How to Choose Toys for Your Blind or Visually Impaired Infant

Last Updated: May 30, 2021 References

Playing with toys as an infant makes up most of your child's development and growth. Your infant learns a lot by touching and observing toys, and can gain a lot of motor skills when it comes to playing with toys. ^{[1]
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Research source} Because of your infant's visual disability, it's important to choose toys that will encourage them to play, explore, and have fun with, but at the same time, have them play with toys that are safe and aren't hazardous. This article will provide some ideas for toys you can choose and consider for your infant, as well as share some hazardous toys you should avoid.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Being Aware of Toy Hazards

Never pick toys that have sharp, pointed edges as this can be very dangerous for your blind or visually impaired infant. ^{[2]
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Research source} When picking out a toy for your infant, ensure it's free from any sharp edges, especially edges made from glass or metal. ^{[3]
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Research source} These edges could break or harm your infant when they play so it's important to avoid these toys.
Toys that have cords or string can pose a strangulation hazard for your infant. Ensure the toys you choose do not have any long strings, cords, loops, or ribbons as these are not safe to play with.

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Look carefully to ensure the toys doesn't include any small parts. Small parts on toys are a choking hazard and are banned on toys for children under the age of three. ^{[4]
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Research source} Avoid buying toys with removable small eyes, noses, and mouths on stuffed animals or dolls, and small removable squeakers on squeeze toys.
- Pay attention and read all toy labels that warn of choking hazards for children under the age of three.
PVC is hazardous material from production to disposal and it's known as the poison plastic. ^{[5]
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Research source} There’s no safe way to manufacture, use, or dispose PVC products so it's best not buy this type of plastic for your infant. PVC includes lots of dangerous chemicals such as dioxins and furans, vinyl chloride, ethylene dichloride, phthalates, mercury and other chemicals. ^{[6]
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Research source} When choosing plastic toys for your infant, check the label and see if it’s labeled “PVC-free". ^{[7]
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Infants constantly place toys in their mouth, especially plastic toys, so it's important to make sure the toys do not include any chemicals such as BPA or phthalate chemicals. These chemicals can cause cancer, hormone disruption, and developmental problems to your infant. ^{[8]
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Research source} Instead, pick toys that are made of wool, organic cotton, or stainless steel and are colored with water-based dyes or non-toxic paints as these are much safer for your infant. ^{[9]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Choosing Toys

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Pick toys that make music or noises. Consider picking out toys that make noises or music as this can excite infant and will encourage them to explore their toy so it can produce noise. ^{[10]
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Research source} You may want to electronic toys that can produce sound or toys that produce song when touched, such as a wooden duck that quacks when you pull it or a plastic mouse that squeaks when squeezed. ^{[11]
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- For an infant that has sensory processing disorder or autism, toys that produce loud sounds or make music can be really painful to their ears and can be quite overwhelming. ^{[12]
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  Research source} ^{[13]
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  Research source} Avoid picking out these toys or consider finding toys that make gentle, peaceful sounds.
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Choose toys that your infant can stack. Try picking out stack-able toys that your infant can use to play and stack with. Blocks, containers, stack up cups, and stack up rings are fun toys for your infant to use, because they are able to use fine motor skills. ^{[14]
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Research source} ^{[15]
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Research source} Try picking out colorful stack-able toys if your infant still has some vision, so they can see the toys more clearly.
- When picking out blocks, try choosing soft, cloth blocks rather than wooden or plastic blocks. Cloth blocks are easier to handle and will prevent your infant from getting injured when they knock down the blocks. ^{[16]
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For an infant who is visually impaired, bright toys that are colorful make it easy to see and encourage your child to look carefully while they play. ^{[17]
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Research source} Choose colorful stuffed animals, toy rings, blocks, medium-sized balls, rattles, rubber ducks, and play pens or mats to encourage your child to use their vision. ^{[18]
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If you're aiming on teaching braille to your infant, it's always great to start early. ^{[19]
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Research source} Consider picking out braille alphabet tiles, braille number tiles, electronic braille toys, braille cubes, and easy braille puzzles. This will encourage your infant to learn braille and get a head start learning it. ^{[20]
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Find textured toys. Textured toys encourage your infant to play and explore using their sense of touch. Try choosing textured toys that provide a lot of sensory play for your infant. You may want to get different textured medium-sized balls, which they can squeeze and play with. ^{[21]
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Research source} Sensory cubes are also good textured toys to pick from as they provide a different amount of textures to feel from on each side.
- Some stuffed animals are also provided with different textures with securely attached buttons, fabrics, small plastic mirrors, and other attached items to provide texture and sensory for your infant. ^{[22]
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Big, jumbo buttons and letters are helpful and easier to see for a visually impaired infant. Try picking out electronic toys that include jumbo letters or numbers so your infant can see more clearly. ^{[23]
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Research source} Examples include picking blocks with jumbo letters, puzzles with big letters, toy phones with big numbers, etc. ^{[24]
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Encourage your infant to use their sense of smell by picking out scented toys. The best scented smells are usually vanilla, berry, or gentle baby oil, as the smell is not too strong and easy to sniff for your infant. ^{[25]
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Research source} Consider getting scented stuffed animals, teddy bears, or soft cloth dolls for your infant to use their sense of smell with. ^{[26]
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Choose safe sensory toys. Sensory toys encourage your blind or visually impaired infant to use their sense of touch and to explore and play with their toys. ^{[27]
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Research source} Try picking out sensory balls, sensory mats, soft cloth balls, soft cloth cans, different textured cubes or blocks, soft cloth rattles, sensory stuffed animals, and sensory boards. ^{[28]
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- Consider making your own sensory toys for your infant. You can experiment by placing different objects in containers, applying different cloths on cubes and cans, sewing cloth balls, etc. ^{[30]
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Find toys that encourage your infant to produce sound. Encourage your infant to make sound and music by choosing toys such as rattles, mini-sized maracas, toy drums, xylophones, and musical triangles. These toys will help your child to make and produce sounds, helping them perform motor skills. ^{[31]
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- Consider finding toy wind instruments to have your infant practice motor skills by blowing with their mouth.
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Tips

Before purchasing plastic toys for your infant, read the labels to ensure it has no hazardous chemicals such as BPA. ^{[32]
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Research source} ^{[33]
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Consider finding toys that spin and roll for your infant to play with. ^{[34]
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Warnings

Toys that have sealant can include lead and other heavy metals, which can cause serious impairments in infants brains that are developing. Always avoid buying these toys for your infant. ^{[35]
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How to Choose Toys for Your Blind or Visually Impaired Infant

Steps

Being Aware of Toy Hazards

Choosing Toys

Expert Q&A

Tips

Warnings

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References

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