I can’t count how many times I’ve been forced to buy a baby gift without having a clue of what to get. After all, I’m not fortunate enough to remember those early days of my life, so I feel hopelessly disconnected from newborns in general. What do they like, what do they prefer? Turns out, it’s both a little less and a little more complicated than that. Babies have many needs, but not so many developed tastes yet, so it’s more about what will help a baby’s development than about what each individual baby prefers. Fortunately, science is here to give us an answer.
There’s been much, much research regarding human development in the early years, so we have a pretty good idea of what’s going on and what promotes healthy growth. Here are the best developmental gifts you can give to a newborn baby, according to science.
Read more: Parents Reveal The Best Baby Shower Gifts They Wish They’d Gotten
Interactive Toys
Stimulation is key for the development of a baby’s brain, according to research. So, toys with stimulating elements are among the best possible gifts for newborn. Think of any plaything with plenty of colors, buttons, and elements the baby can explore—but not too many detachable parts, as those could pose a health risk.
Toys With Puzzles
Speaking of stimulation, puzzles are great. You know those little toys with figures that the baby must match with a corresponding hole in a colorful surface? There are many variations of this kind of toy, so look for the one you think will most interest a baby. Remember, it’s all about the colors and fun pictures.
Cloth and Velcro Books
Make the world a better place by creating the youngest readers ever! Well, they won’t really read, they’ll just look at pictures and interact with the cloth figurines, but they will get familiar with manipulating book-like objects, which will ease them into reading a few years later. Promoting books and reading in the youngest possible is surely a worthy thing to do and will positively stimulate the kid’s brain in the process.
Musical Toys
Who doesn’t like music? Apparently, babies love it, so they’re not as strange as many would like to believe. Studies have found that babies can greatly benefit from musical surroundings and, more specifically, from actual music classes. That’s right, a music lesson is even better for a baby than random musical toys. But if a music class is for some reason out of the question, then toys with musical elements are the way to go.
Baby Gym
There are few gifts as good as a play gym to stimulate all the senses of a newborn. Choose one that features the whole package: lights, sounds, music, colors, and movement. That way, the baby will better develop their motor skills, balance, coordination, and cognition.
Familiar Recordings
Any toy (or even a simple digital file) that plays familiar sounds to the baby can be greatly beneficial to its development. A 2013 study found that babies start learning and differentiating noises, including speech, since they’re in the womb. And, according to this other 2010 study, it’s particularly the mom’s voice that helps its brain get active. So, get on with the recording sessions, the baby will thank you later.
Science-related Toys
Well, if you’re listening to science, you already value it as you should. So, why not encourage babies to value it as well from the earliest age? Society surely needs more science-believers rather than science deniers, so find that small toy-microscope or paleontology set that. Those kinds of playthings will not only familiarize babies and toddlers with scientific instruments and topics, but also stimulate their curiosity and senses. And who knows—perhaps we might yet find the next Einstein sooner rather than later in the process!
There you have it. Take this list as a very broad and general guide, so there’s plenty of wiggle room for you to personalize the gift as much as you want. And remember not to stress over finding the perfect present—just pick one and go with it. If your gift falls into one of the categories on here, you should be good.
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