Kallie Atti

Gear We Love: We choose baby gear that supports healthy positioning, freedom of movement, and growing independence—from high chairs and feeding tools that provide stable trunk and foot support, to strollers and carriers that promote comfortable alignment, and play gear that encourages tummy time, reaching, crawling, standing, climbing, and balance. Every item is selected through a pediatric PT lens with an emphasis on function, safety, development, and supporting the way little bodies naturally move.

Supportive high-tops for wobbly ankles. Some children have feet and ankles that are naturally more flexible and may benefit from a shoe that provides a little more structure during everyday movement. For these children, we look for a secure heel counter, stable but not overly rigid construction, good midfoot lockdown, an appropriately wide toe box, and a sole that still allows the child to move through the foot naturally. A supportive shoe should complement the child’s movement—not force the foot into a particular position—and shoe selection should be individualized when there are concerns about persistent ankle instability, frequent tripping, pain, or significant asymmetry.

Around this stage, we want toys that let toddlers move their whole bodies and use their imagination. Climbing, stepping, pushing, carrying, squatting, and balancing build foundational gross-motor skills, while pretend-play toys encourage problem-solving, communication, sequencing, and imitation. We chose options that can grow with your toddler and provide opportunities for increasingly complex movement instead of toys that do all the work for them.

At this stage, we look for toys that encourage purposeful reaching, grasping, bringing hands together at midline, and transferring weight through the arms. Toys with easy-to-grasp shapes, rings, textures, or gentle movement give babies a reason to reach with one or both hands while developing hand-eye coordination and trunk control. We especially love toys that can be positioned slightly to the side to encourage weight shifting and reaching across the body.

These toys were selected to encourage babies to move toward something they want—rolling, pivoting, belly crawling, crawling, pulling to stand, cruising, and eventually taking those first steps. We love toys that create a reason to explore rather than keeping baby stationary, such as balls, simple cause-and-effect toys, activity cubes, mirrors, and toys that can be placed just beyond reach. As babies become more mobile, safe opportunities to explore different positions and surfaces help build strength, balance, coordination, and motor confidence.

When your child is learning to walk, we want the shoe to allow the foot to move as naturally as possible while still protecting it outdoors. Look for a wide enough toe box, lightweight construction, a flexible sole that bends where the toes bend, a secure closure, and a nonslip sole—not a stiff, heavy shoe designed to “hold” the ankle in place. Indoors and on safe surfaces, barefoot time is wonderful for developing foot strength, balance, and sensory awareness; shoes are primarily for protection when needed outdoors.

Tummy Time Favorites We chose these toys to make tummy time more engaging while encouraging babies to lift, turn, and hold their heads against gravity. High-contrast, reflective, textured, or visually interesting toys give babies a reason to look up and move their head, while placing toys slightly outside their reach can encourage early weight shifting and reaching. Tummy time is an important foundation for head control, upper-body strength, rolling, and later crawling.