Toys
The problem with toys nowadays is, that there is too much of them. One of the worst things, I think, is a room covered in toys - child is not able to keep track of them all, and as a result, doesn't really qualitatively play with any of them. (I have seen live examples.) So minimalism is the key.
Quality is another thing, even though it comes second after quantity. Why? I say this based on my own childhood - childhood in a former USSR Republic in the early 90ies, meaning, we did not have much. We had some plastic stuff, some toys that nowadays smart parent would not rate any higly - but as mostly we were playing outside, using anything we could find ourselves (leaves, rocks, sand, wood etc etc - so basically - had a perfect "Waldorf" childhood . :D For those who don't know - this is what Waldorf toys are all about, natural materials, things found in the nature that can be anything, just using your imagination), so these couple plastic toys that we got, they didn't disturb and didn't ruin anything - if they were useful, we included them in our play, if not, then they were used otherways or forgotten. We played even with Barbies, sometimes, and they haven't harmed me nor my views on women or woman's body image (I think curves are good.). ;)
So a little bit of not so good quality toys won't harm anyone. But as the selection is so big, of course, if you actually buy something, there is point in buying something good.
So far I have bought only one toy for my child - a wooden rattle from Eco Toys, Latvia:
It is beautiful and nice quality, I definately suggest this shop. She doesn't play with it though yet, on the package also was said 6+, it is too big for her hand. But I'm sure she will like it sometime.
I definately want to order many toys for her from Muki.lv shop, there are some great stuff, but have to try to stay senseful. :) (Minimalism!)
But the first serious toy I will buy for her, will be a Montessori permanence box, handmade in Estonia, available only for 15 euros HERE (and the Montessori coin box from the same maker as well) - great for little hands and a little person's concentration:
Also I hope to buy her something from Grimms Wooden Toys, which are not available in Estonia yet, but should arrive soon in Memme.ee.
I will keep updating, what toys my little one will be playing with, but for now she has couple (which mostly are given by someone). I have been occasionally giving them to her - to look, to reach - but not lately that much, as I read a child physiotherapist saying, that if parents don't offer all kinds of shiny, colourful stuff to babies, they find themselves something to look at - because everything is new for them. And it's true, since I have not been giving her stuff to look at, she can spend many minutes just on her own, looking around in the room. And actually seems happier, because when there is some bright toy to look at - at first it grabs her attention, but soon she screams in frustration - not being able to get to it or just the overstimulation, who knows. So I'm showing her toys now only in specially selected moments - to encourage her to grab, for example. It works, but I stop as soon, as I can see she is tired.
One of the first toys she was looking at, somekinda plastic thing from Fisher-Price, but I do not like it much, so it's not used anymore:
One of the best things, seen here previously, my selfmade Montessori-inspired mobile. This is great and she loves to look at it (let's be honest, it sometimes gives us a free moment while she is busy..):
A huge activity cube, a gift from my friends, it's quite nice:
And some plastic thing, she actually loves it, and it's good for her hands - she is actually grabbing it and putting in her mouth:
There is also Oball, which already has it's own post, it makes her frustrated quite fast though, and she also has Sophie, which we use in the car rides. (Oh, globalization..)
Actually there is already a whole box* full of toys (where from??), but these are the ones that have been used lately.
* Montessori does not support toy boxes, where everything is just one big mess, and I agree, we are planning to buy some shelves to put her toys nicely there, but there is still time for that.
Quality is another thing, even though it comes second after quantity. Why? I say this based on my own childhood - childhood in a former USSR Republic in the early 90ies, meaning, we did not have much. We had some plastic stuff, some toys that nowadays smart parent would not rate any higly - but as mostly we were playing outside, using anything we could find ourselves (leaves, rocks, sand, wood etc etc - so basically - had a perfect "Waldorf" childhood . :D For those who don't know - this is what Waldorf toys are all about, natural materials, things found in the nature that can be anything, just using your imagination), so these couple plastic toys that we got, they didn't disturb and didn't ruin anything - if they were useful, we included them in our play, if not, then they were used otherways or forgotten. We played even with Barbies, sometimes, and they haven't harmed me nor my views on women or woman's body image (I think curves are good.). ;)
So a little bit of not so good quality toys won't harm anyone. But as the selection is so big, of course, if you actually buy something, there is point in buying something good.
So far I have bought only one toy for my child - a wooden rattle from Eco Toys, Latvia:
I definately want to order many toys for her from Muki.lv shop, there are some great stuff, but have to try to stay senseful. :) (Minimalism!)
But the first serious toy I will buy for her, will be a Montessori permanence box, handmade in Estonia, available only for 15 euros HERE (and the Montessori coin box from the same maker as well) - great for little hands and a little person's concentration:
I will keep updating, what toys my little one will be playing with, but for now she has couple (which mostly are given by someone). I have been occasionally giving them to her - to look, to reach - but not lately that much, as I read a child physiotherapist saying, that if parents don't offer all kinds of shiny, colourful stuff to babies, they find themselves something to look at - because everything is new for them. And it's true, since I have not been giving her stuff to look at, she can spend many minutes just on her own, looking around in the room. And actually seems happier, because when there is some bright toy to look at - at first it grabs her attention, but soon she screams in frustration - not being able to get to it or just the overstimulation, who knows. So I'm showing her toys now only in specially selected moments - to encourage her to grab, for example. It works, but I stop as soon, as I can see she is tired.
One of the first toys she was looking at, somekinda plastic thing from Fisher-Price, but I do not like it much, so it's not used anymore:
One of the best things, seen here previously, my selfmade Montessori-inspired mobile. This is great and she loves to look at it (let's be honest, it sometimes gives us a free moment while she is busy..):
A huge activity cube, a gift from my friends, it's quite nice:
And some plastic thing, she actually loves it, and it's good for her hands - she is actually grabbing it and putting in her mouth:
There is also Oball, which already has it's own post, it makes her frustrated quite fast though, and she also has Sophie, which we use in the car rides. (Oh, globalization..)
Actually there is already a whole box* full of toys (where from??), but these are the ones that have been used lately.
* Montessori does not support toy boxes, where everything is just one big mess, and I agree, we are planning to buy some shelves to put her toys nicely there, but there is still time for that.
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