Infant Gifts

Depending on the temperament of the infant music can do a number of things. It can soothe a savage beast, it can help them get to sleep, it can even improve brain performance (or so I hear).

Musical infant gifts were some of my favorite gifts I received for my baby.  They can be so original and unique, and they are always useful.  Sometimes it was the musical gifts that were the only thing that would calm my little one down. I remember thanking a few people as I finally got her to stop crying by playing a musical item she had received.

Music

Music itself is a great gift.  When thinking about what kind of music to choose for musical infant gifts, I always go with classical or lullabies.  Classical music has been shown to help babies brains grow and to help them think and learn.  Can’t lose with that.  I remember when I was pregnant I used to listen to classical music in the car.  My baby would kick and kick whenever I listened to Vivaldi. It was like she was conducting the orchestra in there.  She still likes Vivaldi and now she’s two.  It’s fun to test out different composers and see what the baby likes the best.

Sleepy Time Music

Music often soothes a sleepy baby and will help them go to sleep. I found some wonderful lullaby albums when my daughter was an infant.  If you are going to get a lullaby album make sure you can listen to it. Sometimes by the middle of the album the beat lifts and gets more active.  This always caused my daughter to wake up.  (You’d think they’d think of it wouldn’t you?)

They also make stuffed animals that play music or a rythmic sound similar to a heartbeat. These can be wonderful for colicky infants.  The rythm of the heart beat makes them feel safe and snuggly like they were still in the womb.

Mobiles and Musical Toys

As infants grow they are able to see farther and focus on things farther away. This is a great time to have  a mobile.  My little one loved her mobile.  She would lay in her crib and just follow it around with her eyes.  There are a wide variety of mobiles available today.  Many crib bedding sets come with matching mobiles, but they generally aren’t as interesting or as fun as others you can buy.

Infants respond to bold patterns and black and white, so keep that in mind when you are choosing a musical mobile.

Musical toys are great for babies as well. They hold their interest and keep them entertained. I think it was a musical toy that inspired my little one to get up and move the first time.  There are so many different types of musical toys, a baby is bound to love them.

To make sure the baby’s mom continues to love you, make sure any musical or noisy toy has an off button before you buy it. Music is great, but after 12 hours of the same song anyone would go crazy!