Buying guide - Music and Learning Toys

Any parent will be amazed at how quickly their baby develops: a once-helpless newborn is suddenly a talking, walking person that can do things on their own. But however fast it seems to happen, every child develops at his or her own pace and all progress comes in stages. Your little one will respond to different stimuli according to the stage they are at:

Age	Physical and Cognitive Capabilitiesⁱ
0-6 months	Babies are slowly becoming more aware of their surroundings Fascinated by cause and effect Sensitive to sound, colour and movement
7-12 months	Babies start exploring their surroundings and objects around them Sensitive to sound and movement
1-3 years	Very active and curious Like physical activities Keen to learn, explore and discover
3-5 years	Children are goal oriented Not capable of problem solving yet
Preschool kids	Children like to use their imagination Seek challenges Want to problem solve

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As you can see from the table above, kids respond to different stimuli at different ages. Music and learning toys are designed with this in mind. The right toy will keep your child entertained and will stimulate the mind or body in a way that is appropriate to their developmental stage.

0-6 months

Newborns are very sensitive to sound, colour and movement. As their ability to grasp and hold items is limited at this stage, toys should be light, soft and easy for your baby to handle. As your baby is fascinated by cause and effect, toys that respond to the baby's actions such as plush toys that sing when its tummy is pressed are ideal. These toys in bright or contrasting colours will quickly become baby's favourite!

7-12 months

Even before his or her first birthday, a baby will now be more aware of surroundings and show interest in objects close-by. At this stage of development, hand-eye coordination will have improved and your baby will be able to handle objects more easily.

Babies are often fascinated at this stage by picking things up, dropping them over the edge of a cot, pram or high chair, and watching the result. This cause and effect intrigue - like understanding that shaking a rattle generates a noise - makes toys that give feedback to simple actions ideal. Research has also shown that music is a key factor in early brain developmentii. Toys that reward actions by playing music or a sound are a good choice.

1-3 years

As a toddler, your child becomes more active and curious. Your little one is now ready to be challenged, so you should pick toys that require skills slightly beyond the child's current capabilities. Choosing toys that challenge your child will keep up interest and set a goal to work towards. A good investment may be basic musical instruments or sets such as child-friendly keyboards or "musical tables". These have fun features that will enhance your child's attention span, creativity and object handling skills.

3-5 years and pre-school kids

From the age of three, a child starts to set goals during play and begins to come up with strategies for solving problems, so tasks should be simple but challenging. At this age, kids become interested in themes such as space, military, and farms, and they begin to understand the concept of imaginary worlds.

Depending on age and interests, children become interested in puzzles, modelling, and technology-based toys like child laptops. These types of toys help youngsters to explore new themes and concepts. However, you should explain and demonstrate a toy to your child first, so that he or she will able to use it to its full potential.

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