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| |    Favorite Toys in Early Childhood by Dr. Benjamin Spock reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. Adapted from Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care The baby, before he can use his hands, loves to watch bright-colored or black-and-white objects dangling from a mobile above his head. (It's important to make certain that the mobile is tied tightly in place and is high enough that the baby can't pull it down--otherwise, its strings could become a choking hazard.) Wind-up mobiles are entertaining as well, with more motion and the addition of a musical tune. However, the best "toy" for a very young child is you. Babies get real pleasure from taking action and seeing the consequences. A baby makes a face by scrunching up his nose or sticking out his tongue. You scrunch up your nose back and tickle his tummy. What could be more fun than that? In the last half of the first year, infants love objects that they can handle and rattle and chew, such as plastic toys (small rings on a big ring, for example). There's no paint to come off, and there's no danger from chips as there is with thin celluloid toys. From around age 1 to 11/2, your child will likely be fascinated with putting one thing inside another and pushing or pulling it around. The block that runs on wheels and has holes for pegs is a favorite, but a plain box with a string is just as good. As a matter of fact, most children learn the act of pushing before pulling, and that's why the bell on wheels, pushed with a stick, is so popular. Hollow blocks won't interest a child for as long as pots, pans, strainers, and spoons will. Soft dolls and woolly animals are loved by most children throughout the early years, although some see no sense in them. Two and up As children approach the age of two, they become more interested in copying. First, it's the immediate things they see mother and father do, like sweeping, washing dishes, and shaving. As they grow beyond two, their imaginations become more creative. This is the period for dolls and doll furniture, trucks and cars, and above all, blocks. Blocks piled on top of each other are the Empire State Building; end to end, they make a train. They can be laid out on the floor in the outline of a house or a boat to sit in, and so on. A good-size bag of wooden blocks of different shapes is worth 10 toys to any six-year-old, unless TV ads have already convinced him that the only toys worth having are the ones featured in action-packed (that is, violent) TV cartoons. Next to blocks, perhaps the best fun is a box of brightly colored cloth pieces and hats for dress-up. Again, simplicity goes along with versatility and your child's abundant imagination.
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