by News Canada

(NC)—The first few years of a child’s life are full of new and exciting experiences that are absorbed like a sponge through the five senses: touch, taste, smell, sight and sound. From birth, newborns are bombarded with a busy world that they must learn to master. It is the senses that pave the way for a child’s development throughout his or her life.

“From birth, parents must choose toys and learning tools for their child that are fun and enjoyable to play with and that also foster sensorial growth to ensure a more complete development process,” says Dr. Kathleen Alfano, leading child Researcher and Director of the Fisher-Price Child Research Department.

A baby can start to develop hand-eye coordination, watch moving objects and be able to distinguish color and form within the first few months. Toys that will help develop these skills include the Peek-A-Blocks line from Fisher-Price – a creative and fun alternative to classic building blocks. Different series of these clear, stackable blocks are filled with everything from cute animals to fun shapes and foster the development of different senses. Touch Sensations blocks are made of different textures for baby to explore and Sound Sensations include blocks that ring and squeak.

Finding toys that will stimulate a few senses at a time are also helpful in sensory development, as a child will have to learn that in most situations, combining senses are crucial to perception. The Winnie The Pooh 1, 2, 3 Exploring Tree from Fisher-Price will keep a baby engaged and captivated from the time he/she can sit up to the time he/she can stand. Along the base, basic infant activities nurture hand-eye coordination, while Winnie The Pooh sits atop the tree among a flurry of soft, bright butterflies.

Introducing a baby to sounds, bright colors and action-based toys will make playtime more fun and enjoyable and is a good way to enhance a child’s creative abilities and imagination from an early age, teaching him/her to unlock the wonder and excitement of the world around them by simply making “sense” of it.

- News Canada

About The Author
News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web. News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial “fill” items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

By Izzy Flare

Selecting toys for a baby can be quite a task for any parent. Numerous selections line the shelves but we never really know which toy is suitable for our baby. Wouldn’t it be much easier if babies could point out to the toy that tickles their fancy?

Here are some tips that can help you choose a good toy to help with your baby’s growth and development:

Safety First
Whatever babies can get their hands on has a very good chance of ending up in their mouths. Make sure that toys for babies do not have any small parts that can be swallowed accidentally. Also, painted toys should not contain toxic substances. Baby toys should also not be able to break easily. Broken toys can end up leaving sharp edges which can injure your baby – not to mention injure you if you accidentally step on one!

Sight Development
In the beginning, babies have very poor eyesight. You need to be about a foot in front of your baby’s face for him to be able to see your features. Toys with contrasting colours can help develop your baby’s eyesight. Couple contrasting colours with motion and you get a toy that can improve your baby’s vision focus and tracking.

Look At It From A Baby’s Perspective
Since babies have no say as to what toys they enjoy most, they cannot be targeted for sales. So, toy campanies target the parents instead. Take the toy mobile for example. The mobile is designed to be pleasing to look at from a parents point of view. When you walk into a store, the mobile needs to capture your attention to be able to sell. Nothing wrong with buying a mobile that looks nice from your angle – just make sure that it is also interesting from your baby’s point of view. After all, he is lying down on his back and staring at the mobile from the bottom!

Keep it Simple
Various marketing gimmicks are used to sell toys. One that has been around forever is using popular cartoon/TV/movie characters/themes. A child of 2-3 years and older will be able to identify with these characters and can appreciate them. For a baby, they mean nothing. Babies are just interested with the desirability of a toy. If they smack it, it makes a funny noise, they smack it some more. It makes no difference if the toy they just smacked is a generic dinosaur or a popular purple one.

I hope this short article helps to shed some light on baby toys. Good luck on your next purchase!

To read more about toys and children, please visit The World of Toys.

Resources:
babyproducts.about.com/od/sleepbedding/ht/HTcribmattress.htm www.firstbabymall.com/product/mattress.htm

Although we have strived to ensure information in this article is accurate and up-to-date, the information contained therein should be used as general reference only. Use the information in this article at your own risk.

by News Canada

(NC)—The first few years of a child’s life are full of new and exciting experiences that are absorbed like a sponge through the five senses: touch, taste, smell, sight and sound. From birth, newborns are bombarded with a busy world that they must learn to master. It is the senses that pave the way for a child’s development throughout his or her life.

“From birth, parents must choose toys and learning tools for their child that are fun and enjoyable to play with and that also foster sensorial growth to ensure a more complete development process,” says Dr. Kathleen Alfano, leading child Researcher and Director of the Fisher-Price Child Research Department.

A baby can start to develop hand-eye coordination, watch moving objects and be able to distinguish color and form within the first few months. Toys that will help develop these skills include the Peek-A-Blocks line from Fisher-Price – a creative and fun alternative to classic building blocks. Different series of these clear, stackable blocks are filled with everything from cute animals to fun shapes and foster the development of different senses. Touch Sensations blocks are made of different textures for baby to explore and Sound Sensations include blocks that ring and squeak.

Finding toys that will stimulate a few senses at a time are also helpful in sensory development, as a child will have to learn that in most situations, combining senses are crucial to perception. The Winnie The Pooh 1, 2, 3 Exploring Tree from Fisher-Price will keep a baby engaged and captivated from the time he/she can sit up to the time he/she can stand. Along the base, basic infant activities nurture hand-eye coordination, while Winnie The Pooh sits atop the tree among a flurry of soft, bright butterflies.

Introducing a baby to sounds, bright colors and action-based toys will make playtime more fun and enjoyable and is a good way to enhance a child’s creative abilities and imagination from an early age, teaching him/her to unlock the wonder and excitement of the world around them by simply making “sense” of it.

- News Canada

About The Author
News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web. News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial “fill” items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

Learning begins at birth, and brain development during the first years of life is critical to the lifelong success of every child. During these early months, when baby’s brain is developing rapidly, adult participation in even simple activities with young children makes a lasting impression.

Stimulate Your Baby’s Senses
Babies use their senses to take in information. Create a stimulating atmosphere for your child by:

• Hold baby near your face and say loving things (”I love you,” “You’re so cute,” “What a sweet baby”) and encourage baby to explore your face with her hands.
• Take your baby to a mirror to see herself and you.
• Sing favorite songs to baby and use lots of facial expressions.
• Lay baby on her side. Place a toy to either side and see if baby will be motivated to roll and touch the toy.
• Remember to hug and cuddle – a lot!
• Buy or borrow a nursery rhyme book from the library and sing or say the rhymes repeatedly. Babies love repetition.
• Use wooden spoons and other simple tools to count out rhythmic 1-2, 1-2-3, and 1-2-3-4 patterns. Encourage baby to mimic the beat.
• Use conversation and single words to help baby label things in daily life (dog, ball, bottle)
• Put colorful pictures or photos in places where baby spends time (the change table, the bedroom…). Look at photographs of family members, and talk softly about what she is seeing.
• Babies love to let objects drop and fall. Help baby learn about different sounds and the concept of “down” by providing different objects to drop.
• Sing silly songs and wiggle baby’s toes and fingers to help baby learn about body parts.

Help Your Baby’s Muscles Grow

Babies’ muscles grow strong only when they use them. You can help by:

• Hold baby while sitting or laying on her back and hold toys or rattles within reach. Encourage baby to hit or touch the toy.
• Provide baby with some time on his tummy when awake. Place toys, a mirror, or yourself in front of baby to encourage him to keep his head up. This will strengthen back and neck muscles.

Keep Encouraging

You can create a stimulating atmosphere and encourage learning by playing with your baby, like with these games below:

• Use mirrors to show baby his/her face. Call the baby by name. Exaggerate your facial expressions.
• Play peek-a-boo, hide yourself and objects, then hide and find the baby behind a held-up towel or blanket.
• Fill a container with cereal or other object that will rattle when you close the lid and shake it. Ask baby what’s “inside” and let baby peek and touch as you name the object. Change the objects as you help baby discover different sounds and objects. Be sure there are no sharp edges on the container.
• Wiggle baby’s fingers and toes as you tell stories, count or sing songs about each one.
• Let baby touch toys and other objects as you raise them “up” and let them fall “down.” Then let baby try.
• Turn off the television.
• Read picture books aloud, walk outdoors, and let your child experience various sights, sounds and textures.
• Cuddle, talk in loving tones, and nurture with gentleness.

Learning begins at birth, and brain development during the first years of life is critical to the lifelong success of every child. During these early months, when baby’s brain is developing rapidly, adult participation in even simple activities with young children makes a lasting impression.

Stimulate Your Baby’s Senses
During the first three months of life, babies experience a world of sensations. They use their senses of sight, hearing, smell and touch. Here are some things you can do to help!

• Place baby on different soft and pleasant textures – silky satin, wool, soft flannel, fluffy toy.
• Softly blow on baby’s hands, feet and tummy during play. Talk to baby about what you are doing.
• Slowly rock baby in your arms several times each day. Always touch, hold and move gently. You can’t hold your baby too much.
• Hold baby close while you sing, dance, rock, read or talk.
• Respond to baby’s needs as quickly as possible. This way you help baby trust, feel safe and be confident.
• Help baby observe different faces. Smile at baby and use her name. Play peek-a-boo as you hide behind a paper plate or blanket.

Help Your Baby’s Muscles Grow
Your baby’s muscles only grow strong when he or she uses them. Here are some ways by which you can help your baby gain strength.

• When on his tummy, encourage baby to look toward a variety of soft sounds – your voice, music, a rattle, a bell, singing.
• When changing a diaper gently move baby’s legs like pedaling a bicycle. Talk softly or sing at the same time while making eye contact.
• After bathing baby, gently bring baby’s hands together. Help patty cake, or kiss the hands while talking or singing.
• Give baby things he can safely put in his mouth and hands to learn about the shape and feel of things. Make sure the objects are large enough that they aren’t a choking hazard.

Milestones
By the end of three months, your baby should be able to:

• Raise head slightly when lying on stomach
• Say a vowel-consonant combinations (ah, uh, eh)
• Recognize a bottle or breast
• Watch objects move slightly from one side to another.

Your baby is learning fast and while he is learning he is using all five of his senses to understand the world around him. Why not help him out a little bit by letting him explore things in your house that you use everyday. He sees you “playing” with them; next time let him play a bit too.

Unconventional Toys
There are many items in your home that your baby can use as toys. They include

• Pots, pans, and lids
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Plastic Tupperware and bowls
• Different textured fabrics from a stocking cap, a silk scarf, a cotton napkin and more
• A splinter-free wooden spoon
• Toilet paper or paper towel roll
• Things that make noise like keys and rattles

How to Use Them
There are many ways to make use of these items. Remember to only use them one at a time so that they don’t overwhelm or confuse your baby. Not only do your household items help your baby use his senses, but inspecting things also helps them coordinate and strengthen their hand muscles. To get the most out of your “toys” remember these three things.

1. Let your baby look at, touch, listen to, smell and even taste several different items. Brightly colors, textures, and noises will grab your baby’s attention. Remember that most of what your baby touches will end up in his mouth so make sure it is clean first.

   2. Encourage your baby to hit and bang the items. Invest in some ear plugs for the day that you let your baby play with your posts and pans.

   3. You don’t have to put the toys away as your baby gets older. Many of them will continue to interest toddlers and older preschoolers as they use their imagination to make different toys out of the items. Your baby may get quite good at playing “Jingle Bells” with the wooden spoon on your collection of pots.