Toys of the month: Rings and things

Of all the crazy toys... buttons, shakers, rattles, colors, moving parts... one of Nicholas' favorite toys is the simple rings.

We received one of those playmats for kids, with the arches for hanging things. We rig up any number of toys, or sometimes conglomerations of toys. Earlier this month or last, he suddenly discovered shaking things. If I hang a series of rings with something attached to make noise, one of his favorite things is to grab the rings, and just shake them to hear the noise. When he discovered he could make a noise, then he would start to shake just about anything to see if it makes noise. Anyway, he loves the rings, because he can grab them with both hands, chew on them, pull them, and shake them, and they're easy to grab.

He also has been practicing for the past few months on the pacifier.... removing it, looking at it, replacing it.... So, while he studies his other toys, sometimes he'll just sit and contemplate the pacifier for a while. Also one of his favorite toys.

Subjects for upcoming posts:

Gravity: In the past few weeks, Nicholas started a deep scientific study of gravity and acoustics, involving some toy disks he has, a desk, and the floor. Still under investigation

Hands and Fingers: My wife just told me that today Nicholas was studying his fingers when they suddenly BENT. Fascinating....