Critical Thinking that's an A for Apple! (Fine Motor Skills)

When I look for toys, I try to make sure each one addresses at least one of the developmental stages that children go through. My daughter is at the stage where she plays a little more independently and enjoys exploring toys that stimulate her critical thinking skills and exercise her fine motor skills.

As a mom and certified educator, I’ll share a few tips about the worm and apple lacing toy.  I'll also share some educational insights that are quick and to the point so multitasking moms like me can be a mom-boss (or dad-boss) while making sure your baby is the smartest baby on the block! 

There are many different lacing toys out there. But, did you know there are many different reasons to let your child explore and play with them? Think of all the skills we do as adults that require lacing - tying shoes, tying knots, sewing, pie making. What else can you brainstorm? So it makes sense that babies and children need to learn how to use their hands in these ways as well. 

I recently got the apple and worm toy for my daughter and was surprised to see how quickly she naturally tried to the put the worm in the holes. This involves critical thinking because she realizes the holes are there for a reason and to put the worm through the holes is how the worm gets to one to the other. Seems super simple for us, but for babies and young children this concept has to be taught and practiced. My daughter is also working on her hand-eye-coordination when lacing.

You can model the way the worm laces back and forth, which is a great way to engage in learning with your child. Try to see if your child can pull the string to back the worm out of the holes it was laced in to. This also requires critical thinking.  Each of these movements require fine motor skills.

This is a great toy that is quiet, doesn't require batteries and can be used when traveling. Just be aware of the string and any hazards that could come with that.

By helping your child learn to play with lacing toys, you are setting her up for future success with these skills!

Motor Skills - Porcupine Toy!

Recently, I’ve been sharing my recommendations for toys that allow my one year old daughter to practice her fine motor skills because when I look for toys, I try to make sure each one addresses at least one of the developmental stages that children go through. My daughter is at the stage where she plays a little more independently and enjoys exploring. It is such a fun stage to engage in play with my daughter. And when she plays on her own, I can take a few moments to rest and just enjoy watching her curiosity.

As a mom and certified educator, I’ll share a few tips about Learning Resources’ porcupine toy. I'll also share some educational insights that are quick and to the point so multitasking moms like me can be a mom-boss (or dad-boss) while making sure your baby is the smartest baby on the block!

Learning Resources has a lot of fun, learning toys for children. I found this porcupine toy on Amazon and thought it was so cute! I didn’t realize it was as small as it is, so just a heads up on that. And if your child is still chewing on toys, the spikes are easy to bend, as you might be able to tell in my picture. Other than that, here are fun ways to engage in learning with your child.

1. Take turns placing the spikes in the porcupine. When you model how something should be done, your child is able to copy that action. You’re probably noticing that your child is copying a lot of what you do. This is one way she is learning!
2. Likewise, take turns taking the spikes out of the porcupine. When I first was playing this with my daughter, I had to hold her hand a bit to help her with these actions. Just a couple months later, she is able to do it on her own.
3. If you want to set yourself up for a challenge, you can practice putting the spikes in the porcupine’s storage compartment! This is a nice feature of the toy, otherwise spikes are all over the place!
4. As we play, sometimes I will call out the numbers and count a few at a time. I’ll pick up one, say “one”, pick up another and say “two” and so forth. I don’t go too high at this point. Eventually I’ll count up to twelve and point to the numbers on the porcupine. I’ll also say the color names more often too.
5. Then, in the months to come, I’ll ask my daughter to pick up the color spike I call out. I’ll also have her to point to number one, then two and so forth. Then, when she’s ready I’ll ask her to repeat the number names and color names with me.
6. If you and your child come to love the porcupine character, there are other toys with him!

When you say the words for your child, you are modeling. When you ask her to repeat them, you are working together. When you ask her to identify them, she is applying what she is learning to show you on her own! And that in itself, is an educational technique.

Wood Puzzles: Fine Motor Skills and Critical Thinking

The fascination with puzzles can be quite puzzling, don’t you think? Just kidding, couldn’t help myself. Puzzles are in fact a great way for your child to work on fine motor skills, while including an educational aspect in a fun activity. As a mom and certified educator, I’ll share a few ways you can have your one year old play with puzzles and still use that same puzzle for a couple more years! I'll also share some educational insights that are quick and to the point so multitasking moms like me can be a mom-boss (or dad-boss) while making sure your baby is the smartest baby on the block!

I love the Melissa and Doug puzzles. They are made of wood, have a base to fit all the pieces and are made for little kids’ hands. There are tons of puzzles out there, of course. You just have to figure out what you want your child to use it for and make sure it’s safe for your child’s age. I like the wood ones for my one year old daughter because she tends to put things in her mouth. The wood holds up against her chewing on the pieces and is sturdy for her little fingers.

Here’s how you can use these puzzles in different developmental stages.

Take a look at the fish puzzles. Right now, my daughter is using them to practice her fine motor skills. She has to pinch the little handle to lift the pieces. She isn’t quite putting the pieces back on the board, but that’s the next step. Sometimes she is playing independently and I just let her practice her pinching skills. Other times I’m right there with her, adding in an educational aspect. For instance, as she lifts a piece I’ll say, “That fish is pink!” Eventually, I’ll ask her to repeat the colors, pick up the color I call out, count the fish, and then learn to read the color names. This puzzle will last a few years!

The other puzzle I enjoy is one with shapes. This puzzle requires my daughter to use more of her hand in a hand grab. Her fingers have to work together and it is helping her pick up heavier items. Sometimes I’ll call out the color or the shape or both! Eventually, I’ll ask her to identify the color, shape, how many sides each shape has, and the words on the board. This puzzle will last a few years too!

The last puzzle I have pictured is the animal puzzle. These types of puzzles require a different grasp for your baby’s hand. And the educational aspect is centered around animals. You can talk about the different colors of the animals, where the animals can be found and what sounds each animal makes.

See how there’s so much more than just letting your baby play with a puzzle? It’s a great opportunity to engage in your baby’s learning! And that, my friend, is not puzzling at all!

Helping your baby's fine motor skills

I love toys that have multiple uses or stages to them. The kind that my daughter can play with simply at first, then progress with the toy’s features as she progresses in her development. As a mom and certified educator, I want to share a few toys that can help with your baby's development. I'll also share some educational insights that are quick and to the point so multi-tasking moms like me can be a mom-boss (or dad-boss) while making sure your baby is the smartest baby on the block! 

When I look for toys, I try to make sure each one addresses at least one of the developmental stages that children go through. The stages are sometimes titled differently, but basically the stages are language development, movement skills, cognitive skills, and social and emotional development. 

This blog is about three toys that address movement skills - to be specific, fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are when babies learn to use their fingers and hands.

When my daughter first started playing with the wooden ball drop toy by Melissa and Doug, she was learning to place the balls in the holes. I pushed the balls for her and they went down the ramp. She would pick them up again and place them in the holes. This took a lot of coordination for her to accomplish. Eventually, she was able to push the balls down the hole herself. Now, at fifteen months, she uses the hammer to punch the balls down the holes. This toy’s features progressed as my daughter progressed! When she’s ready, I’ll introduce colors and ask my daughter to get the yellow ball and so forth.

The plastic ball drop by B. toys is a similar toy but has more of a visual to the ball drop. It is higher vertically, so my daughter played with this when she was sitting up independently. She is at the stage where she can use the hammer to pounce balls and enjoys watching them go down each level. This toys is also introducing the concept of cause and effect. The cause is pouncing with the hammer, the effect is seeing the ball go down each level. Using the hammer to pounce the toys requires hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

The third toy I wanted to talk about is the nail and hammer bench. I remember playing with a version of this when I was a kid! This is the Melissa and Doug version and it has been well played with by my nieces and my daughter. My daughter recently showed interest in playing with this toy herself. She enjoys pushing each “nail” down, which is a great exercise for her fingers. Occasionally she will use the hammer. Both ways also introduce the idea of cause and effect.

One of the other developmental stages is called cognitive skills. These toys also address this stage in the area of problem solving. When a baby has to figure out where something belongs and how to fit it there, the baby is developing her problem solving skills.

Now don’t stress and think each time your baby plays with these toys she has to be working on a skill! I just hope it helps you be more aware and when you can engage in playing with your baby, you can remember some of these ideas to help with your baby’s development.

**If you purchase the toys linked within this blog, I may make a small commission at no extra charge to you. Thanks for reading!