Evaluation - 20 Very best Graco Group and Participate in Beds 2020

Play Yards, Little Feet and First Shoes: What Parents Should Know

The title of this page points to Graco play yards, the portable "pack and play" beds many families use for naps, travel and safe floor-level play. Those products sit outside what a footwear shop covers, so this section stays with the part of that stage of life we know best: babies' feet and the shoes that eventually go on them. Time spent in a play yard, on a blanket or crawling across the living room floor is when the foundations for walking are laid.

Barefoot time comes first

Paediatric advice generally agrees that babies who are not yet walking do not need structured shoes. Bare feet, or soft socks with grippy soles, let toes spread and muscles strengthen as a child pulls up, cruises along furniture and takes first steps. When a little one is playing indoors on a safe surface, going barefoot is usually the most natural option.

When to start looking at first shoes

Once a toddler is walking confidently, especially outdoors on pavement, gravel or wet Portland sidewalks, protective shoes start to make sense. Good first shoes tend to share a few traits:

• Flexible soles that bend easily at the ball of the foot
• A roomy toe box so toes are not squeezed
• Lightweight materials that do not make walking harder
• Secure, simple fastenings such as hook-and-loop straps that stay put
• Non-slip rubber outsoles for traction on smooth floors

Checking fit as they grow

Young children's feet grow quickly, often outgrowing a pair within a few months. A common rule of thumb is to leave roughly a thumb's width between the longest toe and the end of the shoe. Measure feet later in the day, with the socks your child normally wears, and check again every couple of months. Our size guide explains how to measure at home, and if a pair turns out snug, our shipping and returns page covers how exchanges work.

If your child walks unusually, trips often or seems uncomfortable in shoes, it is worth asking a paediatrician or podiatrist for advice rather than relying on footwear alone.