Key Points Babies are born ready to connect with the people in their world. Parents and teachers can use social games to instill skills like communication and empathy through play. As a developmental therapist, I know that infants first need a social connection with caregivers before building other developmental skills. Social Games for Babies What…
Key Points As a developmental therapist with over 10 years of experience working with babies and toddlers, I love treasure baskets as a simple sensory activity. I use them to observe a child’s skill level and see how I can help them learn and grow. Let’s explore how parents and early childhood professionals can easily…
Key Points During my infant/toddler CDA (Child Development Credential) training, I first learned about heuristic play. Throughout my years working with children, I’ve continually revisited heuristic play, witnessing its profound impact on their play and learning. Let’s explore those powerful benefits. Then, I welcome you to visit my post on heuristic play examples and the…
Heuristic play offers young children their first chance to learn about everyday objects. Through play and exploration, children will build an understanding of items they will use for the rest of their lives. As a developmental therapist with 12 years of experience in classrooms and homes, I’ve witnessed the impact of heuristic play. My interest…
As a developmental therapist, I regularly recommend container play to parents and infant/toddler teachers. This simple, open-ended activity has powerful learning benefits, and the best part—children love it! Key Points Definition: What is Container Play? Container play is a type of play where babies and toddlers explore putting objects into containers and dumping them out….
It’s never too early to foster a love for reading and writing. As an infant/toddler developmental therapist, I understand how caregivers can use activities to support emergent literacy skills, like handling books, enjoying songs, and building language. These literacy activities for babies are the same ones I’ve used in homes and infant classrooms. They are…
Welcome to our curated list of the best black and white books for babies! These picture books are more than just delightful reads; they promote early vision and cognitive development in babies. Learn more about the benefits of black and white books. Even newborns and very young babies can benefit from these black and white…
Black and white books are specially designed to captivate and stimulate babies’ developing brains. Discover why these books are incredible for early vision and cognitive development. Why Black and White Books Good for Babies The simple design of black and white books matches the research on baby brain and eye development. Babies see in black,…
You may wonder if sensory play is good for your baby. The answer is yes; sensory play has many benefits to a baby’s development. It is an important learning experience during the infant years! Sensory play is children’s way to explore the mind-body connection. Sensory experiences stimulate sensory systems throughout the body, sending messages through…
Sound books are a type of sensory book that help babies and toddlers grow a love of reading. On this list, you’ll discover the best sound books for babies and the best sound books for toddlers (including 1-year-olds and 2-year-olds). Music Sound Books Twinkle Twinkle Little Star: A Musical Instrument Song Book Illustrated by Nicola…