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The 6 Amazing Benefits of Playing
25 Jun 2022

What Are The Benefits of Baby Rattles?

What are the benefits of baby rattles?

  1. Attention-grabbing

  2. Encourages grasping and holding

  3. Teaches motor skills

  4. Introduces cause and effect

  5. Foster eye-hand coordination

  6. Provides stimulation

  7. Promotes cognitive development

  8. Encourage curiosity and exploration


From the moment they come into this world, babies spend their days learning how to do everything. They learn how to move, communicate, and express themselves by taking in the sights and sounds of the world around them. This stimulation is key to both their physical and cognitive development.


Much of this stimulation will come from playtime. And, toys like rattles play a big role in this formative stage. They’re not just a source of entertainment, but they also jumpstart their growth in many ways. Here are the key benefits of baby rattles, and why your baby needs them:


Attention-grabbing


To interact with your baby, you must first catch their attention and rattles are an excellent way to do so. With their unique sounds, babies are drawn to the noise of the rattle. And, with their colorful designs, they are encouraged to pay attention and focus on the rattle. Shake this toy using a variety of beats and rhythms and watch your baby’s eyes stick to it in wonder and excitement! And, as you move your rattle around, your baby will gradually learn how to track objects, strengthening their ability to focus.


Encourages grasping and holding




As your baby grows, their ability to grasp does too. At first, they may only grasp their rattle with their whole hand. After a few more months, they may be able to grasp and move their rattles around with their thumbs and index fingers. This is a comfortable toy for them to practice their grasping and holding skills since they are designed with ergonomic grips that are baby-friendly. This is an important tool for helping them develop different grasp patterns and strengthen their hand muscles. 


Teaches motor skills


While they develop stronger grasp reflexes and skills, their fine motor skills will also begin to develop. This happens as they learn to shake their rattle and transfer it from one hand to the other. Some rattles have moving parts — like this Baby Bliss 2in1 Maraccas Rattles — that can be turned, spun, or twisted, which can also help them grow their fine motor skills. You can also use their rattle to encourage them to crawl and reach out by putting them slightly out of reach. 


Introduces cause and effect




Rattles introduce the concept of cause and effect to your baby. They learn that their actions, such as shaking the rattle, will cause a reaction — the object moving and creating a sound. And, because rattles are simple toys that are easy for even very young babies to play with, they are one of the first toys that show them that they can interact with the environment around them. 


Foster eye-hand coordination


Babies are first driven to practice hand-eye coordination by first tracking toys with their eyes, and eventually reaching for toys that interest them. This is something that rattles encourages in babies, by motivating them and sparking interest in babies by using unique and engaging sounds. With this babies practice following rattles with their eyes, and reaching and moving them until they can do so accurately.


Provides stimulation




Rattles give your baby lots of visual and tactile stimulation, as they come in a variety of shapes, colors, and textures — like our Baby Bliss Colorful Butterfly Rattle. Many of them can also be used as teething toys, as their different textures provide relief and different stimuli for their gums. These textures will also eventually help them learn concepts of soft, hard, bumpy, and the like by touch and sight. 


Likewise, they also provide plenty of auditory stimulation. Various sounds can be introduced to your baby through this toy — such as chiming, clacking, and jingling noises. Shaking rattles in different ways will also help your baby learn about different tones, volumes, and rhythms. 


Promotes cognitive development


There are many cognitive milestones that your baby needs to meet in its early years. Certain ones, such as object permanence, can be met through playing with rattles. This is done by encouraging your baby to look for their favorite rattle while hiding it out of sight, then later revealing it to them. 


Another milestone this toy can help with is imitation — showing your baby how to use their rattle will gradually teach them how to use this toy, and they will start following you. 


Encourage curiosity and exploration




Rattles, because they’re so attention-grabbing and stimulating, naturally encourage your baby’s curiosity. In turn, this encourages them to explore this toy further, leading them to learn a variety of skills. 


It’s also one of the first toys they’ll be able to play with independently. They can bring their rattle from hand to hand, and use their fingers to examine and feel their different textures and shapes. They can even use their mouth to safely explore them. 


Babies love to explore, and this toy will encourage them to use their sense of touch, taste, and sight to discover more things about this toy — promoting their development. 


Key Takeaway


There are many benefits of baby rattles that make them one of the most important toys you can introduce to your child in their early years. Allowing your little one to play with them will encourage their development in so many ways! 


If you’re looking for the best baby rattles to get for your baby, take a look at Funtastic Stuff’s online collection — we have a wide range of rattles to choose from! Feel free to explore our store, and message us if you need help finding the perfect one!