Kids Musical Toys - Can Help Children's Developement

It may help to explain my passion for kids musical toys and my belief in the roll that they play in children's early development by sharing a brief overview of my early childhood and teenage years.

Although I was not brought up in a musical family and can't remember much about any musical toys that I had , I was allowed to play around on my grandmother's piano very early in my life, which I enjoyed very much. Although I could not read music I had a good ear and could pick up a tune quite easily. I only wish I had pursued the lessons I started and learnt to read music properly, but like most kids I could always find something better to be doing.

It wasn't until I reached my middle teens that I discovered I had a natural rhythm, timing and a desire to learn to play drums. It probably helped that I was growing up in London in the 60's when the Beatles, Rolling Stones and dozens of other similar groups hit the scene.

I acquired my first used set of drums when I was 17 and within a year had joined a band, performed at some amazing gigs, alongside some very popular artists of the time and even performed in front of Royalty. I continued to play in various different bands for about 12 years until I gave up my sticks to concentrate on my main career.

Having benefited from my early involvement with music, I have a great appreciation of the benefit that kids musical toys can provide in a child's early development and in later life. This has also been confirmed by studies carried out by early childhood specialists who have found that children who received regular music lessons over several months showed a marked improvement in numeracy skills over those that had not. I have actually been able to witness this development now that I have a beautiful granddaughter and have had the time to watch her reaction when introduced to some of the wonderful kids musical toys available today, as she has grown from a baby to a very active 2 year old.

I am also aware from personal experience, how difficult it can be for busy parents or grand parents to be able to take the time necessary to research and find the best and most appropriate children's musical toys. I would certainly suggest that before purchasing any toy, you take the time to visit a good independent musical toy review site to see what is on offer and how it has been received by other parents. By Martin Algra

Moving is the Best Exercise for Babies

We know that exercise is important for our health as adults, but did you know that the same philosophy applies to babies? It is recommended that babies should work their muscles at least half-hour each day, although not necessarily all at once. Here are basic exercises that you can do with your baby, to stretch and tone the muscles:
Stretching
With your baby on his tummy, roll a ball in his direction so he has to extend his arms to grasp the ball and then roll it back to you. Alternately, you could sit facing each other with your feet bottoms touching and roll the ball back and forth, stretching in the process.
Standing
If your baby is trying to stand, encourage him by making him want to move towards you. Make sure you do this within the safety of a crib or on well-padded baby bedding. Play with a toy to get his attention and then re-position yourself on the other side of the crib or bed to get him to come to you. You can also make the stretching motion yourself and show him what it looks like when you stand up.
Crawling
Your infant's attempts to crawl are naturally going to help him exercise his little body since he will work hard to push himself forward with his arms and legs. Motivate him to move by clapping your hands and motioning your child to come towards you. You can also use a noise-making toy to grab his attention.
Jumping
Toddlers require a more advanced activity like jumping to help practice motor skills. You can make a line on your carpet using a folded piece of construction paper and help your baby hop from one side to the other. To add to the excitement, make up rhyming tunes as you go or listen to music. by Paul Banas