Encouraging Healthy, Happy Development (NAPSA)—Infant development experts have a lot of good things to say about baby talk. Studies show that talking to a newborn through- out the day helps baby develop important cognitive skills. However, baby talk is just one way to help baby learn about the world. Here’s a look at some simple ways to help babies develop physically, emotionally and cognitively: Face To Face Try looking at your baby, face to face, and moving your head back and forth. Watching your face move can help baby learn to track movement and practice focusing with the eyes. You can play the same game with a toy or household object. You will find that newborn babies respond to color combinations that are high contrast, such as red, black and white. Repeat After Me When baby makes eye contact or vocalizes, react with delight! To encourage this even more, repeat the sound baby makes, then pause to allow time for a response. This game can encour- age anticipation and teach baby how to mimic sounds. Marking Milestones Babies make amazing developmental strides each day. Of course, parents are babies’ favorite source of stimulation but developmental toys can also help baby discover new skills. For instance, Fisher-Price makes a line of toys called Miracles and Milestones for newborns and up. The line’s “Magical Mobile Gym” has a large mirrored mobile that provides just the right amount of stimulation for newborns. When the mobile is activated, three toys, soft lights and leaves move around the mirror, encouraging baby to focus and develop vision skills. Baby can also reach for the slowly moving toys, enhancing eye-hand coordination. Similarly, The right creative play can help encourage a baby’s healthy development. the “Track & Play Center” fea- tures developmental and play activities for babies in cribs. It features a smiley-face friend that slowly moves back and forth so that newborn eyes can focus and follow. As babies grow, they can learn to activate the toy’s music and light features and play with its movingparts. Let’s Move Physical development is also an important part of baby’s first year. The company makes a line of developmental toys called Baby Gymtastics, for children 6 to 36 months. The toys can be used together or separately to help baby discover the joys of movement and activity. “The Play Wall,” for example, features activi- ties such as a hangingball, wiggly-jiggly tubes and a “peekaboo” curtain that reward baby’s actions. Sturdy handles around the wall help baby pull up to a standing position and reach important physical milestones. By incorporating these suggestions into baby’s daily routine, parents can encourage a healthy, happy development that will give their baby the best possible start in life. For more information visit www.fisher-price.com.
