Parents often go overboard when buying Christmas presents for their children, especially when that child is their first.  What parents find out, after their babies are old enough to sit up and play, is that babies usually love boxes more than the toys that were originally in them.

Don’t become too discouraged.  It happens to nearly every parent.  When someone suggests that you may not want to spend so much on actual gifts because an infant won’t be able to appreciate them, you might want to listen.  If they have children of their own, you may be able to avoid some of the same frustrations they’ve had.

What is it about boxes that draws the attention of babies?  Part of the appeal may be that boxes are large and easily manipulated.  Boxes are also lightweight so they won’t hurt if the baby drops them.  Finally, as everyone knows, nothing tastes better than cardboard!

Since babies love boxes so much, don’t fight it.  Take advantage of their interest in boxes to begin to teach them to use their imagination.  Your baby won’t totally develop their sense of imaginative play until they are pre-school age, but there’s no reason to wait too long before encouraging this type of play.

Actually, if you haven’t looked at toys lately, you can buy pretend food to use in play kitchens.  These are smaller than normal foods, so they’re easy for little children to handle.  There are also plastic foods that are safe for children to put in their mouths.

One box that parents probably have in large numbers is wipe boxes.  Not only can they be used to store small things in, they can be used to build with like building blocks.  If your baby is a boy, he can put his chunky cars in the box and then take them out and play with them.  Little girls, once they start playing with baby dolls, can put their baby’s clothes in the wipe boxes and even use the wipe box as a bed.

With babies, it seems that simple is best.  They really don’t need to have toys with all the bells and whistles.  Lights and noises at this age may get their attention, but they may not hold that attention for long.  Give them a couple of small boxes and they’ll be happy for quite some time.

As your baby grows, they have the potential to turn almost anything into a toy.  They’ll find things in your home that you may not wish them to play with, so be concerned about baby-proofing your home.

Babies grow up so fast.  One minute they’re brand new, small, and helpless.  The next thing you know, they’re trying to get around on their own.  Give them simple things to play with.  Babies love boxes and they’re great items to help them use their imagination.