SUPERbaby play Archives - Page 2 of 2

Valentine’s mobile for babies

By Cathy James on January 25th, 2011%

Include your baby in the Valentine’s Day celebrations with this easy to make Valentine’s mobile. (Even better if you have an older brother or sister around who can help with the cutting and sticking).

Babies love looking at faces, especially ones they recognise as being special to them. Mobiles are a great way to help your baby develop their focus and track objects, and they can help keep them entertained when you’re changing their nappy or when they’re having some tummy time.

Here’s how to make it:

Look at these step by step drawings for more details

1. Cut out some hearts from red card – around eight is a good number to fit the mobile.

2.Print some photos of the people your baby loves: parents, siblings, grandparents and even pets. Cut out the faces and stick one in the centre of each heart. You might like to put a face on each side so there’s someone to look at whichever way the mobile turns.

3. To make the mobile, cut out a hoop from a piece of thick card, about the size of a large dinner plate and with a width of about 5cm.

4. Make four holes at even spaces around the hoop and thread through some string, wool or ribbon. Tie the four threads together and use this to hang your mobile.

5. Add threads to each of your hearts and fasten them to the hoop. An easy way to do this is with a sewing needle and some cotton. Thread the cotton through the needle and knot one end. Push the needle through the heart, then push it through the hoop. Leave a long thread so the heart dangles down and tie a knot at the other end to hold it in place. Place your hearts at even spaces around the hoop to help your mobile balance and hang well.

6. To make a simpler version you can hang the hearts from a ‘washing line’. Fasten a length of ribbon or thread between two nails and tie or peg the hearts along the line.

7. Hang your mobile or washing line where your baby can see it and the faces on the hearts are visible, but just out of their reach so there is no chance of them getting tangled up. You might find it better placed slightly to the side over their nappy changing table, as babies most often lie with their head turned a little.

We have more Valentine’s crafts in our archive including a Valentine shaker, just right for musical babies.

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Our SUPERbaby play series focuses on simple, playful ideas you can use with the youngest of children to have fun and encourage them to develop important early learning skills. The emphasis is on ideas you can easily fit into a busy week, using materials you’ll have around your home. View all our SUPERbaby ideas here.

happily shared with Works for Me Wednesday and Craft Schooling Sunday and the Virtual Valentine’s Day Party

Mirror play for babies

By Cathy James on January 17th, 2011%

Babies love looking at faces, so sit yourselves down in front of a mirror and have some fun.

Start by sitting your baby on your lap or propped up between your legs, as you look at yourselves in front of a mirror. At first just let your baby look at their reflection and notice how they react. Do they try to touch the baby in the mirror or smile at her?
Try changing your expression and seeing if your baby notices. Sit with a calm expression and then change to a happy, animated face. Can you make your baby laugh? Do they copy your expression and smile back?
You could play peek-a-boo with the mirror too. Drape a scarf or piece of fabric over the mirror and wonder where the baby has gone – then whip it away with a flourish to find the baby is still there. This is a great opportunity to include an older brother or sister in the play, as they can be in charge of pulling away the scarf and can join in some fun play with their little sibling.
It’s always good to include some chat with any game you play so you could touch and name the different parts of your face. ‘Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’ would be a perfect song to sing.
If you have a safety mirror (a polycarbonate unbreakable one) you might think about fixing it up somewhere your baby can lie next to, or crawl over to. You could prop it up near to them when they’re having some tummy time and let them enjoy looking at the other baby.

Babies naturally like to look at other people and this mirror time lets them become familiar with faces and different expressions. It helps them practise focusing on things and tracking images with their eyes. It’s an early step towards their emotional development too because they’ll begin to notice how their own expression changes which once they are older can lead you into talking about how they’re feeling.

Does your baby enjoy looking at themselves in the mirror? What games do you play?

Click over here to read more about our SUPERbaby series and pop back next Monday to share another playful idea.

happily shared with We Play and Works for Me Wednesday

SUPERbaby play ideas

By Cathy James on January 9th, 2011%

Welcome to the start of our new series of play ideas for the very youngest children: SUPERbaby play. Each Monday I’m going to be bringing you an idea you can use to give babies great start in life. I’ll be covering ideas to develop all of your babies senses, in a gentle, playful way. I’ll include ideas you can use with newborns right through until they reach their first birthday (when they can graduate to some of our grown up ideas!). The activities can be adapted to suit older children too, so big brothers and sisters can join in.

Why SUPERbaby? Well, I think babies are super. From birth they are clever little people observing the world and learning from everything they see, touch, hear, taste and smell. I hope the SUPERbaby articles will give you some ideas you can try as you nurture your tiny little learner.

The ideas I’m going to include in SUPERbaby play are Simple, because I know that parents with new babies are very busy anyway, and in need of sleep, so the activities will be things you can do without having to stick to a rigid regime, buy any expensive equipment or spend a whole hour getting ready. Most of the ideas just need you and your baby to join in.

I recognise that you and your baby are Unique. Although there are average ages when babies smile, sit by themselves, learn to crawl and so on, every baby is different. I also know that different babies (and parents) like different activities. The SUPERbaby ideas cover all sorts of sensory play and will fit with your babies stage, rather than their age – so you can use them all if you want, or just pick some of them to try.

The ideas are Playful. NurtureStore is all about learning through play and the SUPERbaby ideas follow the same philosophy of having fun whilst encouraging your baby to develop to their full potential.

The ideas are Educational because, although your baby won’t realise it, by joining in with these playful activities they’re going to be developing their language and listening skills, practising gaining control of their bodies, and being introduced to maths and science and creative play.

The ideas are Relaxed. There’s no pressure, for you or your baby. If you’d like an idea to use this week – come and join in the fun. If you’re too busy, your baby’s a little cranky or you’re both having a nap instead, that’s fine too. The ideas are here for you to dip into when you want them – and they’ll all in the archive (which you can get to by clicking on the SUPERbaby play button on the right hand column) so you can come back and use them whenever you want.

So… Simple + Unique + Playful+ Educational+ Relaxed = SUPERbaby play.

I hope you’ll come and join us next Monday for our first SUPERbaby idea.