Today we have a review of Teach My Baby, written by local mom-of-three Nicola Martel. Thank-you to Christy from Teach My for sending us the Teach My Baby kit and Nicola for testing it out! (Oh, and my apologies to Nicola for the photo below as it is NOT a photo of her and Ben – very sorry for any confusion! 😉
I'm always on the look-out for fun things to do with my three kids, but I must admit that my youngest (Ben) doesn't always get top consideration when I purchase new toys and games. With two older siblings, he gets a lot of hand-me-down toys. Therefore, I was very happy when Charmaine from HRM Parent asked me to review the Teach My Baby kit for her. It meant something new for Ben to explore!
Ben and I began using Teach My Baby when he was 18 months old (the program is intended for children aged 6-18 months old). The kit's materials come neatly packed in a sunny yellow briefcase. With four separate units – Self, Sounds & Touch, First Numbers, and First Words – there is lots to play with, and a short guide is included to help the caregiver get started. This guide offers suggestions on how to use each unit, and general hints to get the most out of the Teach My Baby kit.
I made a big deal of the kit when I first opened it for Ben. We started with the Self unit: I read the board book to him and we looked at the flash cards. Best of all, we stacked the nesting blocks and Ben knocked them down! The kit's instructions stress the importance of matching – the baby faces in the board book are the same ones on the flash cards and on the nesting blocks. Also, each of the items in this unit comes with a mirror. I showed Ben the picture of a nose on the nesting block, and then we turned the block around to see Ben's nose on the other side.
The Sounds & Touch unit provides another board book, two-piece puzzles (that Ben attempted to put together), and touchy-feely cards. Again, the animal pictures on the cards and puzzles match the animal pictures in the book.
The First Numbers unit has five finger puppets and a corresponding storyboard. Holes in the storyboard provide places for the finger puppets to poke out. One side shows the animals' bodies waiting for their finger puppet heads. The other side has a picture of a zoo for free play. The finger puppets make a repeat performance in the board book.
The final unit, First Words, offers another board book and many one-piece puzzles that double as flash cards. Again, the pictures in the book match the puzzle pictures.
Obviously, an 18-month-old will approach the kit materials differently than a 6-month-old will. A young baby will not be ready to put the puzzles together right away. But babies grow quickly, and soon she'll be able to do the puzzles easily. Until then, Teach My Baby offers colourful books, fun finger puppets, touchy-feely cards, and sturdy blocks to enjoy.
The kit's strong point rests in encouraging one-on-one time with baby and her caregiver. This is a special time, with stories, block play, puzzles, and finger puppets. It is a time to get down on the floor with baby and give her your undivided attention. Overall, the kit provides fun activities and quality materials that will help caregivers engage with their babies in a positive way.
Teach My Baby and Teach My Toddler are now available at Uncommon Kids Gear in Halifax & Bedford plus online at www.teach-my.com.
