Babies
Help your baby notice the outside moving objects. Draw his attention to the leaves blowing in the wind, the birds hopping from branch to branch, the children on their bicycles. Try using touch and smell when appropriate to engage more senses. Get closer, take time to get down on your baby's level and view how he sees the world.
Read more.
Toddlers
Lay a rope on the ground and have your toddler follow or walk directly on it. Start off with it in a straight line and then move it to different shapes (zig-zag, circle, wiggly, etc.). With it in a straight line, ask her to show you how she can move across the rope if she were pretending to be an animal, such as a turtle or kangaroo. Watch videos with animals moving to give your toddler more information on how animals move. For children with limited mobility ask your child to try the movement of the rope with their finger or eye movement.
Read more.
Preschoolers
Encourage your preschooler to use a magnifying glass to examine found outside objects. Ask her what she sees when she looks at different objects using the magnifying glass. Does she see anything with the magnifying glass that she couldn't see without it? This is a great opportunity to introduce new vocabulary through braille, sign, written and spoken word. Explore not only what you see, but how it feels and smells.
Read more.
Kindergartners
Take advantage of the sun by creating shadow monsters! Ask your kindergartner to create different shadow shapes using his body and encourage him to watch what happens to his shadow when he moves. How does it change when he holds items in his hand (like a ball) or opens his jacket or holds your hand? Use this opportunity to teach descriptive words like tall, short, small, and round. Make predictions about movement in relation to the shadow. Engage all your senses as you play in the sun with shadows, like asking your kindergartner how the sun feels on his skin and describing the things he smells.
Read more.
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9 Books About
Going Outside
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Planting a Rainbow
by Lois Ehlert
Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse
by Lindsay Barrett George
Bump! Thump! How do we jump?
by Janice Lobb
Inside Outside Upside Down
by Stan Berenstain
Outside Over There
by Maurice Sendak
Are You Ready to Play Outside?
by Mo Willems
Feathers for Lunch
by Lois Ehlert
Goodnight World Outside
by Frances Gilbert
Sam Who Never Forgets
by Eve Rice
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How a Mom's Mental Health Can Affect Her Baby
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There are many factors that can influence the development of a baby during pregnancy and after birth. Until recently researchers knew little about the relationship between an pregnant mom’s mental health and how her baby's brain would develop after it was born.
New research
suggests that a mom's mental health can impact the development of her baby's brain after birth. It shows that babies whose moms had higher levels of anxiety and symptoms of depression may impact the parts of a baby's brain that plays an important role in healthy brain development and the baby's mental health outcomes as they get older.
Did you know dads can experience depression and anxiety
which can have an impact on their child's development?
Moms and dads who experience symptoms of depression or anxiety should talk with their doctor. Signs of depression or anxiety may look like:
- having trouble concentrating or completing routine tasks
- loosing your appetite or not feeling interested in food
- feeling like you're is not a good mother or father
- lacking interest in your baby or feel anxious about the baby's health
- feeling overwhelmed by your situation and like there's no hope of things getting better
Getting Help
Resources for families with young children:
- If you need immediate assistance, please use one of the resources now: Emergency: 911 or Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
- Programs in Pennsylvania, like Nurse-Family Partnership, Healthy Families America, Family Check up, Early Head Start and Parents As Teachers can help provide support and guidance to new families.
- Postpartum Support International: PSI Coordinators and other area resources such as groups, telephone support, and reliable services that are available for no charge. Also list local events, trainings and volunteer opportunities.
- Postpartum Depression Philly: In Philadelphia, many organizations are working together to find better ways to support new mothers with PPD. The goal is to help new mothers, their families and their support systems better understand PPD.
- Postpartum Depression and the Baby Blues. Signs, Symptoms, Coping Tips, and Treatment (Helpguide.org)
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Toll-free 24-hour hotline. 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255); TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889).
The
video below
shows how a mom's interaction can play a role in how a baby reacts.
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Protecting Your Child From the Flu
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Just as it does every year without fail, influenza season – also known as flu season – is coming. Many people don't realize it, but the flu can be a very serious illness. It causes thousands of deaths in the United States every year, some of which are among previously healthy children.
As a parent, the best thing you can do to protect your children from the flu is to get them vaccinated. Everyone around them should be vaccinated, too.
Check out these resources to help protect your child from the flu.
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Is your child meeting typical milestones? Use the Early Learning GPS to find out!
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What do you expect your child to be able to do in six months or a year? How do you know if your child is meeting typical milestones? Learn more about children's developmental milestones and follow your child's progress with the Early Learning GPS.
Create a free map for your child to save important tips and resources and follow your child's milestones. Save family activities and compare child care programs. The information is from reliable resources like PA's Office of Child Development and Early Learning.
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Keeping Your Child Safe From Lead
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Lead has had many uses over the years, from making paint flow smoothly or keeping your car from "knocking" to hardening plastics. However, unlike other metals like zinc or copper, lead has no uses in the body. In fact, lead in the body is harmful. And lead that gets into the body stays in the body for a long time. It takes about 27 years for half of the lead that is taken into the body to be excreted.
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Ways to help increase the number of words your child speaks
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Are you picking up on your child's cues? Research suggests that being attentive to a child’s needs in a warm, loving way is associated with a higher number of words that he or she speaks, especially early on. As children become toddlers, families’ teaching activities become more important.
So families, make sure you let your child lead your interactions. If he shows interest in another activity, explore it. Describe and narrate the world around you. Name the objects you see, what they are, and where they go. Watch
the video for more info
, then visit
PA's Promise for Children
to find ways you can help your child's development.
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When Frightful Isn't Delightful
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It's the season for ghosts, goblins and scary things-especially for young children! Even if your family does not participate in Halloween activities, there are displays at stores, schools or activity centers.
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10 Books about Being Afraid
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Children can have many fears--of the dark, going to bed, or new places. The fears can change with their age or experiences, and sometimes we don't understand their fears. But for children, those fears can be very real.
Talk with your child's teacher, doctor or health care professional if your child is having difficulty with fears, or you feel the fears are causing problems with your child.
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What Can a Two Year Old Do?
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What can a two year old do? Well, it depends. A child who is two years and one month may have very different development than a child who is two years old and eleven months. Those twelve months can make a big impact on what a child knows and can do. The
video below
shows the difference between a young two year old and an older two year old.
Want to know what to expect in your child's development? Check out the
Early Learning GPS
.
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Our Favorite Pinterest Pins
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Do you have a new Kindergartner?
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The PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) provides families access to high quality services to prepare children for school and life success.
Find more information about Quality Early Learning in Pennsylvania
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