Baby's realistic mobile phone

[Marijn]

I'm after a realistic mobile phone for a one year old baby. He absolutely loves mobile phones and will pinch everybody else's. He's not interested in bright, primary coloured ones, he's not fooled by them. Where can I buy him one that looks real and is safe for his age group. He also likes it to beep. Any ideas. Thank you.

[LoftyLottie]

Get an old one, remove any batteries and let him play with it. I am not sure about the beeping though. I can't think of anything on a mobile phone apart from the batteries that would be particularly dangerous. I presume he is nearer two than one as he is walking about pinching phones - more a toddler than a baby. I certainly wouldn't spend any money on buying a toy phone.

[Marijn]

Hi Loftielottie, thank you for your answer. He is just coming up to one year old. He crawls around and walks holding onto furniture. I could give him an old one with the battery taken out, but there are other metal bits and pieces inside, he dribbles a lot and sucks things. Could there be anything else dangerous within the phone, if when it's wet, it dribbles back into his mouth?

[sallybb]

My Husband was always using a Blackberry, we he left work , one of his workmates bought him a rubber one. Dont know where they got it from, but probably one of those fun gadgets shops. Or try ebay. Good luck

[Marijn]

Thank you sallybb, I looked on ebay and found dummy/display phones that are only a pound or one pound fifty. Hopefully they won't have those metal bits and pieces inside.

[crisgal]

i have seen some of these recently. I remember because i commentred on them.
My son loved remote controls, keys and phones, but as you say, he was not interested in the bright coloured ones. He wanted the real thing!
I saw keys and things in a basket, and i said to my mum - at last, someone has made them to look real!
Not much use as i can't remember where!
But I will keep thinking and I'll see if mum remembers.

[LoftyLottie]

Funny things kids, aren't they. From a very young age my son was much more interested in batteries (which I didn't let him play with) tools, etc. that purpose made brightly coloured toys. As he got older he had a wonderful box of 'bits and pieces' bits of wire, bits off old radios etc. etc. Much more interesting than toys, oh except cars of all descriptions, matchbox type cars

Perhaps it's a boy thing.

[crisgal]

there are some real looking ones on here

http://www.amazon.co....keywords=mobile+phone

they will probably be 3 and up but as long as you check it over, you will be ok. ometimes the age restriction irefers to what the features do and at what age they'd understand them. After all, babies in households with slightly older children will often play with older toys won't they?

[LoftyLottie]

I think a sensible parent of a child of any age will know what is safe for them to play with. All children differ. Some of the toys that they say are for 3 and up would be more suitable for babies and a child would be offended if given one.

[sallybb]

Hi, noted youfound dummy one on ebay, you could always ask the seller if they are moulded or have moveable parts, as you want one for a small child

[Hopkirk]

Try this?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk...tem&item=320671159847

[spudqueen]

Lofty - they usually say suitable for a child over 3 when there are small parts which could come off and get stuck in a small childs mouth/throat. A child under 3 is much more likely to suck a toy than one over 3.

[Marijn]

Thank you all so much for your very helpful answers. There are some lovely phones there to choose from. I will give it some thought. Thanks again.

[Hopkirk]

When our kid was tiny, he used to want to play with the remote controls for TV, stereo, DVD etc.

We bought him a colourful ELC one, but he quickly rejected it as all the big people used black ones.

[Marijn]

He's just the same with the remotes as well, and loves my lap-top. Why do toy manufacturers insist on making the technological gadgets things in primary colours when what children really want is ones that look the same as grown-ups ones.

[MandyGrace1915]

What we always got were our mom and dads old phones but shouldn't do that for a baby. I don't think it would be the safest. Usually a dollar store will have phones that look like blackberries and beep with every push of a button for around 1 or 2$. He'll love it!

[Marijn]

Thanks for your answer Mandygrace, I got him a toy one with buttons to push that makes noises.