"A baby can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.”  Paulo Coelho

Playing with babies is a precious experience because time passes so quickly. Just when you get a reaction or skill mastered, they are onto something new! As adults, our feelings range from awe and wonder to an overwhelming understanding of just how dependent on us they really are! Remind yourself to enjoy the journey, savor the moments, and sear them into your heart because you're building foundational bonds for everything to come. 

In the first year of life, your baby’s brain is growing 1% every day. This is the fastest rate of their lifetime! They're born ready to learn. They depend on you, their caregivers, as their first teachers. It is up to you to develop the right skills to encourage independence and healthy, successful lives. Your baby needs plenty of opportunities to play and explore. You can promote healthy brain growth through stimulation and exposure with lots of human contact. Talk about everything with them! Speaking with children and exposing them to books, stories, and songs helps strengthen children’s language and communication. This puts them on a path toward learning and succeeding in school.

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Looking for a gift for a newborn?

 A magical way to stimulate a baby is with a super soft plush toy! Bashful Bunnies by Jellycat will help you to connect and bond with giggles, smiles and coos. As you help your baby feel the plush toy, you build body awareness, fine and gross motor skills, and can even calm and soothe a fussy baby. We can even personalize your Jellycat Bunny's ears. Most Jellycat brand plushies are rated for newborns, but feel free to ask our Beyond the Blackboard team about a particular stuffed animal if you aren't sure!

Why do babies put everything in their mouth?

Have you noticed that babies put everything in their mouths - including their own feet?! This oral exploration is a key developmental stage. It allows them to discover the taste and texture of different objects. Mouthing objects can also be a sign that the first tooth is ready to surface. Providing appropriate, easy to hold chew toys is always important.  

Baby Paper is a fun baby teether and sensory stimulator. Baby Paper is currently available in our Arvada and Aurora, Colorado shops, or you can give us a call during business hours using the number at the top of your screen. We'd love to help you with your order over the phone!

You'll love the texture of one of our many teethers, too - just what you'd want to sink your teeth into!  Many are made from natural rubber - biodegradable, durable and 100% eco-friendly, too. Contact us to see what's available!

Bath Time!

At about 6 months, children start to sit by themselves, so bath time is playtime! Singing, splashing, and pouring water on their heads are all part of the fun. And you can never have too many bath toys, right? Check out our collection, here - these are toys they'll grow into and enjoy for many years.

Cause & Effect - How Babies Learn to Interact with Their World

Baby Paper is a fun little gift by itself or cute tied to the top of a package! It's a five-inch square of soft fabric with a crinkly scented product inside. Perfect for tiny hands to grab and put in their mouth while they experience the added sensation of making noise. Bonus: Use the smell of the fabric to help your baby bond with you. Mom or Dad can put the Baby Paper against their skin to absorb their scent so that when they leave the baby can be calmed by their smell!

 Pushing buttons to create change is an early skill that babies love to repeat over and over. When you do it with them you create an element of surprise that makes them giggle. The Dimpl Duo is a tactile delight to touch, push, and pop. The design introduces colors, shapes and even printed words.

You can't start reading books too early! Help them until they are ready to do it themselves!

From Crawling to Walking

When your baby starts to crawl, a whole new experience happens. Where are they? They are on the move and it is time to child proof everything! It is important to give them lots of time and room to roam because they are building all their gross motor skills to get ready to walk. A fun and focused motivator for them is soft pull back cars that they can chase across the floor. They'll crawl along to push the cars, as well as follow them when you send them across the floor. Be ready with a walker/scooter when they are getting close to taking their first steps! Our baby walkers are stable yet lightweight toy for them to push around.

Check out his related article for a good list for childproofing you home. 

Last But Not Least - Bedtime!

 LumiPets are the perfect gift for babies and newborns, that will stay with them for years to come. At the end of the day, when everyone is tired, it's fun to go to sleep under the stars. It provides just enough light on a crib-side table to soothe your baby to sleep (and let you see while you tiptoe out of the room).