Holiday Gift Ideas for Baby

With the holidays coming up quickly, we know many families are thinking about what kind of gifts to give to their babies.  We created this holiday gift idea list to help parents (and grandparents!) choose items that are fun and also help promote their development!

1. Baby play mat or activity gym

We love this woodland themed play mat by Skip Hop for its sheer adorableness, but there are lots of other great play mats out there too!  They provide a great place for baby to play on her back, tummy, side, and sitting up.  The hanging toys encourage her to reach up and may provide great sensory feedback like a rattle, chime, crinkle, or light to reward her for reaching them.  Some models come with a tummy time pillow that can be used under her chest to make tummy time easier.  The surface of the mat may have fun textures, mirrors, and flaps for baby to explore too!  

2. Play table with removable legs

A play table, like the one pictured by Leapfrog, is a toy that will grow with your baby.  The legs can be removed to help your baby reach the toys before he can stand. When your little one is sitting up, you can add two legs to provide an angled surface to sit and play at. Once he's getting up on his feet, you can add the other legs back on to encourage him to pull up to play.

3. Links

They seem like a simple toy at first, but they are incredibly versatile!  The small size makes it easy for baby to grip from an early age.  The various textures are great for exploring with her hands and mouth.  They can be linked together to make a rattle or to hang other toys from.

4. Stacking and nesting toys

Another seemingly simple yet versatile toy that baby will love.  The pieces may be grabbed with one hand or two and encourage him to learn about grasp, release, and in-hand manipulation.  Baby will love exploring these toys first by taking them apart, and eventually learning how to put them together, practicing hand-eye coordination.  

5. Pop up toy

A pop up toy is a great choice for a toy to help baby learn about cause and effect.  When she performs the function of pushing, pulling, or twisting a lever, she is rewarded with a fun figure popping up.  Learning to master the different levers develops baby's fine motor skills as well as her problem solving skills.

6. Shape sorter

Little ones will love having a container of easy to grip shapes to dump out, grab, and mouth. As he progresses, he will learn how to put the shapes into the bucket.  Container play is great for baby's fine motor and cognitive development.  I always get excited because once they can put toys in, it means that they can help clean up!!  The added challenge of putting the shapes in the correct slots means that this is a toy that will grow with baby, as he problem solves, learns to recognize shapes and colors, and can match and categorize the blocks.

7. Musical instruments

Babies love music!  Using the instruments will help her with her motor skills and balance in sitting and standing, even more so when she starts to bounce or sway to the beat.  Music is also great for baby's language and cognitive development.   

8. Balls

Get your baby balls in various sizes and textures to challenge his ability to grab them, using one or two hands, and to explore the various textures.  Early on, balls are great for grabbing, holding, and releasing.  As he progresses, he will enjoy rolling, throwing, and kicking them. 

9. Ride on toy

Your older baby will love to go for a ride around the room on a ride on toy, which is great at challenging her balance and stimulating her vestibular system.  As she gets bigger and stronger, she will be able to propel it herself which will increase her leg and core strength.

10. Activity

A wonderful gift for your little one is an activity or experience such as a parent-baby class that you can do together.  Babies On The MOVE classes provide a fun learning opportunity for parents and their babies, and the things that you learn will benefit your baby long after you attend class. You can also check out other local classes including Kindermusik at KinderVillage Music, and Songs for Seeds for more fun experiences with your baby!

How to Start Tummy Time with your Newborn Baby

Babies can (and should!) start tummy time from the day they are born.

In fact, tummy time is often one of the very first experiences that babies have when they are placed tummy down on their mother's chest immediately following delivery. Newborn babies love to be snuggled chest to chest with their parents. After being tucked up tight in utero, the chest to chest contact is comforting in a world where they now have to work against gravity and deal with the uncontrolled movement of their arms causing them to startle. There is added benefit of doing this tummy time on you with skin to skin contact, including improved breastfeeding, soothing, and bonding. Parents can continue to do this tummy time on their chest, with or without skin to skin contact, well after leaving the hospital. What could be more motivating for your baby to pick up his head on his tummy than the reward of seeing your face?

Back to sleep, tummy to play can be difficult in the early weeks of your baby's life when she is sleeping all the time!

It's hard to find a window of time when baby is awake to do tummy time in that first month. Your baby may fall asleep when doing tummy time on you or on the floor. Be sure to supervise your baby if she falls asleep while doing tummy time to make sure that she keeps her face clear and is able to breathe easily. If you are drowsy while holding your baby chest to chest, put her down on her back in a safe place to sleep such as a pack and play, crib, or bassinet.   

After living inside of you for nine months, your newborn baby likes to be close to you.

There are many alternative ways to do tummy time so your baby can remain in contact with you, other than chest to chest tummy time. You can hold and carry your baby in a tummy down position up over your shoulder or across your arms in front of your body. Baby can be burped in a tummy down position over your shoulder or across you lap, and the pressure on his tummy will help get those burps out. You can hold baby tummy down across your lap while eating or sitting and chatting with visitors. Remember that the tummy down position with full contact on their chest and tummy can be very comforting for your baby. Use this position to help soothe and comfort your baby. Try patting or rubbing his bottom while he is tummy down on you or on the floor. Gently rock or bounce your legs when he is tummy down across your lap. For more ideas and guidance on introducing tummy time to your baby, join Babies On The MOVE for one of our classes. 

Feature Baby: Nate

We are very excited to celebrate our next feature baby - Nate!  We first met Nate and his parents in Mini Movers class when he was four month old.  He already loved tummy time, but was able to learn some other fun challenges when on his tummy and back.  By the time we saw him the next month in class, he was starting to get his hands free for sitting! After three months of Mini Movers classes, Nate was ready to take on a Master Movers series!  He started crawling, pulling up to stand, and cruising.  By the end, he was taking a few independent steps and had his first birthday!!  We really enjoyed getting to know Nate and his village.  We had the pleasure of seeing him, his parents, and many other family members along the way!  This little guy is thriving with all the love that surrounds him, and he loves to be the center of attention! 

“We love Babies On The Move! We started going to classes when Nathaniel was about 4 months old and we loved it ever since (he just celebrated his first birthday). Nate was already a tummy time champion, but as first time parents, we wanted to encourage his motor development further (while keeping it fun). Mini and Master Movers classes were exactly what we were looking for. Every class we learned something new - how do some advance tummy time, how to practice sitting, correctly position our son for standing and what muscles our LO is strengthening (just to mention a few). We learned all the different little things our son needed to master before moving to the next milestone. We were amazed to suddenly notice all the small movements that he was so tirelessly practicing - without us even realizing it!

Becca and Rachel always answered all of our questions and showed us what we can practice at home throughout the month. They always had some new fun excercise in mind, and it was always tailored specifically to Nate and his personality.

Most important, Nate had a great time every class as both Becca and Rachel are incredibly engaging and affectionate! We cannot recommend these classes enough! They eased us into the parenting learning curve and truly gave us a new perspective on our son’s development.

Thanks for having us and teaching us so much!

”

— Hanna & Erez Cohen (and Nate!)

Feature Baby: Nora

We are excited to announce our next feature baby -- Nora!  We first met Nora and her mother Johanna at Baby + Co's new mom's group.  She and Nora's father Vince signed her up for her first Mini Movers series when she was not yet 3 months old.  Nora became a pro at tummy time and was learning how to sit and take weight for standing during that three-month series.  She started her next series the following month, and soon had mastered sitting and became mobile on her tummy, switching over to Master Movers by the final class in that series!  She has a few more Master Movers classes under her belt now, and last time we saw her, she was crawling, pulling up to stand, and starting to stand without support!  It's only a matter of time before this little one is taking off walking independently!!  

Holiday Gift Ideas for Baby

With the holidays coming up, we know many families are thinking about what kind of gifts to give to their babies.  We created this holiday gift idea list to help parents (and grandparents!) choose items that are fun and also help promote their development!

1. Baby play mat or activity gym

We love this woodland themed play mat by Skip Hop for its sheer adorableness, but there are lots of other great play mats out there too!  They provide a great place for baby to play on her back, tummy, side, and sitting up.  The hanging toys encourage her to reach up and may provide great sensory feedback like a rattle, chime, crinkle, or light to reward her for reaching them.  Some models come with a tummy time pillow that can be used under her chest to make tummy time easier.  The surface of the mat may have fun textures, mirrors, and flaps for baby to explore too!  

2. Play table with removable legs

A play table, like the one pictured by Leapfrog, is a toy that will grow with your baby.  The legs can be removed to help your baby reach the toys before he can stand. When your little one is sitting up, you can add two legs to provide an angled surface to sit and play at. Once he's getting up on his feet, you can add the other legs back on to encourage him to pull up to play.

3. Links

They seem like a simple toy at first, but they are incredibly versatile!  The small size makes it easy for baby to grip from an early age.  The various textures are great for exploring with her hands and mouth.  They can be linked together to make a rattle or to hang other toys from.

4. Stacking and nesting toys

Another seemingly simple yet versatile toy that baby will love.  The pieces may be grabbed with one hand or two and encourage him to learn about grasp, release, and in-hand manipulation.  Baby will love exploring these toys first by taking them apart, and eventually learning how to put them together, practicing hand-eye coordination.  

5. Pop up toy

A pop up toy is a great choice for a toy to help baby learn about cause and effect.  When she performs the function of pushing, pulling, or twisting a lever, she is rewarded with a fun figure popping up.  Learning to master the different levers develops baby's fine motor skills as well as her problem solving skills.

6. Shape sorter

Little ones will love having a container of easy to grip shapes to dump out, grab, and mouth. As he progresses, he will learn how to put the shapes into the bucket.  Container play is great for baby's fine motor and cognitive development.  I always get excited because once they can put toys in, it means that they can help clean up!!  The added challenge of putting the shapes in the correct slots means that this is a toy that will grow with baby, as he problem solves, learns to recognize shapes and colors, and can match and categorize the blocks.

7. Musical instruments

Babies love music!  Using the instruments will help her with her motor skills and balance in sitting and standing, even more so when she starts to bounce or sway to the beat.  Music is also great for baby's language and cognitive development.   

8. Balls

Get your baby balls in various sizes and textures to challenge his ability to grab them, using one or two hands, and to explore the various textures.  Early on, balls are great for grabbing, holding, and releasing.  As he progresses, he will enjoy rolling, throwing, and kicking them. 

9. Ride on toy

Your older baby will love to go for a ride around the room on a ride on toy, which is great at challenging her balance and stimulating her vestibular system.  As she gets bigger and stronger, she will be able to propel it herself which will increase her leg and core strength.

10. Activity

A wonderful gift for your little one is an activity or experience such as a parent-baby class that you can do together.  Babies On The MOVE classes provide a fun learning opportunity for parents and their babies, and the things that you learn will benefit your baby long after you attend class. You can also check out other local classes including Kindermusik at KinderVillage Music, and Songs for Seeds for more fun experiences with your baby!

Feature Baby: Charlie

This month, we are featuring our adorable friend Charlie! We first met Charlie and his parents, Ray and Ashley, in December 2016 when Charlie had just turned three months old. Charlie was a show off from the start, enjoying being on his tummy from that first Mini Movers class. They signed up for a Mini Movers series, and over the next three months, we watched Charlie progress in his rolling and sitting. Charlie was also a big 'talker' and always made sure that he was heard in class! :) 

Charlie moved up to the Master Movers class in May, and came with a whole new set of tricks!  He was crawling on his belly, pulling up to stand, and playing in standing. Over the new few Master Movers classes, Charlie perfected his squatting, standing with his feet flat, cruising between surfaces, and standing without support. He came to class in August ready to show off his newest feat - walking independently!  Charlie was so proud of himself and we were all so proud of him too!! He was also happy to show off his amazing throwing skills, which will hopefully serve him well in his future baseball career ;) It was such a pleasure having Charlie and his parents in our classes and having the opportunity to help them ensure that he had a strong foundation of motor development in the first year!

“We’ve had so much fun at Babies on the MOVE (Charlie’s “Workout Class” as we call it)! Through both Mini Movers and Master Movers, it’s been great getting tips on helping Charlie learn his next new skill. As he’s gone from rolling over to sitting to crawling to almost-walking, we’ve loved learning about all of the little steps between the major milestones that babies learn and practice in order to move on to the next big one (e.g. standing on his tip-toes means strengthening those calf muscles for walking!). Being able to recognize those little things that he was working on made playtime that much more fun at home. As first-time parents, we had no idea about all of the little progressions that would eventually build up to him taking his first steps. Having Becca and Rachel point out what Charlie was trying to do, and give us tips on how we could help him, has allowed us to contribute to his development in ways we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. Thank you!”

— Ray and Ashley Sweeney

Feature Baby: Asher

Time to feature another one of the adorable babies we have met in classes, and this time it is Asher!  We first met Asher and his awesome mom, Ali, at the Baby + Co new mom's group.  They started attending Babies On The MOVE classes when Asher was 4.5 months old, with the Mini Movers series.  Unlike some babies, Asher has been a fan of tummy time from early on.  He progressed quickly to crawling, and switched over to the Master Movers class when he was 6.5 months old.  All that tummy time he did early on, in combination with his strong curiosity and desire to explore, built the foundation to be an early crawler!  In classes, Asher was never one to sit on the sidelines.  He loved to check everything out and get into the mix with all the other babies!  After a few more Master Movers classes, Asher was pulling up, cruising, and starting to stand without holding on!  We were excited to hear, but not a bit surprised, that this little adventurer was walking well before his first birthday!  This month we wish a Happy Birthday to Asher and good luck to Ali in keeping up with this adorable & active baby on the move!!!

“I love Babies on the Move! I have been going since my son was 4.5 months old and have learned a bunch about how to help my son progress in a healthy way, felt well supported in challenges and enjoyed meeting other moms, dads and babies :) It’s definitely worth attending at least once!”

— Ali, mom of Asher

Feature Baby: Rose

It is our pleasure to feature another one of our adorable friends, Rose!  We first met Rose and her parents Katie and Bradley in Master Movers class when she was six months old.  She was sitting and learning how to pivot on her tummy at the time. The next month, they signed up for the Master Movers three-month series.  Over the series, Rose learned how to get up on her hands and knees, crawl, and pull up to stand!  Her nanny, Elizabeth, also joined in the classes some times to learn the same things her parents were learning about how to play with Rose to encourage her motor development.  They signed up for the next three-month series, and during that series, she went from taking a couple steps to taking off walking everywhere!  It has been such a delight to have Rose and her family in classes!  She is truly a special little girl with such a sweet and joyful spirit.  In her last class with us, she brought toys to the other babies and gave them hugs & kisses - such a sweetie!  We will miss having you in classes and wish your parents the best of luck in chasing you around now that you are really On The MOVE!  

“I’m so happy that I found Babies on the Move via a Mommy Facebook group. Being a new mom in a new city I was searching for a class that would be fun for Rose, educational for me, and provide an opportunity for socializing. Babies on the Move fit that bill perfectly. Becca and Rachel are very informative, welcoming, calm, cool, and collected. We always walked away from each class with 2-3 tips on how to help Rose develop her skills. It was reassuring knowing that we were right on track and it eased our minds if anything concerning came up Becca and Rachel were right there to support us. We encourage all parents to consider taking advantage of their expertise and provide some fun for their little ones. ”

— Katie, Rose's mother

Babies On The MOVE at Kidzu Children's Museum

We are looking forward to talking with parents at the Busy Baby Bees caregiver coffee chat at Kidzu Children's Museum on Tuesday, May 9th at 9:30 AM!  Parents will learn about: The Pros and Cons of Infant Positioning Equipment to Help your Child Gain Strength.  The people who market infant equipment are great at making you think that you need so many things to help your baby develop.  As professionals who are experts in infant motor development, we are here to provide families with knowledge to empower them! See you there!

Importance of Movement and Infant/Toddler Equipment to Promote Development

We had a great group at our recent FREE class on the Importance of Movement and Infant/Toddler Equipment to Promote Development at KinderVillage Music Studio in Cary this week!  We spoke about the importance of movement in motor development and provided great information on play equipment that helps to promote your little one's development, as well as those things that might interfere with development.  It was such a wonderful, interactive group with lots of questions about their specific needs that we were able to answer for them.  We were so impressed with the staff of KinderVillage, and their interest in learning how they can help promote motor development more in their music and movement classes!  Thanks to KinderVillage music studio for hosting us!

Babies On The MOVE at Baby + Co

We visited with the new mom's group at Baby + Co again this week.  We love having the opportunity to share our knowledge on infant development with new parents, so they can feel confident in providing their tiny babies with opportunities to promote movement and motor development.  Early movement helps form the foundation for their baby's motor skills and achievement of developmental milestones.  Thanks to Baby + Co for providing us with the opportunity to come talk to the new moms!