The best gift a parent can give their child is the ability to speak a second language, like Spanish. The best time to teach a new language, like Spanish, is when a child is a toddler. Teaching a second language has been proven to not only strengthen a child’s ability in their first language, but it also:

Leads to higher scores on standardized tests when they’re older
Better retention of language
Better memory

And many more benefits.

To understand why “toddler time” is the best time to learn a second language, it’s important to go over how a first language is acquired. Think about when your child was born. Obviously, they couldn’t speak any language, and going through formal language training with them would be a waste of time. But, after about two years, your child was conversational in their first language!

How did this happen? Through the process of language immersion. The child’s brain is wired to, essentially, solve puzzles at such a young age. This is why children, before their teens, are able to pick up on patterns and learn new processes very easily. This ability is at its strongest from ages 0-5, and then slowly goes down from 6-12.

The best way to give your child the benefit of a second language is to take advantage of this brain development time, and start when they’re toddlers. Simply follow the same “language immersion” process that you inadvertently used to teach them their first language!

Instead of asking your child if they want to eat an orange, ask them if they want to eat a “naranja”. Sprinkle the Spanish language throughout their every day lives. See if you can get a baby sitter or nanny or who speaks Spanish, and will only speak Spanish when they are around your toddler.

If you don’t know any Spanish yourself, don’t worry! You can pick up enough useful phrases and words in the language within about two weeks that you can use to start benefitting your toddler right away.

The best time to teach Spanish to a child is when they’re a toddler. Take advantage of this age and help your child grow to their best potential. Good luck!

By: Noah M. Benjamin

About the Author:
The top-performing students in American schools today are bilingual. Find out for FREE how to get your child on the same path to success learning Spanish.

When it comes to educational toys or activities for your toddler, what is the first thing that comes to mind? If you are like most parents, you likely automatically think of the coolest toys on the market. A large number of these toys are educational, but many are also electronic. These toys may encourage your child to learn, but being electronic can sometimes make them difficult to afford. If you are looking for a cheaper educational toy or item, you are encouraged to examine flash cards.

When thinking of flash cards, there are many who think back to their days in high school. Many high school students use flash cards to prepare for upcoming exams. Flash cards are often used by high school students, but they are not only limited to them. You will find that a large number of flash cards are designed for toddlers; toddlers like yours. Like the flash cards that are used by many high school students, preschool cards can also be educational.

When I picked up the first package of flash cards for my daughter, I literally had no idea that she would enjoy them so much. I also had no idea that she could learn so much from using them. She received her first set of flash cards before the age of two and she still loves them just as much as she first did. There are many instances where she would rather play with her set of flash cards than any of her other toys.

Perhaps, the nicest thing about flash cards is that they are very inexpensive. Flash cards can be purchased from a wide variety of different retailers. I have purchased a number of flash card sets from my local Wal-Mart, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar General. I never pay more than one dollar for a set of cards and they can sometimes even be found for cheaper. You may be assuming that these flash cards, due to their price, are cheap or poor in quality, but they are not. My daughter’s favorite set of flash cards only cost one dollar and I found them at a dollar store, but they are made by Fisher Price.

Fisher Price is great, but they are not the only company that makes educational flash cards for children, namely preschoolers. When searching for flash cards, you will come across a wide variety of different styles, from a number of different companies. I have found flash card sets that focus on first words, numbers, colors, shapes, the alphabet, and animals. The best flash cards are the ones that come with large pictures and small descriptions, preferably in large, easy to read print.

As with just about any toy, your child may be get bored with the set of flash cards that you have purchased for them. That is why it is nice that you are often presented with a large product selection to choose from. I regularly replace my daughter’s flash cards every few months. I find that this prevents her from losing interest in this fun, but cheap learning activity.

By: Jennifer Foote

About the Author:
Jennifer Foote is a freelance writer, who is also a stay at home mom. She balances her time to not only make a living from home, but prepare her daughter for preschool from home as well. She runs the following blog:http://preparingyourchildforpreschool.blogspot.com/

Toddlerhood is the best time to start building your child’s fundamental skills. During this stage, which typically lasts during the ages of 1-3 years old, your toddler has a heightened sense of curiosity towards the world around him. He will begin to explore new objects and sensations with more than just a passing interest.

This is also the time when your child starts learning how to speak. As he advances further into the later stages of toddlerhood, he will be able to add new words to an ever-expanding vocabulary and use those words to form simple phrases and sentences.

You can maximize your toddler’s rapid brain development by giving him educational toys to play with. These toys stimulate your child’s inquisitive mind and hasten the learning process. At the same time, your toddler can have loads of fun!

Here are some helpful tips to consider when selecting an educational toy for your child!

* Choose Eye-catching Toys

With so many new stimuli bombarding your toddler’s senses and vying for attention, it is important to pick out a toy that will hold your toddler’s attention for more than just a moment. Bright, gay colors will help capture and hold your child’s attention. Your highly inquisitive toddler will also be drawn to toys that come in different shapes and sizes.

When picking out any toy, educational or not, looks play an important role so choose carefully. Educational toys are only educational if your toddler plays with them. Moreover, it is economically wasteful to buy a toy that will only be relegated to a recluse corner in the nursery to gather dust.

* Select Multi-purpose Toys

There are so many educational toys to choose from that selecting one for your toddler can be quite a headache. With a limited budget, you can make the most out an educational toy by choosing one with a variety of uses. Some toys, like flash cards, only allow your toddler to practice their alphabet or numbers. While playing and learning one thing is great, playing and learning multiple things is better!

One very useful toy that develops multiple skills is a building block set. You can get your toddler to sort out the blocks according to color and shape. They will also introduce your toddler to patterns and dimensions — concepts that he will be able to appreciate more when he matures into childhood.

* Make Safety a Priority

Lastly, but most important of all, choose toys that are safe for your child’s age. Toddlers perceive objects through all the senses: sight, taste, touch, smell and sound. Primary among these senses is that of taste. If you give a toy or any object to a toddler, he will automatically put that object in his mouth. It is therefore very important not to give toddlers toys that contain small parts or toys that are prone to breaking. Your toddler may choke on the small pieces.

With these tips to guide you, you will be able to choose a safe, educational toy that will engage your toddler for countless hours on end!

By: Toni Joanne Lim

About the Author:
If you like this article, view it on Squidoo and check out Toni Joanne’s other Squidoo lenses!

Playtime is one of the most vital parts of childhood development. Research has proven that all areas of development are enhanced through a child’s play activities. Healthy growth and development is stimulated through play as early as birth and on into the school age years. Children play in a variety of ways with a number of different toys. Each activity has a different affect on development.

Newborns and infants enjoy a social play style that builds their trust as they prepare to explore the rest of the world. Babies interact with their parents and caregivers as they learn to bond with people and develop a basic understanding of emotions. Social games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake are common play activities for older babies and toddlers.

As young children grow, playtime is the biggest contributor to the healthy development of large muscles. Crawling, walking, and running all develop gross motor skills. Preschool and school age children develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically through outside play. Childhood games of tag, Red Rover, and hide and seek are great activities to encourage healthy development.

The most beneficial play is initiated by the child. During free play is when most learning takes place in young children. A child’s natural curiosity leads him to explore possibilities and test each one. A child playing with blocks will begin to stack them. Through this simple activity, the child is learning basic problem solving skills while discovering the effects of gravity and exploring sizes and shapes.

The earliest forms of play in childhood are functional play. A child will use an object for the same purpose over and over again. Through this repetition the child gains confidence in his abilities which will encourage him to do new things. Filling a bucket with sand and then dumping it out and filling it again is an example of functional play. During this type of play, children typically strengthen fine and/or gross motor skills as well as logic thinking.

Constructive play is common in preschool age children. A child playing constructively will create something through his play. This would include things like playing with blocks, doing art, or staging a puppet show. Galt’s line of giant floor puzzles will initiate hours of constructive play to develop cognitive thinking, problem solving skills, and creativity. Group constructive play encourages team work and healthy social emotional development as well.

Pretend play is a very important part of healthy development. Most children pretend and role play from their preschool years through early elementary school. This type of play has a number of benefits to the growth and development of a child. Pretend play helps children process the things they see and hear each day. It invited children to be creative and to expand their imaginations. Playing make-believe strengthens language skills and aids in proper social development.

Children gain a strong foundation for learning through play. Playtime is fun. Young children love to explore and discover new things about the world around them and about themselves. Solitary play fosters independent thinking and problem solving while group play encourages cooperation and understanding. For healthy growth and development, children should spend most of their days in free play. Allow your child to play his way and encourage him to solve problems during playtime.

By: Nicole Munoz

About the Author:
For more tips and information about Baby Einstein Discovering Water Play Gym, check out http: http://www.thekidstoystore.com.

When choosing a good toddler computer game, pick one that will be engaging for the child and entertaining also for the adult and you will be glad to know there are a huge variety of games for toddlers that are interactive, and very educational while at the same time entertaining.

Initially it is your duty to guide your child playing the computer games. These toddler computer games must provide both funs to the parent as well as the child and should possess easy to start features and should also have the facility to pause anytime in between when required. Besides these it must have colorful graphics devoid of any scary and bloody episodes because children loves colors and preferably, should be customizable. All these features will help you to determine the quality of the game that you are purchasing for your child. Computer software today is not really that inexpensive but you can enjoy the same with your child by visiting any games websites. These game websites allows you with two folded benefits. Aside from the games listing they also provides a brief description of a game that might catch your interest.

Several shareware or trial ware are there for you as a second option that you can try without any hesitation before buying its full version. It will provide you with a glimpse at the graphics and the general theme of the game. Although the information revealed is in a limited level only but are quite helpful to guide you by trying out a game first before deciding to buy one. There are also free games that are available on the public domain that may not be a new version but they are oftentimes just as good especially you’re your toddler has just started to play.

Among the various toddler computer game you can go for Worlds of teens that are colorful and executed in the style of cartoons and the quests are simple and the game controlling is easy; Wizardry Gold is basically fighting monster game and is known to be very kid friendly and easily customizable; Siberia is another toddler computer game with an easy plot and puzzles that will keep your toddler completely engrossed in finding the solutions. Siberia is a modern graphic adventure devoid of violence and skimpy dressing and its flawless operation makes the game more appealing for your toddler. You can also try other toddler computer games like The Omega Stone, Mystery of the Mummy, Chemcious, and Physicsus etc to increase the skill and intelligence of your toddler.

By: Bob Flushman

About the Author:
online games [http://www.monsterbox.com]free online games [http://www.monsterbox.com]addicting games [http://www.monsterbox.com]

Holidays and birthdays are extra special for children, especially younger children. It seems like to a certain extent, the younger a child is, the more excited they are to receive gifts and play with new toys. The toddler stage is particularly fun for parents to watch. When children are toddlers, they’re old enough to understand the excitement that comes with Christmas, birthdays, and other gift giving opportunities. Moreover, at such a young age, almost any gift can be exciting. But for kids of almost any age, the best gifts are top toys, and finding the top toys for toddlers can be fun and easy.

The fact is that for a toddler, almost anything can be one of their top toys. Kids at this age are frequently known to find nothing quite so much fun as an empty box. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not important to pick the top toys for toddlers. At this young impressionable age, the best toys are those that promote learning and education. The toddler stage is one of remarkable mental fertility and important development. At this age, kids can truly be put on the right track towards a healthy intellectual and educational world. The top toys for toddlers are those that help them learn more about the world around them, or help them practice important skills, like basic motor function.

And not all kids toys are really fit for toddlers. Kids toys designed with older children in mind can be too complicated for young minds to properly enjoy. Plus, the curiosity of toddlers means that there’s always a potential for choking hazards when small parts are involved. That’s why it’s best to stick to toys that are specifically geared toward the toddler age group. The best toys have been thoroughly tested in a scientific environment to make sure that they won’t pose a secret danger to the toddler you’re shopping for.

Also, the top toys for toddlers should also be exciting to children. Choose toys that are brightly colored and feature movement and interactivity. Of course, that doesn’t mean that all the top toys for toddlers are high tech electronic gadgets. Many of the same toys that you played with when you were that age are still available, and still great for kids. So if you can’t find something that seems just right, think back to your own childhood. You may be able to remember one of your own toys, or a toy of a sibling or friend, that would be perfect for the wee one on your shopping list now.

So really, the top toys for toddlers can encompass almost anything. Toys that are educational in nature are always a great idea, and of course it’s always important to practice safety. But there’s really only one criterion for a toddler’s toy that should never be overlooked: fun! If the toddler shopping for gets joy from the toy you pick, then you’ve done your job, and you’ll probably be rewarded by the tiny toothy smile they give in return.

By: Michael Addison

About the Author:
Please visit us to see our list of the best toddler toys this year and to see more of the top toys for kids.

Here’s some good and fun activities suggestions for autistic children:

1. You could play with him in a swimming pool. Make a splashing game or a kick game. Get some simple pool toys or beach toys like beach ball, floating rings, etc. Sing a song so he could swim with the beat and feel relax. Remember to keep a good eye on the child while in a pool.

2. In a class, you could print out some pictures of eating, sports, going to the bathroom, sleep and everything that may happen in his daily life. Let him make a schedule for himself, he should like this activity, because children with autism take constant schedules very seriously. And if the schedule they followed everyday is broken, it will ruin their day badly.

3. Big tupperware items filled with rice or beans will be fun, you can put little toys in them and have the autistic child put his hand into the rice or beans to find them. The game could make a mess, but they would love it.

4. Sensory play is widely suggested, too. You could take the child to a children’s museum if there’s one nearby. Commonly, there will be something that could interests the child.

5. Structured activities with a clear start, middle and end are always good for children with autism because they like rules, organization and structure. Gymanasitics is a common game that autistic children do well at since there is less reliance on language(children with autism often have little communication skills) but a lot of motor movement and imitation.

6. If music can calm the child down, you can introduce different instruments to him, with some music playing gently in the background. You can let him beat a drum and learn different rhythms.

7. There are some therapeutic horse riding groups that you can participate in, children can learn to feed and take care of horses in their lessons.

8. Every child with autism is different, you should find out his likes and dislikes and continue to do the things he seems to enjoy.

Hope this helpful!

By: Echo Armman

About the Author:
http://www.autism-world.com/index.php/2008/07/10/good-activities-for-children-with-autismMore articles on http://www.autism-world.com

It was an eye opener to me when my friend show me how her toddler is able to read at young age of 18 months old! Her son is attending enrichment school on right brain training. I’m not sure the popularity for this in other countries, but I’m sure right brain education for toddler is hot now!

I always wander what other methods to train toddlers’ right brain? After I have done many research and reading, I found one of the best way is providing some art and craft tasks for them. Here, I share some of my parenting tips from my experience and research.

Tips #1 Decorate your home with colorful posters

Display lots of strong colorful posters or cards, striking color is the best. This is to train the observation and focusing at home.

Tips #2 Flash at least 100 pcs of colorful flash card everyday

Plan a fix schedule of the day to flash at least 100 pcs of flash cards to your toddler. The best timing is after the child having milk or meal,and happy to play any games with you. This is to train the brain to be sensitive to different color.

Tips #3 Motor skill training for basic art and craft skills

Take note that all the motor skill is critical to allow your children to learn how to draw and control an art brushes. Activities such as pouring water from big cup to small cup, bead threading, tearing paper, practise how to hold children plastic scissors, but must be accompany by parents, train how to use chock-stick besides using spoon while feeding, train how to hold different type of pen, pencil, brush, thin, thick, long, short, big or small.

Here simple craft activities for you!

Craft #1 Finger drawing using water color or poster color

Take a piece of paper, poster color, and let your toddler using their both hand to scribble, scribble and scribble…

Craft #2 Pasting stickers

You can buy from any stationery store and super mart for children sticker and let them paste sticker on an old daily.

Craft #3 Egg painting

You need to keep some egg shells without breaking the whole egg during cooking. This can be done by punching a small hold on top of the egg, and pour out the egg into a bowl. Securing the egg on a wooden stick and let your toddler color the egg using poster color.

Craft #4 Self or family portrait

You need to prepare family photos or your kids photo for this. Other material needed such as recycle color paper, newsletter or folder divider etc, seashell, hand made clay, paper glue, different colors of marker or color pencils. Ask your child to cut out the family members or self photo, paste it on color paper, then decorate the surrounding of the color paper with marker or color pencil, paste so other items such as seashell, clay etc to make the art work 3D looks.

Above tips are basic methods to train potential genius child in art at young age of 13 – 18 months old. It can be continue used for children above age of 1.5 years later with more complex activities and art and craft projects. Enjoy right brain parenting!

By: Jas Ng

About the Author:
Jas’s Circle of Parents With Lovely Children
http://www.RightBrainKidsArt.com
http://www.RightBrainParenting.com
Jas is IT trained professional and passion in art and early childhood education. Graduated in Cert of Fine Art and Visual Art from Nanyang Academy of Fine Art.
Join Jas Ng to learn more on right brain kids art and early childhood education to get FREE report that worth $87 while it is still available!

Did you just have a child? Congratulations! I myself have experienced this remarkable and incomparable feeling four times. If you, young parents, have learned the advantage of music education and decided to send your child to music school in the future, that’s great! But if you want to wait until your son or daughter grows up a little, I must disappoint you by telling you that you are already late!

You can find a great deal of helpful information about the fact that our children hear all sounds perfectly well while still in the womb and recognize them after birth! That is why it is recommended that all pregnant women listen to classical music and sing, especially if they have an ear for music. For those who feel that they can’t sing but still want their child to have musical talent, experts recommend that these future mothers do not sing, but instead listen to beautiful music and as often as possible.

Right after the birth of the child, young parents can begin his musical education by means of simple things, such as playing cheerful or march tunes when playing with the baby. You can also help him by doing exercises or elementary movements for an additional benefit. You will also notice right away that your baby likes these “new” gymnastics!

And in general, make sure that you play pleasant music in your house. Draw your child’s attention to it by taking him in your hands and dancing to the sounds and rhythm of tango, waltz, march, and so on. If you are not familiar with the genres and styles of music, simply indulge and closely listen to it – music will prompt your movements naturally.

Moreover, by playing music in the house, parents can affect their child’s behaviour and even his temper. If you want to calm down your too hyper or very mobile child, you can play quiet classical music, which will gradually calm him. Conversely, slow children will become more active while listening to cheerful and more energetic tunes. Thus, by using classical music and your favourite songs, you can magically direct your son’s or daughter’s emotions.

In order for your child to accumulate the “musical images” that will play a major role in his music education, play music with the sounds of nature, such as birds singing, the murmur of streams, waterfalls,sounds of waves, dolphins, etc. If you play this type of music for your baby from just ten to fifteen minutes each day, you will influence his music abilities very positively. One day you’ll see the results: Your child’s movements will become more rhythmical, and he will try to repeat some musical sounds and tunes. The future of your child is in your hands! I must also mention that you should have a lot of toys that make sounds – the baby will never lose interest in them, and competent parents can hide them from the child from time to time in order to give him the pleasure of playing with them again.

When your baby becomes a toddler, let him listen to nursery rhymes and children’s songs whether you are on the road in the car or around the house. After listening to new songs a few times, try to sing one of them, either with words or without. What was your toddler’s reaction? Did he look at you? Did he smile? Excellent! It means he recognized the tune! And it shows that he has a good musical memory and that you were the one who started to develop this ability in him at an early age. Again, for those parents who feel they do not have an ear for music, never sing (or hum) in your child’s presence even if you would very much like to do it! Also, do not trust those who tell you that having “no ear for music” is genetic. This topic will be discussed in my next articles.

Copyright (c) 2010 Tatiana Bandurina

By: Tatiana Bandurina

About the Author:
Tatiana Bandurina is an educator, an inventor and an author of the book ” Voices of our children “. For more than twenty years she worked in several children’s musical academies and schools as a teacher and a principal. Tatiana is now a chief of Quintecco Educational Products, Inc. She develops new trend in education – Music Education for Parents

Buying Christmas presents for babies and toddlers is often different to buying presents for older kids. Basically you have no input from the receiver of the gift – the baby or toddler. This can be a blessing in disguise to some extent if you have ever been nagged and harangued by older children to get this present or that particular gift. However there is more responsibility on selecting the right gift. This article will point out some top Christmas toys for babies and toddlers.

Most baby and toddler toys have a high educational content or developmental purpose to them. There are two reasons for this. The first is that adults make baby toys so they think this is what babies need. The second reason is that they sell these toys to adults who have similar views. If we could really ask what a baby wanted they might be happy with a whoopee cushion that made a raspberry noise every so often. Unfortunately we can’t, but I’m sure that the boffins over a Fisher Price, Leapfrog, Mattel and the other toy makers have put a lot of thought into their toys.

One such toy that is aimed more at toddlers than babies is the musical table. The musical table is a complete activity center for inquisitive youngsters. It uses music and sound to fascinate toddlers but also help them develop motor and cognitive skills and sensory perception.

The table plays all sort sorts of tunes from nursery rhymes through to the alphabet song and the numbers song. The infant can also make sounds using some of the play instruments found on the table. For instance there is a piano, a maraca, guitar and a shape/color/pattern game.

By interacting with the change the infant will learn language skills, use muscles in their arms and legs and develop their visual and auditory acuity. And best of all they will probably love doing this. The toy works on both levels. It teaches without making it hard for the toddler.

Another toy that is more for babies, is Jacques the peacock. He is part of the Lamaze stable of cuddly animals. His best mate is Freddie the firefly. Jacques is a cuddly joy with more gadgets than a James Bond movie. He is licensed to thrill and enchant a new baby. His cute face with big eyes will help a baby fix it’s gaze. His elaborately colored tail feathers will help develop a babies eyes. The tail feathers also have a crinkle, a rattle and a squeaker on them. The baby can play with Jacques, squeaking this and crinkling that. A strong bond will develop and Jacques will be the baby’s first friend.

Both these toys have proved to be extremely popular with babies and their parents. The babies enjoy playing with them and the parents like the idea that they are developing the skills their child will need to succeed in life.

By: Freddy McCandless

About the Author:
Go get a musical table now so that your toddler can do some groovy learning. Or for a baby, Jacques will become a cherished buddy and educational toy. Check out the Lamaze Jacques the Peacock toy today.