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!

Tips for Picky Eaters

Family mealtimes allow for social modeling of our behaviors to expand what our children will eat.  Research shows we need at least 10 tries of a food on 10 different occasions to decide if we like it.  We can help our children by setting a mealtime routine and exploring foods through all of our senses.  

A mealtime will consist of the child and at least one adult. Each mealtime should consist of a protein, starch or carbohydrate, and fruit or vegetable.

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: Halloween Treats

We are excited to launch our fall series: In the Kitchen with Hadley Lizzy! At Pediatrics Plus, we are committed to promoting and encouraging healthy child development tips and activities that you and your family can try at home.

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.

Halloween Costume Ideas for Wheelchairs and Walkers

Halloween is a holiday with no limitations. It is the one day of the year where we can be absolutely anything we want! This includes children and adults in wheelchairs. While some may feel that a wheelchair gets in the way of expressing full Halloween creativity, we have seen that this is anything but true. The internet is full of fanciful, fun, imaginative costumes for both children and adults in wheelchairs, walkers, and other devices. For this halloween, we have put together some of our favorite costumes with how-to tutorials! So put on your creativity hats and make this year's costume the best one yet for your child!

7 Rules of Bicycling Safety

According to the National Sporting Goods Association, more Americans ride bicycles than ski, golf, or play tennis combined. As you and your family embark on a fun day of bicycle riding, it is important to remember that bike safety should involve a lot more than just a helmet and observing the rules of the road. In fact, the American Physical Therapy Association says that bike-related injuries are largely preventable. Check out the 7 rules of bicycling safety and perform a basic bike check on all bikes in your home to ensure a fun and safe ride!

How To "Read" a Book to Your Young Child

Have you been unsuccessful trying and sit down with your young child and read to him?  Does he listen for about 30 seconds, then jump up and run away? 

You hear the importance of early literacy on a child’s brain development and want to help your child develop a love for reading….so what can you do if you can’t get him to participate?

Try these tips...