Working my 1st BabyFest NW this past Saturday was quite a treat for a baby-loving, grandma-type like me! Everywhere you looked there were pregnant bellies! First-time parents, parents-to-be with grandmothers in tow, seasoned parents and hoping-to-BE-expecting parents all converged at Seattle Center's Exhibition Hall for a baby extravaganza! Granted, it's been awhile since I was a mom-to-be, but I couldn't get over all the fantastic gadgets and gizmos available nowadays to make caring for an … [Read more...]
Video Games Day–Making the Case for PLAY
I was kind of left with my mouth on the floor when I found out what day it was...Video Games Day?!! Really? We need a day to encourage and celebrate playing video games? (sigh) How about trying for a NO-Video Games Day? Now that would be something out of the ordinary!! I'm not going to say video games don't have a place or don't have any beneficial aspects (read 6 Scientific Benefits) but they are inappropriate for young children. Young children need PLAY! Consider PLAY as one of the … [Read more...]
It’s Still Summer…Go PLAY
As July gives way to August you might be starting to wonder how to keep your kidlets active and engaged in PLAY—especially if you’re trying to limit electronic device use…which I applaud! One option is to get the Summer Set of Go PLAY Activity Cards—the dual goals of the cards are to promote literacy as well as PLAY. They’re perfect for the preschool set, but I’ve known many older children than have thoroughly enjoyed doing the activities AND activities can always be amended as needed for … [Read more...]
Playdough–the All-Around Ideal Material
If I was to suggest having one sensory material on hand I think it would have to be playdough. Playdough is the all-around ideal material that helps children learn and grow in all developmental areas: Physical, Cognitive, Social and Emotional. Emotional Sense... Playdough is tactile play at its core. It's just waiting for your kidlet to squash it or squeeze, roll, or pound it out flat. It can be chopped, cut, scored, punctured, poked or even shredded! Even saying all of those actions can't you … [Read more...]
Babies’ Laughter: Music to My Ears
Babies' laughter--there's just nothing sweeter to hear! I would go so far as to say no one can resist breaking into a huge smile, if not joining right in with them! LAUGHING is a way babies interact with family members. I recently read an article that shed light on just how much more information we can glean from babies' laughter! In the article Peek-a-Boo: A Window on Baby's Brain laughter is shown to been an effective tool at pinpointing stages in the way a baby's minds is growing … [Read more...]