There are multiple benefits and uses of balance boards.  And they are not just for adults.  SmartGamesAndToys offers a balance board for kids!  

Look here for a variety of fun activities to encourage your child with...

1.)  Begin standing on board and attempt to balance with an upright posture.  This enhances balancing skills and motor skills.

2.)  While standing and balancing on board have your child keep their arms at their side and see what a difference that makes.  Works building stabilizing muscles in back and legs.

3.)  Have your child close their eyes while balancing.  This works equilibrium and coordination in getting from point A to point B.

4.)  Have your child create a contest with friends to see who can stay on the board longest.  This promotes teamwork and fun group play.  

A Wake-Up Call For Parents

Research shows more time in front of the television may be damaging children’s ability to recognize emotions.

A study published in Computers in Human Behavior showed that 6^th graders who went five days without exposure to technology were better at reading human emotions.  The researchers sent a group of kids to an outdoor education camp where there was no access to electronic devices. 

The other group of kids went about their normal routine. 

At the end of the five day study period the kids were shown fifty faces and were asked to identify the feelings being modeled.  The students who went to the outdoor camp scored significantly higher when it came to reading facial emotions.

It seems that reducing access to screens and increasing opportunities to interact with other people in person improves children’s ability for face to face emotional interaction.    

There’s big takeaway’s in this and a big wake up call for parents.  Make sure your child is getting enough face to face social interaction.  Reduce screen time at home and sit on the floor and play with your child.  

 Use SmartGamesAndToys as a resource.  Toys like the Feelings Friend can be a great way to jump start teaching your child about recognizing emotions.  

A lack of self-control during childhood can lead to emotional, social and academic deficits later in life.

The important role of parents and teachers as well as peer relations and play have an impact on a child’s self-control.

Self-control is important to a thriving childhood.  SmartGamesAndToys mentions self-control in ages 0-3/developmental toys and offers a link to a fantastic podcast about self-control.
A famous study by researcher Michael Mischel found that greater self-control demonstrated in children led to their advanced success and well bell being later in life.  Whereas the children who lacked self-control were more prove to depression, drugs and alcohol.  This famous study was done with children and marshmallows.  Each child was put in a room and given a marshmallow.  The child could eat the marshmallow right away or they could wait until the adult came back in the room.  If they waited they would be rewarded with another marshmallow.  The researchers followed up the study with the same individuals in their adult life.  The one-third group that opted for the marshmallow right away earned lower SAT scores, were indecisive, less confident, and stubborn; consequently they had less stable marriages, lower incomes and poorer health.  In contrast to the children who waited for two marshmallows; they were more positive, self-motivated and persistent in pursuit of their goals.

Help your child develop the self-control they need to be happier children and more successful adults.  Help them to understand following rules by saying they can play with their toys after they clean their room.  Or they can eat dessert after they eat their vegetables.  This will help them to accept delayed gratification without getting aggressive or frustrated.  Other examples of practicing self-control are sharing building blocks with other children.  Or working longer on their homework in order to later receive a reward.      

What are babies really doing when they play?  It may be more than what you think.

Research suggests when children and babies are at play they are actually exploring with a sophisticated intelligence gathering and decision-making process.

 

 

 

There are things going through a baby's mind while they are at play.  They are trying to figure out what others are thinking and feeling.  This is a difficult thing to do even for adults. 

Alison Gopnik is a child development psychologist and she discovered through her research that babies are able to discern what others are thinking and feeling.  You can watch her fascinating presentation here..science babies.

Her research went on to find that there was a difference between what a 15 month old baby could discern from an 18 month old baby.  The information suggests that the 18 month old baby had learned this deep profound fact about human nature that a 15 month old baby had not yet learned. 

Children learn more and know more than we ever would have thought!  Find out why and how babies learn so much on our site SmartGamesAndToys and discover what your child ages 0-3 and ages 3-5 are up to.

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