br /> From an early age babies use touch to investigate their world; as they learn to reach they begin to run their tongue and lips over toys and then look at them. Infants also learn about the links between sights, sounds and feel of toys when these are demonstrated by adults.

Babies can perceive input from different sensory systems in a unified way; for instance, vision and touch are closely coordinated when using a shape sorter.Sound and movement attract a baby’s attention; if a toy is placed almost within reach of babies their movements become more animated. The confidence to explore and discover new things develops during infancy and creates a healthy curiousity about the world throughout childhood. After the first year, infants adopt the ‘pincer grasp’ where they use their thumb and index finger to grasp even very tiny objects. Babies begin to learn about conversational turn-taking from an early age; if a baby is babbling the adult waits for a pause and then talks to the baby. Adults can influence an infant’s confidence about the world by encouraging and smiling at them when they approach an unfamiliar object or toy.

Adults can facilitate babies’ language development by playing with them, focussing on particular toys, reading books and naming everyday objects. Young infants need to be presented with an adequate but not too great amount of sensory stimulation. There are social skills involved in language acquisition such as realising that it is necessary to wait until the other person has finished speaking. Infants first use the ulnar grasp where their fingers close against the palm when trying to hold an object. Babies who handle shapes and also fit them through a hole are learning to solve problems through touch and sight.During the first year of life infants’ visual development is rapid and they begin to identify objects through shape, colour and texture. Press the chunky buttons to meet the dog, cat, bear and rabbit, learn numbers 1-5 and hear 4 songs sung by the animals and listen to 12 happy melodies. Kicking and waving their arms while lying in their cot can lead them to discover that a kick can make a banging sound. Sensory development in babies can be facilitated through toys that provide opportunities for them to experience sounds, visuals and textures.