10 Toy Safety Tips for Babies and Toddlers

10 Game and Toy Safety Tips for Caregivers

Toys! Mommy, can I have that toy? Can I, can I, can I? Think before you give in and buy it. All toys are not created equal. Toy safety isn't just for infants and toddlers. Children with special needs are prone to accidents with toys too. Even young, elementary-age children can choke on small toy parts or game pieces. Until about age six, kids have a tendency to put everything in their mouths. So, make yourself familiar with Game and Toy Safety Tips. Enjoy!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Toy Safety Tips and Toy Recall Information:

1. Toy shopping shouldn't be done on sight alone. When shopping for best infant toys, consider the child's age and ability. Don't waste money on flashy toys the child may not be capable of playing with.
2. Toy labels give safety warnings and recommended ages for safe toy play.
3. Children, especially those under the age of three, love to put toys and small objects in their mouth. Small game pieces, broken toys, or loose parts are choking hazards. If something can fit inside the center of a cardboard toilet roll or paper towel tube, consider it a choking hazard.
4. When putting a toy or game together, always read the instructions. Items put together incorrectly can fall apart and become a choking hazard.
5. Plastic bags and packaging are dangerous. They can be stuck in the mouth or placed over the nose. It isn't just bags that cause suffocation. A small toddler or infant can suffocate on a piece of plastic stuck over their mouth and nose.
6. Children, especially infants and babies, must be supervised at all times during toy and game play. Never leave the room and leave a small child unattended.
7. Don't mix baby toys with those of older children. Small blocks are especially attractive to younger children. Keep older children's toys put away in containers. Teach older siblings to put their toys away.
8. When toys break, discard them! Don't keep old toys around. Check toys often for broken or loose parts and sharp edges.
9. Toy storage is essential. Toys on the stairs can cause family members to trip and fall. Toys left out on the floor can be swallowed by a toddler. Keep toys for babies stored separately from toys for older children.
10. Toys with wheels and motors can pinch fingers or entangle hair. Watch children closely with these types of toys. Even cars designed for toddlers can present a problem.

For more game and toy safety tips visit safekids.org.

For game and toy recalls visit www.cpsc.gov.

Recommended Reading:

Where Is Baby's Belly Button? A Lift-the-Flap Book

Classroom Safety Tips for Early Childhood Educators

Safety Smart Science with Bill Nye the Science Guy: Fire Classroom Edition

Best Infant Toys

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By: admin

Sensory Play: Plan your Curriculum and Lesson Plan

Sensory Play Lesson Plans Link Up

Do you have Sensory Play Activities on your blog? Are you looking for Sensory Play Activity Lesson Plans or Curriculum to do with your toddler, preschool class, or day care program? These sensory activities make it easy to plan your curriculum and prep those lesson plans. Check back often for our Sensory Play Linky Parties. Enjoy!

Are you looking for sensory activities to do with a baby, toddler, preschooler, elementary age, or teen child? We've got you covered with a linky party. If you have a blog or website, please link up your posts in the comments. 

Older children with sensory processing disorders, such as Autism benefit in the same way younger children do. Children can explore their senses with these sensory activities and become accustomed to the sensation of cold paint on their fingers, the sound of crackling paper, the smell of scented dough or spice paints, the taste of edible crafts, and the visual impact of it all. 

 

Recommended Reading:

Art Develops Critical Thinking

Learning and Playing Outdoors: How to Plan and Create an Inspiring Outdoor Environment (Practitioners' Guides)

Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment, Second Edition (TPBA2)

Sensory Baby Play: Teach your Baby with Music Play

Your Baby Can Learn by Playing Music

Have you ever wondered how a toddler would interact if you put musical instruments in front of her? Babies and toddlers learn through play. Music is sound, rhythm, and more. All of that can translate to music, math, and science. Enjoy!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience.

A great way for a toddler to learn is by hitting a drum, shaking a maraca, a tambourine, or some shaker eggs. You can make your own drum, grab some pots and pans, or buy a baby music set to teach your baby to play music. 

We’ve experimented with the B. Parum Pum Pum Drum Set. This set is for ages 18 months-24 months, and it is perfect for baby sensory play.

Music is one of the best forms of baby and toddler sensory play.

Our baby tester loved playing with this toy. She laughed and mimicked mommy hitting the drum. Beat the drum and count out to ten. This is a great way to introduce counting to a toddler. Practice with them. 

Will she tap the drum ten times too? Make it a game and practice each day. You can experiment with patterns too. You know, rumpa pum pum. Tap the drum or shake a shaker in a numerical pattern: 3-1-3-1-3-1 or 5-2-5-2-5-2 and so on. If you speak the counting of each beat, the child will begin to learn to count as well: “One- two three- one- one- two- three- one- one- two- three- one.

Baby’s favorite toy in the B. Parum Pum Pum Drum Set is the shaker egg. Whenever she shakes it she laughs! Each instrument makes a different sound which is excellent for sensory play. Demonstrate each toy’s sound to your toddler. Can she copy the sound with her voice? “Shh Shh Shh Shh”. Practicing to copy these sounds, and moving her lips to form the sounds, can help her learn to speak.  

This music play set should entertain your child, keeping her busy for long enough for you to do the dishes! If you have older children, they can join in on the fun too. Let them be a babysitter and play tutor. They will enjoy making music (or just banging and shaking the instruments to make noise). All of the items store inside the drum so it stays together making it easy to put away.

Baby play with musical Instruments helps a child learn creativity through play. Another way to teach creativity and reduce sensory issues is to paint. Starting art lessons early will aid in color and shape recognition. Check out the recommended reading list below to find more posts and books on sensory play for babies and toddlers.

Recommended Reading:

What is Sensory Play Based Learning?
The Wheels on the Bus (Pudgy Board Book)

My Best Option: Formula Alternatives to Breast Feeding

Formula was the best choice for us.

This post brought to you by Sam’s Club. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m a mama of four - blessed through adoption. Choosing to adopt comes with different feeding options and needs. While working towards breastfeeding is possible with the help of your doctor and a lactation consultant, it was not the route we chose or felt was best for our family. So, formula was the best and only option for us. I wish we had known about SIMPLY RIGHT™ Infant Formulas!

Happy formula fed baby.

Our oldest son, suffered from serious malnutrition when he came to us and even though he was above the age of typically needing formula, we used it in his cereal to increase the calories and nutrition that he desperately needed. One of our sons came to us as a newborn and struggled with a sensitive stomach. After trying several formulas (with our doctor’s guidance), we ended up using Similac Sensitive™ with success.

SIMPLY RIGHT™ Infant Formulas are available at Sam’s Club and in retrospect would have saved me a lot of money while still providing the important nutrition that my children needed. It even comes with three different options to best fit your baby's needs: Baby Care Gentle®, Baby Care Complete®, or Baby Care Sensitivity® SIMPLY RIGHT™ Infant Formula. They each provide the best nutrients for your infant and now include Lutein for brain and eye health. They have also recently improved their formula ingredients, included a useful scoop holder and leveler, and offer an easy open top all while being very affordable.

Clinically proven to support growth and development, now with Lutein for brain and eye health

The bottom line is, you will get a great formula with everything you need while paying less - in fact, you can save up to $617 per year by switching to SIMPLY RIGHT™ Infant Formula. That's undeniably a wonderful savings that can be used for so many other things that your child may need.

Have you tried SIMPLY RIGHT™ Infant Formula? Has formula been something that you needed for your baby? I have four wonderful, formula-fed kiddos and I don't regret choosing formula for their early nutrition!

Baby Carrying Babywearing Mama? What style Sling are you?

What Style Baby Carrier Sling is Best for You?

Those cumbersome Baby Slings got little love when I was a babywearing mama. Apparently, I'm too uncoordinated to pull it off. I could never pull off carrying the baby in back. So, what style baby carrying device is best for you? A Sling? A Pouch? Read on and then tell us your favorite. Will your baby be a fashion statement or are you more practical? Enjoy!

Wear this baby carrier forward or Reverse.

So, my babies faced forward- eyes to the world, and not to their babywearing mama. What a lucky baby who gets to snuggle tightly next to his mama and star in her wardrobe as a fashion statement. 

Purple Boa Baby Wrap Sling Carrier. 

As a new Aunt again- and a soon to be (ahem) step grandma, I decided to see what kind of baby carrying new moms are wearing these days. I can't believe all the fashionable baby sling options.

Grandaughter with her Uncle.

I was always afraid my baby would suffocate, but these fabrics are breathable. The water carriers are mesh. Sure wish I'd had one of those when we went to the beach!

I love the MAYA WRAP Baby Carrier it is totally me, but the hip carrier seems more sturdy for baby security. Either way, baby is cuddled and snuggled to his Mama or Papa! So, what style baby sling best fits your personality and fashion style?

Recommended:

Sensory Baby Play with Music

Whimsical Nursery Ideas

*This post contains affiliate links.

What to Expect Book Trilogy Giveaway for Pin it! Online Scavenger Hunt on Pinterest

We do this fun, interactive scavenger hunt over on Pinterest. Each week, a group of "pinners" search for keywords relating to Preschool Curriculum Ideas. We have a very active group of preschool teachers and mommy bloggers playing. You can follow and get great ideas or request to join as a collaborative pinner. If you join, the board will show up on your Pinterest page and you can pin directly to the scavenger hunt.

This week's winner is Dawn Marelli, a preschool teacher. Follow her on Pinterest to keep up with the many great ideas for the classroom!

For a complete list of rules of the game, join our Facebook Forum. This is a great place to chat with other preschool teachers and crafty bloggers to share ideas. You can also keep in touch with the blog on Facebook ~ Kids Creative Chaos.

Each week, we give away a surprise to the person who received the most re-pins on their image/post. This week's winner won a fabulous trilogy of "What to Expect When You're Expecting" books. The old stand by is there with updates, as well as, "What to Expect in the First Year" and "What to Expect Before You're Expecting."  Visit their website for a full list of available books, info for your pregnancy, and even to chat with other moms. Keep in touch with What to Expect on Facebook too!

Special Thanks to them for sponsoring this post and our weekly giveaway.

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Wordless Wednesday- TPC KIDS sing, I Love You Like a Love Song Baby

Everyday, after school, I am brought to happy tears by the angelic voices singing to Selena Gomez's, "I Love You Like a Love Song" in my mini-van.  I transport children ages 3-8 yrs. and the song comes on Disney at the same time everyday.  It is the most touching, adorable thing I have ever heard.

I thought you might like to sing-a-long too.  Here are the lyrics, an instrumental to record your little voices to, and the video found on YouTube.

We were two kids short  but that's okay...

 Send "Love You Like A Love Song" Ringtone to your Cell 

Selena Gomez & the Scene - Love You Like A Love Song Lyrics

It’s been said and done
Every beautiful thought’s been already sung
I guess right now, here’s another one
So your melody will play on and on with the best of ‘em
You are beautiful like a dream come alive, incredible
A sinful, miracle, lyrical
You saved my life again
And I want you to know, baby

I, I love you like a love song baby (3x)
And I keep hitting re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat
I, I love you like a love song baby (3x)
And I keep hitting re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat

Constantly, boy, you played through my mind like a symphony
There’s no way to describe what you do to me
You just do to me, what you do
And it feels like I’ve been rescued
I’ve been set free
I am hypnotized by your destiny
You are magical, lyrical, beautiful, you are
And I want you to know, baby

I, I love you like a love song baby (3x)
And I keep hitting re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat
I, I love you like a love song baby (3x)
And I keep hitting re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat

No one compares, you stand alone
To every record I own
Music to my heart, that’s what you are
A song that goes on and on

I, I love you like a love song baby (3x)
And I keep hitting re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat
I, I love you like a love song baby (3x)
I love you like a love song.

Recommended:

Jessica Simpson's Rocking Around the Christmas Tree Song

Mariah Carey All I Want for Christmas Puppy Craft

Baby Book: Cute Baby Words and Sayings with Vernacular

Our Baby's Vernacular and Sayings Cute Words and Quotes

Mayhem's baby book memories: Mayhem's Dad was born and raised on the East Coast. Boston, Massachusetts. By the time we met he had very little accent left.  He finds my Hoosier, small-town vernacular amusing and often asks me to repeat things in "English, please".  For example, he and I both ride bi-sickles but while I also ride a motor-sickle, he rides a motor-cycle. The teasing of my 'country bumpkin' accent is endless.  Really? 


   
How many people do you know who ride a bi-cycle? 

Maybe in England.



Anywho....  Mayhem seems to have been born with a Bostonian Gene.

"Mommy, Good Mawning."   

Mayhem's Baby Word List:

Can you guess what these words represent?

Sqwiell

hawn

Cawn

wom

tawtise

Awweo

Guwd

Big Tortoise.

Colorful Fall gourds.

              
And, my favorite...

"Awweo, you know, Mommy,  AWWEO.  I don't know, Jada's puppy's name.  That Cookie!  I can't say it Mommy...  I just can't.  Aww-EEE-O!"      
      
Recommended Reading:

Beginning Reading

Quiddler