Infants and toddlers are either having their first holiday experience or the first one that they’ve figured out that something big is going on around them — and likely they want everything they see. The challenge for parents is how many gifts and what to buy.

Choose play materials that will challenge babies’ growing abilities and will stimulate “what if” thinking and problem solving. Playthings that can be taken apart, put together, dragged and pushed about are most desirable. As toddlers grow and motor skills improve, they’ll get involved in all sorts of exploration to satisfy their curiosity.

Recommended Playthings Birth to 9 months: Toys that engage your baby’s senses, such as mobiles, rattles, chew toys, and chunky board and cloth books. Toys that help him learn cause and effect, such as pop-up toys and busy boxes. 9 to 18 months: Toys that imitate real life, such as plastic tools and play food. Problem-solving toys that help children learn how things fit together, such as shape sorters and nesting cups. Push and pull toys and balls also let toddlers move their bodies. 18 to 24 months: Toddlers will begin playing out scenes of everyday life. This dramatic play indicates that your child is now capable of symbolic thinking and can represent one object or action by another, an important milestone in your child’s development. His play materials must be sturdy and well constructed.

Parents often wonder just how much is “enough” or “too much.” A general rule is less is more. Often very young children are so overwhelmed by the number of toys that they find it difficult to choose one, and randomly move from one toy to the next without actually playing with them. If you find that your toddler has more toys than she can play with, a good idea is to put some of the toys away for a while. Periodically, replace current toys with the “new” toys to keep a young one’s interest.

4 Shopping Tips 1. Toys should be easily cleaned, painted with nontoxic, lead-free paint and shatterproof.   2. Toys for children this young should be free of small pieces that could be swallowed and have no pointed or sharp edges. 3. Check to see if the toy has strings, cords or straps longer than seven inches that could unintentionally strangle the child. 4. Look for toys that are well made with tightly secured eyes, noses and other parts.

Kathy Lee is the infant-toddler specialist and Cindi Swernofsky is the director of Early Childhood Services both for the Child Care Council of Nassau, Inc.