Buying educational toys for infants can be difficult, because infants seem to do so little that educating them right after birth might strike you as a bit rushed. However, the fact is that your baby is learning at a great speed, taking in everything that is around, and picking up habits, information and words.

Research shows that many disabilities and learning disorders in young children can be avoided by providing them with appropriate cognitive stimulation as early as possible. By giving your infant the right stimulation, you can ward off such problems and groom your baby for pre-school and the challenges that follow.

Every parent wants the best of everything for their child, but sometimes it is hard to know what is best when there are so many choices and opinions. Choosing toys for your child can be stressful because of the sheer number of factors you have to consider before making a buy, and the staggering variety of options you have. However, selecting good educational toys plays a very significant role in your child's development, and as such cannot be disregarded or treated casually.

Here are some tips you need to know to understand more about your infants' best educational toys.

Guideline for Your Toyshop

Remember these guidelines as you toyshop for your baby:

1. The visual perception of infants is limited, so make sure to buy toys in bright, contrasting colors.

2. Activity centers and crib mobiles fascinate newborns. Some mobiles come with an adjustable height option so that you can make sure the mobile is in your baby's visual range.

3. Babies up to six months old have very limited motor skills and love high-pitched sounds. Chimes, rattles, teething rings, colorful pictures and soft blocks will stimulate your baby at this age.

4. For babies between six to nine months old, you can buy building blocks, activity boxes and cubes, stacking ring cones, and bath toys. Try to vary the textures of the toys.

5. Between the age of nine months and a year, babies are old enough to enjoy and learn from toys such as nesting cups, push and pull toys, large crayons, spades, and stacking blocks.

6. It always helps to keep in mind that you do not need fancy and expensive toys to stimulate your infant. You might bring home a very trendy toy for your baby only to find that baby finds the packaging far more interesting. Your young child just needs stimulation and a way to express their creativity, and this can be done with homemade toys as well.

Michelle Andrews, a former middle school teacher who now stays home with his three children. He wrote "Parent's Guide on How to Raise a Smart Child by Choosing the Right Educational Toys." As a former teacher, he understands how critical it is to choose toys that play a significant role in children's development. Visit his Website EducationaltoysGuide.com at http://www.educationaltoysguide.com