Where do you start when it comes to buying toys for our children. Especially for babies to toddlers range. It can be quite confusing when it comes to choosing the right toy. I remember going into the toy stores and not knowing what to choose as their are so many toys. Well I have learnt over the years that you don't need alot of toys. You can get away with a few good quality ones that are versitile, safe, good value for money.

The first thing you need to do is think about what stage the child is at. I for one example would go to buy for a baby which is still at the floor stage, something that would last them till they are a toddler as they will get lots of exploring time in that two years. So it would have to be of good quality and last for the two years atleast.

Activity centres are great they have so much to do on them, good quality and price is good considering it will last for quite some time. They are easy to clean, which is important as babies do explore with their mouths. Some basic rattles. You could even give a clean empty small water bottle with a little rice but make sure the lid is tight and secure. It make great noise and you can make your own mobiles which is easy. It could be safe little toys hanging off some ribbon which you can tie at both ends to something. Shiny, bright but safe, that moves quite easily as this is what keeps them occupied.

As they get into the early stages of climbing, you can encourage this safely by some sturdy outdoor equipment that can be pulled apart and assembled inside the house, verandah or outside as this makes it easy for you when the whether is not good. Always change where your toys are set out as this keeps the child interested. Have you ever noticed that centres change play corner all the time. This is because it keeps the children interested and all you did was move it around.

Tunnels are great, even tents make a good cubbies or you can get the delux model with the big price tag. They will eventually stop using it. You can't move it once it is in the ground! Stick to simple mobile cubbies that you can move from outside to inside to the verandah. You will be surprise how excited they will get from changing the environment. Old sheets, tablecloths over chairs or table is a great one. Yes the mess, well you can make that a game too. We are packing it away for our next camping trip or adventure so we need to keep everything safe for next time.

Little exercise tramps are good. They are safer for the child and you don't have to worry about falls with them. They still get to improve their balance on them. Balls for rolling and catching. You can even make your own obstacle course by using things around your house. Eg: some rope could be on the ground for them to walk on for balance find other objects that you can mark out for them to go under over and in and out. Once you start it is amasing what you can come up with. This shoud all follow one another and form a circle so this encourages them to do it more than once.

At this age you can teach them to paint with assitance from you. If you are worried about mess just do it on the patio table or peg a small tarp on the fence with some butcher paper and show your child where the paint has to go on the paper and not on each other. They don't take long to pick up what you teach as thay are excited about doing the activity. You can use empty egg cartons for your paint colours which means you only use a liffle bit of paint don't fill all of them leave some empty for mixing and making new colours. They will love it and this is teaching them colours. You throw the carton away and no cleaning paint pots!

Playdough is great. You can teach them to keep it on the table and put an old sheet or sheet of plastic which can make cleaning up easier. Recipe is on the creame of tartar packet in your local supermarket. Easy to make even they could help a little. Even choose the colour.(Food Colouring).

Have old magazines for gluing on paper. You could have pictures already in a container for them to glue or you could assist them cutting as this takes a little practise and skill. Bubbles are a great way to entertain you as well as the child. Morning fresh makes the best bubbles. Teach them to hold it in their hand and move it towards the wind and watch the bubbles form. That is alot easier than teaching them to blow as this takes a little longer to learn.

I would also recomend that you introduce your child to cooking. They are not too young. Explain where the oven is hot and not to go near it. have them prop themselves either at your kitchen table or on a stable chair beside you and look for easy recipes which are spoon, cup measurements. You can find them in some great school cooking books. Also 4 ingredients is a new books which is exactly what it says. Great recipes for breakfast, morning tea, lunch and dinner and ofcourse desert. They can be quite helpful once they have a few practices at preparing.

There is so much you can do with your child instead of waisting all your money on buying more toys. Music, instrument, dance, dressup. Make it fun for you and your child. There are lots of books on activies for babies to toddlers go to your local library or look on the internet.

Get started now!

Cheers JRBass