Babies have a lot of energy, right? They are very smart, curious, and love to play. In this phase, toys are very important, not only for fun or distraction but also because by playing babies learn new things and develop their senses and skills. And an ideal toy to stimulate and improve the hearing and motor coordination of the little ones is the rattle. Do you ever wonder why you should buy rattles for babies? Here are some reasons to help buy the best rattles for babies. Find out why baby toys are so crucial to a child’s development.
Educational toys: discover the importance of rattle
The rattle is a sound toy that attracts attention. Its main objective is to develop the little one’s auditory and rhythmic perceptions. As a newborn baby, he discovers his own body, which then becomes his toy. We can see this when we see him playing with his hands and feet and with the signals he can emit. In addition to rolling and crawling.
Once the little one can hold objects, the most important toy is the rattle. With it, children are encouraged to explore the different sounds and noises around them.
Of course, a child’s tastes will influence the choice of toys, and some types of toys will take up more space both in the toy room and during playtime. But it is important to make some considerations. Most parents tend to exaggerate when finding talents and potential in their children. So, if your little one likes music, don’t forget to give him a piano or a guitar (or both), but remember that he can make good use of a ball, a doll, some games, etc.
Benefits of Baby Rattles
From the moment they are born, babies have to learn everything. They learn how to cry, talk, crawl, and walk. By taking in the sights and sounds of the world around them they are able to develop physically and cognitively. The majority of your little one’s learning will come from play and exploration. Rattles are not just a source of entertainment for a baby to play with. Babies can learn several new skills from them.
More than entertaining and distracting your children, rattles help in their development, bringing several benefits for children between 3 and 24 months.
They teach cause and effect
Lightly moving a rattle usually activates a sound, which provides immediate auditory feedback. By providing instant feedback, babies learn that their actions (moving the rattle) cause a reaction (sound). Because rattles are so easy to operate, they are the first toys that show babies they can manipulate their environment.
Beyond sound, colours
In addition to the noise, the rattle’s colours also catch the little ones’ attention, and they soon stretch their hands out to try to catch it. And this exercise is very important for the baby’s development, because with these small gestures, the child realizes that it is capable of moving an object that, when shaken, makes a noise. As simple as it may seem, it is with this activity that the baby’s hearing, sight, motor coordination and reasoning are improved Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
They grab a baby’s attention
The first step to interacting with your baby is to get her attention. Using a baby rattle with a unique sound is a perfect way to do so. Shake a rattle using a variety of beats and rhythms and watch your baby’s face light up with excitement and curiosity.
They encourage grasping skills
As a baby grows, its grasp gradually changes. Initially, babies grasp objects with their whole hand. After one year, they can pick up small objects (Cheerios, beads) with their thumbs and index fingers. Baby rattles are the most comfortable toys to grasp since they are held with the whole hand. The initial grasps are an important step towards developing more mature grasp patterns as the hand and fingers become stronger.
They can be used to promote gross motor milestones
Rattles and rattle sounds can be very motivating for babies. When you place them slightly out of reach and encourage your baby to get them, you can encourage motor milestones such as crawling, reaching, and even pulling to stand.
They foster hand eye-coordination
Babies practice hand-eye coordination by first swatting at and eventually reaching for desired objects with more precise movement. Motivating and engaging sounds will encourage babies to practice reaching until they are able to do so accurately.
They promote cognitive milestones
Cognitive milestones, such as object permanence, can be promoted by rattles. Encourage a baby to find a rattle by hiding it out of sight. Additionally, rattles can teach children to follow one-step directions and to imitate. For example, say, “give me the rattle,” or shake a rattle, then ask a baby to do the same.
They provide tactile stimulation
Rattles come in a variety of textures and shapes for babies to feel. Many of them can also be used as teething toys because they provide tactile stimulation to the mouth. Teething toys teach babies about tactile properties that will eventually help them distinguish (soft, hard, bumpy, hot, cold) by touch and sight.
They provide auditory (hearing) stimulation
Various sounds can be introduced to babies through rattles. Shaking and banging rattles on different surfaces helps babies experience different tones, volumes, and rhythms.
They encourage exploration
Rattles encourage curiosity, observation, and manipulation, which lead to learning. They are one of the first toys that a baby can manipulate independently.
