The Importance of Sensory Play

Splish, splish, splash! Did you take a moment today to make bath time giggly, musical and fun? For you and your baby, water play is a great sensory experience -- mixing play time, water, a rhyme, baby and you!

And although we call it play, your baby's mind calls it thinking, experimenting, figuring it out, exploring and problem solving. Play that taps into many of your baby's senses, is fundamental in helping your baby learn, prompting actions or responses, and interacting with others.

This week include some sensory play time. Take a look around your house for a common household item that would be engaging, fun, safe and employ many of your baby's senses. You don't have to limit yourself to the bathtub! Some ideas: empty boxes, pots and pans, or just plain paper can provide sensory play opportunities.

Until our next Kindermusik day,

Miss Peggy

Music means quiet time too!

Ahhh... quiet time -- listening to calming music, relaxing, snuggling, and getting still -- is what we focus on. Each week, we plan on a quiet time activity -- for parents as well as for the little ones.

It may look like we are "doing nothing," but quiet time allows your baby to learn how to calm down, take in new information, and process new experiences in a more relaxed state of mind. Learning how to relax helps soothe daily stress and frustration, becoming a necessary skill that will last into adulthood.

This week, plan to tuck in a few quiet times during each day. Take a deep breath, turn on some quiet music and let yourself "be" with your baby. As a side note, many babies associate quiet time with sleepy time. Since relaxation is actually a learned behavior it may take several days to establish your new quiet time routine.

Here's to Quiet Time,

Miss Peggy