Towards the middle of the first year, as the infant develops better control of his or her head, arms and legs, toys that require more intentional interaction can be placed in the crib or play pen. At this age a crib gym with objects the infant can grab, push and pull helps further the baby’s sensory and motor skills. Crib gyms are just right for those in mid infancy. Such toys provide bright colors and interesting shapes and often offer pleasing sound stimulation as well. Now the baby can interact not only with eyes and ears but also with hands and by kicking things with the feet. This is also a good age to begin reading simple picture books to a baby, and for pointing out and naming the pictures. “See the horse, see the bird,” etc. In addition to the visual and language stimulation such reading provides, it has the special benefit of cementing the parent-infant bond. As the infant learns more about things, he or she also learns more about the self, Once the infant can crawl about on his or her own, he or she discovers the ability to create new learning experiences by finding new places and by turning objects around to see all of their facets. At this stage the child really doesn’t need much more than the play gym and the rattles and plush toys that he or she has already befriended.
At the end of the first year, a good set of wooden or plastic blocks, offers the infant the opportunity to begin constructing different patterns of different shapes and sizes. At this age children can also play with form boards, boards with geometric recesses into which the child can place the corresponding wooden piece. Other form boards have cut outs of farm animals, or fruits and vegetables. In the process of playing with form boards, the child not only learns the size, shape and colors of things but also acquires a sense of personal efficacy through successfully placing a cut out in its correct recess. Also during the last months of the first year, the infant really likes to point at the pictures in the book as you read the names to him or her. If the child is walking by the first year, quality pull toys are also great fun. Such toys give the one year old a real sense of control over his or her world because they are in charge of making something move from one place to another.
