Baby Friendly Holidays – what to think about

22 Aug 2010 No Comments

by Adminin blog Tags: , ,

If you are planning to take your baby on holiday there are lots of new things to think about. While you can enjoy a holiday with your baby you will need to do a bit more planning than if you were going away by yourself. Anara Baby Toys have put together 3 top things to consider when taking your baby on holiday.

Baby Friendly Accommodation

You will have taken a lot of time and care to baby-proof your home. While they may be fine for older kids not all hotels and accommodation will be safe for your baby. You should look for accommodation that boasts child friendly facilities and additional features to make your holiday safe and comfortable.

Look for hotels that:

  • provide playpens and cots
  • have special doors and windows that can’t be opened by toddlers. This should also include the bathroom door
  • offer baby food

Driving there

You will need a baby seat of course but there are other things that you should also take into account when travelling with the baby in the car.
If you are going on long trips you will need to plan for regular stops to feed and change the baby’s nappy. Pack the things that you will need during the journey for the baby separately from your luggage. This will mean you don’t have to go hunting through your luggage.
The way some car seats have to be fitted into some cars means that the driver won’t always be able to see the baby. It is safer to have two adults present, one to drive and one to keep an eye on the baby. Trying to keep watch on the baby at the same time as driving is dangerous.
You will probably find that the baby sleeps for a lot of the journey as many babies find the noise and motion of the car soothing, however they probably won’t sleep for the whole journey. You should take some toys for the baby to play with during the journey. If there is not another adult in the car to keep an eye on the baby then you might like to get some car seat toys for the baby, these are special baby toys that attach to the car seat meaning that the baby can’t throw it away or on the floor.

Feeding and drinks

Many people’s routines change while they are on holiday but it is important to try and keep a routine for your baby. You could consider stocking up on fresh vegetables, fruits, and other wholesome snacks for the baby for the journey and holiday. Some hotels will have fridges in the rooms and for the journey an ice cooler bag can help you keep the baby’s food cold.
You should arrange your schedule so that you can stick to a regular feeding schedule as well as ensuring you always have drinks available for when the baby is thirsty. If you are going on holiday to a hotter location you will need to take even more care that the baby does not get dehydrated.

How to Choose Baby Toys and Gifts

12 Aug 2010 No Comments

by Adminin blog Tags: , , ,

If you do not have children of your own you may find it hard to know what kind of present to buy.
Different types of baby gifts will be appropriate depending on how old the baby is as babies grow so fast.
If the baby has started crawling or is beginning to walk then toys that they can play with in this way would go down a treat. At this stage toys are more than just something to stare at they are now able to engage with then and play with them.

Kinds of baby toys

Push and pull along toys are a good choice for a baby that is starting to walk around a bit. The push toys will help them learn to keep their balance and be steady on their feet as they learn to walk. Look out for one that has enough weight to also give the baby some exercise at the same time as learning to walk.

Older babies love solving puzzles and toys like shape sorters are a great choices. Shape sorters are puzzles where the baby sorts through shapes and has to work out how to place one shape inside another, etc. This kind of toy can keep a baby amused for hours.

Children love to copy adults. So toy telephones, computers and toy kitchens are also great. Babies and toddlers learn so much from watching and imitating and they can play for hours talking to an imaginary person on the phone or cooking up an imaginary meal in their kitchen.

Building blocks are one of the staples of any toy box and they will get years of use. When they are younger they will enjoy knocking down stacks built by an adult and when they are old enough they will enjoy building things themselves.

View Baby Toys & Gifts

Toy Kitchens – Developing your Child’s Imagination

11 Aug 2010 No Comments

by Adminin blog Tags: , ,

The shops are full of toys that play music, show lights and perform on demand. While these toys may provide some entertainment for your child they don’t do much for their imagination.
If you want to encourage your children to develop their imagination and learn while they play then there are a range of imagination play toys on the market. These are toys where children will make up a story in their heads and then act it out as they play.

Children love copying things that they see adults do such as doing the washing up, cleaning and cooking. Toy kitchens are a great way to encourage creative play and are great for both boys and girls.

5 Tips for getting the most fun out of your toy kitchen:

  • Put the toy kitchen in your kitchen and encourage them to mimic what you are doing while you are preparing food for them.
  • Kit out the kitchen with a range of pots and pans, plastic cutlery and toy kitchen accessories
  • You can buy a range of play food or you could use real food like bread and fruit
  • Get your child to prepare and serve some fruit on the plastic plates
  • Save up your empty food boxes and containers, such as the mini cereal boxes and margarine tubs. You can use these as additional props.

A good imagination is an important asset in life. It is important to develop your imagination at an early age to give your child a head start.
Child development research shows that children who use their imagination a lot are more resourceful and free thinging adults who are stronger at solving problems as they use their imagination to help them tackle the problem.

One of the reasons that toy kitchens are especially good for encouraging your child’s creativeness is that the range of tasks and stories that your child could make up and act out is endless.

They can:

  • prepare and cook food
  • wash and clean dishes
  • learn about tidying up
  • learn about kitchen safety
  • learn the names of food and kitchen equipment

Play kitchens give children a base to start their creativity flowing and are suitable for both boys and girls. Most toy kitchens come with some utensils, but you can add items from around the home so long as they are safe plastic of course, for example beakers, spoons etc . You can also choose from a range of miniature toy kitchen accessories such as pots and pans.
The range of toy kitchens available today is huge. Wooden toy kitchens are becoming more popular and the old favourite plastic kitchens still has its fans. If you don’t have much room then you can buy individual bits such as a hob or a sink. However if you have a lot of space there are some very impressive toy kitchens available.

View Toy Kitchens