Developmentally Appropriate Toy Selection: Baby Play Gym Analysis

This assignment analyzes the Baby Play Gym, a toy selected for its potential to promote physical and perceptual motor development in infants and toddlers. The author explains the rationale behind selecting this toy, highlighting its features like soft mats, arches, lights, music, and a baby-safe mirror. The assignment explores the toy's purpose for both 8-month-old and 18-month-old infants, emphasizing its role in enhancing physical and mental development, including cause-and-effect understanding, motor skills, and hand-eye coordination. The author argues that the suggested age range is appropriate, citing the developmental stages of infants, such as reflex control, grasping abilities, and midline body awareness. The safety of the toy is also addressed. The conclusion emphasizes the toy's benefits for motor skill enhancement, hand-eye coordination, cognitive advancement, and sensory knowledge, suggesting its integration into infant classrooms through regular exercise or games, making it a developmentally appropriate choice for teachers. References to supporting research are included.

Toy Assignment
INTRODUCTION
The name of the toy is baby play gym. The reason behind selection of this toy is that it is
appropriate for the kids between the ages of 6 month to 1.5 years. This toy contain soft mat along
with two arches. It also has some lights, baby safe mirror, music and many other features. It is
also recommended by several doctors that parents should use the baby play gym for their kids.
Further, it can be used by kids for a number of manners. It also provides several significant
benefits to kids (Philpott, Lea 22).

PURPOSE IT WOULD SERVE TO INFANT AND CHILDREN
If the baby plays gym used by 8 month old baby or 18 month old, it would assist to enhance their
physical development. This toy permits kid to understand the general aspect of cause and impact.
Among the age of 3 months to 1.5 years, kids want to repeat that activity in continuous manner,
if they feel enjoy or fun. Some of the example related with this includes kicking toy, pulling in,
or some other activities which increase their interest due to music or light up in the gym. All
these activities assist in physical development along with metal development of kids.
ANALYSIS OF BABY PLAY GYM
I think that suggested age range is appropriate for the baby play gym as it has been identified on
the packaging of the toy. I think this age is appropriate for using baby play gym. The reason
behind the same is that after the birth of baby, their catching and reaching knowledge are
controlled by reflexes, it means they give reaction in an automatic manner and they actually do
not have any control over it (Sgandurra, Giuseppina, et al 32-42). Further, after 4 or 5 month of
birth Baby can hold or grasp objects in a baby play gym in a voluntary manner. Afterwards, this
toy also provides baby development capability to put two hands together at the midline of body.
Due to all above reason the suggested age would be appropriate for toy called as baby play gym
(Lee, Gabrielle T., et al. 4109-4122).
SAFETY
Yes, this toy is safe for this particular age group baby. It is specifically designed for kids which
are wholly secured and fun. It is made up with soft mat under that are cushioned along with two
arches, which does not provide any harm to kids.

CONCLUSION
a. The infant who sit will use this toy for motor skill in relation with hand and the one who crawl
can do same with legs too. The infants will kick the toys and increase flexibility. Since, the
babies are visually attracted to the toys, therefore they start kicking his legs, or grasping the
objects of toys, these activities assist in development of motor skills of baby (Shin, Minsun, and
Thomas Partyka 127-142).
Baby play gym is appropriate for classroom of infants as it assist in enhancement of motor skills,
improvisation of hand and eye contact of baby, accelerate cognitive advancement, built visual
and sensory knowledge. Due to all above aspect, teacher should know that it is being
developmentally appropriate. Teachers can integrate into classroom environment by making it
regular activity of exercise or games.

REFERENCES
Lee, Gabrielle T., et al. "Teaching “Imaginary Objects” Symbolic Play to Young Children with
Autism." Journal of autism and developmental disorders 49.10 (2019): 4109-4122.
Philpott, Lea. "Family matters: Mums and bubs: Mother and baby business." PS Post Script May
2015 (2015): 22.
Sgandurra, Giuseppina, et al. "A pilot study on early home-based intervention through an
intelligent baby gym (CareToy) in preterm infants." Research in developmental disabilities 53
(2016): 32-42.
Shin, Minsun, and Thomas Partyka. "Empowering infants through responsive and intentional
play activities." International Journal of Early Years Education 25.2 (2017): 127-142.