What mums really want when it comes to toys for their little ones

Clever mums and babies sample some some top-of-the-range toys and share their fun playtime tips.

 

What do you get when you combine a bunch of clever babies and mums with a bunch of exciting new toys?
You get the Fisher-Price Mums’ Day In!

Mums’ Day In

Recently, some of Kidspot’s favourite mums - Heather of LikeOMG, Mel from The Modern Mummaand Cassandra of Live It: Do It - invited their nearest and dearest  baby-parent combos to a fun Mums’ Day In at their place.
These special and intimate hosted events were not only deliciously snack-laden, they also featured lots of engaging toys for the invited toddlers and babies to test-drive (or should that be test-play?)
This was the perfect opportunity for mums and bubs to not only try-before-they-buy, but also get the skinny on some classic and all-new toys from the Fisher-Price range.
Choosing appropriate toys for little ones is a fairly exact science and these mums used this special playdate to hone in on what they should look for and find out what their babies loved most.
Here’s the expert mum and baby squad verdict on what to look for in a great toy.
 

Toys should be age appropriate and fun.
 

Ten things to look for in a great toy

1. Quality is non-negotiable

Quality ranked highly. In a marketplace flooded with toys of questionable quality and safety, the Fisher-Price toys came out way ahead of the pack.
Mums trust Fisher-Price.

2. Toys should be engaging, but not “obnoxious”

Toys that are musical or light up were a real hit with both mums and babies.
There’s just one prerequisite - they should be exciting without being obnoxious, mums say.

3. Toys should be a practical size and easy to clean

Parents were quick to notice if toys were travel-friendly and gave top marks to those that could easily fit in their nappy bag or under their baby’s stroller or pram.
Practicality and safety were also super important to our parents, so easy-to-clean toys were a real hit.

4. Toys should have varying, positive benefits

The Mums’ Day In families particularly love the toys that had a range of benefits and could be played with across several ages and stages.
 

Parents loved toys that encouraged friendship and communication.
 

5. It’s great if toys are interest specific

Toys featuring animals or favourite colours were a real talking point, with mums saying their little ones particularly loved them because they matched their baby’s interests.

6. If toys encourage motor-skills, top marks!

Toys that targeted specific gross and fine motor skills were popular with parents as they provided simple ways to encourage their kids’ development.
“He loved hammering the different shapes,” one mum told Kidspot, as her son played with a colourful toy toolbox.

7. Toys must be age appropriate

Toys that played to babies and toddlers current skill level, and challenged them to ‘play harder’, ticked all the boxes for our mums.
“Cali is learning to stand independently and loved the songs and lights on the walker,” Heather explained.

8. Parents and babies love interactive toys

Having fun and encouraging exploration were high on the agenda for mums and babies loved the toys that were interactive and full of surprises.
“The dancing robot was very interactive,” said one mum. “My kids love singing and dancing!”

9. Parents loved language promoting toys

Toys with letters, words or numbers provided great opportunities to introduce early concepts of literacy and numeracy, which parents appreciated.
“Jess is in a ‘language explosion’ at the moment. She loves learning new words,” one Mums’ Day Inparent explained, singing the praises of a words and letters focused toy.

10. Toys should foster social skills

Toys that encouraged children to connect and communicate were not only heaps of fun to play with, they gave babies a chance to be more social and practice sharing.
Our Mums’ Day In parents definitely have a keen eye and an informed view when it comes to choosing toys that are fun and educational. And we couldn’t be happier that these little ones did the play time leg-work for us!
Thanks babies!

This post was brought to you by Fisher-Price.

www.kidspot.com.au/parenting/real-life/in-the-news