One of the best things about childhood, which you may or may not remember, is all the TOYS! Even though the toys really start to get interesting once your baby reaches one year and begins to have an interest (and the ability) in the widely marketed “toddler” toys, there are still all sorts of toys that your one to 12 month old will enjoy playing with, as well as give them help with their motor skills and hand/eye coordination.

For the one-month to 12-month period there are basically four stages you should be concerned with when it comes to toys that will benefit, as well as capture the interest of, your baby. Here is a brief rundown of some suggestions for these phases:

Toys for newborns:

She will thoroughly enjoy looking at high-contrast patterns, and bright colors will be particularly easy to see. She will have already learned to appreciate sounds and music. Objects that move around slowly and make quiet music will be much more interesting to your one month old than objects that are stationary and silent.

This is why it's important to choose toys from a range that have been designed to be visually appealing and enhance his cognitive, creative and social development skills, as well as his physical development.

Your baby's first toys should include the following features for him to respond to:

• Objects and sounds
• Bright colours with contrasts and patterns
• Movements and sounds
• Hanging 'bat' toys to help develop his grasping skills
• Touchy-feely toys that are soft or scrunchy to touch to stimulate his senses

Infant toys

Infant toys are generally attached to the cribs or set on the floor, as the child can't move. They are sometimes hung on the upper side of the child cot so that the sound and movement amuse the little one.

There are some baby toys can be attached to car seats and strollers. Also you can attach aquarium to the cribs of your babies so that the sight of the vibrant colored fishes and sound of the water ripples soothes the sight and hearing organs of the baby.

Ratteles and teethers

Another useful toy for the babies are the rattles and teethers especially when the child is chewing. But it is better to keep them in refrigerator when unused. The coolness of the refrigerated rattle will be a relief to the gums of the baby. Also toys that make noise or move when squeezed also create massive development in the child. They get to know that their act of squeezing the toy makes it move or occurs some sound in the toy.

Activity centre

You can also hang activity center on the side of the crib of your child or you can set the activity center on the floor and put your child on it. Some of the sets have give your child the driving facility, which helps to develop the reasoning, and driving power of the babies.

Though it might appear quite astonishing to your ears but another way of developing the intellect and personality of the child is by reading simple short stories to him. Reading habit never goes without paying off and it can easily overcome all the obstacles that age creates. When he is little grown - up then you can give him the more durable rhyme books or other colorful pictured books. These books are made up of thick cardboard or hard cloth, and are specially designed for infants.

Mobile

A mobile can be a fascinating source of visual stimulus for a newborn baby. Look for ones with high-contrast colors and patterns as these will be the most visually interesting to your new baby. Many babies are particularly fond of mobiles that play music, so you may want to consider that before picking one out. Perhaps choose one that plays a lullaby. Attach the mobile to the cot rail. Newborns look to the right 80 per cent of the time, so a toy hung overhead or on the left will be of limited value now. For safety reasons, keep the mobile out of your baby's reach.

Music box

Music will be something your infant is very interested in. A music box or wind up musical toy will prove to be a fascinating object for a newborn baby.

Unbreakable mirror

Baby will love the look of faces, and although she will not realize it is herself she is seeing in the mirror, it will still be fascinating for her to look at. Look for a mirror you can fasten to the side of the cot or hang near a changing table.

Sound-making plush toys

Plush toys that make noises when squeezed or moved will be very interesting and can occupy the attention of a baby for long periods of time.