Generally parents understand the importance of both outdoor and indoor play. Outdoor play has been shown to increase attention span while indoor play encourages more creative flow. However, when I speak with parents regarding their attempts to achieve regular playtime for their children, one of the most stated obstacles to play in general is weather. This is partly due to...
The month of February is often associated with Valentine’s Day, a day that represents love and having being chosen as the loved of someone special. Recently I was listening to the audiobook Born a Crime by comedian Trevor Noah. In it he states that the greatest gift you can give someone is to choose them. He was speaking of his...
With the increased presence of technology in children’s products and toys, you may have come across the term smart toys. These are typically expensive toys containing a computerized system or technological aspect increasing its capabilities or functions. But do smart toys necessary lead to smart play? The answer depends more on how the toy is used. What is Smart Play? As an...
Since the invention of the disposable diaper in the 1940’s, parents have both struggled with and enjoyed the benefits of teaching their children how to toilet train with greater convenience.
October is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome/SIDS Awareness Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/CDC, 3500 infants die each year unexpectedly in the United States. This includes deaths from SIDS as well as unknown causes and accidental suffocation and strangulation. Since the 1994 SIDS awareness and Back-to-Sleep campaign began, the rates of death have declined by more than 50%. However, these rates have...