| When buying toys is not an option, and your child | | | | him or her a wooden spoon. Not only will he or she |
| needs something to stimulate their minds, try using | | | | use the spoon to bang around on the floor and listen |
| what's around the house. Children, especially babies, | | | | to the sound it makes, once they discover that |
| love different textures and sounds. Rubber spatulas, | | | | water splashes you, this creates a new toy for them |
| lids, wooden spoons and such are great toys for | | | | to experience and play with. When all else fails, |
| growing babies. It may not seem like much, but you | | | | adding water to a toy makes it brand new, even to |
| can do so much with so little. | | | | a baby! |
| For example, place a rubber spatula in the freezer for | | | | Give your baby anything that isn't harmful to the |
| a couple of hours and leave one out. Give both to | | | | baby or could cause choking if they stick it in their |
| your baby and let him or her experience the | | | | mouths. Be sure to find something that makes loud |
| difference between hot and cold. This trick is also | | | | noise when banged on because babies love this! My |
| good for teething babies because they love to put | | | | daughter loves to bang on everything she finds and |
| everything in their mouth. Teething rings that are | | | | the louder the noise it makes, the more she enjoys |
| frozen help the burning sensation that comes with | | | | playing with it. |
| teething. | | | | These ideas are very basic, but for a young baby, |
| Another great idea would be to place a bowl of cold | | | | basic is all you need at first. |
| water on the kitchen floor with your baby and give | | | | |