A baby is born with a need to be loved - and never outgrows it.
Frank A. Clark
Enjoying learning with babies is a rewarding part of our quality care. By learning we all grow.
In the WALKEN MAYA (babies room) our babies have 2 play spaces in which to learn and interact with their environment, the toys and equipment and each other.
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Our toys and equipment allows for discovery and inquisition, develops emerging skills and builds on new ones. The space is full of soft furnishings, carpets like home, books, textures, colours and music.
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As this age group has children from birth to 2 years of age, the needs of the individual are even more pronounced due to their extremes. Taking this into account when designing and planning activities and experiences takes dedicated and specially trained educators. Our educators enjoy spending one – one time with the children in their care and build strong and lasting relationships with both the children and their families.
A person's a person, no matter how small.
~ Dr. Seuss ~
There's nothing more amazing than seeing how fast your baby develops in that first year of life. Babies and children are instinctively active, and daily movement helps to develop their senses and ability to move. By setting up environments and encouraging interactive activities and we help establish the healthy habit of regular physical activity.
Babies (0-12 months) need plenty of opportunities for unrestricted movement. Creating a safe environment that encourages exploring, discovery and the development of skills such as reaching, rolling, sitting up, crawling, pulling up, cruising and walking is required. Even tiny babies like to stretch and play and a large blanket on the floor (or on the grass, if outside) is a safe, clean and welcoming place for babies to practice lifting their head or develop strong muscles during ‘tummy time’. It’s also the perfect place to learn to roll, creep, crawl and sit. By putting a toy just out of reach, we help your baby make an extra effort that will help her physical development.
Playing lots of games is also rewarding. Even only slightly physical games, like pat-a-cake and peek-aboo,
can do a lot to help your baby’s learning and movement skills.
Once your child is walking, there will be no stopping for breath. We support their new physical mastery by allowing them to be active rather than keeping them confined. Providing toys and activities that encourage movement and playing and giving praise as they learn to run, hop, dance and throw will provide vital encouragement and opportunity to practice the new skills. By helping young ones to climb a slide in the playground, we are building self-confidence and balance, and paving the way for learning to climb stairs and more.
Communication. Newborns are sensitive to the way they are held, rocked and feed. By age 2 months, babies may smile on purpose, blow bubbles and coo when talked to. They might even mimic facial expressions. Playing with them, singing and telling nursery rhymes and stories will assist this developmental stage which lead to language acquisition. We can facilitate this through simple conversation even before baby can understand a word. Asking questions and responding, describing what we see, hear and smell around the house, outdoors, and when we're out and about as well as the use of simple words that apply to baby's everyday life builds vocabulary with tone of voice communicating ideas and emotions as well.