Tried and True Mommy » baby toys

Give me a ring

Sue — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:05:32 +0000

Teething rings or teethers – Cheap and easy stocking stuffers for your baby! There are so many different kinds and types (trust me we have tried most of them) but I have learned that they are not all created equally and here’s what sets apart the good ones from the crappy ones. Make sure that it is skinny enough for your baby to be able to hang on to and be able to put in their mouth. Too many teethers out there are way too big to fit into a baby’s mouth for them to be able to bite on for some relief. Don’t get me wrong I don’t want babies to choke on the teething rings, but there’s no point if it’s so big they can’t fit it in their mouth at all! All of my babies have preferred the kinds that are filled with sterilized water. We keep them in the refrigerator for extra cooling relief on their gums. When your baby is learning to self feed, the teether can also be used by your baby kind of like a spoon, without the risk of them cramming it down their throat. It’s easy for them to hang on to, dunk in the baby food and suck it off. Unfortunately the kind with the water in it cannot go in the dish washer but they are easily hand washed especially if they don’t have a lot of frills to them. The ones I have pictured below are the best we have found by far! We bought them at Target for less than $3. Keep in mind this was over a year ago but if you look for the same sizes and shapes it will do the trick.

ExerSaucer, not flying saucer, ExerSaucer

Sue — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:05:18 +0000

ExerSaucer or stationary baby activity centers – These are great for babies who are immobile but can easily hold up their heads, and ones who are mobile that you want to keep away from the dishwasher as you load it with dirty dishes. :-) We got a hand-me-down one with our first son and all of our babies have loved it. Our babies liked “standing up” and playing with the toys and they loved to bounce up and down in it too. The only draw back to ExerSaucers is that they are bulky and tend to be a little expensive if you buy them new. My recommendation is to buy a used one at a resale shop and then lend it out to family and friends to use with their babies until you are ready for your next baby to use it. Ours has been lent out to three other families and it is still in great condition! Make sure that if it has a cloth seat that it can be machine washed. Also check to see that the toys can be removed, not only to be played with elsewhere, but it makes them easier to clean too. The height can be adjusted on most ExerSaucers so that it grows with your baby. Last but not least your baby can continue to use it even when they’re not sitting in it. Our baby likes to stand on the outside of it and play with the toys, especially when her brother is under it.

Please click below to see how Breanna uses her ExerSaucer:

How to use an ExerSaucer by Breanna

I guess I should start from the beginning with Baby toys:

Sue — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:05:33 +0000

The main thing to keep in mind with baby toys is that they won’t be using them for very long. If you plan on having more than one child then you’ll be able to reuse the toys but don’t forget about storing them in between babies. With that being said here are some of our family’s top baby toy picks.

Play gym with hanging toys – Their perfect for immobile babies on their backs or on their tummies. Be sure to get a play mat with removable toys for when your baby is older so they can play with the toys on the go too. I have used the same play mat with all four of my kids and they have all loved it! These are usually pretty easy to find at local resale shops for not very much money. Make sure that the mat itself can be machine washed for easy spit-up removal and that it folds flat for easy storage.

I also highly recommend the Leka play mat from IKEA. It has lots of fun activities on it for babies who like to be on their tummies and it’s perfect to take to the park to have an entertaining place for baby to play. And the best part is . . . . .wait for it . . . . . IT’S MACHINE WASHABLE!!! Woo Hoo! Check it out at www.ikea.com/us product name Leka, or click on a link to it from the ’Tried and True Mommy Favorites’ section on my web page.