Tummy funEven a very young baby will enjoy looking at herself in a mirror. Putting one in front of her when she’s having “tummy time” will encourage her to practise raising her head – the beginnings of crawling.Hello you!Sit your baby on your lap

Pretty printed fabric in juicy bright shades provides an eye-catching area for baby to practice tummy time and other developmental play. The mat surface is quilted for extra softness and the multiple fabric textures and interactive activities make

Already a monster hit with the young scooter set, the ingenious addition of a seat introduces toddlers to the thrill of speed. Mini Seat Scooter from £75, by Micro ScootersDon't miss... Find out who won Best Toy Design (ages 0 - 2) for 2012

Still looking gorgeous after 50 years, and still as squidgily soft and tactile as ever, each one is hand-finished for a unique toy.Sophie La Girafe £13, from 1 two kidsDon't miss... Find out who all of the lucky winners are in our Toys & Games CategoryPlus Meet Sophie La Girafe's...

Wonderworld’s sturdy walker, with cute travel companions, is made with non-toxic paints and biodegradable fabrics.Hopping Bunny Walker £45, from WonderworldDon't miss... Discover how Wonderworld's Eco Town fared in our Best Eco Toy category Plus Find out who all of the lucky winn...

A chunky, sturdy wagon can store and transport MEGA bloks, allowing children to build and create whatever their imagination desires then load, dump and slide the building materials away. The removeable building plate supports young builders' creations while the wagon's hollow int...

triumph, held up for my inspection, and then carefully placed into his mouth for further examination. “Don’t eat it!”, I say as he clamps down on a cardboard cut-out. This baby loves his shapes. Not that that surprises me. He’s a boy, so his Y chromosome

is puzzled because the learned association is not followed through.Toys are to babies what work is to adults. Without play, a child would not thrive in the way that without work most grown-ups would not. Perhaps most importantly, for a baby to play with a toy

to each other in funny voices.3. Play fetch the puppy Great to play with crawling babies – you throw a toy, and then ask her to “fetch” it back to you… while you wait and have a nice sit down. The further you throw it the better!4. Create a sofa snowstorm

, crawl or roll over and stretch.3. MobileWhen: From birthWhat it does: Provides auditory and visual stimulation. Babies are intrigued by noise, so the tunes that mobiles play are designed to captivate them. A moving mobile will also catch a child