Gear: Play

Play time!

The very best play, both for entertainment value and for education, is the attention of a loving parent or friend. Tickles and laughs, songs and stories, peek-a-boo. You can't buy anything that even comes close to that kind of good time.

So you don't NEED toys. But they are so cute, and so much fun, and they make popular gifts, so you're almost certain to end up with more than you bargained for.

I advocate for spending on high-quality toys and finding used or hand-me down toys of good durability. Not only will these last longer, but they are made with better, safer substances and aren't as likely to be toxic to your child. Toys that meet European standards are great -- better yet, they're made in America or Europe.

Our favorite play stuff (Don't consider this a list to check off every item. Just have a few things that seem sensible and age-appropriate):

• Mobile -- This is the first toy your baby is likely to "use." Hang one above the crib or above the changing table. Remember that it will be viewed from below. We use the one shown from Haba Toys. Elsie started watching her mobile at 4-6 weeks, and she still loves it. Twirling the mobile part of her bedtime ritual.
• A Rattle -- Can't beat the classic for early grasping toys.
  
• Mirrors -- Any mirror will do. "Baby in the mirror" is a very fun game for even tiny infants. The mirror may well be the reason Elsie said, "BABY!" first.
  
• Crinkle/Jingle/Squeak toy -- We have a bunch of these: a cute, plush caterpillar that doubled as a tummy-time prop in the early days, a giraffe that hung from her carseat, a corsage with different textures and colors of flowers. At a certain age, babies can examine every angle of a toy like this for ages, over and over again, and not get tired.
• Bead coasters/mazes -- You know, beads on wires. Elsie LOVES these. I have to budget extra time at the doctors to let her play with the ones in the waiting room, because they're the biggest ones she's ever seen, and it's a good way to quell her crying after shots. We have a couple at home that see a lot of use.
  
• Music -- Does not have to be kids' music. We play many different styles on the radio throughout the day. We sing little songs, often improvising our own special tunes and words. Elsie has taken to singing, too, which is cute! (Nothing you would recognize as singing, just a little more tonal than her usual babbles.)

• Instruments -- The drum that Elsie got for Christmas has been a BIG hit. We also love to set Elsie in front of the piano. My father sits her on his lap to show her how he plays his trumpet, and I took my violin out to let her pluck the strings. Kids love making different sounds, so what could be more fun than instruments?
• Teething toys -- Elsie's not big into teething on her teething toys, but we have a whole bunch. I like wooden teethers best. Haba makes some very cute ones. Also, you can get hand-made wooden teethers on Etsy that are awfully cute and have no paints or dyes on them. Elsie mostly chews on her fingers.
• Puzzles or Shape-sorters -- Fun and good for motor skills. Make sure the pieces stand up to a good gumming.
  
• Stuffed animals -- We have a couple. Elsie is only just starting to show interest. She has a little fox that she carries around her grandparents' house and a corduroy rabbit that she sleeps with.

• Blocks -- THE BEST. If you only get one toy, get a decent set of blocks. They'll be interesting for years and hold up to generations of use. Elsie favors the cylinders.
• Stacking cups -- like blocks, build them up, knock them down, carry them around. Simple, fun toys.
  
• Cars -- Simple, small, fun. Just be sure to get age-appropriate cars that won't drop wheels or other chokables.
  
• Balls -- We have a few wooden balls that are big favorites.

• Toy kitchen -- This is an extravagance and in no way necessary, but we do use it all the time. It's huge, and I never would have bought it myself, but my neighbor gave it to us, and Elsie LOVES it. Don't get a huge plastic one like ours, lest you have to relinquish your dining room as a playroom (who needs a dining room?). I like some of the smaller-scale wooden ones. Check craigslist or freecycle. The little pots and pans are a big hit, and I make Elsie play food that she should enjoy for a long, long time. I like the play kitchen because it's gender-neutral, independent, creative, and enforces cooking as a family value (which it is in our house). So even if I might have chosen a slightly different one, I'm lucky to have inherited a kitchen at all.
  

• Playpen -- It's a lifesaver. We have a Northstate Superyard, and I love it. You can use it as a pen or attach it to walls. Ours currently splits our former dining room in half, protecting our rugs from potty-training Elsie, who is often without pants. Yes, it's a baby cage, but you'd be amazed how much walking a cruiser can learn from a nice, sturdy baby cage.
  
• Books -- Last but not least, books are the play-things we use the most. Elsie adores reading. I recommend board books for the first year or two of life. She's getting to the point where I could read her a paper book now, but she loves to turn the pages herself, so we're still on the board books. The rest of her library will open up at some point, and that will be very exciting for the whole family. You know what? This topic merits its entire own entry. There are so many good childrens' books out there. I'm going to save it for the next installation.

What we don't use:

• Stuff that beeps -- Because I'd go INSANE if I had a house full of canned kids music and beeps and boops and animal noises. I hate that stuff. Yes, babies totally love it, so I'm probably depriving my daughter of that particular joy, but I swear I'd be in an institution if I had to listen to that stuff all day. That's why we stick to real instruments. Noise is great! Just noise that Elsie makes herself.
  
• Big play stations -- besides the kitchen. If we had it, I'm sure we would use it, and I'm sure Elsie would love it. But we live in a small house and I want to keep things minimal. Elsie gets to play with her friends' play stations when she goes for play dates. Better their living rooms than mine.
  
• Power Wheels -- Elsie will have a bike or a trike, but after suffering the din that is my neighbors' kids motoring around their house 24-7 all summer long (and the tantrums over who gets to ride which), I will never, ever buy Elsie a motorized transportation toy. If you hate me, give her one for her 2nd birthday.
• Taggies -- I'm sorry to say. These seem to be the hot gift at all the showers. We have two. It's true that babies seek out the tags on toys. Unfortunately, Elsie sought out the actual tag on the taggies, and didn't much care for the rest of the mock-tags.