Veronika has been reaching for her toys for a few weeks now, and is starting to get a good grip on those that I hold within reach – so it was time to teach her a little bit about cause and effect!

Toys that make noise are great for this purpose. The more your baby holds a toy, moves it, and then hears a noise, the better he or she will start to realize that they were able to create the noise through their actions.

So I put together a big pile of toys from our baby bin that made various sounds. Classic rattles are great for this of course, but I also added some with bells, crinkly sounds, and various other auditory fun.

One by one, I held them out for Veronika, and let her take hold. She loved crinkling this one!

When I rolled the beads inside this rattle, she began kicking her feet at it, almost like she was peddling a little stationary bike. She was clearly delighted at her actions and the effect!

Noisy toys are also great on the go, as with this rattle book on a trip to the library.

While she was on her play mat today, I left the noisy toys scattered within reach, so that when her hand came down on one, she could grasp it and give it a try.

Overall, a super fun way to introduce her to new toys and new concepts.

The result of all that fun and mental stimulation in the morning? Napping soundly all afternoon!