Infants were once thought of as passive and unknowing. It was commonly believed that until they mastered language, young children were incapable of thinking or forming complex ideas. Today, we know otherwise. From the very start, young children are aware of their surroundings and interested in exploring them. Scientists from several fields have shown that […]
 • An assortment of plastic containers • Plastic figurines • Freezer • Bathtub  1. Place plastic figures into a plastic container. 2. Fill container with water and freeze. 3. Fill a bathtub with warm water. 4. Place your baby in the bathtub. 5. Remove the ice from the container and drop into the […]
Multiply the fun when your baby paints with a friend.  • newspaper or plastic garbage bags • large sheet of butcher paper or posterboard • washable paints in containers large enough to dip hands and feet in Cover the floor with newspaper or tape down a cut-open garbage bag (this also works well as an outside activity). […]
 Ages: 9 months and up Forget “Lather. Rinse. Repeat.” As every parent of a shampoo-phobe knows, it’s hard enough just to get a few suds into — and then back out of — that little tangle of hair. Make washing more fun and ease your child’s fears with one or more of these tried-and-true […]
Cardboard or card stock Pencil Scissors 2 new 1/2-inch-thick kitchen sponges, in different colors Washable marker  Make a template. To do so, trace the perimeter of the sponge onto the cardboard, and then draw a simple shape in the center of that rectangle, leaving at least a 1/2-inch border between the sides of the […]
Literacy begins at birth. The early reading and writing experiences children have help prepare them for later success in school. That’s why rich and varied language and literacy experiences at home and at preschool are so important. Children who have been read to, who know nursery rhymes and chants, who hear a great deal of […]
