Elijah's Reading List: Our Favorite Board Books for Babies

I love a good board book.  One that lives up to being chewed, drooled on, and pulled almost apart.  After checking all the different book baskets in our house, looking through those in the car, and digging our favorite ones out of the diaper-bag, I have compiled a list of our favorite board books that we've read with Eli during his first year.  He is now at that stage where he can turn all the pages in the book, and is beginning to sit longer and listen to complete books now.  He mostly hears us read to his big brother, but when it is just him he often gets to hear one of these stories.

I Love You Through and Through, by Bernadette Rossetti Shustak.  This is a good one for teaching the body parts.  I know that we were "late" teaching these to Theo according to our old pediatrician.  She really made us feel like we messed up big because he didn't know his parts at whatever age that was, so I'm making sure we don't mess up on that again.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See; The Very Busy Spider; and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle.  I was so surprised when we were at a school a few months ago, and my husband didn't recognize the work on the wall as being Eric Carle's.  He has such a distinctive style, that I thought pretty much everyone knew about him.  But for those like my hubby, he is definitely one of the best things to happen to early literature since Dr. Seuss.  I love his books.  These are my favorite versions of these classics.  The Brown Bear book is a slide and find, which keeps Eli interested in each new page because he gets to slide over a square and uncover the next animal.  The Busy Spider has a nice touch aspect to it as the spider web is raised on each page.  And this cloth edition of the Hungry Caterpillar is not the full book, but a beautiful touch and feel modification that is best for the youngest bookworms.

Dr. Seuss's ABC:  An Amazing Alphabet Book, by Dr. Seuss.  So I'm actually not a huge fan of Dr. Seuss.  I like to buy those on CD actually, so they can be enjoyed by the kids but I don't have to read them.  But this one has always been my favorite to perform (I say perform because you really can't just read a Seuss book).

I Like Bugs, by Lorena Siminovitch.  This is a beautiful book that was just gifted to Eli from a great aunt recently.  It is very pretty, works on counting and the bugs are raised off the page so they are interesting to touch as well.

Little Blue Truck, by Alice Schertle.  So I actually meant to grab the sequel to this one, "Little Blue Truck Leads the Way" but accidentally used the original.  They are both great, but the second one just has this great cadence to the lines that makes it especially fun to read.  It is long enough to have all the elements of a story (building action, climax, resolution) but not too long that I lose Eli's attention.  I don't think I will ever tire of this book.

Next in the photo is Oh My, Oh My, Dinosaurs, by Sandra Boynton.  You can't actually see this one because Eli would just not sit still without holding one.  This author has several great books for babies, but I especially like this one since it identifies opposites.  It's one that Theo can pretty much read to his little brother all on his own.

Dear Zoo, by Rod Campbell is pretty much a classic that was new to me a few years ago.  Eli is now at the age where he can lift all the little flaps to see what animals were sent from the zoo.  Any time he has something to interact with there is that much more of a chance he will stay interested until the end of the book.

That's Not My Plane, by Fiona Watt.  We picked up this one at one of the Smithsonians recently (with our discount from being zoo members).  It's fun because it talks about all the parts of a plane (I really need to learn these so Theo stops correcting me) and has touch features as well.

Where is Baby's Belly Button? by Karen Katz. This is my favorite lift-the-flap type book.  The flaps are designed well so little baby fingers can actually use them.

Peek-a-Who? by Nina Laden.  The feature I like with this one is the opening in the cover that changes the images throughout the book.  I also love that this one rhymes.

Quiet Loud, by Leslie Patricelli.  A popular book about things that are quiet, and things that are loud.  Theo likes to help with this one, as we get to whisper some pages and yell on others.

Simon Says, Roar Like a Lion, illustrated by Sarah Vince.  Like most babies, Eli has always been pretty interested in mirrors, so he really seems to like this one.  He hasn't really started to say any animals sounds yet, other than "Hisssssss like a cat."  He's good at that one (because our cat is so unfriendly toward him). 

In My Tree, by Sara Gillingham.  Like "Peek-a-Who", this book has a cut out that the other pages are based around, but in this case it is a finger puppet.  The book kind of disturbs Theo since there is no big brother in the family, but Eli loves the puppet.

Mirror Me! by Baby Einstein:  "Like Roar Like a Lion", this one is great because of the interactive mirror.  There have been many times we find Eli literally with his nose in this book, as he'll hold the mirror right up to his eyes and mouth.

Open the Barn Door illustrated by Christpher Santoro:  This one is great because it is so small, it can easily be slipped into a purse.  Combining farm animals sounds, and lift the flaps, it is always sure to please in a pinch when baby needs some distraction.

Octopus Opposites, by Stella Blackstone.  This one is interesting to me, because it combines animal identification, rhymes and opposites (three popular themes in board books) in a novel way.  Most of the animals in the store are not your typically included ones.  It's fun to get to say pack-pony and kookaburras, rather than just more cows and pigs.

I'm sure there are other great ones out there, but these have been our favorites through both boys we've had.  Mostly favorites because they'll catch the boys' interest, and entertain us as well.

Recycled/Reused Toys for a One Year Old

I really don't know why we buy toys for our boys at all.  Our kids would be fine with sticks, cardboard boxes, blankets, silverware, measuring cups and all of our recyclables.  They are both explorers, and seem to have long attention spans with each toy they explore.  But we do buy them.  And I LOVE toys, especially those for very young children.

Lately, Eli has been having too much fun getting into the two cabinets that are not locked in the kitchen, and pulling books off the bookshelves in the living room.  So, I finally put together some more busy bag type activities for him to keep him out of my stuff.  Almost all of these activities/toys were made from stuff already around the house.

Pipe Cleaner Poke:  Simply putting some pipe cleaners into a clean Parmesan cheese container creates a fun toy.  Big brother took his turn enjoying it too.

Fabric Pull:  Some squares into a wipes container saved us from having to hide the real wipes container all the time.

Cupcake Sorter.  I've been keeping the cardboard tubes from toilet paper and paper towel for weeks now, but don't really have anything to do with them.  This was my first use.  This one and the last idea came from here.

Lid Drops:  A while back I went ahead and put a hole in a milk jug so he could use it to drop lids into.  Recently I made this one from a cocoa container.  This quick and easy one was a quick favorite with him.  While designed as another place to deposit lids and caps, he quickly decided it was better as a bowl when he put his spoon inside to stir.  Additionally, he has fun taking the lid on and off, as well as shaking it too.  Another great idea from here.

 Puff Push:  I had done this back in the day for Theo, and Eli has taken to it.  He's really good with it.

 Shaker Bottles:  I've also found a lot of these ideas on pintrest.  Just filling a bottle with something interesting to see/hear has provided Eli with a lot of entertainment.  This is one I now throw in the car for carseat entertainment.  The one filled with beads (left overs from an algebra film canister activity ages ago) was originally his favorite, but after a while he has really started liking watching the glitter swirl inside the second one.

 Can you tell he's enjoying them?

Baby's Brain: Notes for a developing mind

During grad school I had a theory of learning class with Dr. Jill Stamm, and it really made me regretful that I hadn't decided to major in some sort of neuroscience field.  However, it was during my last semester finishing my masters in math education, and I wasn't about to take any more classes.  But this class definitely prepared me not really for teaching middle schoolers math, but for raising my own children.  Dr. Stamm's focus is on how early development (0-3 years) affects children's brain growth, and I found her class fascinating.  But, a bit frustrating, since I know that by the time kids get to my class in school, so much of their brain is already pre-wired for learning and there's not a ton I can do about it.

The fact that so much of a kid's life is determined by his first 3 years is a little scary, especially since Theo's third birthday is approaching.  I read Stamm's "Bright from the Start" cover to cover when Theo was born, and tried really hard to choose Theo's play, activities, and toys based on the suggestions within.  And though he was a bit slow to talk, I think he has definitely taken off and his brain seems to be a little sponge for learning.

With Eli, I realized I haven't been as careful and purposeful.  I know we have a lot of the "right" toys and activities around here, but am not always using them.  I decided to go ahead and give myself a refresher course, and reorganize my own "baby brain box" (one that is a lot cheaper than the one Stamm's institute sells here).

Below are some of the things most important remembrances for 0-6 month olds:  (*Are ones I need to place a special focus on.*)

Attention and Communication Ideas:
Speak in "parentese" often.
Encourage tracking by bringing a toy across his field of vision.*
Talk during the day, labeling and explaining everything.
Place mobiles (or photos*) 10-12 inches from face.

*Tummy Time*  I've been guilty of holding this baby too much, propping him up beside me, or having him sit in the Bumbo while playing beside Theo.  I was reminded that the pre-crawling motions they practice during tummy time (right arm, left knee-left arm, right knee) is helpful in connecting the left and right hemispheres for the baby's brain.  Skipping the crawling stage doesn't allow for this connection to be built (though other games and activities can help with this if your baby just doesn't want to crawl). 

Getting Vision System Online:
Face imitation games.
Peek-a-boo.
Reading books.
Puppet play.
Looking in a mirror (this one is easy since his changing table is beside our full-size mirror.  Every changing experience includes some mirror play.)
Black-and-white cards (high contrast colors and patterns)

Bonding Ideas:
Hold baby as much as possible (wear baby versus carrying in the car seat).
Respond to cries (he doesn't fuss much, so this is not a problem.  But, it also means he isn't asking for attention as much so he may not get as much attention since he is also competing with his brother for it.)
Exploring different "touches" *(I'm planning to get out some of the old board books that have different textures).
"I'm Gonna Getcha" (Stamm recommends this starting at 6 months, but Eli already loves it.  When I nuzzle his neck he will actually giggle.)

Communication Ideas:
Reading.
Music, rhymes and finger play.
My mother-in-law seems to have an endless supply of rhymes, songs, and finger-play ideas.  I tend to always fall back on just a few favorites, so hopefully writing them all down here will remind me to use them:

Pat-a-Cake (Theo will do this with Eli)

This Little Piggy

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Twinkle, Twinkle (again, one Theo can be in charge of)

Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes

The Wheels on the Bus

Silly Songs (spontaneously made up, I'm pretty good at these, and when I'm singing to Eli Theo will pretty much stop playing and come listen, and ask me to sing them again)

With these ideas in mind, Eli's brain box includes the following:

Books:  "Fluffy Chick" (textures), Hickory, Dickory, Dock (great version of rhymes with illustrations to discuss), "Colors", "Guess Who" (peekaboo flap book), "Guess How Much I Love You," "On the Night You Were Born" and "In My Tree" (bonding books),  and "Black on White" as well as the b/w art cards for visual stimulation.  The box also includes: a cow rattle, cow mirror, egg shaker, and cow puppet (missing from pic) .  Lastly, a "Splash" CD.  I bought plenty of music for Theo when he was young, but our favorites have always included these free CDs from our church.  They send a new one every 12 months for the next age range and they are fun songs with Christian themes. 

My goal is to work through most of the items in this box within a day (depending on baby's attention span).  But most importantly, the "box" needs to include my own eyes and voice.  I think direct eye-to-eye contact, and a stream of words, songs, or assurances coming from a mother's mouth, are the most important things in raising a happy, confident baby. 

Looks like he likes his box already!

New Toy and New Game

Yesterday, I made another little toy for Theodore! This one was so quick and easy once I had the materials. It is a "rainbow sunshine plushie" taggie. I found the tutorial here. 

I still have to embroider the face on, and then it will be done. Theo already likes playing with it faceless though, and I think it is super cute! Brian has also been playing "airplane" with the little one. He enjoys it too. He requires an awful lot of play time.

New Play Things

I had a lot of fun making this taggie blanket and baby loves to grab a hold of it.
He has also figured out how to shake his rattle.

And loves hitting the hanging ball and mirror on his play gym.