KIDS MUSICAL TOYS - HOW CHILDREN DEVELOP: 6 - 12 Months

Hi Guys, well we have looked at what happens to baby in the first 6 months, so lets move on to the next 6 months, from 6 to 12 months.

Things are really starting to happen and your baby is starting to become a little person and much more interested in what's going on around and would probably benefit from a baby play mat. He or she will start to try and communicate (in a baby kind of way) by gurgling and maybe blowing bubbles, they will also start to sit up, turn over and before you know it, they are starting to crawl.

It is at this stage that you really need to have eyes in the back of your head, but it is so important to keep baby safe and make sure that everything that could be harmful, is out of reach as the word "No" has not much effect at this age. Its a good idea to get down on your hands and knees to get a baby's eye view of what is around that baby may like to pick up and put in its mouth.

Once baby is crawling it won't be long before they are trying to stand and take their first steps, so make sure that you protect them from any sharp edges on furniture with pillows or cushions, especially low tables.

I remember when my daughter was about 2 and she fell against the corner of a coffee table and cut her head open. I landed up at A&E with her under one arm and my 9 month old son under the other. Not a great experience.

Your baby will now be very curious and want to explore and play with all manner of things, so make sure they are only the things that you want them to play with like cot toys. Make sure you protect electrical outlets with safety plugs, remove electrical cords and lock cabinets.

Although not essential, at this stage you may want to think about a playpen, as this will allow you a little time to yourself once in a while.

With this in mind you may like to take a another look at the Fisher Price Little Playzone

which I reviewed in a previous post - "Summer is Coming", or The Baby Activity Gym by Fisher Price featured on the Post "Baby Comes First".

Be sure to check out my next post, when I will continue with Kids Musical Toys - How Children Develop...........

KIDS MUSICAL TOYS - HOW DO CHILDREN LEARN - O - 6 Months

Hi Guys, it has been of great interest to me to try and understand how children learn during their various stages of development, so for the next few posts I am going to be looking at a baby's learning process from birth to 24 months.

From birth to about 6 months a baby learns primarily through the various senses of sight, sound and touch. It takes a while for a baby's sight to develop, in fact they are not able to focus properly for a few weeks, but can detect shapes and movement, which is why baby mobiles and cot toys can be both stimulating and comforting.

A baby is already used to the sound of its mother from the womb and will continue to receive a great deal of comfort from hearing her talking or singing. This reaction can be reinforced with the additional sounds that can be provided from musical mobiles attached to the cot.

As baby continues to develop they will become more interested in their surroundings and start to develop their sense of touch and explore their hands and feet and anything else within reach, which is a good time to introduce them to soft cot toys. These will give baby the opportunity of learning about different shapes and textures.

I believe that apart from anything else, the most important part of a baby's development during this early period is without doubt the love and attention it receives from its parents.

To round off this initial post on how a baby learns I have reviewed a Musical Mobile which I think would make a perfect gift for a newborn baby.

Geenny Lavender Butterfly Flower Musical Mobile

A beautiful crafted Baby Musical Mobile from Geenny covered in a soft and soothing lavender fabric with butterflies and flowers and soft calming music to send your baby to sleep.

Fisher-Price Friendly Firsts Smart Response Musical Mobile

Now when baby wakes up and starts to cry, you'll have some extra help. If crying lasts for more than eight seconds, the Smart Response Musical Mobile automatically responds with sweet music, soft lights and gentle motion to help soothe baby back to sleep. It's easy to attach to most crib styles even sleigh cribs, and when it's time to remove the mobile from the crib, you can keep the base attached as a soothing music box with night light. This requires three batteries to function.

If you are interested in these products just click on the above links.

Be sure to look out for my next post on 'How do Children Learn".