hardly need any toy. Once they enter the third month, give them toys that will help them see bright colours, hear some music/sound, suck, grasp, shake.
Ideal toys for this age-group are: rattles, wind chimes, mobiles, sound books, teethers, small balls with bells inside, rolling toys.
6-12 months: As your babies begin to crawl and explore the world around, give them toys that will help them explore, observe and use hand and leg movements. Let your child play with toys that let them put things in and out, make them understand concepts like up down, big small, let them stack and build.
Ideal toys for this age group are:
- Blocks - big blocks, colour blocks, shape blocks, soft blocks
- Pull Along toys - vehicles, wooden toys, rolling toys,
- Musical Toys – Drums, rattles, chimes
- Books - Picture books, Musical books, Bathing time books, large books
1-2 years: Your baby will now crawl, walk and run! So it’s only natural that their toys too need to keep up with this little bundle of energy. Your baby is also ready to co-ordinate well now, so it is advisable to buy toys that will help them with proper co-ordination.
Ideal toys for this age group are :
2-3 years: You will need toys that will enhance their creativity. Since they can identify words, animals or characters now, but things that will interest them
Ideal toys
- Books - Picture books, Musical books, large books
- Sorting toys : These are typically where the child can sort and build a character
- Educational DVDs
Remember, toys are never a replacement for the quality time you spend with your little one, so make sure you do a lot of that!
Choosing The Right Toys For Your Little One
Yes, we never run out of our love for toys, do we? So whether it was our childhood when we went crazy about our favourite ones, or now, as parents, when we visit the toy store and can’t help look around with awe and excitement.
The markets today are flooded with toys of all shapes and sizes, with different budget brackets, with varying pros and cons. But here are a few things we should keep in mind while choosing the right toy for your little one in any age. Read on:
Fun Factor: Well, there may be many kinds of toys available in the market, toys that help in your little one’s educational and other development, but if it’s not fun and fails to engage your baby’s interest, chances are, it may be ignored and soon forgotten. Make sure the toy has enough fun-factor to be your child’s favourite toy for a good amount of time.
Age Appropriate: That beautiful doll may be just perfect for your little doll, or that block set may be wonderful for your boy, but if it does not match the age that’s specified on the box, stay away till your kid reaches the age. Many toys come with small parts that pose big choking hazards and are best kept away from little ones.
Buy What Is Needed: There will be many occasions when you are tempted to pick up that toy, and your baby too will ask for toys each time you visit the toy store/mall. But in the end, you’re the best judge to understand what is needed and what is not. If your baby already has an excess of toys, there is really no sense in picking up a similar toy that may soon be sent to the pile. Instead, get something different.
Stimulate and Engage: Your child’s toy is not just a toy; it’s a tool that will help your child’s growth and development, helping them achieve milestones, develop skills and increase their curiosity, engaging them, letting them explore and create, honing their creativity and helping them take decisions and responsibilities.
Learn To Say No: Toys that encourage violence and can harm others are a strict NO. Your child’s friend may have a similar toy, but that is no reason to get one too. Babies and children can’t resist toys, but as a grown-up and as a parent, you’re the one who should learn to say a firm NO and stick to it.
Branding: Yes, it’s important that you check the brand before giving it to a baby. This does not mean that toys of a smaller brand are not always good, but it’s always safe to make sure the brand is a reputed one, and that the products under the brand have not gone for a product-recall.
Light and Easy To Play With: Your little one may have taken a liking to a certain toy, but if it’s heavy and difficult to play with, try and avoid. A heavy toy may hurt a child, and those that are too complicated and difficult to play with may soon lose interest with your baby.
Decide For Yourself: Sales, advertisements and friends may make your little one want a specific toy, but don’t be fooled with what the brands are saying. You are the best judge of what is good for your baby and what to stay away from, so make sure you check for yourself first.
10 baby toys parents must buy
Age is a factor mostly taken into consideration to buy toys for babies and kids. A young baby would not enjoy a much sophisticated toy like blocks and a toddler would not enjoy having a rattle or a musical toy. From soft toys, role play toys and electronic toys to puzzles and board games, there are many varieties in the market. The toys must be capable of helping the baby acquire new developmental milestones and must not hamper his development at any stag
Here are some toys that you can buy for your little one!
Musical Toys
Musical toy varieties focus on babies of particular age groups. These are good to develop your child’s sensitivity towards music and sounds. While the ones designed for newborns and infants below 6 months put them to sleep, the ones for toddlers entertain them during playing hours.
Expert Tip: A warning about these toys is to check the sound before buying one. Sharp sounds can damage a baby’s ear.
Teethers
Perfect for your teething baby, teethers are perfect to chew on. They soothe the delicate swollen gums and can settle your baby without the need of a soothing gel or a firm massage.
Cuddling and Sensory Toys
Buy a few soft toys for your baby to play with and a couple of bigger ones for him to cuddle and sleep. For playing, get the ones that give a squeak or tweet when pressed. This will help him learn the capabilities of his hands.
Push and Pull Toys
Push toys can teach your baby balancing techniques. Do not be surprised if you see your baby leaning on it and practicing his first steps of walking. Push toys will give him adequate balance while he cruises.
Expert Tip: Once the cruisers advance their walking skills, you can offer pull toys. They can now easily move forward and look back at the same time without losing balance.
Blocks and Shape Sorters
While blocks let them learn the art of stacking, shape sorters help them learn the difference between shapes. Get them stack three to four toys in the beginning and eventually progress to bigger number of blocks. He will surely enjoy the crash of the blocks and stacking them back. Shape sorters might turn frustrating to the babies at times when they are really confused about why a round block would not fit into a square opening. With practice, your baby would know the exact placements of the shapes. These are ideal for babies 12 months and up.
Rattles
Rattles are great fun for the babies with their bright colors and percussive sounds. This interesting piece of toy gives your baby fun with seeing and hearing at the same time. Once your baby is capable of grasping things, he will shake it himself. Most infant toys these days have rounded edges these days to prevent injuries and bruises while shaking.
Expert Tip: For extra safety, ensure that you buy the ones that have no sharp edges. These are ideal for babies upto six months of age.
Cot Mobiles
These are great attention seekers of newborns and those below two months of age. You get a plenty of varieties in contrasting colors and designs. Mobiles that play music are fun. Buy mobiles after testing the music. Go for the ones that have lullaby-like cool and soothing music that can settle your baby. You can attach the mobile to the crib or cot rail towards the right side of the baby.
Expert Tip: Do not hang it to the left or overhead. Babies of this age look to the right most of the time. Keep it away from the baby’s reach.
Offering lifelike houses for your child’s favorite dolls, a complete range of house sets are available including bedrooms, kitchens, playhouse etc. These are ideal for girls above two years. You could complement the dollhouses with more dolls and accessories. This is sure to enhance their imagination and socialization skills.
Ride-on Vehicles
The steady walkers would love to have a couple of these vehicles that help them motor around the home or lawn. Its electronic versions are expensive and demand your child moving on his own without needing a supporter. Try to go for the versions that can be manually operated. These are affordable and offer your baby the fun of getting around in the vehicle under your power and supervision.
Bouncers
Bouncing seats are good for babies who have gained neck support and can sit up without discomfort. These offer fabric seats well cushioned for your baby’s comfort. You can strap your baby for safety and bounce him gently. Some come with melodies and soft vibrations to soothe your baby. Some have loop links to hang your baby’s favorite toys.
www.FirstCry.com |Vtech Spin n Learn Butterfly
Vtech Spin n Learn Butterfly
3 Months+, Letters, Numbers, Sounds, Music!
Help your little one ‘fly high’ with learning using the VTech Spin & Learn Butterfly . Stick the butterfly down to a smooth surface using the suction cup and let the fun begin. As Baby explores the Spin and Learn Butterfly, Baby is rewarded with dancing lights and fun melodies.
Baby can press the chunky light-up buttons and spin the soft fabric wings. Bop the butterfly’s head to hear fun phrases, songs, 1-2-3 and a-b-c. Baby can even get creative by jamming in sound effects with the variety of melodies. VTech Spin & Learn Butterfly is a great learning aid for Baby, a wonderful way to develop key motor skills.
Key Features :
- Become a high flyer with this electronic boppable butterfly!
- Suction cup sticks to surfaces such as high chairs, ensuring that
- early learning is never out of reach
- Spin the wings, press the buttons or bop the head
- Learn abc, 123 and hear fun phrases and nursery rhymes
- Light up buttons flash to captivate attention
- Volume control switch allows for quieter playtime
- Manufacturer’s recommended age 3 – 24 months
Price Rs.999
www.FirstCry.com |VtechBaby Light ‘n Learn Caterpillar
VtechBaby Light ‘n Learn Caterpillar
0 Month+, Crawling with early learning fun!
Play with the light-up caterpillar that’s crawling with early learning fun!
2 modes of play suit both playful and sleepy time moods. Press the light-up buttons or pull the dangling shapes to learn shape names, abc,objects and insect names with upbeat melodies and fun flashing lights in play mode or soothing sound effects, phrases and calming melodies with pulsing lights in sleepy time mode. Interacting builds motor skills while the non breakable mirror promotes self awareness. Attaches easily to a cot or pushchair with the secure attachment straps
Automatic shut off preserves battery life
Durable design for long lasting play
Volume control switch for quiter play
Note : Requires 3″AA” Batteries (for demo purposes only.Not long life batteries
Price Rs.1499
www.FirstCry.com | Brainy Baby® IQ Ages Baby And Toddler
Brainy Baby® IQ Ages Baby And Toddler
Set of 5 DVD’s, Animals, Baby’s first words, Color, Counting, The world around us, Free T-shirt + Parent guide inside this pack
Brainy Baby® IQ Ages Baby And Toddler
Give baby a head start on early learning skills with this friendly and entertaining introduction to colors, movements, counting and more. Make your child smile and develop a love of learning with these baby-friendly DVDs.
- Provide opportunities for parent and baby to talk together
- Bright, bold, colorful images filmed in high definition
- Promotes talk naturally
- Stimulates both hearing and sight
- Provokes talk naturally
- Encourages language and thinking skills
Price: Rs. 999.00 | Rs. 849.15
www.FirstCry.com | Barbie™ Fashion Fairytale Motorized Glitterizer Play Set
3 Years+, The 18 inch tall model of Barbie in a glitterizing wadrobe would draw all the attention the moment somebody steps into your room
An ideal gift for your daughter for her Birthday or Christmas !! From the new movie, Barbie A Fashion Fairytale, Barbie stumbles upon a wardrobe in the fashion house attic and discovers its glitterizing magic.
With three easy steps and 100+ stickers to choose from, girls can use the motorized Glitterizer wardrobe to customize doll outfits, accessories, and other personal items. First, add stickers to the item. Second, secure it inside the Glitterizer wardrobe. Third, add glitter in the tray and press the button. Voila. Items go from drab to fab, and dolls are glitterized from head to toe.
Contents:
- Motorized Glitterizer wardrobe
- Barbie Doll
- Doll fashions and accessories
- 100+ stickers
- Glitter and a clean-up brush
Price : Rs. 2999.00
