Archive for the ‘baby toys’ Category

Perfect Gifts for Babies

Monday, January 24th, 2011

Finding the perfect baby gifts can sometimes be daunting. There are so many options to choose from and you need to make sure that you choose wisely if you want to impress, so just what should you go for? Well, here are just a few ideas.

You might like to start by thinking about things like stuffed animals. These will always go down well, and if it becomes the favourite toy you’ve given them something that they’ll treasure for a lifetime. Indeed, a lot of children keep nearly all of their stuffed animals for years, giving them the perfect sentimental gift that they won’t be able to part with.

Or, traditional options such as wooden baby toys would be another possibility. With a lot of people focusing on electronic items these days giving something like this would make a nice change, and it’ll certainly stand out from the crowd. Or, if you think the child could be a budding genius, then educational toys could be the way to go. There are plenty of options available from stacking toys to ones that encourage counting or shape recognition, and will be the perfect way to please the parents as well as the baby.

As you can see, there really are plenty of baby gifts that you could go for and any one of them could be perfect for your needs. It often comes down to personal preference, but if you want to see the options available make sure to come to us here at Netpricedirect.co.uk and we’re sure you’ll find just the thing that you’re looking for.

Colour-Me-Bright

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

Kitting out baby’s room and baby toys with every tone of pastel colour available tends to be our instinct as adults. Baby girls are showered with cute pastel pink baby toys, whilst little boys are gifted cool pastel blues. But what does baby want? It’s nothing new that babies respond more fervently to bold colours, displaying the most enhanced cerebral development in conjunction with high contrasting bright colours. Recent research suggests that baby is likely to have a favourite colour, and that colour is probably a primary colour – if only we could ask them which kids party supplies they’d like.

Findings published by the BBC in 2005 suggested that very young children can’t differentiate between colour tones, essentially rendering them colour-blind to subtle hues like pastels.  The experiment was conducted by showing babies varying shades of blue on a screen. As the hues faded, the babies seemed to lose interest in the screen, however once a vivid green appeared, their focus returned. Therefore it was concluded that babies are unable to make a distinction between colour shades. Simply put, they can only see bright, vibrant tones.

An interesting idea is that children gravitate to brighter tones thanks to evolution. Nutritious foods such as tomatoes, bananas, peppers and strawberries are brightest when ripe (turning icky and brown when rotten). We love bright baby toys and kids party supplies. Amongst our ranks you’ll find Winnie the Pooh, Peppa Pig, Scooby-Doo and Spiderman. Take a look through our brilliant categories and see what your eye favours. We stock everything from children’s toys to pencil cases.

How to Buy Toys for Babies

Friday, December 10th, 2010

Buying baby toys can sometimes be a bit of a challenge. How do you know what a baby actually likes? How can you be sure what is okay to give a baby? Here are some tips and suggestions on how to buy toys for babies. Above all, you should give age appropriate gifts. The best way to find out if a toy is okay for baby is to read the packaging. All toys, including baby toys, should have some kind of indication of age appropriateness on the label. If there is no packaging, ask a sales assistant to help you. If you still aren’t sure, it’s best to find another item that you know is safe.

Consider educational toys. Toys that help a baby learn dexterity are great. This can be anything with moving parts, or parts that a baby can fiddle with. Of course this should not be a toy with any choking hazards. Anything with bright colours or that makes noises when played with is also good.

Some traditional toys that are great for babies are baby rattles, balls, and soft toys. Baby rattles are wonderful because they make a noise that usually entertains baby and makes him curious. Balls are fun for parents and baby to play with together, and baby will eventually learn to roll the ball himself. Soft toys are always great for cuddling and imaginative play. But remember to find ones that are safe for baby. If you are still not sure what to buy for a baby gift, ask the parents or someone else who has a baby.

How to Buy Baby Essentials

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

If you are expecting a baby, are a brand new parent, or simply want to buy some baby equipment as a gift for someone else, here are some tips to help you find and buy all the baby essentials you will need. Start with basics. First and foremost, your infant will need nappies. You can never have too many, and if you are giving a baby gift to someone else, they will be especially grateful for nappies as they can be expensive.

Next, if your baby is going to be fed formula, you will need to purchase age appropriate formula in a trusted brand. If you are not one of the parents, talk to the new mother about what kind she wants to use. Formula can also be expensive, and thus makes a great gift for new parents who may already be financially strapped.

Other essentials include clothes and baby toys. Babies grow quickly, so they will need a lot of clothes in varying sizes. Also, babies tend to need their clothes changed a few times throughout the day, so the new mother will appreciate lots of different outfits. For toys, try going to stores that specialize in baby items.

You can also purchase baby toys wherever children’s toys are sold, but you should be careful to read the packaging as not all childrens toys are appropriate for newborns. These are just a few ideas to get you started buying those essentials, whether for your own baby or for someone else’s.

Need a gift for a baby shower?

Sunday, November 28th, 2010

These days, baby showers are becoming increasingly common. Although they vary in terms of how they are organised, they are usually held before a mum-to-be gives birth and are attended by female friends and relatives. Such occasions are a great way of showing support for the expectant mother and are an excuse to spoil her. They are also a chance for the woman in question to get tips and advice from those with experience and simply to catch up with the people who care about her.

Also, we all know how costly raising a family can be and baby showers are an opportunity to help out in this way by handing over gifts. As well as the all-important items of clothing that are always given during the parties, baby toys can also be offered. There are a wide selection of such items available, including trinket boxes and money banks.

While the tot will not start using such children’s toys immediately, they will certainly come in handy soon enough. And there are also baby toys that are designed with the parents in mind, such as cute photo frames so that mums and dads can dote on their new arrivals by placing their images around the home.

Meanwhile, offerings such as special boxes to keep birth certificates in may well come in handy. So, when you are next invited to a baby shower and need to get a present, maybe you should consider getting children’s toys as opposed to more practical options such as clothes – which the mum is bound to get plenty of anyway. Soft toys will always be a welcome gift.

Baby Toys – From Birth and Beyond

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

The term baby toys is actually pretty broad, and encompasses a variety of different kinds of toy – this is because babies are developing at a terrific rate and therefore baby toys that are ideal for babies at birth may not be suitable for older babies that crave a little more in regards to mental stimulus.

In the first few months from birth, a child’s need for play is in its embryonic stages, and therefore any baby toys introduced should work on a very simple level. This means that toys that offer simple tactile or audio stimulus, such as rattles or cuddly toys are most suitable, as they will gently introduce your baby to some fundamentals of touch and sound.

As a baby develops so does their capacity for new experiences – at an exponential rate – and therefore in just a couple of years the kind of kids toys that your baby will respond too will be markedly different, and be more sophisticated and conducive to learning. So rather than introducing your baby to basic sounds baby toys for slightly older babies might begin to introduce your child to associations – e.g. cats go meow or cows go moo.

For older kids, good kids toys should attempt to nourish more sophisticated instincts – so certain play sets might be conducive to social interaction or simple wooden toys might encourage the development of the imagination.

What Makes Great Baby Toys?

Monday, October 4th, 2010

The needs of babies are clearly distinct even from young children, and therefore toys that might be applicable beyond a couple of years will be practically useless to a baby; with this in mind, careful consideration of what makes a suitable baby toy should be made choosing baby toys; so what should you be looking for in your baby toys?

When we are babies our senses are hungry for development, and babies are often a lot more receptive to external stimuli than older kids or adults. Therefore, experiences that older children might find trivial – such as the touch of an interesting texture – will be highly fulfilling for a baby.

This makes baby toys that have certain inherent qualities perfect for babies, and for example, toys that have interesting textures are often much loved by new borns; on one level this could mean a soft toy, or it could mean a toy that has been engineered specifically to provide interesting tactile experiences for babies – such as a  play mat etc.

Of course a baby’s fondness for new tactile experiences isn’t arbitrary, and it exists because babies are constantly learning about the world. With this in mind, baby toys that are made to help a baby’s development are especially helpful, yet there is a limit to what a baby can learn at such a young age. It may be an idea to introduce a baby to kids toys that teach them the sounds of animals, for example.

Baby toys at great prices

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

Kids of all ages love toys – and babies are no exception. Although, of course, baby toys have to be fit for purpose, and therefore some toys will just not be suitable for very young children. However, the right baby toy can brighten up a baby’s life – and a parent’s.

When buying babies toys, you should always have your kid’s development in mind; and therefore, you should be looking for baby toys that facilitate education – of course, babies learn in very simple terms to begin with, so toys that are simple, yet stimulating, are most fit for purpose.

At Hydes Toys and Gifts, we have a fantastic range of baby toys and cheap baby toys to suit any taste, and importantly any budget – as it is not reasonable to expect young families to pay above the nose for toys, which are so pivotal in any child’s development.

Some examples of our baby toys include Disney baby toys and beakers, which inject a little fun to every aspect of your baby’s life – even when it’s time to eat.

At Hydes Toys and Gifts, we also understand that you will want to mark the oh so special occasion of having a baby. Therefore, as well as gifts for a baby, we also offer gifts to mark that special moment – such as picture frames, in which you can display a picture of you and your loved one that will last a lifetime.

The best baby toys

Saturday, June 12th, 2010

Most people are unlikely to remember what it’s like being a baby. Therefore, the likes and dislikes of the youngest amongst us remain a bit of a mystery – it is, then, difficult to know exactly what kinds of toys are likely to appeal to a young child.

Essentially, babies are most likely to respond to simple baby toys, such as rattles or wooden toys – as where older children are likely to engage in play in terms of their imagination, a baby will mostly respond to tactile stimuli, and therefore you should invest in toys that will afford a baby with plenty of textures.

Humans are mostly visual animals, and this is especially the case when we are babies – therefore, the most effective baby toys are often the most visual; with this in mind, you could furnish your baby’s cot with a mobile, that will provide hours of fun, as well as offering a calming influence when you’re trying to get your little one off to sleep.

On a similar note, nurseries and baby toys will often benefit from being brightly coloured, which will appeal to a baby’s simple instinct toward colour – as well as creating that recognizable nursery decor.

At Hydes Toys and gifts, we’ve got loads of cheap baby toys, which means that creating the perfect environment for your most precious one is very affordable – leaving you with money left over for spending on your future together.

Using Baby Toys For Education And Entertainment

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

We all know that baby toys can be great fun and can be the perfect way to keep our babies happy, healthy and entertained. But, they can also be stimulating in another sense and can go a long way to encouraging development and growth, and they can even be used as an educational tool.

A lot of baby toys are specifically designed to educate our babies. It may seem a bit too soon to be getting them on the path to education, but learning starts at birth and encouraging that learning can have a huge impact on their overall development, both in terms of the motor skills and even their intellectual ones.

Those toys where your baby lies on the floor and plays with objects dangling overhead, for example, can be a great way to improve their motor skills and coordination. Then when they’re a bit older you might want to try toys where you have to put different shaped blocks into different shaped holes, another way to improve coordination but also a great way to get your baby learning about shapes.

These are just a few ways that baby toys can help with education as well as entertainment, and if you want to give your child the best start possible then it pays to invest in some carefully-chosen toys to keep them stimulated and to encourage development. And, if you need a few ideas, make sure to come to us here at Netpricedirect for all the baby toys you could ever need, and look forward to giving your child the best.