Play, Learn and Grow!

Reading time: 5 minutes ⏱

Children are the main priority in our lives. Even with the hectic pace we follow, we all want to give them the best, be present, watch them grow, play, share smiles and hugs, and support them along the way.

Questions

The worst part is the doubts! Are we on the right path? Are we collaborative and supportive parents? We always get caught in so many questions, but the truth is that everything is incredibly simple and we all have a special power: love! <3 Science highlights the importance of the first 1000 days of a baby’s life. The 1000 days are counted from gestation until the child’s second birthday. 1000 days of magic, sharing laughter, gentle touches, telling stories, listening to songs together, and constant challenges. And how quickly they pass! As a speech therapist and mother, I leave you here with some tips and advice that will help stimulate and develop young children.

The best advice I can give you is to be happy, genuine, and follow your instincts.

Today we read a book, tomorrow we imitate the sounds of farm animals, the next day we discover jungle animals and become elephants and monkeys with loving grunts. Don’t be afraid or shy! Let yourself play with them.

Roll on the floor, laugh out loud, … crawl and imitate the hissing SSSSS of a snake, … jump like kangaroos, counting to 3, to 5, … imitate the sound of a car with them, “brrrrr”… the sound of a motorcycle, “trrrrr”, … a roaring lion, “RRRR”, a bee buzzing around a flower, “zzzzzz”… look at all the speech sounds we create! And the “vvvvvv” when a plane passes, … the “ffffff” of a cat that gets startled when a dog runs by the garden.

A Europrice

Europrice: dynamic and high-quality educational products

Europrice, a Portuguese brand known for its dynamism and versatility of educational products and materials, is always by our side with almost weekly novelties. In some books and games, I have already had the opportunity to be an author or co-author, and the brand’s concern to adapt its products as much as possible to the needs of little ones, parents, educators, and professionals is evident.

Suggestions

If you have a newborn, I recommend checking out the “Grow and Learn” collection. Inspired by Montessori pedagogy, this collection is even more special for me, as I participated in the entire process of conceptualization and development. The discovery of contrasts and shapes can start from the very first days of life. At this stage of growth, black and white, black and red, and red and white contrasts are undoubtedly the most noticeable to the sweet little eyes that are still waking up to the world.

A few months later, we started looking for ways to make bath time more fun. Bath books are perfect for tiny little hands. These books also allow auditory stimulation, as they include the sounds of little bells!

A few months after that, I often recommend books with sounds. They provide hours of fun exploration and joy! When the little ones try to imitate what they hear, they are so funny! And before you know it, your home will be filled with lion roars, kitten meows… such sweet melodies to cherish.

One final tip I like to give to help with verbal stimulation and to get little ones learning their first words is those small books with pictures. There are countless collections. The “My First Book” collection, for example, includes shapes, farm animals, wild animals, fruits, and vegetables… And so, for example, we can embark on a “fun” mission, matching the pictures in the books with the fruits in the fruit bowl and vegetables in the fridge. There are so many themes to explore!

Here are the suggestions… and we promise to return soon… because no combination is as perfect as books and tiny little hands, a true delight! 😛