Tips for Choosing the Right Baby Water Toy

When you're looking for a new baby water toy, or any new toy for a baby or toddler, keep these simple tips in mind and you'll probably be able to find the "just right" toy among your thousands of choices.

Look for Age Appropriate Water Toys. If you have fond memories of a bath toy, you are probably remembering something that you played with after you reached the age of three or so. Most of us really don't remember much earlier than that.

Suggested age levels on the package are there as a guide. If your baby is precocious, you might be able to go "older." However, remember that just because a baby is advanced in some things, other things may not be so advanced. Even for the smartest little one, avoid baby water toys that have small pieces or that require fine motor skills that aren't yet developed. You will only foster frustration.

Choose Simple Water Toys For Babies and Toddlers. Complicated toys are the first ones to loose their attraction. The more complicated the toy is, the more specific the play must be to use it. Your child will have far fewer ways to indulge in imaginative play and make up unique things to do with a complex water toy.

Choose Unbreakable Toys. Brittle plastic water toys can shatter, creating shards as sharp as glass. Toys from quality manufacturers are unlikely to do this. Some of the cheap imported toys you can buy in dollar stores and supermarkets are quite brittle. Many of these thin, inexpensive plastic water toys will warp, which causes them to sink and be no fun at all in the tub or the pool.

Avoid Multiple Pieces in a Water Toy for a Baby or Toddler: Too many pieces floating around in the bath tub or pool are overwhelming for a baby or toddler. Small pieces can too easily be lost. Of course, you will never purchase a water toy with pieces small enough to be put in your baby's mouth. Ever.

Beware of Baby Water Toys that Stain. Bathtub markers and tub crayons can stain, especially on fiberglass tubs and walls. Packaging will suggest that you "test" these products on a small area first. Most bath tubs don't have an inconspicuous place to test whether something will stain.

In addition to the possibility of permanent stains, if you are considering an imported water toy, be sure to check whether the product is completely non-toxic. Even older children will taste the darndest things.

Keep these tips in mind when you're looking for a baby water toy and your selection is sure to be a big hit.