6 Useful Toys in Baby's First Year

If you are a parent, particularly a first time parent, you would most likely be somewhat confused about what toys to purchase for your baby. And if you believe in minimalism, you would most likely agree with me that a minimalist lifestyle can be difficult when you have a baby you want to raise without leaving out the necessary and important items a child needs for development.

We often worry endlessly about what toys our babies need and/or whether they will even like these toys and play with them. Thus, I am positive every parent (including myself) ends up buying more than is needed.

To save you the stress, I have compiled a list of 6 toys that I found particularly useful in my baby's first year. Some of these toys have detachable parts that can also act as 'sub-toys' and can be used for various play, learning, and feeding purposes.

1. A Swing:
Swings are a great way to soothe new born babies. Some come with little toys attached that are aimed at stimulating the senses. I had a baby who wanted to be held at all times and it was really nice to have a swing. It definitely was a breather! A good one i recommend is the Fisher Price Swing.

2. An Infant Chair:

By the time my baby was between 3 and 4 months old, I was ready to have him sitting by himself. I went scouting for a seat that would provide good support to his neck and back. This Fisher Price Sit-Me-Up Floor Seat was absolutely wonderful and useful for the better part of his first year. It also has a tray which makes weaning a breeze if you're up for some early weaning like i was.

3. Chewbeads:
This was my favourite teething toy amongst the many teething toys my baby had. While i encourage parents to definitely experiment with several teething toys, I would certainly recommend chewbeads as my number 1 favourite and a must have. They are very safe, easy to clean, and just generally feel good to hold and bite onto. Here is a link to my favourite Chewbead. They also  come in a variety of colours.

4. A Bouncer (Jumperoo):
If you're looking to help your baby strengthen his/her leg muscles while having all the fun in the world, this is the perfect toy. I call it his little amusement park. My baby absolutely loves playing in his bouncer and the one I recommend is this Jumperoo by Fisher Price. It has little parts to it that can be used in helping your baby learn colours, simple additions and subtractions, and point to animals.

5. A Sit to Stand Walker:
Traditional walkers are now considered unsafe and so I knew I would not be buying one for my baby. We opted for a 'sit-to-stand' walker instead and it turned out to be really nice and useful especially with the toy in front and piano. This one on Amazon is one I would recommend VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker.

6. Stacking Toys:

There are various stacking toys out there but this Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack is my favourite. It is super simple and cheap, yet very useful. While baby enjoys stacking and arranging, I use the opportunity to point out colours to him.








Personally, I like a toy that can fulfil multiple purposes especially when it comes to learning and enhancing cognitive skills and in the first year of my baby's life, these were the winners.