Looking & Listening
At birth, your baby's eyesight is hazy and your baby sees best at a distance of 20-25cm (8-10in), roughly the distance between your cradled arms and your face. Conversational games, where you hold your baby close to you and chat, smile and look at him/her, will help him/her to learn that he/she has been born into a loving home, where his/her presence is valued. Your baby will be most attracted to faces (or face-like patterns), objects that move and patterned surfaces. Musical or brightly-coloured mobiles will soon attract interest and, as the vision improves, he/she will gaze intently at every new object seen.

Encourage your baby to listen to objects that make a soft sound, such as a ball with a bell inside, but avoid making sudden loud noises, as these may startle, and never use a rattle or shaker close to the ears.

playing it safe

Only buy toys recommended for your child's age. Position mobiles out of your baby's reach. Check every toy you give to a child under 3 for small parts. Remove any detachable ribbons, bows, bells, buttons or other decoration. Test that other features are securely attached. Avoid soft toys with long fur or hair for under-1s. If you tie a toy to your baby's cot, make sure it's firmly secured and has a short string, no longer than 20cm (8in), to prevent strangulation. Once your baby can sit up unsupported, remove any toy strung across the cot. Once your baby is standing, remove toys that could provide a foothold to climb out.

Touching & Holding
From around 3 months your baby will start swiping at things, so it's important to remove or raise up any mobiles that are within reach. Now he/she will love to explore new objects with the hands and will quickly learn to put them into the mouth, which is highly sensitive.

As co-ordination is still very poor, first toys should be small and soft (it's illegal for first toys to have any sharp edges). As the manual skills improve he/she will enjoy toys or games that produce a reaction, like a toy that spins when her fingers touch it, or hitting the bath water and watching it splash up!

By about 7 months your baby can hold things in a mitten-like grip, and by 8-12 months can pick up much smaller objects in a pincer grip, using thumb and forefinger. It is now vital that you don't leave anything within reach that's small enough to choke on. Your baby will love to play with things that are safe to chew on, especially as the first teeth come through, and exploring hands and feet is endless fun.

Sitting Pretty
Once your baby is able to sit up with support, which is usually around 6 months, he/she will enjoy discovering an activity centre in the cot or playmat on the floor. Different textures and activities, like flaps to lift, crinkly surfaces to squeeze and mirrors to gaze into will all attract him/her, but remember to change the toys around every few days or boredom will set in. Games with you will still be the favourite, from Peek-a-boo to tickling games.

Once your baby can move, the scope of play widens, and toys that move will encourage him/her to follow them. For example, a rolling ball with an object inside will tempt your baby to crawl after it and enjoy finding objects you hide. As the hand-eye co-ordination improves your baby will like toys he/she can hit or make pop up.

playing it safe

Once your baby is on his/her feet you'll need to be extra vigilant about tidiness. Many injuries are the result of falling over toys left lying around, especially on stairs. Use a box to store your child's toys and encourage him/her to get into the habit of putting the toys away. Carefully supervise your newly walking toddler with push along, sit and ride or rocking toys. Check toys regularly for signs of wear or sharp edges; if broken toys cannot be repaired, throw them away. Check age suitability of toys. When a manufacturer states that a toys is not suitable for children under 36 months because of small parts this is not an age grading but a safety warning.

Active
At around 12 months your baby will have become much more dextrous and will enjoy toys, which use his/her new found skills. Beakers to stack, fit inside each other or fill with sand or water will be played with regularly, as will simple posting boxes and shape sorters. Simple peg people which fit inside cars and furniture appeal to 1 year olds, as do bricks that stick together and objects that pull apart.

Once your baby is beginning to walk (between 9 months and 18 months) a push along walker will give hours of fun, especially if it has a place to store treasures, but make sure it's stable and won't run away with him/her. When buying a push along walker, check that the handle is either above or inside the line of the back axle. Later, when walking is well established, pull along toys will come into their own - if these make a noise as they're pulled, so much the better.

Sit and ride toys are always popular, as your toddler can push him or herself along with his/her feet long before he/she can manage any pedalled trikes and bikes. As imaginative games begin in the second year, a sit and ride toy can become anything from a car to a plane. Rocking toys are fun, too, but hold your child on until they can manage on his own.

Pretending
Smaller toys, such as dolls, teddies and tea sets, will provide your child with lots of opportunities for pretend play; large, stubby crayons and big sheets of paper will be useful once he/she has learnt to scribble; and simple lift out jigsaws will help with understanding of shapes.

Join in with your child, as your input will help extend the ways in which he/she plays with toys (but let him/her be your guide). Playing together offers lots of scope for discussing new situations and feelings, and aids language development.

Lastly, don't forget the most basic of playthings, sand and water, both of which can absorb a toddler's attention for ages as he/she discovers pouring, filling, sieving and patting. Watch out for eating or throwing sand and never leave a toddler alone with water, even for a few seconds.

Imagination
By the time your child is 3 he/she will enjoy a variety of play activities. Pretend play becomes increasingly detailed from this age, and you will often overhear your child acting out stories with soft toys. For a child who finds it hard to start a pretend game, puppets are useful as you (via them) can start off a storyline or outline a promising situation (such as a birthday party) which your child can then take over.

Larger role play games also feature in pre-school play and a dressing up box is invaluable. You don't have to buy ready made outfits - a few castoffs of yours will be fine, together with some simple hats, shoes and bags (not belts), but check there are no sharp points, small parts or choking hazards. If you have space to make a den by throwing a blanket over a table, a role play game can last for hours.

Creative
Creative activities really come into their own now as your child gains better control over her hands. Drawing, colouring, cutting, sticking and modelling (with playdough, pastry or pieces of household junk) are all things that your child will enjoy doing. And activities like threading cotton reels and building with bricks will also help to improve manual skills, while simple musical instruments will provide opportunities for noisy musical play.

Outdoor play is important as your pre-school child will have increased agility. A park, playground or playclub is ideal, but there are also plenty of physical games your child can play in a small garden or yard, such as jumping in and out of a hoop. Being outside is also good for observing nature and introducing your child to growing things like plants, trees and insects. If you can't get out because it's too cold or wet, consider going swimming, or improvise an activity at home with some large cardboard boxes for climbing through.

Ages quoted are only examples, and individual children will vary. Speak to your health visitor if you are concerned about your child's development.