Cooking is a fantastic learning activity for kids because it combines hands-on practice, creativity, and the fun of tasting their creations. Cooking helps children develop important skills: 1. Patience: Cooking requires self-control. Kids get to practice following step by step instructions, waiting for things to rise, and waiting on baking times – a great example Read More
Category: Child Development
Navigating New Places
Navigating new places is a part of life and learning strategies to do it comfortably can help your child build resiliency. We just need to remember that even as adults, it can be hard to do something for the first time or go into a new place! For many kids, entering into a new environment Read More
Artistic Expression and Development
Many experts believe that children are innately creative. As adults, our role can be to support and encourage the expression of that innate creativity. Just like with any other area of child development, there are many ways to do this. Expressing creativity is a combination of formal “training” as well as innovation and free Read More
Balance
Balance is a motor skill that uses large muscle groups in the body. It is related to locomotion skills (getting from one place to another) like crawling and walking. Balance is also its own developmental milestone. The head is the fastest growing part of the body at birth, which is why infants and toddlers have Read More
Sing to Your Fussy Baby
Singing a song that your baby recognizes may be the best way to calm them down when they are distressed. A small study (2020) looked at three different ways to calm babies (8 and 10 month old) when holding them was not possible. The study found that talking produced the most negative effect (increased distress), Read More
Napping and Brain Development
Why do some children stop napping before others? New research suggests that transition out of napping may have to do with brain development, not age. The research focused on the hippocampus, which is the memory area of the brain. When little children nap, they “consolidate emotional and declarative [conscious recollection of facts and events] memories…” Read More