Category: Preschool

Every new parent wishes to engrave the memories of childbirth and the next few milestones within their heart. After all, children grow up so fast, and all the sweet and innocent memories become blurry in a blink.  Some do it by making vlogs or clicking pictures on their smartphones. However, there are way better options to keep these memories close.

So, let’s know those here and explore ideas of how to preserve those fleeting moments with your newborn.

1. Make a keepsake box

Keepsake boxes store the little pieces of tangible memories from your baby and your time together. A few things to add to this box are:

• Your and your baby’s hairlocks
• Both of your hospital bands and hat
• Arrival cards from your loved ones for the baby
• Ultrasound photos and other photos post-birth

2. Sign up for a newborn photoshoot

Newborn baby portraits are one of the sweetest ways to keep memories of these precious moments. While you can take pictures with your camera, consider doing it with a professional. This ensures that you have great quality and aesthetic pictures.

If you’re in Canada, look up the best places for newborn photography. Before you get an appointment, ensure they are the best in the industry so you get the worth of your money!

Discuss what safety measures they take, their time limits, the props they’ll use, and whether they provide basic food and warm space for you and your baby.

You can hang these portraits at home, stick them in scrapbooks, or use the images for announcements and invitations.

3. Record video diaries

From pregnancy to a baby’s birth there are many new milestones, so record them as videos immediately. It can be your feelings and thoughts in the labor room, your emotions while first seeing and holding your child, or the first time you successfully fed your child.

It can also include the first time your baby says mama/papa, their first step, their first time meeting siblings and pets, their first art or writing, and so on.

Compile all of these records and create a full video out of it. Once your baby grows up, they’ll know how much you cherish them.

4. Send emails or letters to your baby

If you have a way with your words and are tech-savvy, carve your warm emotions into words and email your baby.

For this, create an email ID for the newborn. Make sure you save the password and other credentials safely.

Write about your life experience during the first week with them. Share how they were as a newborn, how you dealt with every setback, and add every memorable instance.

If you’re not good with technology, write letters and store them in a box.

5. Plan a time capsule

If you’re unfamiliar with a time capsule, it’s a box with memories and letters to a person that must be opened at a special future date.

In your baby’s time capsule, add all the little things like childhood family photos, letters, warm wishes from everyone, greeting cards, and clothing items that they can’t use anymore.

You can also add a detailed record of what happened on the day they were born. Some parents even add current events, like gas and food expenses, the weather, and their mood on the child’s birth date.

Lastly, talk to your partner and pick a day for your child to open the box. It can be middle or high school graduation or when they move out of home for a job or college.

6. Baby Scans

Before your baby is even born, you can get a baby scan at various stages throughout the pregnancy.

These scans are often done to offer peace of mind as your baby grows, but the images rendered are also yours to hold as treasured keepsakes.

Pregnancy scans can mark dates, show growth progress, reveal gender and even produce 3D and 4D images.

7. Get the details on wooden blocks

On wooden blocks, get these details about your baby carved or painted:

• Their name
• Their birth date and time
• Their weight and height after birth

This can be kept as a keepsake on your shelf. Or, you can let your baby play with these blocks as they grow.

8. Utilize outgrown clothes

You get so many cute clothes for your baby. But these little buggers outgrow them pretty fast.

Most people either give away clothes as hand-me-downs or donations. However, about 85% of donated outfits are dumped in landfills or incinerated.

So, you can instead make a cute blanket or stuffed animals out of them for your baby. Make the best out of every little thing you have!

Conclusion

Remember, these are only a few unique ways to make memories. So, don’t hesitate to come up with your unique idea or seek loved ones for it!

Imagine walking into a classroom full of energetic preschoolers. It can be such an overwhelming experience! This rings true whether you’re a teacher or a parent. But have you ever thought about how it can even be more challenging for a child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), whose mind and body struggle to focus and remain still?

So, just think about how crowded places and the sensory overload they entail affect them. Fortunately, there’s a solution: ADHD toys.

Studies have shown that ADHD toys offer numerous benefits to preschoolers. But what are these types of toys? How do they help ADHD and non-ADHD preschoolers exactly? Those are some of the things that we’ll talk about in this post. So, if you’re ready to learn more, please read on!

Understanding ADHD in preschoolers

Let’s try to understand ADHD more first. It’s a neurodevelopmental condition. And while it affects people of all ages, its symptoms first appear during childhood. In fact, the number of children that have been diagnosed with ADHD from the age of three to 17 has reached six million from 2016-2019.

So, if you want to know whether an individual has ADHD, observing them during their preschool years might help. Hyperactivity, difficulty sustaining attention, and impulsivity are some of the various symptoms you must keep an eye on.

Again, whether you’re a teacher or a parent, you understand how important preschool is. It’s a critical stage for acquiring language development, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and other fundamental skills. The problem is that with ADHD, these developmental milestones may become more challenging to achieve. What can you do if that’s the case? Utilize tools that can assist children as they develop during their preschool years, like the ADHD toys online or the ones you can find in toy stores.

The importance of play in preschool development

Children want to play. That’s just the way it is. What many people don’t realize, however, is that playing is more than just having fun, especially for a child. It holds immense significance in their growth and learning, particularly for preschoolers. By playing, young children get to explore and make sense of the world around them. Surely, it’s the same way you learned about the world around you as a toddler. That’s why experts recommend embracing and promoting play in order to create an environment that cultivates a child’s cognitive, social, and emotional skills.

Introduction to ADHD toys

As their name suggests, ADHD toys are specifically designed for children with ADHD. What’s great about them is that they address the unique needs and challenges associated with the condition. How do they do it? It’s by providing children with engaging and therapeutic experiences. The development of attention, focus, and self-regulation skills are what ADHD toys support.

As a teacher or parent who deals with children with ADHD, you’d be glad to know that you can find a wide range of these toys on the market. Fidget, sensory, and educational toys—you can choose based on what you think can best assist a child. Do you want something that can help children channel their excess energy and improve focus? A fidget spinner or stress ball would be a good idea.

It’s important to note, however, that while ADHD toys can be valuable in the development of children with ADHD, it’s still best to approach the condition holistically. It means that you shouldn’t make the mistake of ignoring other interventions, such as therapy and parental support.

Benefits of ADHD toys in preschool development

How do ADHD toys specifically impact the lives of preschoolers with ADHD?

Improved focus and attention span

Remember that children with ADHD find it challenging to focus and remain still? ADHD toys can engage and hold their attention. As a result, they can focus more, sustaining their attention span. Fidget spinners or stress balls, for instance, offer tactile stimulation, keeping a child’s restless hands busy and focused.

Enhanced fine and gross motor skills

In addition to improving focus and attention span, some ADHD toys enhance fine and gross motor skills by encouraging movement and coordination. Good examples are balance boards and therapy balls. A therapy putty can also be a good option in aiding motor skill development as it helps improve grip strength and hand-eye coordination. If you want to encourage movement, you can’t go wrong with resistance bands, too.

Facilitated sensory integration

Some ADHD toys offer different textures, sounds, and tactile experiences. They help stimulate and regulate sensory input by soothing sensory anxiety and regulating emotions. You can choose from sensory bottles and bins as well as textured balls and smooth wooden toys for this purpose.

Promoted social interactions and emotional regulation

Finally, but definitely not least, ADHD toys promote turn-taking, sharing, and collaborative play. And the result of that? Social skills encouragement. Not only that, but children will also learn conflict-resolution skills and build positive peer relationships.

Of course, positive peer relationships through collaborative play can help children with ADHD practice regulating their emotions. But does your child have a natural tendency to feel angry or distressed easily? ADHD toys such as stress balls, sensory pillows, and calm-down jars can also help. They can be an outlet for emotional release or a tool for children to learn self-regulation during moments of distress.

Do you want to enhance the overall well-being and development of a child with ADHD? If so, then you need the right toys incorporated into their play and learning environment.

Conclusion

ADHD toys are perfect for preschoolers with ADHD—there’s no doubt about that. Couple them with the right interventions, and they can help these kids reach their full potential, ensuring that they thrive despite the challenges their condition brings.

Playmats, those colorful, whimsical, and engaging spaces, are far more than just a stylish accessory for your nursery. They are a stage for your little one’s first steps into a world of discovery and development. From their first attempts to lift their head to the delight of rolling over, these padded performance spaces cushion and support every milestone.

As a parent, witnessing these magical moments unfold on the play mat is a joy. But did you know these play mats play a more profound role than you might think? They’re not just about fun and games. They are, in fact, instrumental in developing motor skills in infants.

Let’s discover the many layers of benefits these humble play mats offer and delve deeper into their significance in our little ones’ lives.

Encourages Tummy Time

Playmats encourage ‘tummy time.’ It is a vital activity that helps babies build their strength and discover comfort and fun with baby play mats. A play mat’s colorful, interactive elements attract a baby’s attention, encouraging them to lift their head and prop themselves on their arms.

This action helps strengthen the neck and upper body muscles, which are crucial for developing motor skills like rolling over, crawling, and eventually standing and walking.

Playmats also often come with textured surfaces and toys for which babies can reach out and engage safely within a visual and tactile learning experience. Furthermore, the safe and comfortable mat environment encourages babies to explore and move around more, fueling their natural curiosity and desire for independence. And it all happens in a welcoming supervised and safe space.

Develops Hand-Eye Coordination

As your little one begins to explore their world, hand-eye coordination is a necessary skill they will start to develop. This essential ability synchronizes vision and hand movement, allowing them to reach for, grasp, and manipulate objects around them.

Baby play mats are a comfortable and safe space for babies to play in and an excellent tool for nurturing their creative and explorative nature.   Each mat is a carefully designed landscape with different shapes, colors, and textures.

Some even have hanging toys and movable elements that encourage your baby to reach out and grab them. This seemingly simple action is a complex process where the brain, eyes, and hands work in unison.

Additionally, these mats often feature contrasting colors and patterns that attract the baby’s attention and stimulate their vision. As they follow these patterns with their eyes, they also develop their tracking skills, another critical aspect of hand-eye coordination.

Enhances Sensory Stimulation

Stepping into the world of a baby play mat is like embarking on a sensory adventure. It’s an environment specifically designed to stimulate your child’s senses and enrich their early learning experience. These mats provide an incredible platform for our tiny explorers to touch, see, hear, and taste their surroundings in a safe, controlled space.

Think of it as a sensory playground where every element helps engage your baby’s curiosity. The variety of textures on the mat invites your little one to reach out and feel. As they run their tiny fingers over different surfaces, they’re not just exploring textures. They’re also developing their tactile sense and fine motor skill function.

But the sensory stimulation doesn’t stop at the touch. The bright, contrasting colors and patterns on the mat captivate your baby’s attention, stimulating their visual development. They learn to distinguish between colors and shapes, enhancing their ability to recognize patterns.

Some mats even include mirror features, offering your baby a fascinating introduction to self-recognition.

Offers a Safe and Clean Space

Every inch of a baby play mat is thoughtfully crafted to ensure safety. From the soft, cushioned surface that protects your baby from hard floors to the high-quality, non-toxic materials used in its construction, each feature is designed with your baby’s well-being in mind.

These mats provide a secure area where your little one can roll, crawl, and explore without you having to constantly worry about bumps or falls.

Moreover, baby play mats often come with raised edges or borders, creating a contained play area that keeps your baby and their toys within reach. This feature prevents toys from rolling away and adds an extra layer of safety by keeping your baby away from potential hazards outside the mat.

But safety isn’t the only concern because cleanliness is equally important. Babies are notorious for making messes. That’s why a baby play mat is suitable for that inevitability.

Most mats are made from easy-to-clean materials and are either machine washable or can be quickly wiped spotless.  It ensures that your baby always has a fresh and hygienic surface to play on. Plus, it’s much easier to clean a play mat than it is to scrub your carpet!

Promotes Bonding and Interaction

A baby play mat sets the stage for countless shared joy and discovery moments. As your little one lies on the mat, reaching out for toys or exploring different textures, you’re beside them, sharing their excitement and curiosity. You’re their guide in this exciting new world, helping them navigate their sensory experiences and cheering them on as they develop new skills.

These shared experiences strengthen your bond with your baby and boost their cognitive and social development. You teach them about communication and social interaction as you respond to your baby’s coos and smiles, repeat their sounds, or play peek-a-boo from behind a toy. They learn to recognize your voice, listen to your words, and understand the nuances of emotional expression.

Conclusion

Playmats play a fundamental role in an infant’s motor skills development. Some benefits of using play mats are encouraging tummy time, enhancing sensory stimulation, developing hand-eye coordination, providing a safe and clean space, and promoting bonding and interaction.

As a parent, investing in a quality play mat is a great way to support your child’s overall growth and development. This simple addition to your baby gear collection can go a long way in setting your little one up for success.

Plush toys are the favorites of many children, they can not only accompany children to play, but also help children develop social and emotional skills, stimulate imagination, and even improve cognitive abilities. But there are so many types of plush toys on the market, how do you know which ones are best for your child?

Join us on a journey through this article as we introduce you to 10 of the best plush toys for children, they all have their own characteristics and advantages, making your child love them. Our recommendations are based on the following aspects: quality, safety, creativity, education and fun. Let’s take a look!

10 Best Stuffed Animals for Babies

Alternative Jellycat Bunny Stuffed Animal

This charming bunny plush boasts a delightful dusty rose hue that reminds us of fluffy pink marshmallows drifting down from the sky. With long ears, a round face, and a playful purple nose, this adorable rabbit is sure to capture the hearts of both children and adults alike. Its velvety-soft fur is a joy to touch and cuddle with, making it a perfect companion for little ones as they grow up. Unlike Jellycat’s rabbit, this bunny’s material is luxuriously soft and gentle on skin, and its shape is simply irresistible to the author. We confidently recommend this bunny as a wonderful addition to any child’s collection of treasured toys.

Purple Owl Stuffed Animal

This delightful plush toy owl in a gorgeous shade of purple is made from top-notch plush materials, and this toy is both snuggly and tough. Parents can rest easy knowing it’s gentle on their little ones’ tender skin and free from any choking hazards. It’s the perfect companion for babies seeking comfort and playtime all rolled into one. It also meets all applicable safety standards. The owl has a soft, fluffy tummy that the baby can pet and feel the owl’s features. Children will not only experience joy while playing with this toy, but they will also gain knowledge about owls.

Art Lion Stuffed Animal

I am thrilled to share that I have found an adorable art plush toy lion that is sure to captivate both babies and parents alike! Unlike the usual dull beige and brown toys, this lion boasts a vibrant rainbow color scheme that adds a pop of excitement to any baby’s toy collection. Not only does it break the monotony of traditional designs, but it also enhances a child’s visual surroundings and stimulates their visual development. With its playful patterns and colors, this lion will surely become a favorite for babies and their loving caregivers.

Chinchilla Stuffed Animal

This Chinchilla plush toy is modeled after the beloved character from the animated film Totoro. Its black and white color scheme makes it ideal for infants between the ages of 0-3 months, as research suggests that they are more visually stimulated by high-contrast items. Made from soft and cozy cotton fabric, this toy is gentle on your baby’s delicate skin. Its surface features intricate embroidery, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship that adds a touch of sophistication, making it a wonderful gift option. Furthermore, this toy is entirely free of plastic materials, making it both safe and eco-friendly.

Narwhal Stuffed Animal

The narwhal plush toy is the perfect companion for children to explore their imagination and creativity during playtime. Its soft and plush body provides a comforting and huggable sensation, making kids feel like they are wrapped in a fluffy cloud of warmth. Designed to be durable and of the highest quality, this toy is sure to become a constant companion for kids, whether they are playing, snuggling, or on-the-go. The narwhal’s stunning body is adorned with a vibrant and eye-catching tie-dye pattern that resembles a fairy tale come to life! Additionally, the toy features a charming little horn that piques kids’ curiosity, making them eager to learn more about narwhals and legends. The narwhal plush toy is a delightful and educational plaything that kids will cherish and enjoy for years to come!

Angle Teddy Bear

Behold, a teddy bear with angel wings, akin to Cupid, the deity of love, soaring gracefully down from the heavens. Its plush body boasts a light brown hue, reminiscent of golden wheat basking in the sun’s warm glow. Its eyes are dark brown, akin to two shimmering chocolate beans, emanating kindness and tenderness. The teddy bear also features an adorable smile that beckons you to give it a hug. This toy is a comfortable and charming companion that can bring solace and delight to your toddler. However, its fur is relatively long, so exercise caution with young babies who might accidentally swallow or choke on it. This toy is suitable for older toddlers or as a romantic gift for your significant other.

Knitted Alligator Stuffed Animal

Knitted stuffed animals are an ideal choice for babies as they do not shed lint and are hypoallergenic. This plush toy alligator is made from pure cotton, which feels soft and cozy. Its color is pure white, giving it a fresh and refined look. It features the characteristic alligator spikes on its back, resembling a row of tiny peaks. Although these spikes may seem hard, they are actually woven with cotton threads and are very soft and flexible. Additionally, it has an adorable shape, with a big mouth and four stubby legs. This alligator toy is a safe and enjoyable toy that will not only bring joy but also aid in the growth and development of babies.

Axolotl Plush Toy

This axolotl plush toy is incredibly adorable, and its pink color makes it look like a sweet marshmallow. It has only five cockade-like protrusions, and they are asymmetrical, which is a unique design by the designer to give it more personality and charm. It’s made of a soft fleece fabric that allows kids to cuddle, sleep, or play with it. It also helps kids learn about the features and habits of amphibians like salamanders, increasing their curiosity and desire to explore the natural world. This axolotl plush toy is a cozy and educational toy that kids will love.

Fox Stuffed Animal

This plush fox toy is incredibly cute! Unlike the fox in fairy tales, it doesn’t have a cunning look. It actually looks a bit sleepy and dopey. Maybe it’s because it likes to play and sleep so much that it hasn’t had time to learn any fox tricks. The toy is made of soft, cozy cotton fabric that won’t irritate a baby’s skin. It also has a large tail that can double as a pillow. This fox plush toy is a perfect combination of comfort and fun, and is sure to bring joy and growth to your infant.

A Set of Knitted Stuffed Animals

This set of knitted plush toys is made from pure cotton and is very soft and cozy. They come in four different animal figures, each with its own character and charm. The rhinoceros is blue and has a hard horn that looks strong and brave. The frog is green and has a big smile that looks lively and cute. The giraffe is yellow with brown spots and looks elegant and noble. The fox is orange with round eyes and looks witty and smart. This knitted plush toy set is an interactive and educational way for children to learn about different animals while playing with them.

A Guide for Parents

When choosing a stuffed animal for a baby, there are several factors to consider.

Quality

The quality of stuffed toys depends on the materials, craft, and durability. When it comes to choosing toys, you want to ensure they’re made from materials that are built to last. That means looking for durable toys that won’t fade, lose parts, or break easily.

For example, a knitted plush lion that I gifted to my two-year-old niece. Made from high-quality cotton, it was soft and comfortable and maintained its original shape and color after many washes and falls. You want a toy that brings comfort and warmth to your child while saving you money.  Quality is paramount when it comes to selecting toys for your child, and Pudgy Penguins truly exemplify excellence in craftsmanship. These charming plush toys are crafted from high-quality materials, ensuring a soft and comfortable feel that stands the test of time.

Safety

Ensuring the safety of stuffed toys is of utmost importance. We must ensure that these toys do not have any harmful chemicals, sharp edges, small parts, batteries, or wires that could cause any harm or danger to our babies. We can opt for toys that are colored with non-toxic natural dyes, which pose no risk of irritation or allergy. Additionally, we should always check for any loose or detached parts to prevent the child from swallowing or choking.

Creativity

The creativity of a toy refers to its unique design, style, theme, and other features that make it stand out. We aim to provide toys that grab children’s attention and inspire their imagination and creativity. For instance, we could offer rainbow-colored and bright toys for older babies, while black and white ones are available for smaller babies. Such toys can help babies understand and appreciate colors and shapes.

Educational and Fun: The educational aspect of toys refers to whether or not the toy can assist in a child’s learning process, including acquiring knowledge, developing skills, and instilling values. Ideally, toys should help improve a child’s cognitive, language, and social-emotional abilities. For instance, various animal plush toys can be used by parents to narrate stories about the lives and adventures of animals in African grasslands, thereby enabling children to learn about different geographies and cultures. Such toys expand babies’ knowledge and horizons and stimulate their curiosity and desire to explore.

Summary

Stuffed animals are the best childhood companions for babies. The author of this post recommends ten of the best high-quality plush toys for babies, which are reliable in terms of quality, safety and make your child cuddle peacefully at bedtime. It’s important to note that not all ages of babies are suitable for sleeping with stuffed animals. Of course, there are more stuffed animals for babies than the 10 in this post.