Melissa & Doug Toys

It is normal for parents to that they must entertain their baby 24/7 or boredom will set in, however the reality of the situation is that learning to play alone is an extremely important skill. Your child will be happier overall if they have healthy balance of together playtime and (supervised) independent playtime. Restlessness and crying can be signs of your child needing some downtime. By allowing your child to play on their own without a parents constant stimulation you will teach your baby that being alone is not a negative thing. When we say alone we mean in a safe and supervised way. Independent play time will push your child to develop their self-entertainment skills. A child that is able to entertain themselves is priceless for a parents sanity.

A good way to initiate independent play time is to to play with the child for a couple minutes, then move away and just watch the baby play for a little while. When your baby starts to become comfortable with the parent sitting back and just observing you can then remove yourself even more from the situation. Try moving out of your childs line of site (of course make sure the environment is safe and real young children should not leave your line of site). At first it is normal for the baby to fuss a bit when they realize the parent is not right there but this should only last for a little while before they continue to engage the toy or activity. If the parent is not always the main event of the childs play it will promote the childs creative side.

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Melissa and Doug - Baby Toys

Introducing the brand new "First Play"® baby and toddler collection! Shake, rattle, and roll with these beautifully-designed, handcrafted wooden toys. These premium-quality discovery toys are finished with colorful, non-toxic dyes and crafted from select quality hardwoods. Each engaging toy promotes fun sensory development with satisfying sounds, eye-catching colors, smooth-edged shapes, and plenty of interactive motion and play to entertain for hours.

Melissa and Doug - Puzzles and Games

Fun, educational and value-priced, Melissa and Doug offer high-quality wooden puzzles and thick, durable cardboard jigsaw and floor puzzles for all stages of development, for toddlers (3-4 piece fuzzy and jumbo-knob puzzles), pre-school (sound puzzles, peg puzzles, floor puzzles and more) all the way to pre-teen and beyond (up to 500-piece jigsaw puzzles).

Melissa and Doug - Classic Toys

Incredible value and superior craftsmanship make these items top sellers and childhood favorites! The brightly-colored, smooth-sanded pieces help build early shape, color and size differentiation skills.

Melissa and Doug - Puppets and Plush Toys

Melissa and Doug's wide selection of cute puppets and cuddly giant plush animals are sure to inspire and delight both kids and parents alike! Each puppet is incredibly soft and detailed, with expressive mouths that are simple to manipulate; and our premium-quality plush feature realistic expressions and are incredibly priced! Over 40 plush toys and dozens of puppets to choose from!

Melissa and Doug - Arts and Crafts

Melissa and Doug offer an imaginative selection of arts & crafts activities and supplies that are sure to bring out the creativity in any child! Our solid-wood, colorful craft sets come with a bountiful supply of wooden accent pieces, jewels, stickers and glitter glue: everything a child needs to complete a project they can proudly call their own! Great for gifts, rainy-day activities or party favors!

About Melissa and Doug Toys:

From puzzles to puppets, plush to play food, magnetic activities, music, magic and more, Melissa & Doug® has grown to be one of the leading designers and manufacturers of educational toys and children's products. Started in 1988 in their basement, Melissa & Doug® now has something for everyone, with over 600 unique and exciting products for children! Melissa and Doug has been named Vendor of the Year by such great retailers as FAO Schwarz, Toys R Us, and Learning Express, and Melissa and Doug toys have been honored as "Toys of the Year" by Child Magazine, FamilyFun Magazine and Parenting Magazine, to name just a few.

As the Melissa and Doug product line has grown, so has the Melissa and Doug reputation as the leader in children's educational toys! Melissa and Doug have been recognized year after year with awards from consumer magazines, toy industry publications, school market associations as well Melissa and Doug toys have been featured on TV shows, movies and children's educational videos.

Melissa and Doug products have received awards from, and been featured by:

• Parents Magazine
• The Boston Globe
• baby Einstein
• Playthings
• The Oprah Winprey Show
• The Wall Streen Journal
• Parents' Choice Awards
• Child Magazine
• And more

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Here is a great article we found at FisherPrice.com "Tips for Buying Baby's First Toys"

Tips for Buying Baby's First Toys

Babies love to play—and few things make them happier than a new toy. In addition to entertaining your baby, toys help develop motor and social skills.

The following guidelines can help your baby get the most out of a new toy:

Age Appropriateness is Key
It’s important to know where your child is developmentally at a given age.

• Choose toys that fit your baby’s level of learning. Try to find toys that will challenge your child without causing frustration.
• Always check age labeling on the toy. Labeling is based on a child’s physical and mental ability, play needs, interests and safety. For example, toys with small parts can present choking hazards for children less than three years of age.

 

Stimulate the Senses
Each day is full of new discoveries for your baby. First toys and activities should be designed to stimulate your child’s sensory development.

• Toys that are chewable or have interesting sights, sounds, and textures help your baby explore and learn.
• To foster your child’s awareness of how to make things happen, toys should be easy to activate and encourage a child’s interaction, such as a baby gym or activity center.
• If no interest is shown in a new toy, your baby may not be ready for it. Put the new toy away and reintroduce it at a later time.

 

Always Put Safety First
Keep safety in mind when selecting a toy for your baby.

• Many old heirloom toys do not meet today’s safety standards—they may contain lead or potentially harmful pieces.
• Make sure the toy is sturdy, a safe size, and will not come apart easily, presenting a choking or cutting hazard.

 

"Tips for Buying Baby's First Toys" Fisher-Price.com

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We found this awesome article on Disney Family Parenting (www.family.go.com), however it is an article by Jodie Lynn that was on sheknows.com (a Disney Family provider). Jodie Lynn is an award-winning internationally syndicated family/health columnist and radio personality. Parent to Parent is now going into its tenth year and appears in newspapers, magazines, newsletters and throughout the Internet. She is a regular contributor to many sites including eDiets.com and is the Mom to Mom Expert for BabyCenter.com and has a regular family segment on four radio programs, one of which is syndicated to over 20 stations. She has written two books and contributed to two others, one of which was on Oprah and has appeared on NBC.

Toddlers and the Need for Play

Parents can get pretty busy. Our world is a whirlwind filled with schedules and constant deadlines. Make sure you are taking time out for a simple but important pleasure with your kids: PLAYING. This doesn't mean you have to always entertain them or even have company over for them everyday or even signing them up for every single thing possible to enrich their whole being of a "perfect child." Take a breather here and there to monitor their playtime and implement unscheduled time for them to just be a "kid."

Playing with Others
If you are wondering if it's OK for your child to be perfectly happy playing with play dough by herself, don't fret. It's not a big deal. In fact, it's perfectly normal to stand back and watch others interact. Most toddlers aren't into social behavior until the age of two or three. Check out this handy checklist and relax.

Birth to Age 15 Months
Repetition play helps the child to learn about her world. Dropping an object is one of the most common games. Even a six-month old will drop something and watch to see if someone will pick it up. If it does get picked up, it delivers pure delight when she gets to drop it over and over until someone stops picking it up. While it may drive many of us nuts, it is an excellent way to help the child gain control over her immediate environment while mastering a new skill.

Age 15 Months to 2 Years
Observing others but not participating is often referred to as the onlooker stage. This is common among all children. Playing by themselves is called solitary play. Here they just play by themselves. While older kids do this as well, it is not as popular as actually engaging in activities unless the child is reserved (which most parents refer to as being "shy.") Whether observing or playing, both help the child learn how to get along with others, building social skills while exposing them to language.

Ages 2 to 3 Years
Most older toddlers play side by side but are not really playing. This is called parallel play. There may not be any real interaction but it still provides a perfect chance to begin learning what belongs to whom…but mostly "mine." As they watch others and maybe dress up while pretending to pour and serve a drink, they are experiencing their first taste of role-playing. All of this helps develop gross motor skills as well as some fine motor skills.

Ages 4 to 4 1/2 Years
This age group displays very unstructured organized play called associative play. An example of this would be when children are all sharing a box of action figures, but may all be playing different things with their own figures. Another example would be where children decide to play with a common aspiration in mind, like entertaining each other by singing a song for a pretend audience. The more interaction children have with other children, the better understood the rules of getting along will become. Playing with others teaches how to share, encourages language and the introduction of being fair. This age group can become quite creative and gain great self-esteem (especially if parents let go of the perfect child syndrome).

Age 5 and Up
Here is when things begin to turn into clear competition. While younger children often feel frustrated with rules of winning, the positive side is that games and rules offer the chance to build character and close friends with a couple of others. As they grow older, they will enjoy being part of a group (some like large groups while others prefer small groups) which will help them become aware of different children and different ideas.

All in all, if your child is not into other kids, don't push too hard. She will come around when she is ready. For now, give her the space she may need to become more independent while still being there when she needs you.

"Toddlers and the Need for Play", Jodie Lynn, sheknows.com on disney family.com

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Great article we found at Parenthood.com.

Playtime: An Instructive Experience for Parent and Baby

Play is a child's "work" because it accomplishes so many developmental tasks. When children play they learn about themselves and the world around them - how to relate to others and how to communicate.

A baby's playtime is equally important for parents. Playtime allows a parent and baby to share glee, and draws a parent into a baby's magical world. Tickle-tickle, peek-a-boo, and those made up interactive games are not only fun, but also bond baby and parent. The smiles and giggles that emerge make the simplest activities rewarding.

Parents appear to be genetically "wired up" to enjoy being with babies. First movements, burps, and yawns provide parents with lifelong memories. A baby's first sounds teach parents to talk in a special language (called "motherese") that helps develop language skills. It is during playtime that parents and babies come to know each other and learn to communicate.

Kicking, reaching, touching, gumming, wiggling, and babbling are all ways that infants and toddlers experiment with body sensations and motor movements. Swiss Professor Jean Piaget watched his own children and others engage in this kind of "sensorimotor" play as he formulated his theory of how humans develop knowledge. Babies' play, he believed, was the foundation for all later learning. To him, babies were like small scientists who experiment with their bodies and the world around them as they invent knowledge.

Although healthy babies tend to play whenever and wherever they can, there are some ways that parents can help turn ordinary moments into fun learning opportunities.

• Create a playful environment. Babies don't need toys as much as they need time and a child-safe space to discover themselves and their surroundings.
• Let play happen. Don't over plan for play or structure too many activities for a baby or toddler. Quiet time and shared interactions that follow from baby's natural body movements and actions are the best ways to help a baby learn through play.
• Both interactive play and individual playtime are important ways a baby learns. Diaper changing games and those invented together during bath time and mealtime are wonderful ways to interact and help your baby learn about the routines of life.
• Support a baby's playtime. Talk with children about their play, be sure they have time for their own inventions and fantasies, and appreciate playtime in your own life.

"Playtime: An Instructive Experience for Parent and Baby", Parenthood.com, ©Studio One Networks

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Great article about toys and your baby by Bettye M. Caldwell, Ph.D., Professor of Pediatrics in Child Development and Education.

Toys - The Baby's Tool

Tool use is one of the hallmarks of our humanity. By developing and using tools—levers, hammers, axes, computers—we have greatly extended our abilities. Some of the other primates have been observed to utilize something like a tool to achieve a goal, such as a chimpanzee that sticks a straw down into a termite nest and draws a snack out with it. That straw is a tool in every sense of the word, as the tasty insect could not have been reached without it. But humans have produced far more sophisticated tools. Furthermore, our ancestors and we have made most of them, rather than simply taking advantage of a straw or club that might be lying around.

We have been able to do this because of that remarkable organ, the human hand. In a brilliant book titled simply, The Hand, neurologist Frank Wilson presents a powerful argument for the importance of the hand in human development. This remarkable structure, to which we give little conscious thought unless we injure it, is as vital a component of our humanity as is the brain itself. Our ability to rotate the thumb, allowing it to meet the forefinger and thereby achieve a tight grip on a small object, in and of itself puts humans out of the reach of the other primates. Wilson suggests that perhaps the best thing parents and teachers can do to facilitate a child's learning is to 'head for the hands.'

To demonstrate the importance of this recommendation, all we have to do is observe a young baby closely. The hands go into motion at a very early age, and, as soon as they are able, begin to grab at, hold, shake, taste, move from hand to hand, or release objects that come within range. The earliest movements might be achieved by the hand almost alone, but soon seemingly random hand movements become coordinated with eye movements, which in turn become associated with sounds and the feel of different textures. The hand itself is a tool for brain development, as it plays a vital role in the coordination of all these sensations and actions and forces connections to be established between different parts of the brain. But the hand itself needs tools.

Fortunately, the young infant doesn't have to go through the process of devising and making all its own tools. Loving parents for centuries have observed this hunger of the hands for something to hold and manipulate and have provided a wide range of objects to satisfy that hunger. Those objects are what we call toys. While toys might appear to be more important for slightly older children, no group is more dependent on them for its tools than babies.

And what kinds of 'tools' do the hands of babies need? There are at least five qualities that should characterize every tool-toy you give your baby:

• Safety. It goes without saying that the toys must be safe—not small enough to cause choking if swallowed, not made of any toxic material, not likely to shatter if dropped and broken. Responsible toy manufacturers now pay careful attention to this quality, but you still need to keep it in mind as you make selections.
• Manipulable. A young baby's toys should consist primarily of objects that the baby can manipulate. Toys (like mobiles) that infants just 'look at' are useful, but soon being able to 'do something' with or to the toy becomes of over-riding importance. Babies are born with a grasp reflex that lasts until around three months, at which time they voluntarily reach for objects. And many babies, by the time they reach that age, seem to want to hold something in their hands all the time. But they don't use their fingers very well at that time, so the ideal toy for the early months is one that can be grasped by closing the fingers into the palm. Once the grasp is achieved, the infant will look at it, shake it, put it in the mouth, and get very excited about it, and do everything else with it his repertoire of movements will allow. After about eight or nine months, the baby can move the thumb over to meet the forefinger and successfully manipulate many other toys (such as blocks, rings, big beads, etc.).
• Multisensory. In one sense of the word, perhaps every toy possesses this quality. If it can be held (motor), it can also be looked at (visual). Or manipulation of the toy, like shaking a rattle, might produce a sound (auditory). But each of these domains covers a wide range—a sound may be loud or soft, musical or harsh; a visual stimulus can vary in shape, color, and texture. Give some thought to how many different sensory qualities a toy possesses.
• Responsive. A tool-toy should do something when the baby does something to it—make a sound (like a rattle), roll when you drop it, move if you push it or manage to press a certain button. Responsive toys begin to give babies a sense of power and accomplishment: something they did has had an effect. That feeling is what development is all about.
• Reassuring. A soft, cuddly, warm fuzzy toy is also a tool. It can help a baby find comfort when needs aren't instantly met, when something seems to produce a feeling of anxiety. And that, of course, is a tool we all need throughout our lives.

Think of these qualities when you shop for your baby's toys. There are many beautiful and exciting ones from which you can choose. You will not just be buying something to keep your baby contented while you do other things; you will also be providing vital tools for development.

"Toys - The Baby's Tools" by Bettye M. Caldwell, Ph.D., Fisher-Price.com

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Good informational article about educational toys for children from About.com

Educational Toys For Children Of All Ages

Educational Toys

Educational toys are the rage nowadays. Of late, most toys on the shelves have some educational content in them. Besides traditional educational toys, edutainment toys are slowly gaining the lion's share of the toy marketplace. Most educational toys have some electronic component included, which adds to the learning potential of the toy. However, this doesn't mean that traditional educational toys will be phased out. Traditional educational toys like wooden educational toys, soft learning toys, educational puzzles, educational games and the like will always be in demand because of the sheer intellectual stimuli they offer your child.

Why Educational Toys?

There's no doubt in anyone's mind that educational toys really add to the development of children's brains, co-ordination and learning skills. The more interactive a toy is, the more it stimulates your kids and keeps them occupied. Educational toys are a great way to free up some of your time while your kids are kept busy. The icing on the cake is that these educational toys provide a lifetime of benefits!

Children's Educational Toys

Of late, toy makers have shifted their focus more and more onto educational toys. Nowadays, almost all toys have some educational element in them, whether they are meant for newborns, adults, or any age group in between!

Baby educational toys

A child's mind is the most receptive to new ideas and concepts. Every parent wants their baby to be intelligent. Right from the time the baby is born, it is beneficial to introduce to the baby new sights and sounds that develop the baby's hand-eye co-ordination and visual skills. These educational baby toys are one of the best ways to make your baby learn and have fun at the same time.

Another wonderful way to begin baby's education early is by these toys from Learning Curve! A great way to get babies and infants started on Educational Toys is the Lamaze Toy Series from Learning Curve. This range of toys develops babies and infant's visual, motor and independant play skills.

Infant and Toddler Educational Toys

Now you can give your infant/toddler a headstart with these popular educational toys for the young ones. Young children need stimulation to grow and develop, and these educational toys are perfect to jumpstart your child's education. Start your baby off early with these great learning toys which will both entertain and educate.

Wooden educational toys

Encouraging your baby to play and learn with wooden toys is one of the best things a parent can do. These educational wooden toys are hygenic, easy to clean, and safe for your little ones. Haba, the manufacturer of these educational wooden toys, is well known in the toy industry. Hand crafted in Germany, Haba's toys are of the best quality. Having tried out several products from Haba, I cannot stop gushing over the way they are constructed.

Educational Toys For Children Of All Ages, Dipika Mirpuri, About.com

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The way a child plays has so much to do with their social development that is an important issue to be aware about. This is another good article we found by Bettye M. Caldwell, Ph.D. at Fisher-Price.com. Bettye M. Caldwell, Ph.D. is a Professor of Pediatrics in Child Development and Education.

Playing for Keeps: The Importance of Play to Little Children

Children the world over, from those living with the most sophisticated families in big cities to those living in remote villages in developing countries, spend much time 'just playing.' Of course, only grown-ups would put the word 'just' in the previous sentence, implying that somehow play is an indulgence only the very young are entitled to and that nothing much is happening when children play.

Nothing could be further from reality, however, for a great deal happens when children are 'just playing.' They are developing skills and habits and attitudes that will stay with them throughout their lives. As they play they learn to cope with frustration, to continue to try to improve, to share with others, to give vocal expression to their thoughts and fantasies. They literally 'play for keeps.'

Like crying or walking or making sounds, children don't have to be taught how to play. That doesn't mean their parents and teachers aren't important in helping children advance developmentally through their play, for interaction with someone else is critical in the process. But, entirely on their own, and often with only the crudest of toys, little children play. I have watched little boys in Guatemala pushing the bottom of a match box along a garden wall while making car sounds. And with delight, I have seen children in India hold their arms like wings, make motor sounds, and run about, pretending to be airplanes. And such behaviors are not unique to the modern age: remains of dolls have been found alongside mummies of children that are thousands of years old.

Although play is important for people of all ages (witness the current fitness craze for adults, grown-ups who are 'just playing'), it is especially meaningful and important for young children. Actually play is their work, and they give a tremendous amount of energy and effort to it. If you doubt this, just watch for a few minutes as a 1-year-old struggles to get a ring on a color cone, or stand in the background as a 3-year-old tries to fit a puzzle piece into the proper spot. Or, if you roll a ball back and forth to a 2-year-old, just expect to be the first one to want to quit the game; your partner often wants to go on and on.

There are at least three ways in which play is important for young children: skill development, social development, and imagination and creativity. Learning occurs in all areas of development as young children play—and the learning, too, is for keeps.

We can observe skill development as we watch young children play with their toys. When, as very young infants, they reach for and do something with a rattle, they learn to coordinate movements of their hands with what their eyes see. The great pediatrician, Dr. Arnold Gesell, once wrote that 'The mind of man is hand-made.' This statement recognizes the tremendous importance to a young child of having exciting objects to hold and listen to and feel and manipulate. And, as young children struggle to create a desired effect with a toy, they discover that it isn't always easy. They realize that there is perhaps a problem to be solved and that they have to practice to acquire and improve the skills necessary to achieve their goal.

Play with other children is critical for the development of social skills. At first adults are their most important playmates, but soon they become eager to interact with children of similar ages. And it is through such play that they learn how to get along with others: that hitting may get them a desired toy, but lose an equally desired friend; that the other children have wants, just as they do; that sharing and kindnesses bring more rewards than snatching and pushing.

Play is the crucible in which imagination and creativity can be cultivated and expressed. The child who pretends to be a cowboy, a mother, a fairy, a firefighter is demonstrating some knowledge of these roles and is working through his or her own ideas about all that they entail. And the child who 'spanks' a doll while saying, 'I don't want you to do that again,' is releasing some of his or her own aggressive impulses via this make-believe route instead of trying to mount a direct attack on another person. Play provides just such an outlet for young children.

In other articles, I expand on each of these functions of play—skill development, social development, and creativity. Hopefully, they will help you suppress any tendency you might have to be critical of your child for wanting to play all the time. Children do play, and they play for keeps.

"Playing for Keeps: The Importance of Play to Little Children", Bettye M. Caldwell, Ph.D., Fisher Price

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Here is another child play related article we found at Parenthood (www.parenthood.com)

Let's Play!

Any game that people enjoy playing together can bring them close, but some games are actually about connection – like Peek-a-Boo, Hide and Seek, and Tag – while other games help inspire communication. Here are a few suggestions:

• Play rough-and-tumble games. Roughhousing brings closeness, confidence and healing from emotional hurts. Basic rules: no tickling and, usually, let your child win. Encourage your child to try to get past you. Or, both of you get on your knees and try to push the other down. Take cuddle breaks.

• Play catch. Tossing a ball promotes your child’s developing hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills. The rhythm of the ball is like a bridge, re-establishing a deep connection between you. Comments such as “good try” and “nice catch” build confidence and trust.

• Make up stories as a family. One parent starts and children chime in with ideas, names and decisions. Storytelling can also be an effective tool in dealing with a child’s personal issues.

• Choose toys wisely. Although toys aren’t necessary for all play, they can help stimulate imagination and communication. Look for open-ended toys that tap into universal themes like music or storytelling. Blocks of all kinds, stuffed animals, dolls, a playhouse, small cars, old Halloween costumes, clay, puppets and play theaters are all great choices.

• Make time for floor time. Keep in mind that floor time can take place anywhere, anytime, but plan to spend 20 to 30 minutes each time you play. Your child is the boss and gets to choose the activity. If you choose the game, let your child take the lead.

• Focus on what your child sees or does. A dark closet becomes a cave, a tower of blocks a castle or a fort.

• Become an extension of your child’s toys. When you pick up a stuffed frog, speak in a croak.

• Loosen up and get silly. It lightens the mood with both children and teens. Be amenable to your child’s ideas.

• Show enthusiasm when racing after the ball if you’re playing catch or playing a character during fantasy play.

"Let's Play!", Mimi Slawoff, Parenthood.com

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