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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Playgym toys

I buy packs of wooden rings (in the knitting/crochet section at Hobby Lobby) for all sorts of baby toys. One of the most simple is just the grasping ring. It can be hung or just used on its own. It encourages grasping, bringing objects to the mouth, hand-to-hand transfer of objects, and reaching (when hung.) We have one tied on a piece of ribbon and hung from the playgym. Beck can reach for it, bring it to his mouth, and explore it with his mouth. The ring shape makes it easier to hold on to (fingers can curl around the ring) and also very mouth-friendly--no sharp pieces or pieces to gag as it really can't be put in the mouth too far by the infant.
Obviously we closely supervise him with this because it could be a strangulation hazard because of the ribbon.
At times I also attach some bells to the ring, so he also gets some auditory stimulation and can begin to make some cause and effect connections.

This is another of his current favorite toys--I've mentioned it before but wanted to give a close-up. It's just two squares of felt scraps. I cut them with pinking shears. I then cut strips of felt with the shears, lined them up to make a snowflake-ish shape, and then sewed them down. The two squares are sewed together, with a piece of elastic in between so it can bounce and stretch when tied to the playgym. Presto! Fun, bouncy, baby-friendly toy! You could also use hot glue if you don't sew. Beck loves "catching" this in his reachy hands and bringing it to his mouth to chew on!

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