Author Archives: admin

My Homemade Play book is now available!

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I am thrilled to say that Homemade Play: Creative Ways To Be With Your Baby, is now finished! What an accomplishment. All these years of staying up late, scribbling notes, reading and rereading page after page….So much went into this book. I thank everyone who has participated in the process.

coverWhat Homemade Play offers:

~ Creative ways to use things from around the house and neighborhood to engage and have fun with your baby.

~ Over 100 activities for babies 1 month to 1 year old.

~ Helpful photographs to ensure that each activity is carried out effectively and safely.

~ Detailed lists of household and nature sensory objects that you can explore with your baby

~ Tips on how to organize play objects into treasure baskets for easy access and clean up.

~ Testimonials from families who have enjoyed the activities with their own babies.

For more information on the book and to purchase you can go to the www.homemadeplaybook.com website.

For quick and easy activities that you can do with your baby follow me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/HomemadePlay?ref=hl

 

 

5 Things To Think About When Purchasing A Toy

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What do you think about when purchasing toys for your baby? After taking the Tum e Time class and reading my soon-to-be-released, Homemade Play book, I hope families find these types of ideas helpful.

1. Is the toy open ended? Research shows children are more creative when they play with toys that spark their imagination, meaning the object can be played with in a variety of ways.

2. What is the toy made of? Too many of the products are laced with toxins. Check out the website: Healthytoys.org and see if the one you want for your little one is as green as can be. This is especially important if they are in the mouthing stage.

3. Is there a common household object that is just as interesting to play with?

4. Does the toy stimulate the senses? Is there texture, color, patterns, weight, smell…?

5. Is the toy meant to be actively played with or passively played with (looking at lights blinking and listening to sounds)?

 

 

Toys For The Holiday

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In my Tum e Time series I talk a lot about using things from around the house to play with, so much so that I wrote a book on it (Homemade Play coming soon!). Although the stores are brimming with choices, so are the rooms in your house and the paths in the local parks.

I feel its a requirement around this time to post this article from GeekDad on the Wired website. It speaks to exactly this….enjoy, laugh, and make this holiday a joyful one with just the basics.

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/01/the-5-best-toys-of-all-time/all/1

Many blessings for the holidays and new year.  May you have many parenting adventures.

Please come out and play in 2014!

Gift Ideas For Your Baby

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Are family and friends asking what your little one wants for the holidays or birthday? If so, why not offer some of these simple ideas. Three reminders would be: watch for choking hazards, think ahead, invest in items that will grow with your baby and make sure they are open ended toys (toys with more than one purpose) to fuel creativity.

1. Balls: Try making your own, find “how to’s” on-line for working with felt or fabric.  If you’d prefer to support a local Oakland artist, these felt balls should be in every body’s list. Balls grow with your little one and these are works of art!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/dirtgirldesigns?ref=pr_shop_more

 

Interested in playground balls? Be sure to look for pure rubber balls no PVC, BPA or vinyl please.

 

2.  Kitchen props: Stainless steel or wooden bowl, wooden spoons, measuring cups

 

3.  Fabric: scarves, napkins, bandanas maybe even new bed sheets?

 

4.  Wooden blocks: a variety of sizes and shapes. Or you can make your own (tape up cardboard boxes.)

 

5.  Dramatic play items: hats, fabric doll babies (plus bibs, diapers, clothes), shoes, belts, capes, larger clothing, kitchen, pots and pans, utensils, wooden eggs, fabric vegetables, strollers, baskets to carry.

 

6.  Find items on walks that you can enjoy and play with together.  Leaves, rocks, pine cones, sticks, flowers.

 

7.  Baskets: You want to store items in an open basket where baby can access.  Think about sturdy, low lying baskets for non-sitters and deeper baskets with handles for sitters and walkers, or larger floor baskets for walkers.

 

8. My book Homemade Play: Creative Ways To Be With Your Baby will be ready to launch in a couple weeks, it makes a great gift for yourself or other families!