
Making the Most of Play Time With Your Toddler

How to Make the Most of Playtime With Your Infant

Rephrase Your Praise: How to Praise Your Child
As parents, we've become addicted to praising our kids. But as we try to make them feel good about themselves 24-7, we actually may be harming them. Even if your praise is sincere, you may not be using it the right way. If you use it the right way, it's a valuable tool for reinforcing good behavior, boosting your child's self-esteem, and making him or her feel loved, appreciated, and inspired.
Youth Sports Injury Prevention
Youth sports are a great way for a child to get exercise while having fun! But unfortunately, all sports have a risk of injury. The more contact in a sport, the greater the risk of injury and most injuries in young athletes are due to overuse. These tips can reduce the risk of injury and help parents promote a safe, optimal sports experience for their child.

Movement During Winter Months
Activities and exercise are important for children in order for them to maintain good health all year long. But, when the weather gets cold, it’s harder to get children outside to keep them moving. With a few quick and easy ideas, you can turn your home into a safe and fun space to keep your kids moving throughout those cold months.
In the Kitchen with Hadley and Lizzy: Christmas Cookies
In this month's edition of In the Kitchen with Hadley and Lizzy, the girls make Christmas cookies with their friend Wyatt.
Having kids help in the kitchen introduces them to all kinds of new foods, helps teach math, shows kids how to follow steps in order, teaches critical thinking and problem solving, helps develop fine motor skills, and so much more! And most importantly, it allows you to spend quality time with your kiddos!
Cutting out and decorating Christmas cookies is something kids of ALL abilities can help with, so get in that kitchen and get to cooking!
20 Great Developmental Toys for Toddlers
With Christmas just around the corner, we have compiled a list of some of our favorite toys for the babies and toddlers in your life! These toys target fine motor, gross motor, sensory and cognitive development. The toys listed below encourage creative play and discovery.
Be sure to check out our post on How To Pick Good Toys for Your Child to ensure the toys you purchase for your special little one this year are fun and promote development.

How to Pick the Best Toys for Your Child
Determining the best toys to purchase for children at Christmas can be an overwhelming task with all of the choices available online and in stores. As parents and caregivers, we want to choose toys that our children will enjoy, but can also help promote their development. Although some toys are marketed as educational and developmental, they unfortunately may not actually be best for a child’s development.
More Benefits of Play
Play is the way children learn about themselves and the world. Through play, they learn to get along with others, sort out conflicts, practice language skills, and develop small (fine) and large (gross) motor skills. In addition, play encourages independence, self-esteem, and creativity!
In the Kitchen with Hadley and Lizzy: Thanksgiving Edition
Welcome to our second segment of In the Kitchen with Hadley and Lizzy! Cooking with your child is one of the best ways to make connections across and amongst many disciplines. Children learn by touching, tasting, seeing, feeling, and listening.
This week, the girls have brought in a special guest, Logan, to teach us how to make Turkey Cheese Balls!