5 Toys To Establish Your Baby's Routine

Having a routine for your baby each day can bring stability and predictability for not only your baby, but also you!

A baby's daily activities can be broken down into three parts: eat, play, and sleep. You will want to feed your baby, play with your baby, and have your baby sleep. You repeat this cycle throughout the day from the time your baby wakes up in the morning until the time your baby goes to bed at night.

An important element for establishing a routine is to have consistency. Get your baby up at the same time, try to have feedings and naps at the same times, and have bedtime at the same time.

Consistency is key, but it can of course get a little monotonous.

VTech® has some great products to help keep your playtime routine interesting and help your baby grow to reach important milestones.

Baby Playtime

Of course when you think of VTech®, you think of toys! They have wonderful toys that are high quality and best of all, will grow with your baby. Here are some toys that go well with a baby’s routine at various ages.

VTech® Tummy Time Discovery Pillow™

When you are starting a routine with your newborn and young baby, a big part of each day is tummy time. It is important to help build strength in the neck and shoulders, which is vital so your baby can one day sit up, crawl, and walk. It also helps prevent flat spots on your baby's head.

Tummy time needs to be a part of baby's day, each day, during at least one playtime.

The problem is that many, if not most babies, hate tummy time. This soft pillow helps babies actually enjoy it!

The VTech® Tummy Time Discovery Pillow™ is a cute giraffe with several textures, patterns, and colors for tactile and visual stimulation. This keeps your baby engaged. There are over 50 songs, melodies, and phrases with the light-up piano. It introduces numbers, colors, shapes, and animals and also plays nursery rhymes.

As your baby grows, you can use the pillow for playtime while sitting. It can support your baby while they learn to sit independently.

As your baby gets even older, you can remove the mirror, piano, and rattle to be independent toys for your baby to continue to enjoy.

VTech® Kick & Score Playgym™

Another excellent element of play to add to each day is independent playtime.

A playgym is an excellent toy to use as it allows your baby to play independently. New parents can tend to be in their baby's face the entire time they’re awake. In reality, it is good for baby to have some quiet playtime without a person overstimulating them.

A newborn is very entertained by simply looking at things. Everything is new. You can place your baby at the playgym and sit quietly to the side while your baby observes the gym. As your baby gets older, they will start to reach for toys, swat at them, and kick them.

This is also another excellent toy for some tummy time. Your baby will be able to look at the colorful mat design and play with the rattles, color cards, and other hanging toys while doing tummy time. It will help to mix up tummy time each day.

As your baby learns to sit, they can sit at the toy and interact with the items. You can also detach the panel to just play with that.

Allowing your baby to play independently teaches them many important skills. Your baby will learn creativity and problem solving. Your baby will also learn to be comfortable with their own company.

Add in independent play for 5-10 minutes each day for a newborn and work up from there as your baby gets older.

VTech® Turn & Learn Ferris Wheel™

Another great activity during playtime is table time. This is when your child sits at the table and plays with certain toys. This can help develop focusing skills.

Once your baby is at least 6 months old and is able to sit up, you can use the VTech® Turn & Learn Ferris Wheel™ during table time. This toy helps with fine motor skills, colors, animals, and numbers. It has a suction base to keep in place. You can attach it to any smooth surface.

Table time is a great activity for your baby when you are getting their meal ready, doing the dishes, or helping an older sibling with something close by.

VTech® Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker™

A walker is one of the best investments you will make when it comes to baby toys. The VTech® Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker™ can be played with as a crawler up to a walker. There is an activity panel you can remove for floor time play. This is great for more independent play options.

As your little one gets older and able to start trying to walk, the walker provides some support and a lot of fun with spinning gears, five piano keys, colorful rollers, light up shape sorters, light-up buttons, and a telephone handset.

This is a great toy to develop motor skills as well as provide your baby with the opportunity to focus on shapes, colors, animals, and music.

Baby Sleep Time

Once your baby is done playing, it is time for some sleep. If your baby can self-soothe, during, then they will be able to take longer naps and get longer stretches of sleep at night.

VTech® 3-in-1 Starry Skies Sheep Soother™

This VTech® 3-in1 Starry Skies Sheep Soother™ can help you reach your baby’s sleep goals. This toy includes a projector, glow light, and sounds.

These soothing lights and sounds help to set the stage for sleep. It can be used for white noise to help block out any noise the family is making while your baby tries to sleep. There are nature sounds, lullabies, and melodies.

You can change the volume and even set a timer on the projector and the sounds. Your baby's cries though activate the soother to turn on again.

You can use this during playtime and have fun listening to the nursery rhymes while your baby play, which helps develop language skills!

Once your baby outgrows the need for the projector and sound effects, you can remove the electronic module to create a cuddly, plush toy!

Conclusion

Being intentional about the toys you get for your baby can benefit your budget and space. These toys are super helpful when establishing baby's daily routine and will adapt and grow as your baby does! They help develop motor skills and language skills as well as help your baby learn to recognize letters, colors, and numbers.

A well-rested baby is ready to learn and make the most out of playtime. These VTech® toys will assist with all of that.

Valerie Plowman, known as "the Babywise Mom", is the happy mother of four children. She has been helping parents with their parenting concerns since 2007 and loves helping others absolutely love being a parent. She has helped thousands of parents and would love to help you! Head to babywisemom.com to get started!

4 Must-Have Toys to Help You Work from Home Without Childcare

It is hard to work from home without childcare. To successfully work from home without childcare, try to rotate your toys, have a realistic childcare budget, create a safe play space, encourage independent play, and have fun educational toys!

Work from Home without Childcare

Rotate your Toys the Easy Way

Decide your Childcare and Toy Budget

Encourage Children To Play Independently

Provide A Safe Play Space

Must-Have Toys to Help You Work from Home Without Childcare

1. VTech® Drop & Go Dump Truck™ (6-36 months)

2. VTech® Pop-a-Balls™ Push & Pop Bulldozer™ (12-36 months)

3. VTech® Smart Shots Sports Center™ (1-3 years old)

4. VTech® Explore & Write Activity Desk™ (2-4 years)

Have fun!

Work from Home without Childcare

Learning how to work from home without childcare is hard. You need some tricks up your sleeve to make it fun for your kids.

I have worked at home with kids for over 5 years. Often my days are full of juggling toddler tantrums, grocery lists, hours in front of my laptop, trying to be a “clever Pinterest mom with all the mom tricks”, stale coffee, bath time, re-watching episodes of White Collar at night – and if I’m lucky – actually having time to myself each day.

The key is to constantly find toys, distractions, and activities for your kids. Here are my tips for working from home with kids, and my favorite must-have toys for you while you work from home without childcare.

Rotate your Toys the Easy Way

If you search “toy rotation” on the internet, you will find hundreds of websites talking about cubbies, cabinets, charts, and rotation schedules.

That COMPLETELY overwhelms me.

If you are looking for an easy way to accomplish this same thing without changing your home organization, try this easy toy rotation solution.

Categorize your toys in your head, and every week choose 3-5 toys your kids will play with.

Your categories might be:

● Building toys (blocks, stacking toys)

● Cars and trains (train sets, cars & trucks, pull toys)

● Animals/ People (baby animals, role play sets)

● Craft activities (coloring, stickers, paint)

● Other (puzzles, books, card games, etc.)

Every week pick one idea from each category, and rotate those toys with your kids!

Decide your Childcare and Toy Budget

When I talk about your childcare budget, I’m not just talking about your full-time care budget. I mean anything you can put aside per month to help with your children.

Even if you can swing only $50 per month, set that aside and use it for new toys or activities! I constantly find myself finding new learning toys per age, and telling myself that a new toy "is cheaper than a babysitter!", which is always true.

Encourage Children To Play Independently

I am a huge fan of teaching your kids to play independently.

Around six months old (yes, even before they can sit up!), I put my babies in their rooms with some toys and leave them to “play” for maybe 10 minutes. By the time my babies are around one years old, they are able to play by themselves for 30-40 minutes. By the time my daughter was two years old, she was able to play by herself for an hour.

I am always right next to my kids during this whole independent-play process. I check on them, watch them on the baby monitor, and encourage them with new toys. This is the best way to introduce new toys to them, and teach them how to play by themselves.

Provide A Safe Play Space

When my kids are mobile (think the wandering two-year-old!) I create a gated-in baby play area where they can walk around and play with all their toys. It’s right by my desk, and my toddlers honestly love this area and look forward to playing in it. Again – they have everything they need and it’s completely baby-proof.

Now that my daughter is 5, she often will move her "work desk" beside my desk to work with me. She colors, draws, does her activities, but enjoys the quiet time near me.

Must-Have Toys to Help You Work from Home Without Childcare

As a mom, I have always loved VTech® toys for my kids. I love that their toys are educational, and give countless hours of fun to multiple ages. My daughter learned her colors using the VTech® Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker™! These are my favorite VTech® toys for working from home without childcare.

1. VTech® Drop and Go Dump Truck™ (6-36 months)

This dump truck is the perfect "first truck" for your little one! It is brightly colored, and has 3 buttons that play melodies, phrases, and colors. But it also develops your child's motor skills by lifting the dump truck bucket and feeding the rocks into the truck.

My son is 2, and loves this toy! I can only imagine how much fun it would bring to a little one-year-old who is learning to walk.

2. VTech® Pop-a-Balls Push & Pop Bulldozer™ (12-36 months)

This bulldozer is so fun! When you push the toy, the balls pop out of the chimney and into the bucket. The buttons teach colors, numbers, phrases and music. And pushing the truck develops motor skills and coordination.

If you are trying to work from home without childcare, I would recommend using this toy in their rooms (or playroom) for independent play. It is remarkably engaging, and will give your child a lot of ways to be creative.

3. VTech® Smart Shots Sports Center™ (12-36 months old)

If you are working at home in a small house or apartment, this is the ideal toy. It is extremely compact (as a mom, I appreciate that!), but it also is engaging enough for my 2- and 5-year-old. They play with this alone, together, and with their babysitter!

Toddlers and preschoolers can shoot free throws into the basketball net or kick goals into the soccer net. The LED scoreboard counts baskets and goals up to 10, and is perfect for friendly (competitive!) play. I love that they can get their energy out, while playing right near my desk.

4. VTech® Explore & Write Activity Desk™ (2-5 years)

I don't know about you, but my kids love crafts and learning activities. This desk is perfect and gives them their own “activity station”, and they sit at this desk for HOURS. My kids pull this up to my desk and say "I'm doing my learning, mom. I'll talk to you later!"

The VTech® Explore & Write Activity Desk™ is an interactive desk and includes activity pages to learn colors, the alphabet, animals, parts of the body, and so much more. As a mom, I'm especially thankful for the writing pad that teaches the correct direction to write each letter. My kids have learned so much with this!

Have fun!

Finding new ways to bring toys into your home can be the perfect solution for working from home without childcare. Make sure you create a safe play space, rotate your toys, encourage independent play, and find new fun ways to play with your kids. These VTech® toys can help while you work from home, and will give your kids new and fun ways to play, learn, and be creative. Have fun working from home with your kids!

Ginny Hurst is a work-at-home mom to a 5-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son. She works full time 8-5 for a remote company, and also juggles watching little ones, spending time with her husband of twelve years, and writing the blog Modern Work at Home Mom at modernwahm.com. She started blogging seven years ago, and now uses Modern WAHM to connect with other work-at-home moms. She loves to be outdoors, read a good mystery, and binge Gilmore Girls. But, really, she just loves an empty dishwasher, an inbox with no unread emails, and walking around the cul-de-sac a hundred times.

Baby Registry Checklist: Don’t Forget the Toys!

Creating a baby registry can be one of the most exciting times of pregnancy. This is the time to think about and plan for all the baby gear you will need to help your little one grow and thrive over their first years of life.

Most parents-to-be know to stock up on newborn necessities like baby clothes, diapers, and burp cloths, but oftentimes forget to include fun items like toys. As a mom of three, baby toys are one of my favorite baby registry items!

Why Include Toys On Your Baby Registry?

Toys should be a must-have on your registry because they can benefit you and your baby! Some benefits of playing with toys include:

1. Adding some fun to your baby’s day. At first, babies spend a lot of their time eating and sleeping, but as they get older, they will spend more and more time awake each day. Toys designed for babies and infants can help to properly engage your baby without being overstimulating, and can be a great way to add some fun into your baby’s daily routine.

1. Baby bonding. Toys can also be a great way to bond with your baby as you help them engage with different features and teach them how to use the toys. Show your baby how to reach for and swat items, push buttons, sing songs, or simply laugh and have fun together!

1. Helping your baby meet milestones. Toys can also help your baby meet important milestones like tummy time, rolling, sitting, crawling, standing, or walking. Some toys will even grow with your baby, which is great when you have multiple kids, and help them progress through milestones and different stages of development.

Baby Registry Toy Must-Haves

As a mom, here are my picks for fun VTech® Baby toys to add to your registry! These toys can provide hours of engaging play, help you bond with and have fun with your baby, and can also help your baby meet developmental milestones.

1. VTech® Tummy Time Discovery PillowTM (age 0–24 months)

The VTech® Tummy Time Discovery PillowTM is great for baby sensory play and reaching those tummy time milestones! My babies don’t always love tummy time, but having a fun and engaging pillow can make a huge difference in getting your little one to tolerate and actually enjoy this important time.

This pillow is shaped like a cute giraffe and helps to keep your baby propped up on their tummy so they can fully experience the different textures, patterns, and colors while they strengthen their neck and core muscles. As your baby grows, they can also use the Tummy Time Discovery PillowTM to practice sitting or remove the toy attachments for take-along play.

2. VTech® Kick & Score PlaygymTM (age 0–24 months)

The VTech® Kick & Score PlaygymTM is perfect for interacting with your baby as they lie on their back and reach for, swat, and kick the different toy features. I also love that it can be used as a soft and engaging surface to lay your baby during tummy time, while they play with the dumbbell, kettlebell and the other fun attachments.

This toy grows with your baby too! Once your baby is able to sit, they can use this toy to develop colors, shapes, and languages skills with the interactive learning panel or take it with them once they are on-the-go.

3. VTech® Turn & Learn Ferris WheelTM (age 6–24 months)

I love that the VTech® Turn & Learn Ferris WheelTM can suction to any smooth surface (like a highchair or tabletop!) so you can take this toy on-the-go or use it while your baby is propped up or sitting. Your baby can reach out, press the buttons, and grab and spin the wheel to play songs and hear interactive animal voices.

The Turn & Learn Ferris WheelTM also teaches your baby animals, objects, and numbers as the wheel spins and lights up to keep them entertained and engaged.

4. VTech® Sit-to-Stand Learning WalkerTM (age 9–36 months)

The VTech® Sit-to-Stand Learning WalkerTM has been a favorite in our house since my kids were just babies! I love that it can be used for so many different stages, from sitting, to standing, to walking, so it will be used for many years!

Start by having your baby play with the activity panel seated on the floor, while they practice spinning the gears, listening to fun songs, and learning about shapes, colors, animals, and more. Once your baby is mobile, have them use the walker to pull up, stand, and eventually take those first steps!

Conclusion: Don’t Forget the Toys!

Creating a baby registry can be a fun part of your pregnancy; however, it can also be challenging if you aren’t sure where to start or what toys to include to help your baby grow and thrive. These VTech® Baby toys can add some fun to your registry, lead to increased baby-bonding, and can help your baby meet important milestones. So, take it from me, don’t forget the toys!

Jessica is a blogger and mom of two (almost three) who loves sharing all things motherhood! Her primary blogging interests include realistic toddler meal ideas and parenting hacks. Her website, pinecones-and-pacifiers.com, shares her life in motherhood plus tons of things she’s learned along the way from pregnancy to preschool life.