Bare Feet Were Made for Walking

Baby shoes are beyond adorable, but in truth, they are not necessary. In fact, they may hinder your toddler’s development with walking.

When a baby is born, the bones in their feet are still hardening. Wearing shoes at such a young age may alter their developmental growth, conforming the foot to the shape of the shoe rather than the needs of their environment. In addition, thick soles found in some shoes restrict the range of movement necessary to learn how to walk.

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Playing in Prone: Superman Activities for All

Tummy Time for babies is a basic building block to prone extension for children and adults. 

What is that? Prone extension (aka the Superman) is when you lay on your stomach and lift your arms and legs straight off the ground. 

This position helps with balance, attention, and coordination. It’s also a good indicator if your child has postural control issues. 

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Defying Gravity: Tummy Time

As a new parent, you receive a lot of rules about how to take care of your new bundle of joy. But, one is a bit hard to implement once you get home: Tummy Time.

What is Tummy Time?

This cute, alliterative phrase refers to any time when your baby is on their belly while they are awake and active. This position allows them to lift and turn their head from side to side, and provides the foundational upper body and core strength/ stability needed for reaching and crawling. 

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Toys for Curbing Screen Time

Finding toys for your kids can be challenging when you’re competing with a Smartphone or tablet. Here are some recommendations, based on age and development, that help with the challenge: 

Wooden Puzzle Shape Sorter

1-2 years

Children at this age are learning about their surroundings through exploration. Find toys that they can analyze and tinker with to promote cognitive, fine, and visual perceptual/motor development.

Wooden Puzzle Shape Sorter

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child(ish) Q & A: Screen Time

child(ish) Q&A: Screen Time

Since our post “The Importance of Play“, we have received a few questions regarding the use of screen time. Here is a quick cheat sheet if you are in the middle of the screen time battle.

What is screen time?

Screen time refers to any sedentary activity involving the use of visual electronic media. Examples include: smart phones, tablets, computers, televisions, and video games.  Little to no physical effort is utilized during screen time. 

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