Designed with child development experts, our products guide your little one through key learning milestones.
We believe that toys should provide children with the opportunity to explor and learn in a variety of ways. We include Play Notes tips for parents in many of our products, with ideas for extended play for parents and caregivers.
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Musical Massage (0-6mo.)
Babies love to be touched and massaged. To make it a musical massage, choose a song and massage along to the melody! For example, play or sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider." Starting at baby's feet, "creep" like a spider with your hands, and lightly tap fingers downwards to simulate rain. Grasp baby’s hands to make the motions for the sun coming out and drying up the rain. Try different tempos, voices, and hand motions.
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Silly Songs (6-12mo.)
Make up songs to describe some of the day-to-day activities you and your child do together. Use the tune for "Where is Thumbkin?" to help find a lost blanket. "Where is blankie? Where is blankie? I don’t know. I don’t know. Let us go and find him, let us go and find him. Go, go, go." Use your musical imagination to make everyday activities more fun.
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Kitchen Concert (12mo.)
Your kitchen is full of ready-to-play instruments! Spread out some kitchen items (a lightweight pan, a wooden spoon, a metal bowl, measuring spoons) on the floor and let your toddler put on a show. By banging on a bowl, she learns about sound, and cause and effect. Play together, incorporating favorite songs, to let your child develop coordination and rhythm.
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Dance Moves (12mo+)
A simple way to introduce your child to music is to dance together. Play
some music and dance with your baby in your arms. Ask another member of the
family to stop the music from time to time. When the music stops, hold
still. When the music starts, start dancing again! Baby will like the
surprise, and he will begin to connect music and the rhythm of motion.
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Choo Choo (24mo+)
Combine sound and gestures to go on a "train trip" on Mommy's lap. Start the
train chant "chug-a-chug-a-chug-a-chug-a-CHOO-CHOO!" Gently move your
toddlers arms in circles like an old-fashioned steam train chugging along.
When you reach the end, raise her am like she's tugging at the engine's
whistle. Continue the game by singing and gesturing together to familiar,
train songs like "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain", "I've Been Workin'
on the Railroad", and "When the Train Comes Along."
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