"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 and 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, to develop the right skills to become independent and lead healthy and successful lives. They need 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, which puts them on a path toward learning and succeeding in school.

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Looking for something playful and fun for a newborn?

A magical way to stimulate your baby is with a toy called the Yoee Baby!The super soft “tickler” was inspired by a feather and will help you to connect and bond with giggles, smiles and coos.  As you caress you baby with the toy, you build body awareness, fine and gross motor skills, and can even calm and soothe a fussy baby.

 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.  

The Munch Mitt is a fun baby teething mitten. You'll love the texture of the Baby Dino teethers too - just what you'd want to sink your teeth into!  It's made from natural rubber - biodegradable, durable and 100% eco-friendly, too.

Bath Time!

At about 6 months, children start to sit by themselves, so bath time is playtime! You can improve your adult skills of multitasking - get your "chores" done (bathing the children), and at the same time creating healthy play time! 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 Spin and Sort Spout or the Submarine Underwater Spray Station - 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 link 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! Poke-a-Dot books link are a book format with lots of popping buttons that make noise.  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! The Eezy Peezy Whirlee rider-walker link is a stable yet lightweight toy for them to push around and eventually ride.

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

Last but Not Least - Bedtime!

The Twilight Turtle link is 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 twinkling on the ceiling to soothe your baby to sleep (and let you see while you tiptoe out of the room).

 And everyone needs a super soft Jelly Cat plush! Bunnies are great because your child can grab them by the ear and hold on. Check out our personalization service for the ears!