Category Archives: Choosing the right toy; Age-appropriate Toys

Bonding with your child, Boost your child's Brain; Speech Development, Brain Development, Choosing the right toy; Age-appropriate Toys, development, educational toys, Language Development, Talking, Uncategorized

Quick notes for using a swing during the early years

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Picture credit: Reandi Grey
11
Sep

Being on a swing benefits a child in three basic ways The movement helps to wire the brain for processing information. Stimulating the senses through swinging facilitates learning to organize and interpret spatial information via the vestibular system, which is situated in the inner ear. It’s calming. The smooth, back-and-forth motion helps with sensory integration. This can be soothing to a […]

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child development, Choosing the right toy; Age-appropriate Toys, development, educational toys, Following instruction; Brain Development, Following instruction; child development, How children learn, Instructional Play, learning tools, The Practica Program

The Magic of Instructional Play

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22
Jul

“Instructional play is an enjoyable activity or game that results in learning.” ~ Dr Donalyn Heise in “Dare to be Positive!”   We’ve recently had a look at how important it is to intentionally create learning opportunities for our children in which they can practise their ability to remember instructions, focus their attention, complete tasks […]

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Brain Development, Choosing the right toy; Age-appropriate Toys, development, Music, The Practica Program

Games for Practica Parents

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06
Nov

Parents of young babies: Dear Practica Parents, You will notice, as you read through the monthly sections of the Practica Parents’ Guide, that we often refer to your baby’s “midline” and what you can expect in terms of him crossing that midline. (The midline is the imaginary line that divides the body into right and […]

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Brain Development, child development, Choosing the right toy; Age-appropriate Toys, educational toys, learning tools

What makes educational games really valuable?

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14
May

What makes educational games really valuable? When little Johnny’s mother points to a picture and states that the elephant is ‘big’ and the mouse is ‘small’ it doesn’t mean much to the little guy. Later, as the two of them are packing toys away, he tries to fit his big inflatable beach ball into the […]

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Choosing the right toy; Age-appropriate Toys

Choosing the best toys this Festive Season!

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Image: Loren Stowhttp://www.lorenstow.co.za/ It can be really stressful at this time of year, as you walk into your local mall, armed with your list of who you need to buy presents for… And even though many people have cut back on adult presents, there is always a focus on buying presents for the children in your […]

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