Flash Card Fun Play

So the time has come that we are going to start to introduce flash cards.

We have read to our babies since the first day in the hospital but my Nanny who comes and helps twice a week and is studying early childhood development said today "Are you helping their learning and vocabulary yet with flash cards?" 

Cue flash fear across this first time mothers face thinking I was missing something critical in my girls development!

But after doing some research and understanding more about flash cards it seems like a great fun way for us to take our reading and learning to the next level in a fun, interactive play setting.

Flash cards are extremely beneficial to babies as they enter the end of the first year and continue to be great through toddlerhood in fact I remember being in kindergarden and doing spelling flash cards with my Mum at the dining room table.

I was told the best way to do this activity is to choose a theme and only work through five at a time.

Example category ideas may be:-

• Food  
• Animals 
• Transport
• Household Goods 
• Weather 
• Emotions 

At Brainy Kids BLOG Professor Shichida and Glenn Doman say you should flash the cards at a rate of 0.5 seconds per card. The information will be absorbed unconsciously by the right brain. The fast speed of flashing sends strong vibrations to the brain. This also aids your baby’s brain to develop better and faster.

So there are some tips that I hope are helpful for you to introducing flash cards to your child. I will spending my time now creating my own which I will share with readers of our BLOG soon and make copies available for use. So please check back soon.

I personally look forward to introducing this activity to our structured play routine in the day.

Happy Play Times :-)

Play Dough Time for Babies

A book that I have consulted with a lot in the first months of Annabelle & Scarlett's life is Dr Miriam Stoppard "Baby's First Steps" and one of the play milestones they have reached is play dough.

What fun for Mum as I loved play dough as a kid and love playing it as an adult.

Here they are enjoying the first feel of a new texture after our afternoon snack.

I thought if they has just been fed they may not eat it - rookie mistake of course they wanted a try but they luckily spat it out rather quickly!

They were fascinated by the feel and enjoyed the feeling of pulling something apart. It was extremely interesting to them seeing how this foreign object stuck to their little hands but shaking and pulling would release it.

I would roll shapes such as a snake or snowman and they would turn it around, study the shape and then of course break it up.

Play dough is a great first exploratory activity for the above reasons and helps improve tactile skills and imagination.

In our house play dough time will become a regular occurrence.

Do your children love it?

Happy Play Times :-)

Put it in Pull it Out Toy Tubs of Fun

From dawn to dusk as they say my girls can play this game pull it out and discover the wonderful array of toys with which they can play.

This activity is great from about seven to eight months onwards it takes effect when your baby has body control and can grasp objects.

Fill a container of small toys things that are easy to grab and place it in front of your baby.

The below photo is an example of what I use.

I find depending on the time of day or mood of the baby they will take them out carefully , looking, exploring each toy. Or it is like tornado alley and they come flying through the air with claps and laughter.

I also use this toy taking out technique when I am playing explaining "Mummy took out the Doll" this helps the children to develop language skills.

Added to this now as they are getting older when we take toys out I play the yes/no game which helps develop mental capabilities.

If it is a doll for example I say is "Mummy holding a Dog?" and shake my head saying No. Then I say is "Mummy holding a Doll?" nod saying Yes.

A simple past time that has so much development opportunities.

Just another example of how at this age everything that we just think is play really is all about development so it is so important we give lots of time for play and experiences.

Happy Play Times :-)

Making Kitchen Music

When a baby is able to sit up and starts to learn hand eye co-ordination they love to bang!

So my life has changed dramatically from bopping around the kitchen to the latest songs to rocking out to the sounds of the kitchen drums!

Welcoming your baby into the world of kitchen percussion has a Mummy benefit-:

• They are amused as you prepare the meals giving you extra time.

And has many baby benefits-:

• They are in close proximity to you as babies love the company of their favorite playmate you but they are also learning to amuse themselves
• .Hand-Eye co-ordination is improved as they make contact with their make shift instrument.
• Listening is improved as you see them concentrating and understanding the different sounds of objects being hit.

This activity also costs absolutely nothing no special purchase required.

Having twins we share the drumming around giving each a turn at the banging of the drum (a wooden/plastic spoon and light weight pot/plastic bowl) and the other chiming in with the crashing of cymbals (some pot/pan lids) with only one baby give them free range to bang and crash at will.

You know the biggest surprise is I never thought I would be a Mummy that would love this type of noise but the happiness it brings and the sounds of laughter make it the sweetest music of all.

So let your little one get drumming today.

Happy Play Times :-) 

Splish Splash Water Play

My twins are ten months old and if your a parent with children that age or you've been there it is an age of rapid development, a curiosity of everything in the world around and a little frustration that they can't quite get what they want when they want it. 

Therefore it's an age that needs lots of hands on show, tell and play to quench that worldly thirst for adventure.  I think it is such a wonderful time I am loving sharing this special time and planning fun activities for us all. 

One I wanted to share for this age group is the nested water cups in tubs of water. I lay out a waterproof mat (I won't lie it spreads from there but I don't mind) I then use tubs filled with water and place the cups in there. Babies can then pick the cups up, see the water seep, they do this repeatedly as the gorgeous little brain ticks over how this is happening and enjoy the sensation of water splashing their hands about in the tubs. 

The other part of this activity is that babies also try to figure out how the cups go together great for problem solving and motor skill development. 

A photo tells a thousand words so for proof of the fun had with this activity look at the enjoyment on these gorgeous faces.

Do your little ones like water play?  

Happy Play Times :-)

Wednesday Warming Moments - Compassionate Twin

No video, no photo for this one.

Just a proud Mummy who realising she must be doing something right in the way she is teaching her children about playing and caring from a young age.

When we were at our 'Musical Monkey' class on Tuesday a little girl just four month's old had just started. One of the games they play towards the end is a all the children laying under a parachute as the parents wave it up and down over the children and the parents sing songs. This little girl was so scared and started to really cry hard, my little Scarlett lent over and took the little girls hand and just held it when this didn't work she started patting her.

This Mummy was proud and had a few tears but I and many other parents were blown away by the act of compassion by a ten month old who usually parallel play and little awareness of others - I believe perhaps being a twin and used to having someone around all the time and witnessing your twins different emotions makes very young children who are twins faster in their emotional development.

What are your thoughts readers?

Happy Play Times :-)

Baby Music Classes

Children love music I have posted previously about singing and dancing with my girls (http://happyplayhappychildren.blogspot.sg/2012/06/dance-to-your-childs-tune.html) and of course the gorgeous identical twin girls featured in the Wednesday Warming Moments who found online fame for dancing to Daddy’s guitar (http://happyplayhappychildren.blogspot.sg/2012/09/wednesday-warming-moments-dancing-twins.html)

My girls have loved music even in the womb as we used to listen to the Ipod and they would groove along to their familiar playlist ☺ so music has been a big part of our play from the earliest age. 

And at six months we began to attend baby music lessons. 

**Disclaimer Time** and I am ashamed to admit that before I had children I used to think baby music class was a plain waste of money what would a baby know but now as a mother who is passionate about children playing and having fun I have changed my tune (pun intended) 

We attend a class called Musical Monkeys (http://www.facebook.com/musicalmonkeys) where we sing songs, do dances, explore a new instrument of the week, learn a song in another language and play various instruments (with Mummy’s help) like the shaker, triangle, clickers and finger cymbals. 

Each week as the children get older and through the repetition of activity, which is so important for baby play they have started to respond and get real enjoyment from it.

Music classes are great for:-

Motor skill development as they grab for the shaker or try to bang the cymbal. In fact at our recent class I could of burst with pride as Annabelle was the only baby who used the drumstick on the hand snare (the instrument of the week) to bang all by herself, the only baby to do so!

Social Interaction as children have to get used to being around others, being patient and sharing as each child has a turn at the instrument of the week.

Verbal and language skills are heled through the song component as this teaches your children how to pick up on patterns. It is also much easier to memorize song lyrics than to memorize a string of spoken words. It has been researched that listening to and learning lyrics helps improve early memory skills and brain functions associated with speech.

Mental and physical stimulation the children have to concentrate on learning new things and also using their physical attributes through the dance and play activities (we have very tired babies that are easy to settle for the night after music class afternoon)

You can recreate music classes in your own home with some of these simple tasks.

- Buying some cheap instruments to show and allow the children to play with and/or creating your own with household objects and pan and wooden spoon make for great music time. 

- Playing CD’s where you sing and dance together.

- Singing and acting out nursery rhymes.

- Showing clips on YouTube of songs and dances of other cultures.

I hope this post will help stimulate some ideas you can try and share to bring the joy of music into your child’s life.

Happy Play Times :-)

Jumping Good Time

A friend yesterday let us borrow her jolly jumper to try out with Annabelle and Scarlett and I must say it is an overwhelming success so far.

I mean check out the pictures below they are what tells a thousand words!

Our children are currently 9 months old this toy can be used from 3 months onwards we were just a little late to the party.

The great thing about a jumper is that it is designed to hold their spine in place and be safe. I find that it it is going to be a great outlet to get all of that pent up energy out that just seems to build at the pre walker stage. And I can tell you from my experience as I am writing this the girls are in a deep morning nap this seems to only happen nowadays when they are worn out!

Other areas that are improved with the jumper are it:-
Develops Motor Skills as they learn to co-ordinate all their movements.
Instills curiosity the kids are fascinated by how it is working and what they can suddenly see all around them from this new vantage point.
Promotes rhythm, we had The Wiggles CD on and I will have to video it and post in the future they were bopping and dancing in time to the music (oh and a tip for mothers I read in the instructions you can put your own exercise DVD on and both you and the baby can get your exercise time in apparently babies love the music and moving in time with you so that is a great way to get a work out in!)

Happy Play Times :-)

PS: If you are interested to learn more check it out on Amazon.

Kids in the Kitchen for Fun Playtime

Welcome to Monday and the first post in a series this week on the fun play time of kids cooking. We look forward to sharing with you and hope you find lots of fun ideas!

*****

Fun can be had in the kitchen at all ages.

I believe kitchen play gives children
A greater appreciation and understanding of food helping to develop a lifelong love of food and healthy habits.
Provides wonderful bonding opportunities
Improves motor skills as they can do simple tasks at each stage of development

Please see some ideas below for the various stages of development.

Babies
Personal experience at this age is when I am making my own baby food or preparing dinner the girls at 8 months are fascinated to sit on the kitchen floor with a spoon, spatula and bowl to bang around with as I cook.

They are to little to help but they love the inclusion and watching Mummy.

It also gives me the opportunity to show and explain new things and words. I show them each vegetable, let them touch and smell it and name it.

Toddlers
The same can be said for toddlers as babies in explaining food and the steps involved.

At this age you can let them be a big kid helping Mummy it will do wonders for their confidence. They can do things like hold the bowl (you may want to use a non slip mat underneath just in case), hold the beater with you or press the mixer button.

At this age let their creativity take over with decorating cookies or cupcakes. I remember a friends daughters 3rd birthday when they let the children decorate their own cakes the squeals of delight and the big messy smiles as they devoured the creations was priceless.

A little older on the toddler scale let them mash foods for you in helping to prepare the family meal.

Primary 
This age you can let the children become more hands on.

I remember helping prepare summer salads with veggies from the garden at this age. I'd wash the vegetables, tear the lettuce and shell peas.

You can also show children how to measure things out and add the ingredients at this age - another benefit is using numerical skills.

Make a fruit salad using a dull blunt knife for the upper primary children they can cut easy fruits such as banana, strawberries and kiwi fruit for example.

Do you have other ideas or suggestions for kids in the kitchen? Please leave us a comment.

Happy Play Times :-)

Play Across the Age Groups

Today's post is an observational musing on play across ages.

When we were holidaying in our home town my children loved playing with their older cousins.

At first I took photo's and cooed over how cute it was too see such sweet interactions. Then something dawned on me about what I was seeing.

During that game of tea parties my little 8 month old girls simply stared and then after a few minutes started to pick up the cups and pretend to drink, bang it back down, repeat...

When younger children play with older children it is a great learning experience through play for both.

The older children get to show how things work, they get a sense of accomplishment, they learn how to communicate and show patience as the younger children get the hang of the game or toy.

Younger children practice their mimicking skills as they copy what they see and begin to realize how play is a give and take not just parallel as the older child wants to actively play.

So perhaps you can try to find children of various ages to gather together for a play date and have fun learning and playing.

Happy Play Times :-)

Book of the Moment - Little Quack Loves Colors

This is a bright fun story that follows the two little ducklings, Little Quack and Piddle.

It is entertainingly written and takes children into the colorful world of little quack loving the bright blue sky and piddle loving sparkly white sand…. The illustrations are bright and gorgeous.

These two little ducks are my personal favorite characters – I get as much fun reading the book as the children do listening.

The target is really for newborns to about one year/eighteen months.

I have so loved this book that I personally wrote a review on Amazon, the first time I have ever done so.

If you have youngsters I highly recommend having them fall in love with Little Quack.

Happy Play Times :-)

Fun Outside

My daughters Annabelle and Scarlett had some fresh air fun Friday play time today.


That was unfortunately until it started raining - wow the disappointment on their faces as I bundled them inside, I think they were quite fascinated with the drops of rain coming down. When your a baby everything is wonderful and new.


My babies play with toys and crawl around the grass exploring their surroundings it gives them the air, exercise and stimulates their mind through exploration.


This doesn't just apply to babies all children can gain these benefits - so we will be posting on activities to get children outside and enjoying what the outdoors has to offer in the very near future.


In the mean time I thought I would share some photo's of the fun.


Happy Play Times :-)

Baby Change Table Games

Dedicating and incorporating time in your day to engage and play with your baby through out is so very important.

One of the ways I love doing this is spending a little time when changing my girls they love the attention and Mum time with big giggles and smiles all round.

So what do we play?

- This little piggy went to market....
- Blowing Raspberries on the belly
- Game of anticipation "Mummy is going to (tickle, kiss) you and use a sing song voice and over exaggerated movements
- Time for peek-a-boo by covering their eyes (not yours!)

So don't see change time as chore time but play time, every interaction is joyous times.

Any ideas from our readers leave a comment for us to learn from.

Happy Play Times :-) 

Like a Teddy Bear

As I had some rare time to watch trashy TV the other night when my girls were in bed I saw a fun little ditty on Tori & Dean Home Sweet Hollywood being done on the children by Patsy which I had forgotten about but remembered loving as a child.


It was "Round & Round the Garden (on their hand) like a teddy bear, 1 step, 2 step (as you go up the arm) tickle you under there (under the armpit) I tried this on my children the next morning to squeals of delight & laughter.


It was a nice moment and laughing is so important as it helps you to bond with your child and in turn gives them confidence, a sense of security and contentment. So take the opportunity to laugh and play whenever you can. 


And this game is great for a little change time interaction.


Happy Play Times :-)

The A.B.C Game

As we know it is so important to talk to our children and it is a very effective form of play they love our voices and they are sponges soaking up language.

Sometimes it is hard to think of what to say or do – I certainly found this early on and then I started playing the A.B.C game.

I did so from the very earliest stages (Birth Upwards).

When we were feeding I would go through the alphabet and choose a category for example food and name something in it that started with the alphabet.
A is for Apple
B is for Bannana
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Q is for Quail
X hmmm this one was hard and became XO sauce ☺

But I am sure you get the idea.

Other categories were countries, animals, sports and any word!

Try it for yourself it is never to early or to late to do the alphabet game.

Perhaps share some categories of your own in the comments section.

Happy Play Times ☺