Blind and deaf babies often suffer from language deprivation issues because they are not properly exposed to the external environment. Ignoring the symptoms will delay the communication and cognitive development that might cause issues in the future.
These babies and children have the capability to learn if you can provide them with the right product. Raising a deaf or blind child might take some patience and best baby learning toys can make the task easier.
This article is in 3 parts, if you want you can skip to the paragraph you’re interested in:
Best Learning Toys for Blind Babies
It is possible for you to find a large number of toys that have been specifically designed for the use of blind babies. All you need to do is to take a look around and buy the best sensory toys out of them. These toys are in a position to deliver a unique experience to the children who are suffering from visual impairments. However, they will enjoy spending their time along with these toys throughout the day.
Here is a list of some of the best sensory toys that are available in the market for blind babies to go ahead and purchase.
Best Toys for Deaf Babies
Fisher-Price Rattle ‘n Rock Maracas
- Age – 10+ months
- Item weight – 8 ounces
- Batteries – No
LeapFrog Spin and Sing Alphabet Zoo
- Age – 6 month – 3 years
- Item weight – 1 pound
- Batteries – 3 AA batteries required (included)
Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle and Sensory Teether Toy
- Age – 0-24 months
- Item weight – 3.84 ounces
- Batterries – No
LeapFrog Learn and Groove Activity Center
- Age – 6 month – 3 years
- Item weight – 6.3 pounds
- Batterries – 3 AA batteries required
WolVolk Educational Activity Cube
- Age – 18 months and up
- Item weight – 2.78 pounds
- Batterries – 3 AA batteries required (not included)
Product Reviews
The First Years Stacking Up Cups
A wonderful and simple, classic gift that will help a child to grow and learn new things.
PROS:
CONS:
With this toy, you will be able to buy eight different cups. These cups can be stacked together, on top of each other. It provides plenty of methods for the babies to play. The First Years Stacking Up Cups can be considered as one of the best methods available to teach number recognition and counting for the babies.
Remember that babies experience everything for the first time so even though you may think that stacking cups is nothing special, it will be different for infants. It’s a really simple and fun way to play. While younger children will stack them up, fit together, hide things underneath, an older child can practice counting and build other skills.
On the back side these cups have numbers so it will also help to learn numbers by touching them.
These are also great for bath time, playroom or sandbox. Basically anywhere.
Item Weight: 3.52 ounces
Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 3.2 x 2.5 inches
Target gender: Unisex
Target age: from 6 months
Material Type: Plastic
WolVol Musical Activity Cube
Balls are not too firm nor too soft which is great because the baby is able to grab the ball and squeeze it. And by the way, these balls bounce a bit so it will be so much fun for the little one.
The spiky texture on these balls is awesome. It’s possible that it will be the first time when baby feels something like this and that’s a good thing. He will learn from this experience.
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I would suggest these balls for babies from 6-7 months. It’s just better choice when the baby is starting to crawl because then he can throw the balls and crawl after them (if the baby is deaf).
But if a baby is blind in later months he will be able to hear where these balls bounce so it’s a great way to develop hearing. And even so, it’s a great gift for younger babies as baby can squeeze it.
Oh, and we can’t forget that 6-months old babies still are in that “chewing mode”, so if you’re looking for a present for 6 months old or even younger babies, maybe you should think again. This is still PVC although phthalate free.
But if the baby has stopped chewing every little thing in his hands then it really is a great gift. This would be a great present for the first birthday or Christmas!
Item Weight: 1 pound
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 4 x 10 inches
Target gender: Unisex
Target age: from 6-7 months (my recommendation)
Material Type: PVC
WolVol Musical Activity Cube
You might think that these are those great blocks that stick together (like they would be from the fabric or something) but actually, you have to press together so blocks would stick. And they stick together very well. Toddlers will definitely enjoy pushing blocks together and pulling apart while babies will enjoy the texture.
Some parents worry about dirt on toys so it’s important for them that toys are easy to clean. You can’t clean these toys in a washing machine but that’s nothing bad as you can just put them in a bucket with water and soap. So if you’re one neat parent or you will give these blocks as a present to these parents, they will thank you.
But keep in mind that these toys are recommended for the babies who are aged over 6 months. The toy set comes along with 24 different blocks. It is possible to pull apart all the blocks and play around. For example, the little one will be able to build sideways and stack up these blocks.
Item Weight: 1.1 pounds
Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.9 x 2.3 inches
Target gender: Unisex
Target age: 6+ months
Material Type: plastic
WolVol Musical Activity Cube
Play Battat Sound Puzzle Box is an excellent toy available for the blind babies to play. When they are playing with this toy, they will have to go ahead and match the coordinating shapes. These puzzles are in a position to keep the little ones engaged for hours.
Nice! It’s time to take a look at something that has sound! Play Battat Sound Puzzle Box will be a great gift for blind and also deaf babies although they can’t hear the sound. But if a baby is not completely deaf, this will help to improve the hearing, and for both, it will help to develop touch.
Puzzle pieces are in three different shapes – circle, square and triangle. As you put one shape in, it makes noise as they slide down. It’s so cool, right? And don’t worry the sound isn’t nor distracting nor too loud. Baby will love putting the shapes into the box and hearing the sound.
Yes, I know that the recommended age is 18 months and up but I just can’t let this toy go.. Even if a baby is 5 months old it doesn’t mean you can’t give this toy as a present to him. Sure you can! The parents will make sure the baby has this toy when he’s able to play with it so don’t think too much about this problem. And if you are a parent looking for a great gift, this might be it! I know some parents who ordered this toy for one-year-olds and kids love it so I think it’s okay to give this as a gift also to one-year-old.
Item Weight: 1 pound
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 6.4 x 5.2 inches
Target gender: Unisex
Target age: 18+ months
Material Type: Plastic
Batteries required: No
WolVol Musical Activity Cube
The toy comes along with 8 different floppy legs. The little ones can spend their time by hugging, squeezing, pulling and strengthening the muscles. When each leg is pressed, it will give out a unique tone. Therefore, it is a fun toy to play around with. Lamaze Octotunes comes along with a song book as well.
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Of course, this octopus has 8 legs and every leg plays one note, together they have a full octave. And what does it mean? It means that you a parent and baby can make some beautiful music together.
By the way, if you think that this Lamaze Octotunes musical toy is working with batteries, that’s not true. It works by squeezing those legs. Although I don’t think that this is an appropriate toy for a few months old babies as they can’t really play or repeat a melody, the adult can play it for the baby. But for older babies, this really is a nice gift.
Item Weight: 1.6 pounds
Product Dimensions: 13.5 x 13 x 7.8 inches
Target gender: Unisex
Target age: 10+ months
Batteries required: No
WolVol Musical Activity Cube
This toy set comes along with two different maracas. They have the perfect size and the babies will find it as an easy task to hold with their hands. Since the ideal grip is offered, kids will only have to grab the maracas and shake.
Item Weight: 8 ounces
Product Dimensions: 2.2 x 9.5 x 6.2 inches
Target gender: Unisex
Target age: 10+ months
Batteries required: No
WolVol Musical Activity Cube
Gund Baby Tinkle Crinkle Rattle Toy will crinkle and rattle when the babies are playing with them. As a result, a sensory stimulation will be provided.
Item Weight: 1.6 ounces
Product Dimensions: 3 x 3.2 x 16.2 inches
Target gender: Unisex
Target age: 0+
Batteries required: No
WolVol Musical Activity Cube
Sassy Developmental Bumpy Ball offers multiple materials and textures. As a result, your blind baby will find it as an easy task to stay engaged.
The tactile sensitivity of your little one will be increased effectively by Sassy Developmental Bumpy Ball. On the other hand, it offers chunky sized bumps, which promote grasping, reaching and transferring. It produces a gentle rattling sound as well. See on Amazon.com
Item Weight: 5 ounces
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches
Target gender: Unisex
Target age: 5+ months (my recommendation)
Batteries required: No
WolVol Musical Activity Cube
This toy will help your blind babies with getting to know the alphabet. Different learning methods are promoted by this toy. As a result, your baby will be able to get used to the alphabet within a short period of time. It also offers three different playing modes.
Item Weight: 1 pound
Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 6.9 x 8.1 inches
Target gender: Unisex
Target age: 6 month – 3 years
Batteries required: 3 AA batteries required (included)
WolVol Musical Activity Cube
This is a safe method available for you to promote clutching among the little one. It offers a two handed play to the baby as well.
The toy from Amazon.com is recommended for the blind babies who are aged under two years. Since the product is made out of BPA free plastic, you don’t need to keep any doubts in mind when you are giving this to the little one.
Item Weight: 3.84 ounces
Product Dimensions: 5 x 4 x 3.5 inches
Target gender: Unisex
Target age: 0-24 months
Batteries required: No
WolVol Musical Activity Cube
LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Table Activity Center offers some of the classic children’s tunes as well.(buy on Amazon.com)
Item Weight: 6.3 pounds
Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.4 x 1 inches
Target gender: Unisex
Target age: 6 month – 3 years
Batteries required: 3 AA batteries required
WolVol Musical Activity Cube
Item Weight: 2.78 pounds
Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.4 x 1 inches
Target gender: Unisex
Target age: 18 months and up
Batteries required: 3 AA batteries required (not included)
How to select the toys?
Selecting the toys for deaf babies might get tough for you. Here are few things you have to consider before buying the products.
Quality
The most important thing to consider during the selection of the toy is its quality. You have to assure that the material used is the production of the toy is reliable and non-toxic. It should be BPA and Latex-free so that the baby will not develop any allergies.
Sensations produced
For the cognitive development of a blind or deaf baby, three types of sensations are required:
- Tactile
- Vestibular
- Visual
You have to assure that the toys you select have all types of sensations because only then they will be beneficial for the baby.
Cost
Do not forget to consider the cost of the product that you are planning to buy. Some of the toys for deaf babies are often expensive as compared to the others. You have to consider your budget. If they are expensive, use your coupons or wait for discount offers.
I’d also suggest to read the article on “How to choose toys for babies and toddlers“.
Types of the best baby learning toys
Here we have the list of types of best learning toys you can buy for the baby.
Sensory toys
The sensory toys for visually impaired babies have been specially designed to stimulate the blind of deaf baby through different channels like:
- Lights
- Vibrations
- Images
- Touch sensations
Just like a healthy baby, these toys will help to develop all the other senses of the baby, like grasping, releasing and much more.
Language development toys
Deaf and blind children find it hard to learn languages.
With the language development tool, you can expose the deaf child to different languages that will help them in learning words without using signs. For the blind children, you can use audio tools so they can hear and learn.
Books
You can never go wrong with books. Hearing impaired babies will get a chance to see different images when they are near the first birthday.
For blind babies, books with sounds, soft books with different textures have been developed.
Conclusion
You have to be very careful with the selection of the toys. Keep the interests of your child in mind so that he or she would love to play with the toy. Sensory toys are the best way to minimize the side effects that a blind or deaf child might have to face in live. The toys can provide the best sensations in a fun way. Your kid will not even notice that he is getting a treatment while playing with the toys.
Do you want to buy a toy that’s also non-toxic? Then read this article!
If you’re planning the baby shower and have a lot of questions, you can find answers here!
