What is the rattle for? These are the benefits it brings to your baby

A new baby arrives in the family and, in addition to stuffed animals, the toy that all loved ones rush to buy as a welcome gift is the rattle.

Why does his fame remain unchanged over the decades? What is the rattle for and what are the proven benefits it brings to your baby?

First of all, you should know that rattles do not come from the day before yesterday, but have been used by the smallest of humanity for thousands of years : rattle models in the shape of animals and made from clay have been found in multiple archaeological excavations.

In fact, some of the earliest known rattles date back to the Egyptian civilization , before the beginning of the New Kingdom. In European sites thousands of years old, bone or wooden flutes, whistles and brads have been found, including rattles filled with seeds for musical purposes.

In 2014, a 4,000-year-old baby rattle, the oldest such toy in the world, was discovered in the city of Kultepe, located in the central Anatolia region of Turkey.

From the website Vinculando.org they explain that the most primitive rattles were made from pig bladders or bird throats, and filled with stones to make that characteristic noise that arouses the curiosity of children.

It is an eternal game present in multiple societies, with hopscotch, dolls, balls or jumping rope. Do you want to know what the rattle can do for your baby? Pleasure, satisfaction, skill development or sensory stimulation are just some of the most notable benefits of this object.

5 amazing benefits of rattle

• It helps with sensory stimulation , the basis of all subsequent perceptual and cognitive or intellectual learning. Both rattles and rain sticks stimulate the sense of sight, touch and also hearing. By experimenting with the tinkling of the bells they can learn different tones, volumes and rhythms, honing their hearing acuity, while their shapes and colors contribute to developing their visual field, which is very limited during the first months. If it is scented or made from natural materials, it will also stimulate your sense of smell. Rattles that are also teethers - also called teething rattles - teach you to discriminate between cold, hot, soft, hard or irregular surfaces.
• Teaches Babies Cause and Effect : The feedback between the rattle's movement, sound, and immediate auditory response teaches children that their action causes a reaction. In this way, your baby learns that he can manipulate his environment.
• Optimizes their grasping ability and fine motor skills : Rattles are ideal for developing baby's fine motor skills from 3 months. While they initially grasp objects with their whole hand, by one year they are able to recognize smaller objects with their index finger and thumb. Rattles strengthen hand muscles and prepare fingers for a mature grip.
• Helps babies learn to crawl and walk : Rattles can promote gross motor milestones. By placing them out of the child's reach, their sound and visual appearance stimulate him to reach out. They also promote cognitive milestones, such as object permanence, or imitation of instructions.
• They promote hand-eye coordination : Around the third month, the palmar pressure reflex - for which they have their little fist closed - relaxes a little and the "Moor's reflex" - which suddenly scares them - disappears. The baby becomes aware that the hands that startle him so much are his, and he can manipulate objects and play with them. Rattles stimulate hand-eye coordination with their attractive sounds.

In addition, rattles are the first toys that a baby can manipulate independently : they awaken his attention, curiosity, observation and concentration. Not to forget that they are safe, pleasant, durable and very practical to take anywhere: in your stroller, on a trip or to the homes of other loved ones.

At Cucamenta we have rattles with sounds at your disposal so that your baby can develop their understanding, imagination, motor skills, sight or hearing. These rattles are 4 in 1: each part of this little bird's colorful body emits a different sound, making it a source of discovery for newcomers to the world.