April 20, 2007

Floor Activity Mats - Need It!


Activitot Tropical Isle

MOM TIME: 10-50 Minutes
AGE: 1-8 Months
NECESSITY SCALE: Need It!

Floor activity mats are a bit like crib mobiles, they're supposed to entertain wee-ones with brightly colored things dangling in their faces or just out of their reach. From an adult's perspective, neither of those options sound like much fun.

Do you like having things dangling in your face? Probably not! You'd probably try to swat it away, or tear it to pieces...And that's exactly what your tiny tot will try to do as well! Except, well, they LIKE it. Crazy, I know!

In fact, all that batting and swatting is great for their development (hand-eye coordination, muscle tone, brain activity, etc.). Trust me, when they're beating all their friends at PlayStation 7 in a few years, they'll thank you for giving them this jump on the competition.

So, depending on just how involved your infant gets with one of these, they could entertain themselves for quite a while! And you don't have to feel guilty while going about your other business, because it's good for them.

Drawbacks: Some babies don't seem all that interested in their environment until around 3 months, and this can only be used until they start to crawl (7-10 months about), so your baby may only use this for a few months.

Is it worth it for that little amount of time? It depends on how much you think your time is worth...After all, an hour of happy time for them is an hour of productive time for you! Do the math!


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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great work.

November 10, 2008 at 7:46 PM

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Love, Learn, Grow!

Moms & Experts Pick Top 10 ToysHelp Your Child Learn and Save
 

eBeanstalk Announces First Annual List of Top Ten Developmental Toys Selected by eBeanstalk Child Experts and 500 Mom Mother Board

With so many choices, shopping for just the right toy can be an overwhelming undertaking for new parents who can find themselves endlessly roaming the aisles and the internet looking for the perfect play experience for their child. In fact, 65 % of those shopping for young children find it difficult to locate toys that help in learning and development. Now finding the best toys to nurture intellectual and physical growth for your infant or toddler has just been made easier.

1 Farm Friends Bowling by International Playthings -- “Set them up, then knock them down! Toddlers love cause and effect (and watching things fall down!).

S T R I K E ! Farm Friends Bowling includes brightly colored, numbered, textured bowling pins in the shape of animals. Each pin makes a noise when shaken and the colorful bowling ball makes a chiming noise as it rolls.”
2 Stacking Toy & Ball Game by Tiny Love -- “It’s two toys in one!”

The Stacking Toy & Ball Game is an exciting 2-in-1 electronic stacker with a ball game. As a stacking toy, the rings can be threaded on to the base. As a game, your child can drop a ball into the funnel-shaped elephant head at the top of the stack to hear fun sounds and see flashing lights. Batteries included.
3 Pizza Pile Up by International Playthings --“A great way to experiment with weights and balance. Too much on one side and you lose all your toppings!”

Pizza Pile Up is a game that features a wobbling Poppa holding a pizza pie. Each player roles the die and then puts toppings on the pie, the first to knock over the pie loses.
4 Counting Cookies by Learning Resources --“Simply THE BEST toy for teaching counting!”

I love to count! Counting Cookies includes ten numbered cookies, each with the corresponding number of chips on top. The Counting Cookies are made of soft plastic and come in their own sturdy plastic cookie jar.
Counting Cookies
5 Fun With Fruit by Small World Toys -- ”A great toy that strengthens the hands and promotes imaginary play.”

Fun With Fruit is a brightly-colored set of plastic fruit that comes apart into segments and can be peeled. The 13-piece set includes a fruit bowl, apple, strawberry, grape, orange, watermelon, peach, pineapple, pear, plum, lemon, banana, and a plastic knife that makes a realistic cutting sound.
6 Zolo Linko by Kushies -- “Hold them, chew them, pull them apart and put them together-a great first toy for manipulation.”

This is one activity-loaded teething toy. Zolo Linkos connect to create a chain or clip onto other Zolo baby toys. Zolo Linko features three lovable characters, four bite and chew teethers, four hold-together rings and a variety of textures.
7 Make Your Own Postcards by Handa --“The sky’s the limit when a child can create a card and send it off in the mail.”

Make Your Own Postcards includes 10 postcards, over 250 pop-out shapes, and a glue stick. After your little one has finished decorating, help them send the postcards to family and friends.
8 Hullabaloo by Cranium --“A fun game that helps listening skills and motor skills all at the same time!”

Hullabaloo is the high-energy game that is full of cool tunes, fun sounds, and all kinds of surprises. Kids listen closely and think fast as they bounce, twist, spin, high-five, and dance to the music, sounds, and friendly voice of Hullabaloo. The manufacturer recommends this toy is for ages 4 and up but our experts have this toy in the 3 year old age because it is a toy that grows with your child.

9 Roaring Dinosaur by Cranium --“Roar with your mouth, stomp with your feet! This dinosaur is a great mix of sensory stimulation and pretend play.”

Unleash the animal inside your youngster with the Giggle Gear Roaring Dinosaur Dress-Up Toy. This soft, plush dinosaur costume is the perfect mix of disguise and sensory stimulation. The T-Rex head growls, rumbles, and roars with movement, while the clawed feet crash, clomp and stomp.
10 Play Foam by Educational Insights. -- “Make new creations over and over again.”

Play Foam is a lightweight, colorful foam sculpting material that won't crumble, and won't stick to skin or surfaces. So there's no cleanup required. And Play Foam never dries, which means you can use it over and over and over again. Includes 6 Play Foam bricks in vibrant colors and an idea sheet.
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