First, the most important consideration is safety. Do not buy any toy that will be dangerous for your baby. Make sure the toy is not too heavy-if it falls on your baby, will she be injured? Also, check for any choking hazards. A good test to see if a toy is big enough or not is the toilet paper roll test. If a toy can fit inside a toilet paper roll, it is too small for a baby. Even big toys can pose a choking hazard if they have parts that can fall off easily. Remember that babies put almost everything into their mouths, so this is one of the most important safety factors.

If you are purchasing a large ride-on or sit-in toy, make sure it is stable enough to hold your baby's weight. Sturdy plastic is the best material for these types of toys. Also, make sure there are no sharp or rough edges on the toy that the baby can get hurt on.

Babies like contrasts, so look for toys that have bright, contrasting colors. This will keep their attention and give them something interesting to look at. Babies prefer bright, bold colors to the pastels we usually associate with their age.

The next thing you are going to want to consider is your baby's age. Some parents are tempted to buy toys that are too advanced for their baby, because they think they can push their baby's development. This is not true. Babies will not develop skills any faster if they are given too complex toys to play with. They will simply ignore these toys.

Newborn to three-month-old babies are not able to interact with their toys. The best toys for babies at this age are toys that they can look at or watch. Between four and six months is when babies start to interact with their surroundings more. Toys that they can bat at are good for this age. Also, if a baby holds a toy, chances are they might hit themselves with it, so make sure most toys are soft. After six months, interactive toys are great because this is when babies start to learn about cause and effect. Also, babies older than six months are able to control their movements more.

Pay attention to your baby and what his or her preferences tend to be. Just because you have a little girl, doesn't mean you can't buy her a car, if she enjoys pushing things with wheels. You will still be able to teach her to be a little lady, even if she does like playing with cars. Buy your baby toys that interest him-don't be too tied down to gender restrictions at this young age.