Written by Sindhuja Prabhu
The days are just passing away in a blur and your baby is already in their 3rd month after birth. They are getting stronger, smarter and more observant as well. It is important to provide them with the right opportunities and instruments to learn, develop and understand everything around them, including the way their body works. In this article, we discuss the various options for toys for 3 month old baby and how your little one can benefit from them.
Toys are a big part of a baby’s development – both physical and cognitive. Giving your baby the right toys at the right time can make a big difference in the way they develop and the rate of development as well. Are you aware of the toys you can buy for your 3 month old?
In This Article
Your 3 month old will still nap multiple times a day. Their awake window is slowly increasing, and their vision is also improving. They will show more interest in active playtime. You can engage them with games and toys for a few minutes every awake window. If they are tired, you can identify the lack of interest.
Once your baby loses interest or shows sleep cues, follow them. Never try to “play” more as it can overstimulate your baby. A few minutes of playtime every time they are awake and observant will suffice.
You can start buying toys when your baby is around 2 months of age. This is when they are awake more and start observing everything around them. Giving them toys now will stimulate various parts of their brain.
Toys need not be big, elaborate or expensive. Something simple yet stimulating is what your baby needs at this age.
Buying toys for a small baby is not an easy task. There are many factors to consider before you can go and splurge on all those attractive and interesting looking toys for your bundle of joy.
Here are 4 important factors you need to consider when you are buying toys for a 3 month old baby.
Your baby will try to put everything in their mouth. Since their grips are stronger, they can hold a toy and after multiple attempts, take it to their mouth. Ensure the toys you buy are not sharp edged and do not have small pieces or any chemical based coloring that can come off when saliva touches them.
The toy has to be useful for a 3 month old. If it is not age-appropriate, your baby may not show interest and will not gain from playing with it.
The toy must be useable by your 3 month old. Giving an older kid’s toy to a small baby serves no purpose. It might interest them for just a few seconds.
The toy must be big enough to hold comfortably. A 3 month old’s fine motor skills are still in the infancy stage. They cannot bend their fingers enough to grasp something small. Ensure the toy is big enough but not too big that it can hurt your baby.
Similarly, the toy cannot be too small either. Babies can put small toys into their mouths and choke on them, which can be life threatening.
When there are many toys available in the market, it can be confusing to pick the right ones. Different toys claim they are the best for a large number of age groups. But, which are actually useful? What does your baby need to improve on various fronts?
Here are a few toys that are apt for a 3 month old.
Babies love to put everything in their mouths. Teething toys are safe to mouth, chew and easy to hold. Though the teeth will come in much later, your baby will love to taste anything and everything at this stage.
Skill Development | Benefits |
Strengthen Gums | String gums are important for healthy teeth. Teeth may fall easily or not grow straight if the gums are not strong enough. |
Improve Muscle Movement | The continuous chewing motion will help strengthen the jaw and improve muscle movement. These muscle movements will help in eating and chewing their food as they grow. |
Babies are naturally attracted to noise and music. They observe with interest and start having preferences when it comes to music. Exposing them to a variety of sounds and music can do them a lot of good.
Skill Development | Benefits |
Hearing Ability | Babies have to learn to tune into and focus on both big and small sounds. Good hearing ability is important and lack of it can be a problem as they grow up, hindering many other developmental milestones. |
Recognize Sounds | Different toys have different sounds, and your baby will start understanding and recognizing the difference. They will learn to identify the sound with the source. |
[Read : Baby Hearing Development After Birth]
Rattles come in attractive colors and designs. They are perfect for a small baby’s hands and can also entertain them. They are perfect to carry along in the baby bag too.
Skill Development | Benefits |
Improve Grip | Regular play by holding toys will help improve the baby’s grip and strengthen their fingers. A good grip is important for their development. |
Gross Motor Skill Development | Babies learn to shake the rattle to make noise. Moving and shaking their hands help strengthen the large muscles in the arms. |
[Read : Baby’s Gross Motor Skill Development]
A 3-month-old can see colors. Babies find bright, colorful toys very interesting and attractive.
Skill Development | Benefits |
Improve Focus | Focusing on an object helps improve concentration and observation. Bright and shiny objects can be very attractive and hold the baby’s attention for a long time. |
Distinguish Colors | The ability to differentiate between colors is a very important visual and cognitive development in babies. Colorful toys help the baby understand different colors. |
[Read : When Do Babies Start Seeing Colors?]
Babies can feel overstimulated quite easily. Too many guests or just a few extra minutes before a feed can get them out of balance and agitated. Certain toys are designed to help calm them down in such situations.
Skill Development | Benefits |
Regulation | Babies can’t control their feelings yet but an object can help them regulate their emotions by distraction. When a toy is challenging or shifts the baby’s focus, it can help calm them down. |
Reassure | Favourite or familiar toys can provide a sense of comfort and reassurance when there is too much “new” around the baby. Too many new faces, a new place or a disturbance in the routine can scare the baby. The toy can reassure them and comfort them. |
[Read : Crib and Baby Bed Safety Tips]
If your baby is sleeping in the crib, a small toy to keep them entertained can be very helpful for you. Toys can make them feel safe and create a familiar environment they can associate with sleeping.
Skill Development | Benefits |
Soothing | The place where a baby sleeps must make them feel calm and safe for good quality sleep. A toy with mild music can keep them in the crib longer and eventually learn to fall asleep on their own. |
Stimulate Hearing | The mild music will encourage the baby to focus on the music instead of other louder noises outside. The ability to focus on a particular sound stimulates and develops hearing ability. This ability will come in handy when they grow up and need to isolate and focus on a particular conversation or sound. |
Babies love toys. No matter what toy you give them, they will play with it with great interest. When you give them the right toys, the interest and the effort that is put into play wi well rewarded. The baby gains something out of playtime. While mindless play is fun, you can teach well through play too. It need not be very hard or rigid always.
Read Also: Toys For 4 Month Old Baby – Types, Benefits and What to Buy
Sindhuja, a mother of two, is an obsessive mom with a keen interest in psychology, especially child psychology. Her quest for knowledge and way with words led her to become a passionate content writer. She transformed her love for writing into a full-fledged career which incidentally also turned up being the perfect stress buster for the last 5 years.Read more.
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