When I was pregnant with my first child I knew that I didn’t want to have a bunch of big, loud, obnoxious toys filling my small apartment. It was important to me that we have toys that were developmentally appropriate, safe, and could fit into a small storage space. Lucky for us, one of the gifts we received included a rattle! This is a wonder toy – such a small and simple thing that is capable of teaching and doing so much.
Now that I have another baby, and a few more big toys around the house, noise making toys like rattles are still a favorite. My baby loves to shake anything noisy and is starting to understand that she is the one causing the sound. When she gets tired of that, and because she is teething, she loves to suck and chew on the rattles too! Double win.
My now 3 year old has maracas in a music set she was given. She loves to use these to hit the tambourine and explore how she can make different sounds using the instruments. An added bonus of having musical instruments and rattles out is the impromptu dance parties. We practice rhythm and gross motor skills all while jamming out to our favorite tunes.
Our friends over at Care About Childcare – Utah Valley University shared with us some more tips about ways to play with rattles, check them out below!
What are some of your favorite baby toys that encourage development?
