Which Baby Einstein toy is best?
For babies, playing is learning and learning is playing. Baby Einstein sets the stage for early learning by creating products and toys that stimulate the minds and senses of infants and toddlers. According to Baby Einstein, these toys can take kids from curious today to extraordinary tomorrow.
If you are looking for an inexpensive musical learning toy, a great choice is the Baby Einstein Discovering Music Activity Table that uses a drum, guitar, piano and French horn to empower babies to make their own music.
What to know before you buy a Baby Einstein toy
Early childhood learning
The first years of every child’s life are filled with developmental opportunities. The Baby Einstein product lineup includes musical toys, wooden toys, plush toys, take along toys and activity centers. Each is designed to fascinate and amuse babies by stimulating their senses, turning play into valuable early childhood learning experiences.
Types of Baby Einstein toys
There are tons of different types of Baby Einstein toys. Musical toys focus on introducing babies and toddlers to music by making sounds when they tap and touch the toys. Children can experiment with making their own music with as many as 150 different sounds and melodies. Wooden toys are made to spark childrens’ curiosity. Many of these wooden toys are musical, but some are sensory-based, and all are designed for developing specific senses and skills. Plush toys welcome your baby to discover the world. They are made to be huggable and soft to the touch. Babies enjoy the tactile stimulation, the fun sounds and the path to self-discovery. Activity centers are toys built on small tables or around seats so your baby is immersed in the learning experience.
Take toys along with you when you and your child are in the car together too, so they can be entertained and captivated while learning goes on behind the scenes.
What to look for in a quality Baby Einstein toy
Fit
Children’s brains develop rapidly, and they need to find new things to experience and new challenges to take on. Because they grow so quickly, educational toys are made with childrens’ age ranges in mind. Broadly speaking, children’s toys fall into three broad categories: infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
Make sure you look for baby toys that manufacturers say are made for your baby’s age range, but don’t get stuck on the numbers.
Six to nine months old
Babies between six to nine months old can pick up objects between their thumb and index finger, sit without support and pull themselves up while holding onto objects. This is the first stage at which they have favorite toys, a golden opportunity for parents to provide them with a Baby Einstein toy that contributes to their physical and intellectual development. This is a great stage for Baby Einstein plush toys, which encourage movement and tactile development.
Nine to 18 months old
When between nine to 18 months old, children can use gestures to communicate, point at what they want, follow simple directions, find hidden items easily, know how ordinary objects are used and initiate play by handing things to others. Games that ask toddlers to find hidden objects and match them with words and sounds are great Baby Einstein toys for this age range. Look for games that promote cognitive learning and problem-solving, as well as those that are geared toward language and communication.
18-36 months old
At this age, children begin to sort colors and shapes, play make-believe and follow two- to four- word instructions. As you add more steps to instructions, your child will learn to string together related ideas to achieve goals. Look for Baby Einstein toys that involve simple instructions and tasks.
How much you can expect to spend on a Baby Einstein toy
Some small Baby Einstein toys cost less than $10. Most are in the $20-$40 range, and the most expensive Baby Einstein toys cost just over $100.
Baby Einstein toy FAQ
What is the idea behind Baby Einstein toys?
A. The future belongs to the curious, and together, parents and babies explore the worlds of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and the arts. Baby Einstein toys take a curiosity-driven approach built from the best childhood development research and backed by science. Children who develop their brains with the right stimuli and experiences in the first few years of their lives can build a foundation for future learning.
Are Baby Einstein toys only for babies?
A. Baby Einstein products started with educational entertainment toys for babies. Now, they make toys for toddlers and preschoolers too.
What’s the best Baby Einstein toy to buy?
Top Baby Einstein toy
Baby Einstein Discovering Music Activity Table
What you need to know: This multi-instrument musical toy empowers babies to make their own music.
What you’ll love: This 16x5x15 inch Baby Einstein toy features a drum, guitar, piano and French horn, and the brightly colored piano keys have musical notes and numbers that light up. Removable legs allow kids to play while seated or standing, while the included Bendy Ball Bundle allows toddlers to develop their skills at rolling and tossing.
What you should consider: The legs could be studier, as tiny tots may pull themselves upright using this toy.
Where to buy: Sold by Buy Buy Baby
Top Baby Einstein toy for the money
Baby Einstein Interactive Look and Find Book and Block Set
What you need to know: Combine your child’s story time and playtime with this set of 10 wooden blocks and accompanying picture book.
What you’ll love: This Baby Einstein toy teaches babies early math skills and builds vocabulary by comparing words with pictures. Babies search for pictures on the wooden blocks and then place them on the book’s pages to complete seven fun-filled scenes.
What you should consider: Make sure you turn to the back of the book for more Look and Find activities.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Baby Einstein Explore & Discover Soft Blocks
What you need to know: These four soft blocks weigh less than an ounce and feature real-life images that stimulate your baby’s senses.
What you’ll love: The Numbers Block has a peek-a-boo mirror for self-discovery, the Animal block has a chime ball for fun sounds, the Color block shows the name of the color in English, Spanish and French and the Shapes block has multi-texture fabrics that stimulate your baby’s tactile senses.
What you should consider: These 7x4x7 inch blocks may look big, but they’re actually very light weight.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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David Allan Van writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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