Destiny Baby

If you have purchased Baby Einstein DVDs, you should know that you can get a refund for any videos you’ve purchased. the AP is reporting that, “The Walt Disney Co. [which acquired the Baby Einstein company in 2001] is expanding a refund program for its Baby Einstein videos for toddlers in response to challenges about the legitimacy of its educational claims.” This follows the threat of a class-action lawsuit by an advocacy group, the Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood, which had complained to the FTC back in 2006 about Baby Einstein claims that videos could teach words to babies less than two, which is not supported by scientific research.The Director of the group said, “We see it as an acknowledgment by the leading baby video company that baby videos are not educational, and we hope other baby media companies will follow suit by offering refunds.”

We’ve mentioned on this site about the importance of unstructured play in terms of enhancing development for young children. Instead of more DVDs and gadgets and gizmos to teach lower level brain functions like letter recognition, young children need stimulation and creativity that comes from problem solving, discovering the world around them and how it  works, the building blocks of physics, math and a scientific understanding of the world. In an earlier post, we mentioned educational activities for toddlers and preschoolers around the home to stimulate your little scientist in training.

Here at DestinyBaby.com we have talked about the fact that teaching science to your pre-schooler doesn’t require an advanced degree. Rather, a willingness to learn with your child and nurture their natural curiosity through guided activities will help your child to develop an interest in the sciences and discover the world that surrounds them.

Modern science is a way of knowing the world, based on observing, classifying and organizing, predicting, testing, and making conclusions. Conclusions can be modified when new observations are made. The cycle repeats again and again, and is rooted in what we can observe with our senses.

Since science is based on observation, children also form scientific “theories” to explain why it rains, why things drop when you let them go, why a ball rolls, and much more. You can help your child to understand basic scientific concepts by looking at things in new ways. Ask them questions about their playthings. For example, you could ask your child, “Do you think a ball could roll by itself?” or “What do you think makes a ball roll faster?” The thing is to stimulate thinking about what she or he knows and how she or he knows it.

So, what other simple science activities can you initiate to get your child to go down the scientific learning path? Don’t overwhelm them with a lot of bells and whistles; simple works best. Introduce a few ideas and focus your attention on those. Find hobbies or activities based on your child’s personality and interests, as well as ones appropriate for where you live. Get her or him to help pick out an activity. Hands-on science activities, such as puzzles and objects they can shape or control are great. Remember that science is cumulative. To learn new concepts requires building upon what has been learned before.

The building blocks of learning science are in every day experience, from watching animals like birds or squirrels, natural patterns like morning dew, ocean tides, or the cycle of the sun and moon or in daily activities like cooking and baking or using a washing machine and dryer. Your child can become a budding scientist through simple activities at home or around the neighborhood.

If you are looking for more sophisticated (computerized) tools and resources for encouraging your child to learn basic reading skills, math and science concepts, and more, check out our review of educational tools for toddlers.

I recently came across an interesting article, “Rethinking Children’s Play” in the National PTA’s Our Children magazine. The article explains how children learn through play, then traces the changes in playtime and toys from the latter half of the 20th century until today, significantly noting that media-linked toys can be traced directly to FCC deregulation in 1984. Now TV shows and movies can explicitly market to children.

The article restates facts we have mentioned in earlier posts, that brain development in the youngest children is best fostered by unstructured creative play time vs. rote learning and memorization.

According to the article, the kinds of pretend toys that are multi-purpose and unstructured, like clay, blocks, generic toy figures, and baby dolls, encourage play that children can control and shape to meet their individual needs over time.

Contrast this with the typical action figures or video games linked to TV programs or movies (I have to admit Destiny Baby is all about TV show characters from Nick Jr. and PBS Kids…at least they mostly have an educational focus!) The biggest problem, per the PTA, is that many of these toys just “tell” children how to play and use the toys to imitate what they see on the screen.

The best toys are those that can be used in a variety of ways, some of which your child will invent themselves! It’s good to have educational play interactions with your little one, but also let them have regular, uninterrupted playtime (away from the TV or DVD player!) and let them know that play is important.

You can get many of the best kinds of educational learning and cognitive development toys that facilitate your child’s intellectual, social and emotional development from the retailers featured on DestinyBaby.com. One of my favorite is the expert-selected, lead-tested and age appropriate gift series toys from eBeanStalk.com.

Whatever you do, make thoughtful choices about the toys and media you introduce to your child — focus on ones that promote true playtime, allowing them the fullest range of freedom and creativity.

For our children to grow up smart, strong and healthy, insurance is a must. Every state in the country has a health insurance program for infants, children and teens. This is not welfare. Insurance is available to children in working families. For little or no cost, this insurance pays for doctor visits, prescriptions, hospitalization, and more. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a website called Insure Kids Now! which links to every state’s insurance program. You can also find more resources for parents on this site.

Came across an AP article today that Simplicity bassinets are being recalled by retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Toys “R” Us Inc., Kmart Corp., Big Lots, Target, J.C. Penney, AAFES, Amazon.com LLC, Bed Bath and Beyond/BuyBuyBaby, Burlington Coat Factory, Chelsea & Scott LTD (OneStepAhead), CSN Stores, Fingerhut Direct Marketing, Kohl’s Department Stores, ShopKo Stores Inc., Sweet Pea Decor, and six stores of USA Baby after two babies died after becoming trapped in the bassinet’s metal bars. According to the article, “Simplicity bassinets have metal bars spaced farther apart than federal standards allow. Julie Vallese, a CPSC spokeswoman, said consumers can tell if their Simplicity bassinet is recalled if it has removable fabric that is fastened by Velcro.” The full article is here.

Hearthsong, the toy division of Madison Brands, is giving away $25,000 in scholarships to commemorate its 25th anniversary. It’s a sweepstakes entry, requiring you to give your contact information in exchange for a chance to win prizes. The contest runs from August 11, 2008 to December 31. The winner will be picked in January 2009. I actually came across this contest while reading about a survey the company commissioned that found over 60 percent of US parents play with their children less than an hour a day. Most of that time is spent with games or toys, followed by unstructured play and outdoor activities. Although most parents cite the benefits of play being that their child can learn to interact with others. Other, less frequently mentioned, reasons that play is good include its positive effects on child development, including improvement of motor skills, problem solving, creative thinking, imagination, and a sense of accomplishment.