Jigsaw Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles provide brain food for young minds. Eye movement and eye-hand coordination help prepare children for reading. Experiences between the ages of 0 and 3 help "lay the foundation children need for lifelong self confidence and problem solving, and empowers them to explore, make mistakes and learn. Puzzles may be educational in content, helping children learn basic skills (colors, counting alphabet) and about their world (animals, transportation, careers). Well made, quality products combine these educational values with fun. The social aspect of working a puzzle may not be apparent at first, but in research done by Marlene Barron, head of West Side Montessori School in New York, three and four year olds were challenged with 100 - 300 piece puzzles, with surprising results. The "children shared strategies with partners" such as isolating colors, searching for particular designs or shapes. "Doing a jigsaw puzzle is a social literacy activity rich with conversations about the process, about the story represented by the picture, about the children's personal experiences connected to the picture" Barron noted. (Barron) Working on higher level puzzles is an activity that children can do at home as well, working on it over time to complete the project in progress. Nancy Joseph, owner of a store in Florida, "notes that puzzles encourage concentration, aid in fostering coordination and color matching, and still are fun." (Schulman) What more could we want! So this Christmas don’t forget to include jigsaw puzzle in your list and see your kids grow and learn.

Play and Learn

Our society has changed dramatically over the last fifty years, driven by advances in science and technology. Children are getting older younger and adults are staying younger longer. Children’s time is so tightly scheduled with structured activities that there is often no time left to just play! There are so many intrusions on a child’s play life. And yet, play is the way children learn about themselves and the world. It is through play that children learn to get along with others and to sort out conflicts. It is through play that children practice their language skills and develop their small (fine) and large (gross) motor skills. In addition, play encourages independence, self-esteem, creativity, and it gets their energy out! It gives children a much needed “down time” and functions as a stress reliever. One of the concepts that your toddler can learn playing is science, and with this human body cast and paint kit it’s an original way for them to start learning anatomy and have fun either with their friends or with the parents and you can be sure that what they learn through the play is never forgotten.

Exercising while playing.

We all know the benefits of exercising, helps us breath better, keep ourselves in good shape, and enjoy a longer life, well that’s for adults, but for kids it’s even more important, since that helps to develop their motor skills, kelps with the mobility and to have stronger bones and muscles more firm, however don’t try to make a toddler join an aerobic class because it will the most boring thing for him/her, however since kids moves thru motivation, if you find a game or an activity that is fun for them, they will do it, and you know how kids loves playing, the pull along toys are a great option, with a rollercoaster that has wheels, so it will be easy for him to move, with bright colors, they will love to be all over the place pulling it and since it has 3-D figures also in very bright colors helps to develop the vision tracking, definitely a great toy for your kid.

Fashionable beanbags

As we care for the nutrition, well being and education of our kids, their comfort is also important, if they want to rest, sleep, sit to watch TV or when they want something where they can sit quietly talking to mom and dad or their friends, a beanbag toy it’s a nice and original solution for this issue, when they feel comfortable somewhere they make of that place their favorite place to rest and if to that sensation you add some gentle vibrations the mushy beanbag chair will be your best allied and I’m sure they won’t want to get off their ever, plus the smooth vibrations stimulates the circulatory system of your toddler which will help even more to make them feel comfortable and relax when you want them to be quite or put to sleep. Plus, this ones in particular will be easy to clean, since it has washable covers and has the dimensions: 26" x 21" x 16.5", big enough for your kid to fit in there.

More than a Christmas Gift

We are always looking for that perfect gift for the little ones, either our own children or the family children, you can make the difference this year by giving a toy that not only the child will love but also will be educational for them, we are forgetting that children can lean by playing, there are toys that can develop their imagination and creativity, motor skills, brain development and speech or can help them start to recognize letters and sounds, also make sure to get a gift that will allow the parent to share time with the little one, something so important for every family nowadays.
For example I found these alphabet blocks that are really colorful and can give you hand when trying to teach letters or sounds, or if you have toddler and want to keep him/her busy for a while, there's nothing better than an animals puzzle also can help you with vocabulary and you can join them to solve the puzzle and the pieces are bigs so your little one won't swallow it or anything and the child-safe lead-free paint its another feature of these incredible toys.

Speech problems?

Are you concerned because you think that your child may have speech problems? that is a very common concern for parents around the world, the good news is that now you have a wide variety of sources that can help you or if you have a real concern always consult with your pediatrician.

However, like walking, there are kids that walk earlier than others, there are others that can talk earlier than others, however there are signs that you want to watch and may tell you if indeed there may be a real problem

What Causes Speech Problems?

Normal speech may seem effortless, but it's actually a complex process that requires precise timing, nerve, and muscle control.

When we speak, we must coordinate many muscles from various body parts and systems, including the larynx, which contains the vocal cords; the teeth, lips, tongue, and mouth; and the respiratory system.

The ability to understand language and produce speech is coordinated by the brain. So a person with brain damage from an accident, stroke, or birth defect may have speech and language problems. Apraxia is thought to be due to a brain impairment that may or may not show up on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests.

Some people with speech problems, particularly articulation disorders, may have hearing problems. Even mild hearing loss may have an impact on how a person reproduces the sounds they hear. Certain birth defects, such as a cleft palate, can interfere with someone's ability to produce speech. When a person has a cleft palate there is a hole in the roof of the mouth, which affects the movement of air through the oral and nasal passages. There also may be problems with other structures needed for speech, including the lips, teeth, and jaw.

Genetics may also play a role in some speech problems. For example, stuttering seems to run in some families. But in some cases, no one knows exactly what causes a person to have speech problems.

How can I tell if my child’s speech and language development is on track?
If your child is not on track with the following speech/language development milestones, you should talk to your pediatrician.
Here are the milestones to look for in normal speech development:

Age Language Level
Birth cries
2-3 months Cries differently in different circumstances; coos in response to
you
3-4 months Babbles randomly
5-6 months Babbles rhythmically
6-11 months Babbles in imitation of real speech, with expression
12 months Says 1-2 words; recognizes name; imitates familiar sounds;
understands simple instructions.
18 months Uses 5-20 words, including names

Between 1 and 2 Says 2-word sentences; vocabulary is growing;
years waves goodbye; makes “sounds” of familiar animals;
uses words (like “more”) to make wants known; understands “no”

So if you think that your child has a speech delay or speech problem you want to keep an eye on these symptons, but again, some kids may take longer to develop certain skills.

if you have a comment or question about speech delay let us know and I could try to answer it or others parents that have had the same situation may help you as well.
Here are other pages where you can find advices in speech problems

speech problems
speech disorders