Education Blog for Mommies

The play has many more functions for toddlers than for adults. For toddlers, play is not just a way to relax but it is also the best way to learn and perfect skills like walking, balance and controlling the hands. Through play, the child discovers the objects and their functions and learns some social behaviors. His work "tool" is the toy. If for the little baby the toy is mostly a decorative object, for the toddler who is just starting to walk and talk, toys are absolutely necessary.

The parent must make sure to offer his child adequate toys to his age and skills level. The most indicated toddler toys are the functional ones, who develop and stimulate different processes and mental activities (knowledge, inventiveness, imagination).

Moving games are one of a toddler’s preferred activities. Small sized slides, wooden or plastic material cubes, arranged in a pyramidal shape helps toddlers develop their musculature and agility. Another open-air game for toddlers that requires manual skills is sand play. This game requires the toddler to make different sand shapes and even complicated constructions. Sand play is so important, that I advise parents to arrange a sand box inside the house!

A toddler also requires toys to play inside the house. For the interior, the most important toys for toddlers are the cubes. They are used by the toddlers as load for toys trucks. These cubes will later take part in construction games that help develop hand maneuverability, the capacity to concentrate and the imagination.

Toddlers, both boys and girls, love animals and dolls made of different materials. It is a mistake to believe that at this age dolls are specific only to girls. Dolls help toddlers to identify the role of the mother and father in the family and learn the different body parts that a person has.

From the list of toddler toys, we must not exclude books. For toddlers, beautiful colored books, with few images but well outlined, help enrich the vocabulary and verbalizing perception. As a parent, you can create short stories based on these images, using words that the toddler can understand, with similar activities and experiences to the ones the child has experienced. After showing him the images and explained what they are, we can ask the toddler "What is this?" "What does it do?" This way you test the things he learned. Besides enriching his vocabulary, this game wakes up in him feelings of trust and security.

Newborns are inherently curious and are constantly intrigued by the surrounding lights and sounds. The infant activities should of a kind so as to be able to stimulate and encourage the development of the child’s mind and body. Baby activity toys arouse their curiosity and interest and thereby make way for further development of the mind.

While deciding what toys to buy for your child, keep in mind the age and the mental abilities. For an infant, the most important activities revolve around sleeping and eating. Music soothes a baby’s nerves and leaves a deep impact on the fertile mind.

Another interesting activity could be tummy lying. The baby should be made to lie on its tummy on a blanket or mat, and surrounded by a number of toys. The toys should be simple and easy to grasp. This activity helps build upper body strength and develop proper head control. These skills are extremely important in a baby, and should be mastered at a young age. Construction toys can also be given. These toys keep the baby engaged and promote both mental and physical growth. This activity does not require any specific toy; a tummy mat and cushions along with a few rings and rattles can be sufficient.

Babies also love to listen and observe their environment. They should be provided with safe toys that will attract their attention. Soft toys in bright colors go a long way in stimulating their imagination. Since color is one of the first things they feel attracted to, it is advisable to surround a child with objects in various colors.

For a one year old toddler, large plastic blocks, stuffed toys of different textures, rings, music boxes, and activity centers are the ideal activity toys. Babies of this age are extremely active, and like to put everything into their mouths. So it is important to ensure that the toys are absolutely safe. Also, under all probabilities, a child will learn to walk by this time. A good idea would be to provide him/ her with baby walkers and riding toys like a rocking horse. At this age, they will be extremely intrigued by the senses of touch, and these kinds of activity toys will help them get the required learning experiences.

 

Looking forward to your annual holiday may be clouded with the worry of having to travel with your baby. Even though your baby may be as good as gold while at home, a disruption to their routine may cause all kinds of problems. Most new parents decide to purchase travel systems for their new additions. A baby travel system is basically a stroller with an attachable infant carrier that doubles as an infant car seat.

Baby travel systems have come a long way since the small, rickety strollers of years ago. Today, baby travel systems are multi-use strollers, also called a 2-in-1 strollers, which are actually a car seat and a stroller all in one unit. Everything is coordinated and makes a matching statement for the car seat and stroller because they are basically the same piece of equipment. There is no longer a need to carry a stroller and a car seat with you when you go traveling.

Baby travel systems come in a wide range of colors and patterns. Many of the baby travel systems come with accessories such as built-in toys, cup holders, baskets and sometimes matching diaper bags. Keep in mind that car seats do eventually expire, but with the right travel system, you should be able to get about eight years of use out of this one purchase alone.

Once you consider all your options, you will probably have a short list of systems which meet your needs; both short term and long term, then decided where to buy it. If you do not have enough time to go shopping, ShopWiki.co.uk will give you a large directory of online store. Then you can make your final decision and purchase and enjoy day trips and overnight stays with your baby while using your new baby travel system.

Well mommies, happy traveling…

A toddler spends most of its waking hours playing. With toddler toys, your child should be allowed to develop motor skills. Research shows that youngster who are supplied with right toys that are stimulating will help youngsters to more fully grow their physical, cognitive and imaginative powers. By finding which toddler toys are correct for your child, you can help them to induce the associations in their brains that are responsible for building up your child’s future intelligence.

Every parent wants his or her kids to be smart and succeed in life. Everything starts during the toddler years. A toddler toy is the perfect toy in developing your kid’s brain as well as building his physical strength. Children are hungry for knowledge and it is your job as their parents or guardians to do whatever it takes to satisfy this.

Educational game scan proves to be a success under such circumstances. It is a known fact that games and toys help the overall development of a toddler. Toddlers should be given games with basic concepts like sequencing, counting, arranging, and coordinating.

Make a wise decision between quality and price is something that you need to keep in mind when choosing an educational toddler toys for your toddler. Parents now can visit shopWiki.com to find anything and everything for sale on the web. ShopWiki.com will give you a large directory of games, educational toys and games, outdoor and active toys, creative toys and classic kid’s toy store. You can also find toy buying tips and resources at ShopWiki.com.

Some people make resolutions, write to-do lists, or set goals for themselves. What often happens with these lists and resolutions, however, is that they fall by the wayside shortly after they’ve been written. One of the reasons for this is the pressure we put on ourselves to accomplish these things; and that pressure and level of expectation leads to stress, resentment, and ultimately giving up on what we originally set out to do.

I recently heard someone talk about changing our "I shoulds" to "I coulds." Thinking about what I "could" do shifts us into a mindset of choice—I am deciding in this moment whether to do this thing. It not only sounds different, but it feels different to phrase options from the perspective of "I could" instead of "I should." There is an internal mindset shift that occurs when we do this; and it allows us to move forward with trying to do the things we could, instead of getting stuck in the mode of pressuring ourselves to do what we should. Here are some simple ways we can apply this thinking to our parenting and the relationships we have with our children:

Your list might include household chores or projects, such as doing the laundry or repairing something that’s broken; personal ideals such as losing weight; activities with your children, etc. Once you have your list, go through and read each one using the phrasing "I could…". Notice how you respond mentally and physically to thinking about each item on your list as a "could" versus a "should." When these things arise for you on a daily basis, focus on shifting into the choice mode of "I could" instead of the pressure mode of "I should." Let’s make the coming year a year of "coulds!"

Choosing safe toys for toddlers is an important job for any parent. You need to keep in mind the child’s age, interests and skill level. Each child is different so a toy for one three year old may not be appropriate for another child of the same age because their skill level is different. You want to look for quality design and construction in the toy you are choosing for a toddler. Read the directions before you purchase a toy. Be sure they are clear and concise. Read the label carefully as it contains important information. Some toys will have clear warning that state "Not recommended for children under three." In this case, if the child is two, this would not be a safe toy for that child. Other warnings include "Flame resistant" and "Washable materials." These are safe toys for toddlers. Let’s take a look at some different types of toys and their safety features.

1. Sharp edges- Toys for children under the age of eight years old should be free of sharp glass and metal edges. Toys that are made of brittle plastic or glass breaks easily, exposing sharp points and edges. Wooden, metal and plastic toys may have sharp edges due to being poorly made. Keep in mind that toys that are used for long periods of time and aren’t made very well may break and the edges will become exposed and sharp.
2. Small parts- Toys that are from years ago can have smaller toys hidden inside which is a danger for toddlers who can swallow a small object. There is a new law however than stops toy manufacturers from putting any small parts in toys that are intended for children under the age of three years old. This includes but is certainly not limited to small eyes that are just glued on to stuffed animals and dolls, removable squeakers on squeaky toys and dolls and stuffed toys that are stuffed with small pellets which can be swallowed and lodged in a child’s throat or ears.
3. Loud noises – Loud noises scare small children. Just look at any toddler at a fireworks display. Most of them are startled and jump at the banging of the fireworks. Toy cap guns should not be purchased for any toddler. Not only do they scare children but some of them can do damage to a toddler’s hearing. There is a law that requires that all noisemaking toys carry a label that states "Warning: Do not fire closer than one foot to the ear. Do not use indoors."
4. Cords and strings – Many toys on the market today have some kind of string attached to them. Like the Seek and Say toys where you pull the string and the toy says a saying or makes an animal nose. These kinds of toys are dangerous for toddlers. Even though the string is attached to the toy, pulling the string hard enough can easily break the string. Any toys with sting or cords can easily become wrapped around a child’s neck. Never hang any toys that have long strings from a toddler’s crib or playpen.
5. Sharp points – This is a bit different that sharp edges. Older toys were made with objects such as pins, staples and wires which are of course dangerous to preschool aged children. A new law now states that toys made for children under the age of eight years of age cannot contain sharp points. Be sure to double check and make sure that dolls clothing, hair or accessories do not contain staples or pins.
6. Propelled objects – I think these types of toys are dangerous for kids of any age but this holds true especially in younger children. Propelled toys are like missile launches and Frisbees. They can be dangerous when flying through the air and hits a child in the eye or even cause head injuries if it hits hard enough. Other propelled objects include lawn darts or darts from a dart board game.
7. Age appropriate toys – Believe it or not, not all toys are suitable for all children. Be sure to follow the labels exactly as stated. Some toys can be bought for an older child and get into the hands of their younger brother or sister in which the toy is not intended for. Be especially wary of balloons. Balloons that are not blown up can be a chocking hazard.
8. Electric toys – Here are another type of toy that is pretty dangerous at any age. My nephew suffered burns on an electric train that was improperly wired. This was many years ago and now electric toys must be made with specific surface temperatures, electrical construction and very clear warning labels.
9. Infant toys – There are many toys on the market today that are made for infants such as rattles and teethers. It is important to make sure these toys are large enough so that they cannot be swallowed.
10. Online Reviews – When in doubt about any toy, do a search for the toy and then put the word review after it. You will find other users of that particular toy and the positive and negative experiences they had.

Age Appropriate Toys: Here are some toys that are safe toys for toddlers.

• 0-18 months Stacking toys Picture blocks Picture books
• 18 months- 3 years Tricycle Hobby horse Push-pull toys Dollhouses Blackboard with chalk
• 3-6 years Playhouses Toy soldiers Trains Race car tracks

by Tamil Selvi Aldragen