One of my favourite places to go to find little gems is Kmart. While it is usually my go-to place to stock up on craft items they also have a lot of toys at cheaper prices that meet safety standards for your little ones. The toys in the Anko brand also tell you what they are to help in relation to skills so if you are a new parent (or even on your second or third child) you know what the toy can be used for.
The following five toys are ones that I have used before with my Nanny kids and have found that they are amazing. The recommended ages vary from birth until 12 months so there is a good variety.
Character Rattle
Price: $5AUD
Brand: Anko
Age: Birth+
Skills Development: Fine Motor Skills and Auditory Skills
So in terms of design, this toy doesn't look like a regular rattle. Made from wood and painted, this little guy has a thick piece of elastic going through it so you can hold him in multiple places and get a rattling sound. Having just bought one to keep in my own house for visiting nieces and nephews, I've given it a good tug test and even at my hardest I couldn't pull him apart, which was one of my worries when I first saw one of my nanny kids using it. The elastic has a bit of give before it won't pull anymore so you can make sounds using a different method but it's going to take a lot of pulling power for it to come apart. He's cute, large enough that he can't be swallowed but small enough that he can still be nawed on or placed in a nappy bag when going out. For $5 its a nice little wooden toy for your infant baby that can grow with them and become an imaginary play toy later on.
The toy comes in blue (pictured), pink or rainbow. You can find it in most Kmarts or order it online here.
Hello Sunshine: My Learning Book
Price: $5AUD
Brand: Hunter Leisure
Age: 6M+
Skills Development: Sensory, Auditory and Visual
I love a little sensory book and this one is very cute. With crinkling material in the front and back cover, the book is filled with nursery rhymes and instuctions on how to interact with your baby as you recite them. There are pages that you can stroke, a page where you can put a picture of your baby and point out their eyes and ears and so on as well as a little mirror. The entire book is soft and made of material, so there is no worries about your baby tearing it. There is a velcro strap to keep the book together and another one if you wish to attach it to your pram for your baby to play with while you're out and about. It is a lovely little book that can also be folded for easy storage in a nappy bag or somewhere else if need be.
The book only comes in the mint green colour and is available in stores and online here.
Lots of Links
Price: $6AUD
Brand: Bright Stars
Age: Birth+
Skills Development: Fine Motor and Sensory
These little guys are fantastic and can be used in so many ways. Separately, the babies I've cared for have used them as teethers (under supervision) and have enjoyed waving them around when they have been linked. When kept separate they're great for little bracelets and when linked together, you can attach them to the pram and have a toy on the other end so it doesn't get dropped and lost for good. While these links are either too wide or too long to be swallowed, it's still better to be safe than sorry so I don't use them with my real little ones unless I am going to be around.
They come in a multicoloured back and the pack can be reused to store them as it has a velcro opening. You can buy them in store or online here.
Sensory Balls
Price: $7AUD
Brand: Anko
Age: 6M+
Skills Development: Sensory, Fine Motor, Visual, Cause and Effect
Most of what your baby is going to discover in their first year of life has got to do with sensory objects. Everything is new and feels different, which is why these little balls are amazing. Each one has a different texture to it and can fit very nicely in a cupped adults hand. They're too big to be a choking hazard but they're perfectly safe for your baby to chew on without hurting themselves. It's a thick plastic but I can squeeze these balls very easily so they're not all that firm, they also make a squeaking noise when you do that. Even though the recommended age says 6M+ you could use them at your discretion with younger babies as they would be great for tummy time, but like always supervise carefully just in case.
You get all six in the pack and they're very easy to clean. The balls are available in stores and online here.
Stacking Wonder Blocks
Price: $10AUD
Brand: Anko
Age: 12M+
Skills Development: Sensory and Fine Motor
I know I've said before that the K's Kids are my favourite first blocks to use, but these come in pretty close. These blocks are more sensory aligned than K's Kids blocks are and to be honest are a lot easier to clean if you need to, but I still love K's Kids blocks because of the many uses you have with them. These blocks have many great points as well. Each side has a different sensory use, whether it be the number, the pattern or the animals. They also have a side with a shape and that shape can fit into another block so they link together like lego does. They're not as soft and easy to squeeze as the sensory balls are, but they're still perfectly safe if your baby wants to chew on them. Once again, they're kind of a use at you're own discretion type toy because while they are aimed at older babies who can stack them, there is nothing about them that I can see that wouldn't make them ok to use with younger babies. Just supervise carefully just to be one the safe side.
They come in the reusable bag that you can see in the photo which is great for storage and they are available in store and online here.
What toys have you found were great for your little ones?
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