Tag Archives: Play

Feb 8 2013

Edging Closer to Spring

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I know it’s miserable outside and we’ve only just gotten over ‘snow-gate-2013′ - but I’m already massively looking forward to Spring. Why? Because for the first year in ages we have a garden.

Garden + small child = Fun.

Right now our garden looks boring. It has a shed and a washing line, some decking, and a bit of grass.

In just a few months however, it’ll have an increasingly mobile baby and a mummy in it - and I’ve got big plans for things for us to do.

Firstly, I want to make Dexter this out of an old table I got from eBay for a fiver.

All I’ll Daddy needs to do is cut into the table and pop in some washing up bowls, and Dexter will have a fabulous pint-sized play area where he can learn all about plants.

When it comes to gardening, I am a plants answer to Fred West. That is to say I am a serial killer of anything green and leaf-like.

 

Daddy however, must have Baby Bio flowing from his fingertips (like Spider Man’s web-shooters) - he somehow manages to breathe life into seedlings and make big things happen. He once nurtured some Sunflower seeds into strapping big 8ft bad-boys.

This year however, I’m determined to transform our lifeless garden into a mini Eden Project and grow herbs and vegetables.

We’ll make mini greenhouses from plastic bottles and for just a few short months pretend that we’re Tom and Barbara from The Good Life. I’ve got it all worked out.

Dexter will get to play in a sandpit in our garden before joining nursery and sitting in one with a high pee content. We’ll get him a trampoline and a bouncy castle and invite our friends around, and their children, for BBQ’s and cheap lager (the alcohol would be for the adults and not our mini-me’s of course - please don’t rush and dial Social Services). This might be our only Spring as a family of three so we have to make it a good one.

On the shopping list… 12ft Trampoline With Enclosure, and 15ft Inflatable Water Slide - both available from http://www.toyzworld.co.uk

Of course, Dexter will be 9-12 months throughout Spring, and barely toddling. This means poor old mummy will have to play on the toys with him… such a shame that.

Anyone else excited about getting back in their gardens?

 

 

Aug 15 2012

Thumb-sucking and hand-holding

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This week (#13) has been a busy one with you performing lots of new neat little tricks.

Head holding is continuing to go well. Daddy and mummy can carry you on their hips now with only the occasional head bop. You’ve had one little accident staring at yourself in the mirror where you mistakenly thought mummy had made you a twin brother to play with. Unfortunately when you went to give him a kiss you quickly realised that your playmate wasn’t all he was cracked up to be.

I reported a few weeks back that your little leggies are stronger than your arms and that’s definitely still the case. I don’t know if you’re inspired by the Olympics but you’ve really taken to standing on mummy’s legs - locking your little knees and stretching your back. Standing on the floor with mummy supporting your underarms you’ll take some tentative steps forward (you regularly take 4 of these before collapsing). I’ve heard some babies will walk without crawling and it seems you could be a contender.

Helping mummy with bot bot

You’ve also been fascinated by your hands this week. Favourite things to grab so far are your bottle (during feeds), mummy’s hand, mummy’s necklace, and mummy’s hair. You’re even beginning to grab at your rattles! As an aside, I’ve also caught you sucking your thumb on more than one occasion which daddy thinks is sweet, mummy isn’t so sure.

Thumb sucking (and swearing at mummy…) Sigh

The elusive giggle is still not quite there. Tickling your tummy seems to be the way forward here but we still haven’t quite got a full-blown laughing fit. Having said that - you’re a right chatterbox. On your playmat or sat with daddy you’ll be gurgling and cooing for England telling all about how mean your mummy is for not hurrying up with those bots bots. In fact, you are pretty much a daddy’s boy. You can’t get enough of story-time with daddy and I’ll be the first to admit daddy RULES this and offers up seriously funny voices and ab libs. Even when daddy is preoccupied with his laptop - you’d rather hang out with him than me.

You’re also not quite there with the roll-over. I’ll regularly find you at a 90 degree angle in your cot, but haven’t seen you flip onto your tummy yet. You can take your time with this if you want as mummy would have a heart attack if she found you face down in your cot.

Finally - mummy had a sort out of your clothes this week. At a whooping 11lbs 12 you’ve now grown out of your teeny clothes and are firmly in 3-6 months outfits. I feel a fashion show is overdue so we’ll get that organised next week xxx

So that’s it - plenty of bottom lip wobbles and smile-ins… perfection in every way xx

Grabbing those toys…

… And smashing yourself in the face with them

Jul 11 2012

Development Toys - The ELC Bugs Mirror

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Even at a tiny 8 weeks - mummy is super impressed with how quickly you are exploring the world around you. Let’s face it - you don’t do too much right now (other than pooping, sleeping, drinking - and crying!) but when we do get a moment to play, mummy tries to make it as educational and fun as possible.

Already you are largely supporting your own head when mummy carries you around, pulling her hair, smiling lots and lots, and chattering away to your toys. We’re still waiting for you to giggle, lift up your head when you have ‘tummy time’ with your toys, and have some ‘sit up’ play-time. So mummy has done some research on the best toys out there and will be reviewing them when you’ve had a chance to road test them.

bugs mirror Development Toys The ELC Bugs Mirror

Bugs Mirror - Mothercare / ELC

Daddy bought this ELC Mirror for you at the weekend. The mirror suggestion was made by a play specialist at the Royal Berks Hospital. When you were poorly, mummy tried to stay by your side for every waking moment as you were very frightened. Unfortunately mummy still had to eat and stretch her legs occasionally though! One day mummy was in the cafe getting some lunch and you had a major strop. You woke up in your hospital cot and screamed the ward down. When mummy got back she found you staring at yourself in a mirror encased in foam. It seems the play specialist had popped by and left this in your cot to keep you quiet. It worked! Mummy and daddy were so impressed we shopped around and found you this one.

MUMMY’S VERDICT - 4/5

This vibrant mirror from the Early Learning Centre was a bargain at £15. As baby mirrors are not made from real glass (for safety reasons), many of them are encased in soft toys and become warped as they are sewed into the toy. As this mirror is in a flat canvas, the reflection is much clearer and longer allowing Dexter to see his whole body when lying on his side. The mirror can be used in three ways; it can be free-standing (as pictured), hung up on the wall (the mirror has a handy fabric loop on its narrowest side for this purpose), or indeed wrapped into a cylindrical toy using velcro for when baby is a little more confident.

It’s a winner here at Chez Mills as it’s easily transportable and colourful. I can lie beside Dexter and he can see the two of us in the reflection so he feels safe whilst he studies himself. I love watching the look of consternation on his face as he punches the mirror to play with his twin! The ‘mirror experience’ allows babies to focus, track images, and explore the wonderful things a face can do. It also promotes social and emotional development as they can interact with you.

My only criticism is that, when it’s in free-standing mode, Dexter has to be up very close to the mirror in order to see himself. This to due to the angle created when propped up against the rear panel.

pixel Development Toys The ELC Bugs Mirror