Inspire the Senses™
Hearing
While newborns mostly perceive lower-pitched sounds, by around 6 months, babies are able to distinguish most sound frequencies. Toys that rattle or chime encourage babies to connect sound to objects.
Taste
The sense of taste begins in the womb during the third trimester. A newborn can distinguish three tastes: sweet, sour, and bitter. By 4 months, babies begin to identify the fourth taste: salt.
Vision
At birth, a newborn's eyesight is still developing. At first, babies can only identify high-contrast colors: black, white, and red. Next, yellow, green, and orange become visible. Not until around 4 months are babies able to see the color blue. Newborn toys tend to focus on high-contrast colors, while toys for older infants begin to introduce all the colors of the rainbow.
Touch
At birth, the sense of touch is more developed than a baby's other senses. This is why babies put everything in their mouths. Toys with a variety of textures for babies to touch and teethe on, designed for little hands to easily grasp, encourage the development of the sense of touch.
Newborn
Sound: As a newborn, your baby is already a great listener! Rattle sounds help your baby connect sound to motion.
Play tip: Gently make sounds with toys to encourage your baby to track the sound with their eyes and head.
Taste: Newborns instinctively know how to latch onto a mother or bottle, using their mouths to explore. Typically, babies don’t start teething until around 3 months. Chewing on objects helps them discover their lips and tongue, an important step in developing speech.
Touch: Newborns have a natural reflex to grasp.
Play tip: Hand your baby textured toys that are easy to grasp, allowing them to explore different textures and hold on tightly.
Vision: At birth, a baby has very poor eyesight and can only focus on high-contrast items within 8–12 inches.
Play tip: Use a floor mirror or sensory panels to encourage tummy time and help your baby focus on their reflection.
3 months
Sound: At 3 months, babies start to recognize voices and mimic sounds.
Play tip: Read aloud and repeat words to your baby to encourage vocal imitation. Babies who hear 30,000 words per day have been shown to develop reading skills earlier.
Taste: Babies are beginning to teethe, and anything that fits inside their mouth is fair game! Teethers that can be chilled provide extra relief for sore gums.
Touch: Babies can now begin transferring items from hand to hand and exploring unique textures with their hands and mouths.
Play tip: Place your baby on their tummy and put toys just out of reach to encourage stretching and grabbing.
Vision: Babies can now see a variety of colors! Introducing toys with a wide color spectrum stimulates their eyes and supports ongoing vision development.
6 months
Sound: At 6 months, babies love making sounds just as much as they love hearing them!
Play tip: Introduce toys that make a variety of noises to encourage your baby to explore different sounds.
Taste: Babies are still teething but are also beginning to explore more.
Play tip: Introduce toys designed for both motion and mouthing to stimulate their senses.
Touch: Babies have developed their pincer grasp and will reach for anything that catches their attention.
Play tip: Hand your baby toys with lots of texture and color for them to hold and examine.
Vision: Babies now understand their ability to make things move and love focusing on moving objects with lights and colors.
Play tip: Substitute screen time with interactive toys that spin, light up, and are colorful, like the Light Up Rainbow Reel.
12 months
Sound: Babies are now ready to connect sounds to the real world!
Play tip: Toys with music are great for encouraging your baby to dance and move their body.
Taste: Babies still enjoy STEM toys with teether features that combine learning and soothing.
Touch: Babies can now use their hands to move and manipulate objects.
Play tip: Introduce toys that your baby can stack, sort, or move from place to place. Encourage imaginative play while building STEM knowledge with items like the Busy Builder Activity Blocks.
Vision: By now, babies can see it all! This is the perfect time to introduce the concept of cause and effect with toys that involve two-step actions, like the Veggie Market Weighing Scale!
