About me:
As a Pediatric Physical Therapist for over 25 years, and a mother of two wonderful kids, I have created a list of my absolute favorite products that have benefited me professionally and as a parent.
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Birth to 6 months:
Boppy Pillow: Did you know a boppy pillow can be beneficial for positioning for breast and bottle feeding, but also for developmental milestones such as belly time and sitting? Check out this video for more ways to use your boppy pillow. Click to play the video.
Exercise Ball: An exercise ball is not only good for parents to use for exercise but also for our infants. It is an excellent way for our babies to gain the strength needed to be successful at belly time. It also can work on their core muscles which will help with later developmental milestones such as sitting and crawling. See the video for ways to use your ball to promote your childś development. Click to play the video.
Infant Mirror: Babies love to look at faces, including their own. I love to use mirrors in my practice for floor time and belly time. I still have this mirror from my kids and use it with my clients today. It is still a favorite!
Music Toy: This is a popular toy in my practice. The music is actually good, and you can adjust the sound level, which I love.
Links: I love links. These are easy to grasp for your infant. Check out the video for how to use them to encourage hand-to-foot play. Click to play video
6-8 months:
Pop-up toy: It is excellent to introduce cause-and-effect toys between 6-8 months. Your child will begin to play with this toy by closing the flaps. As they get older, they can press the different buttons to open the flaps. I like this one because it does not have music or sounds attached to it. Sometimes too many sounds and lights can be overstimulating for a child.
8-12 months
Shape Sorter: I love this shape sorter. Starting with the most uncomplicated shapes like a circle or square makes infants more successful. The kids love the sound it makes when they get it in! I introduce shape sorters earlier because it allows infants to practice different grips around the figures before they can put them in.
Activity Table: In this table, the top comes off, so if your child is not ready for standing, they can play with this toy in sitting, kneeling, or in a crawling position. When they are prepared to pull to a stand, they can use it while standing and can cruise around the table to play with all the activities.
Tunnel: This is one of my favorite gifts for a 1-year-old birthday. Kids can start playing in these once they can crawl. Tunnels promote body awareness by providing a boundary as your child crawls thru. Tunnels can grow with your child, and you can use them as part of an obstacle course as they get older.
12-15 months
Ball Maze: This is one of the kid's favorite toys in the clinic. It keeps kids busy and works on eye-hand coordination. You can introduce colors and match the ball's color to the hole on the top of the toy.
2-4 years:
Tent: This can be used inside or outside. Tents can be used not just for playtime but to create a quiet place for your child to go when they feel overwhelmed or overstimulated. You can put cozy blankets and pillows and turn them into a reading corner when your child needs downtime. Or you can fill it withballs and make it into a fun ball pit. My kids used their tent for years.
