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Fun Forever with Fuzzy Felt
Fuzzy Felt was first launched in 1950 and is the classic toy that many of us remember playing with when we were younger. Although it was a simple concept (a fuzzy board and felt pieces) it still remains a fantastic source of stimulation, creativity and fun for infants, toddlers, children and if were honest, adults too!
Using Fuzzy Felt can help little ones to build their skills in spatial awareness, modelling, designing and making and still inspires generation after generation. Fuzzy Felt can often help children to develop their understanding colour recognition, shapes, size, orientation, sequencing, and ordering.
With modern designs now available such sets themed upon popular television characters, animals, shapes, education and much more, it is now easy to tailor the fuzzy felts for a specific target audience.
Available from www.toysdirect.com from £8.10, Fuzzy Felt is the ideal activity for rainy days, quiet time, learning or just for fun!
Learning is Precious, Treasure your little ones development: A Guide to creating a ‘Treasure Basket’.
From an early age, your little one will begin to show preferences and choice over the items they wish to play with. In order to provide your child with a form of heuristic play which aids exploration, hand-eye coordination, refines motor skills and promotes grasp and manipulation, put together a ‘Treasure Basket’, which can be used from the time your little one is able to sit onwards.
Firstly, select an appropriate basket to fill with items, the basket should ideally be sturdy, low level and made from natural materials such as wicker or wood. Secondly, select a range of materials which differ in texture and temperature to put into the basket. The items should be made from textured rubber, leather, natural materials, wood or metal.
Here is a list of suggested items to put into your treasure basket.
Your child should never be left alone with a treasure basket, it is important to monitor your child whilst using this item. Although it may be tempting, try to sit back and allow your child the space and time to explore the items within the basket. In order to encourage complete focus upon the activity of exploration, place the basket upon a blank sheet or plain carpet.
Try to rotate and change some of the items included in the basket over time, as your child becomes older you may select more complex sensory objects.
For young infants, if your child finds it difficult to grasp items, offer them an item at a time, you may need to hold this out for your child to touch, explore and become familiar with. Where possible allow them the independence to select items for themselves.
Finally, take time with your little ones to enjoy exploration and sensory learning.
Go Looney for Ludanimo!
Ludanimo is a multi-use game, consisting of three games in total which are designed specifically for infants. Although there are three set games (see below for games) which are clearly explained in the instructions provided the blocks, dice and animals provided in the game itself are ideal for stacking, building or even rolling. The attractive pictures and colours entice infants to play and learn.
Designed by Djeco, a French based company ‘Ludanimo’ is an ideal game for 1-4 infants. The box contains two rubbery dice, 6 rubber animals, 15 beautifully decorated cardboard shapes (boxes, cylinders and triangles) and a detailed set of instructions as how to play. The three set games are:
- A circuit game (where infants can roll dice to send their animal around a circuit of blocks and whoever gets to the end first wins).
- A balancing game similar to that of jenga
- A memory game
Djeco make a wide range of games which are similar in style and vary in age suitability. Ludamino is currently not well known of in the UK, thus is unavailable from most UK based websites. However www.amazon.com sell this product for $38.99 which when converted into GBP retails at £25.57.
Make it your goal to have fun with the Playgro ‘My First Soccer Ball’.
Although in the UK we tend to refer to ‘soccer’ as ‘football’ MBM will excuse the Americanisms as the product is well worth a mention!
The Playgro ‘Ball’ is soft and squishy to the touch, the texture of the ball itself is furry and tactile for little fingers. The ball contains a chime which when moved or rolled keeps baby entertained with melodic sound.
Due to the stark Black and White colours that this traditional football uses, babies find this toy fascinating to the eye. Research has found that babies find it easier to focus upon the stark contrasts between black and white thus are attracted monotone far more than colour.
MBM suggest trying the following activities with the Playgro ball.
Birth- four months: Use the ball as a simple chime rattle for your baby to listen to and watch, let your baby touch the fabric and explore the textures of the ball itself.
Four Months- One Year: Use the ball to motivate your infant to try moving whether its rolling or crawling, having something to focus upon often helps them to be encouraged to reach out and attempt to hold an object.
One year onwards: Try playing games of ‘rolling the ball’ back and forth between parent and child.
Try to develop hand eye coordination with games of catch and ‘on the head’ (this ball is very soft!).
If your little one is sturdy on their feet perhaps try having a short game or parent vs toddler football. Remember, parents always lose- that’s the rules!
The Playgro ‘My First Soccer Ball’ is available from www.babyboom2000.co.uk for just £4.99. So soft that even your ornaments needn’t worry, MBM thinks that this product scores a perfect goal!
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