Discovery Basket: Blue

 

Non-Toxic Finger Paint for Babies

I got this from a friend and this mixture is very very simple!

Mixing a plain yogurt and food coloring (I used a small amount of organic food coloring) you will produce a yummy finger paint for little babies! The activity is intended for sensorial play and I was not encouraging him to taste or eat the yogurt.  But you know that at this age, babies mouth anything.

And the good thing about it is that big brother can join as well!  And they play with it for 30 minutes (I was able to wash dishes worry free)  Two kids (and a Mommy) happy with one activity. How cool is that?

 

Baby’s First Baby Picture Books

NOTE:  The post contains affiliate links.

My books from Book Depository finally arrived! So happy to have these picture books again :)

 

Baby’s First Colours

Baby’s First Words

Baby’s First Farm

Baby’s First Food

Baby’s First Animals

I looove these baby books, I have them when Mavi was 8 months old and I knew I just have to have them again for Vito. I couldn't find this in our local bookstore so I needed to purchase them from Book Depository as I no longer have Mavi's. In the picture below is Mavi. At that time the book is a year older already and the pages are torn due to excessive use :)  There are 12 books in the series but I bought have 5 due to a  limited budget LOL.

 

Now here are the reasons why I love and recommend this book series:

1. These board books are sturdy. I like its cover the most. It's wrapped with plasticky material, padded and soft, reason why my son loves to bite them :D If its wet with saliva the cover doesn't come off and tear.

2.  The board pages are highly durable. They don't bend and my little boy can flip it easily.

           

 

3.  It has large real pictures thus it holds my son’s interest. He can easily discern on it because of the pictures' size and simplicity. We love looking at them everyday.

4.  The book uses bright colors as backgrounds. Vito is drawn to it especially those with red, yellow and blue backgrounds. There are 12 books in the series and I bought 5. These are tried and tested. I recommend them to babies as young as 4 months :)

  

These books would also be perfect as presents! 

Ice Sensorial Play

Yesterday I gave Vito a few ice for a sensorial play.  I’ve always wanted to see how he would react once he touched the ice.

I placed the ice on the tray and he was a little bit hesitant at first but quite excited.  So he’s trying to use his pointer finger to test the material.

 

I love looking at those little hands working and trying to figure out the ice cubes.  Pardon those red cheeks. I was feeding him with bolognese at that time.

 

When he was sure that the ice wouldn’t hurt , he starts to pick them up.  But he failed in the beginning as the ice were very slippery.

And finally, with determination and focus, he was able to lift up a cube with both hands and mouthed it.

           

 

Oh yes, it is cold!!

          

Note:  Always supervise your baby when doing this activity.  Be careful as the ice are slippery and if they mouth it, there’s a tendency that they will swallow it and choke.

Vito’s Toys at 8 Months

 

Sharing with you toys that Vito has been using for the past months for sensorial play and fine motor skills.

[1] Classic Pop Up Toy.  Mavi enjoys this toy as much as Vito.  For now I am teaching him how to push those faces to introduce cause and effect.

[2] Manhattan Skwish.  He loves to use this as a lollipop.  But eventually discovered that he can create sounds by shaking it.  I love this toy for he’s able to practice his grasp and how he can easily transfer the object from one hand to another. 

[3]  Jumbo Puzzle from Melissa and Doug.  Vito used this occasionally. He can already lift up puzzles using his left and right hands and would shake it in the air. 

[4] Homemade shakers/rattles.  These are old plastic toobs (travel kits).  I added mung beans, beads and pasta inside.  Another version of these shakers I saw on Pinterest are the sensory bottles.  Similar to these shakers but with water or any liquid inside.  I might try that one of these days.

[5]  Sensory balls.  Oh he loves these! He loves to roll them around, mouth them, emptying the basket (he doesn’t fill them yet) and make sounds by rattling them.  I have yet to find cheaper textured balls in Amazon.  I guess that would be a lovely addition to our sensory ball family :)

[6] Mini Piano.  We have this since he was 3 months old but he only showed interest on them now.

[7] Stacking Rings.  Ok so this one, he only gets to play with the rings.  I don’t give the entire toy. 

[8] Wooden Blocks. These are Mavi’s old toys.

[9] Kitchen utensils.  Surprisingly these are his favourites! He loves the whisk and look at his face below.  It’s his first time to encounter a brush.  He was so terrified when I brushed it his hands and feet :)

   

Oh and another thing that he loves the most are his big brother’s toys.  I didn’t include those on the list as they are not suitable for babies but I guess can be safe to play with with adult supervision.  Take for example this plastic crane.  I considered this one as safe for it doesn’t come with small parts and doesn’t have sharp edges.

    

I wonder what toys does your little ones have.