How to awaken your baby's senses: these are the best sensory stimulation toys

There are many ways to awaken your baby's senses and help him hone his skills in the face of the new universe of sensations that opens up around him: there are sensory stimulation toys with multiple benefits to enhance the development of touch, sight, taste, smell and hearing.

Do babies already develop their senses in the womb?

Of course it does: in its own way, and progressively, the fetus already shows sensitivity in the womb to external stimuli . Touch is the first sense to form: around 8 weeks of gestation, sensory receptors develop on the face, mainly in the lips and nose. In the womb, sight is the last sense to develop.

It has been proven that babies dream in their own way inside the placenta, perceive tactile sensations from the outside through the skin and mucous membranes, have a certain sensitivity to light and develop the senses of taste and smell in a quite sophisticated way.

For example, they stop swallowing when faced with bitter or unpleasant tastes in the amniotic fluid, while they accelerate swallowing movements when faced with a sweet taste. They are also familiar with the smells of the foods consumed by their mother , which some scientists put at 120.

Embryos also listen: they distinguish their mother's voice, and in fact, hearing is the sense with the greatest intrauterine development. In the uterus there is a sound intensity of between 50 and 60 decibels.

From week number 16 they already hear and react to sounds by accelerating their movement or heart rate. The inner ear is fully formed in the middle of pregnancy, and by the end of the sixth month the baby is sensitive to external stimuli.

It may startle, agitate or calm down: the fetus prefers soft, melodic music, such as classical music, rejecting loud or very loud music.

Sensory stimulation toys: how they help awaken baby's senses

During the first months of a baby's life, sensory stimulation is very important . It is about leaving the child free to explore and discover, as if it were a game, different sensations in their sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, proprioception and vestibular system.

Through different toys, the child can register new sensations, experiment with them and enjoy them as if it were a game. Sound boxes, mirrors, light-up games, blankets with different surfaces and textures, rattles, playdough and sand, sensory balls or markers with scents are some examples of objects that can be used for sensory stimulation of children. children.

Sensory play is fun and interesting, they help the little ones to unconsciously apply the scientific method - they observe, formulate hypotheses, experiment and draw conclusions -, they help create stronger neural connections, stimulate their concentration, enhance their confidence and self-esteem, benefit to your nervous system, promote the development of motor skills and support the development of language.

7 types of sensory stimulation toys for your baby

• Rattles with sounds: In this rattle , each part of Anaïs' colorful body emits a different sound that your baby can explore and discover with his little hands.
• Musical stuffed animals: Stuffed animals like Alice with her saxophone , Marius with his electric guitar or Rosalie with her accordion help them enhance evolutionary aspects such as self-confidence, security and self-esteem, while they stimulate hearing and are an added resource for musical development. .
• Activity blankets or cushions: Having various textures, activity blankets are ideal for tactile stimulation. They are full of surprises, hiding mirrors, sounds and special features to enhance your self-discovery.
• Baby Gym: Baby gyms, which you can find with a sailor aesthetic , or with butterflies and flowers , are ideal for babies to develop their coordination, improve motor skills and stimulate their senses by grabbing each of the hanging strips.
• Montessori ball: Ideal for the first year of life, in the first months the Montessori ball can be used as a rattle, while when he begins to crawl it will help him go from one place to another, and later to play with other children or as a family .
• Musical Activity Table : The Baby Einstein Magic Touch Table is one of the best musical sensory stimulation toys. It has numerous activities, 3 language options, playback of more than 20 instruments, the possibility of combining them in free mode and LED lights with sound to stimulate visual tracking and color exploration. In Cucamenta you will also find guitars, connected drums or harmonicas with lights.
• Activity books: The Rabbit in Love or The Sad Whale will help your child travel to the heart of emotions, caress fabrics, look at beautiful illustrations and touch soft materials to stimulate their senses and learn stories full of meaning.

Also, don't forget other ways to stimulate the baby's senses : letting them smell and taste food, doing massages or caresses, using bright colors at home, singing or gesturing a lot when talking, they give them a boost in their early learning.