Toys, games and books for all ages

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Here are some ideas for choosing toys to suit your child's different developmental stages.

Newborns

You are usually the best toy for your newborn. Your child will delight in watching your face, listening to your voice and just being around you.

Your newborn will also enjoy looking at a brightly coloured mobile, listening to a wind-up musical toy or learning to reach for a rattle.

Toys with contrasting colours such as red, black and white are most interesting to newborns. Your newborn will also enjoy toys with faces or patterns such as curves or checks.

Babies and toddlers

Your baby or toddler will enjoy playing with push-along toys, soft balls, cuddly teddies, board or cloth books that can’t be ripped, toy cars and trucks, blocks (building them up and knocking them down again), and a bucket and spade for the sandpit.

In the bath your child will enjoy playing with just about anything – boats, toy fish, plastic books and coloured foam shapes. Measuring cups and empty plastic containers are fun for splashing, pouring, tipping and even floating.

A paddling pool will be hugely popular in warm weather. Always stay with your child around water, though.

Clear the sharp things out of your pots-and-pans cupboard or utensil drawer to provide a great source of entertainment for babies and toddlers. Your plastics drawer or cupboard will be fun place to explore too.

Simple puzzles,ride-on toys, and picture books with fun rhymes and bright illustrations will fascinate your toddler.

Let your child get crafty with crayons and butcher’s paper, spend some quiet time reading a book, or be creative with playdough, hand puppets or dress-ups.

Surprise toys such as a jack-in-the-box are fun from around 10 months on.

Preschoolers

Your preschooler is likely to enjoy any toy that can be used for play-acting – a toy tool box, phone, ironing board or fire-fighter’s helmet, for instance. And a cardboard box can be turned into lots of things, including a toy stove, car, boat or cubbyhouse.

Simple board games and puzzles, toy animals, toy cars, dolls, kid's computer games, dress-ups and construction toys such as Lego will all provide fun.

Outdoor equipment such as a bike, cubby, sandpit or swings (with an adult nearby) will keep your preschooler busy and active.

Keep a balance between toys that require a solution, such as jigsaw puzzles, and open-ended toys that stimulate your child's imagination.

School age

Your school-age child will probably have a clear idea of what she wants to play with. At this age, you can often be guided by your child’s requests or a specific interest.

Even if your child is keen on the latest techno-toy with an array of electronic bells and whistles, the classic and basic toys will still be popular. These include board games, books, drawing and painting supplies, jigsaw puzzles and outdoor toys such as cricket sets, bikes, skipping ropes, roller blades and so on.

Technology in the form of appropriate computer games, CDs and videos/DVDs is also popular with this age group.

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