Category Archives: Baby

Infant Activities

Infant Activities

Infant activities boost brain power and encourage social skills. Imitation is a simple way to interact with your baby and encourage brain development. For adults, imitation can be the sincerest form of flattery. For babies, it is a learning tool.

First of all, according to Andrew Meltzoff, from the University of Washington Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences. “Babies are exquisitely careful people-watchers, and they’re primed to learn from others.”

Consequently, babies observe others and copy their body movements. This is how babies learn to hold a phone to their ear or a spoon to their mouth.

In the beginning, your face is your baby’s whole world. Babies can only focus on things that are between 8-16 inches from their face. Therefore, snuggle in close and try these fun copycat games.

Here are simple infant activities to encourage your baby to be a copycat:

  1. Make Funny Faces
  2. Smile Wide
  3. Wink Eyes
  4. Stick Out Tongue
  5. Raise Eyebrows

Therefore, these infant activities will improve vision, hearing, brain development and social skills. As a result, your baby will also learn how to give and receive attention!

Brain Boost With Infant Activities

A more recent study disagrees with Meltzoff. Professor Virginia Slaughter, a developmental psychologist at the University of Queensland says newborn babies do not imitate us, we imitate them. Her study suggests babies are not born imitators and need to learn the skill.

Professor Slaughter’s study reopens the long standing debate whether or not babies are born with the ability to copy adults. An interesting argument but most of all, infant activities encourage interaction and stimulate brain development.

Finally, full of infant activities, Teach My Baby is the multi award-winning all-in-one learning kit for babies 6 months+. Requiring no screens, the kit has everything necessary to teach baby the basics.

Thanks to Blogging Mom of 4 for such a super video review of Teach My Baby!

Counting On Fingers

Counting On Fingers

Counting on fingers is a great way to teach babies their first numbers. Can you believe there is real educational value in counting on fingers? Noteworthy, evidence suggests that counting on fingers is essential for mathematical success.

Jo Boaler, a Stanford University professor wrote in The Atlantic that researchers found first graders with a strong knowledge of their fingers scored higher on number comparison and estimation in the second grade.

The researchers found  that when 6-year old children improved their ability to count on fingers, they improved their overall knowledge of math. In particular, counting and number ordering improved.

Consequently, the quality of the 6-year-old’s finger counting was a better predictor of future performance on math tests than their scores on tests of cognitive processing through thoughts, experiences, and senses.

Finger research is part of larger research that has looked at the importance of visual math. Researchers have discovered that our mathematical thinking is part of visual processing. Many believe that students who develop their visual mind will be well equipped for the new high tech workplace.

Start early by encouraging  visual math with counting on fingers and Teach My Baby. The Teach My Baby Learning Kit introduces your baby to numbers and counting to 5. By using a hand and finger puppets, the concept of counting on fingers becomes real.

In just 20 minutes a day, your baby can master their first numbers. Use the coordinated book, storyboard and five finger puppets together to encourage early education, interaction and fun, educational play. Teach My Baby has everything you need to encourage counting on fingers, give your baby’s numeracy skills a head start and teach counting!

Counting On Fingers

 

Baby’s First Words

When will your baby’s cooing turn into your baby’s first words? Around 8 months, your baby will start to imitate sounds and you may experience your baby’s first words! According to Parenting Magazine, by 11 to 14 months, your baby’s tongue and lips will gain dexterity and the brain starts to match up objects with names. The first dozen words will refer to you and other favorite people, favorite toys or other objects, and favorite foods. Your baby’s first words will consist almost entirely of common nouns and proper nouns: ‘Mama’, ‘Dada’, ‘sock’, ‘shoe’, ‘ball’, ‘spoon’, ‘cup’ or ‘car’

Interestingly, Livescience says the reason your baby’s first words are usually ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ is because their brain responds better to words with repeating syllables. Keep this in mind when encouraging your baby’s first words!

Here are 5 easy tips to encourage your baby’s first words

  1. Read Together: Reading is important for so many reasons. Not only will it create a life- long love of books but it will allow your baby to watch your mouth movements and encourage vocabulary.
  2. Talk a Lot: Providing a running commentary while performing daily activities such as dressing, bathing, feeding is essential for building first words.
  3. Animal Sounds: The cow says “moo” and the dog says “woof”! When you make animal sounds, encourage your baby to watch your mouth closely as you make the sound. Your baby will eventually mimic and imitate your mouth’s movements.
  4. Sing: Babies love music and especially songs with rhyming and silly noises. Singing will introduce a broad range of sounds for your baby to imitate.
  5. Name Everything: Be sure that everything you pick up is named. “Here is your spoon”  ”Let’s put on your socks” Naming items will build vocabulary and encourage your baby’s first words.

Teach My Baby First Words introduces your baby to the most common first twelve words in the English language. Just 10-20 minutes a day with the award winning Teach My Baby tools and your baby can master their first words! Use the coordinated book and one-piece puzzles together to encourage repetition, interaction and fun, educational play. The set has everything you need to give your baby’s literacy skills a head start!

babys-first-words

Teach My Baby Kit

Games for Babies

No need to engage in structured games for babies. By simply encouraging your baby to imitate you, they are learning. For adults, imitation can be the sincerest form of flattery but for babies, it truly is a learning tool.. They observe others and then copy body movements. This is how babies learn to hold a phone to their ear and a spoon to their mouth.

According to Andrew Meltzoff, co-author and co-director of the UW Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences. “Babies are exquisitely careful people-watchers, and they are primed to learn from others.”

In the beginning, your face is your baby’s whole world. Babies can only focus on things that are between 8-16 inches from their face, so snuggle in close and try these fun copycat games for babies!

Here are simple games for babies to boost brain development:

Make Funny Faces

Smile Wide

Wink Eyes

Stick Out Tongue

Raise Eyebrows

These games for babies will improve vision, hearing, brain development and social skills. Your baby will learn how to give and receive attention!

Full of activities for infants and games for babies, Teach My Baby is the multi award-winning all-in-one learning kit for babies 6 months+. Requiring no screens, the kit has everything necessary for teaching baby the basics and encouraging imitation and brain development.

Teach My Baby Learning Kit

when-do-babies-start-talking

When do babies start talking

Are you wondering when your little one will say ‘mama’ or ‘dada’? When do babies start talking is one of the most commonly searched topics. Sherry Artemenko, a speech-language pathologist and founder of Play on Words says your baby’s verbal skills will progress through stages as the vocal mechanism matures. It all starts with babbling, an important milestone because it represents the beginning of real communication.

Dr. Michael Dickinson, the head of pediatrics and chief of staff at the Miramichi Regional Hospital believes parents can encourage the process of when do babies start talking by engaging in ‘baby talk’.

Dickinson encourages new parents to use baby talk that is high-pitched and musical. Sentences should be short and simple and involve repetition. Infants respond to quality speech. Age appropriate books can be a great resource for words in repetitive, playful sentences.

Parents can echo their infants. For example, repeating sounds like “baa-baa” or “paa-paa” back to your baby will encourage your child to continue to verbalize. This act also helps introduce the normal to-and-fro activity that is involved in making a sound and listening for a response.

After baby talk, your baby will begin to form real words. By age 2, there are about 25 words your toddler should know. Here is the list of 25 words from the Bryn Mawr College research but keep in mind, they are just a target!

  1. Mommy
  2. Daddy
  3. Baby
  4. Milk
  5. Juice
  6. Banana
  7. Cookie
  8. More
  9. All gone
  10. Hello
  11. Bye-Bye
  12. Thank You
  13. Yes
  14. No
  15. Not
  16. Dog
  17. Cat
  18. Hat
  19. Bath
  20. Ball
  21. Book
  22. Car
  23. Shoe
  24. Nose
  25. Eye

When do babies start talking? Encourage your baby’s first words with Teach My Baby First Words. The coordinated set introduces your baby to the most common first twelve words in the English language. Just 10-20 minutes a day with the award winning Teach My Baby tools and your baby can master their first words!

teach-my-baby-first-words

 

teach my baby learning kit

Reading Counts!

Many new parents wonder if there is value in reading to a small baby. Reading counts – experts believe reading to your baby can be very beneficial. Studies show that the earlier babies are exposed to reading, the more they will enjoy reading and learning and the better they will perform in school.

Here are 9 simple reasons why reading counts when it comes to babies:

  1. Promote Listening Skills
  2. Expose your Baby to an Increased Number of Vocabulary Words
  3. Develop Your Baby’s Attention Span and Memory
  4. Help Your baby to Master Uncommon words
  5. Ensure Your Baby Understands the Meanings of Words
  6. Teach Your Baby Concepts about Print or Ebooks
  7. Promote Bonding Between You And Your Baby
  8. Stimulate Your Baby’s Imagination and Senses
  9. Instill a Love of Books and Learning in your baby

Teach My Baby is the multi award-winning all-in-one learning kit for babies. The kit is divided into four sections to teach babies – First Words, First Numbers, Self and Sound & Touch. Requiring no batteries or DVDs, the kit has an assortment of everything necessary for teaching baby the basics; nesting blocks, finger puppets, books, textured & mirrored flashcards, a story board, one & two piece puzzles, all in a portable and storable carrying case. Teach My Baby will ensure that reading counts!

Teach My Baby Learning Kit

Good Night Moon

Best Books For Babies

Reading to your baby is a great way to promote early reading skills and boost brain development. When choosing, the best books for babies have interesting pictures, simple words and rhyming text. Reading to your baby can promote listening skills, build vocabulary, improve attention span and create a strong bond.

To start your best books for babies library, here are a few of our favorites:

  1. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
  2. Pat The Bunny By Dorothy Kunhardt
  3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
  4. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed By Eileen Christelow
  5. Tails by Matthew Van Fleet
  6. Counting Kisses by Karen Katz
  7. I Like It When… by Mary Murphy
  8. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
  9. Tickle, Tickle by Helen Oxenbury
  10. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Along with your best books for babies library, Teach My Baby, the multi award winning learning kit for babies 6 months+ has 4 board books with simple, clear photographic images. The Teach My Baby kit is divided into four sections to teach babies – First Words, First Numbers, Self and Sound & Touch. Requiring no batteries or DVDs, the kit has an assortment of everything necessary for teaching your baby the basics; nesting blocks, finger puppets, books, textured & mirrored flashcards, a story board, one & two piece puzzles, all in a portable and storable carrying case.

Teach My Baby Learning Kit