Favorite Product: Teddy Bear Counters

We are currently working on sorting and naming colors right now so Teddy Bear Counters are a current favorite toy in our house.

I like these little bears because they offer a lot of color options and kids can enjoy the fun shapes and feel to them. Our daughter is much more interested in sorting the bears than she is flat shapes or paper. Here are some fun ways to use these bears (or similar products) to encourage your preemie to sort colors.

1) Start with only 2 or 3 colors. Too many colors is confusing and difficult for your preemie to master. I like to start with yellow, red and blue because each color is very distinct and easy to tell the difference (as opposed to orange and red since they are very similar).

2) Use cups or a divided tray to help your preemie realize that the bears are to be separated rather than piled together. For my daughter I have found that a divided tray works best because she can't move it. With cups she often gets distracted because they can be knocked over or moved.

3) Place one bear of each color into the cup or tray section. Start out by doing the activity yourself. Pick up a yellow bear and say "yellow." Then point to the bear on the tray and the bear in your hand and say "see- same, same." You want your preemie to start understanding that some things are the same and some are different. This will help him/her figure out how to sort. Do one or two of each color yourself and then encourage your preemie to put the next bear in. If he/she does it right than do a lot of praise. If he/she gets it wrong just say - "No. Those aren't the same." and then help him/her put the bear in the correct spot.

4) Add more colors over time. As your preemie starts to master the basic idea of sorting, add more colors so that he/she can continue to build on the skill.

5) Be patient. Like with anything else, if your preemie isn't interested in the activity than put it away and save it for another time.

Keeping Your Preemie Safe

One of the big areas that new parents often hear a lot about is baby safety. There are a ton of great safety products out there for keeping your home baby proofed and safe from exploring little people. However preemie parents need to think beyond normal baby proofing and consider baby products and how safe they are for their babies.

The March of Dimes has a great page on Baby Safety. Here are some additional tips for keeping your preemie safe in baby gear or with toys that may not be designed for them.

1) Weight - Many preemies come home weighing less than 5 pounds so car seats can be a big issue. Make sure you check the weight requirements and belt position before buying one. Check my list of car seats for ones that are ideal for preemies. This is also true for other products like Baby Bjorn and some toys. While it may not seem that important - often the weight/size requirement is there to ensure proper positioning during use.

2) Actual/Adjusted age - Remember to use products that are appropriate to your preemie's adjusted age. Your preemie won't get the maximum benefit (and may not be developmentaly or physically ready) for a toy that is made for someone older.

3) Physical abilities - if your preemie has some physical issues or limitations than make sure you choose toys or equipment that will fully support them and enable them to use the item. This is important for equipment such as infant baths. My daughter has low muscle tone so we had to use a bath that allowed her to lay back with support but was also big enough to accommodate her. I like to choose toys that transition through phases such as tummy time, sitting and then standing. This allows you (and your preemie) to get the most use out of the product.

4) Small parts - some preemies tend to be mouth objects a lot longer than full term babies. Make sure that any toy you give your preemie doesn't have small parts (this goes back to the issue of choosing toys that fit their developmental abilities vs. actual age).

To check out potential products and toys for your preemie, here are some of my favorite
preemie products.

Favorite Products #33

A current favorite product in our house is the Doodle Pro.

Recently my daughter has become nothing less than obsessed with the Doodle Pro. She excitedly points at it and says "draw, draw." I have always loved Doodle Pro type products because it provides endless amounts of possibilities - don't like your drawing? Erase and start over. Do you want to practice drawing circles or other shapes? Go for it. This is a great product for kids because you can take it anywhere, it doesn't make a mess and kids of pretty much any age can have fun with it.

Here are some ways to encourage your preemie's development:

1) Fine motor - This is obviously a great product to help your preemie work on fine motor skills. Holding the pen and then drawing with it takes hand strength and coordination. If your preemie has trouble at first, help him/her hold the pen and draw. Some of the Doodle Pro products now come with magnetic shapes that can be "stamped" across the board. This is another great activity for fine motor work. You can have your preemie work on lines (horizontal first) and then circle drawings. My daughter loves to trace her (or my) hand too.

2) Cause and Effect - a great way to demonstrate this is by drawing a picture and then sliding the eraser bar so that it disappears. Tip: make sure you demonstrate the erasing part with your OWN drawing first. Some kiddos don't want to erase a masterpiece right away.

3) Shapes, counting, etc. - as your preemie gets older you can use the Doodle Pro to practice naming shapes or count how many of something you have drawn.

Favorite Product #32

This week's favorite product is for all the preemie moms and dads out there who are looking for ways to boost the amount of calories they give to their little ones.

The product is called ScandiCal.

According to the Axcan Pharma website - SCANDICAL® Calorie Booster is a taste-free powder that quickly and easily adds 35 calories per tablespoon to your meals, without changing the taste of the foods you love. SCANDICAL® comes in a portable, 8 ounce, shaker-top dispenser can, conveniently allowing you to add calories to individual servings and eliminating the need to prepare separate, high-calorie meals.

I got ScandiCal for our son. He has always been on the really skinny side and I'm trying to add a few pounds on him before Kindergarton this fall. Beyond being an active five year-old, my son doesn't eat a lot at one time. I've tried adding butter to food and make him Pediasure Hot Chocolate each night but to no avail - not enough volume at one time to make an impact. I found ScandiCal and I LOVE it already. It looks a lot like Parmasean Cheese. You can easily mix it into pretty much anything. I haven't said anything and niether has he. I mix it with his peanut butter on sandwiches, in his apple sauce and other foods. So far so good. I think we have even seen a slight weight increase after only a week of use (I can't be entirely sure because I want to get another weight check to be sure it is accurate)

SCANDICAL® is gluten-free and certified as kosher.

Interested in trying it out? The Axcan Pharma website says that you can call for a free sample at (800) 4-Scandi (800-472-2634).

Clothes matter

Don't worry. This isn't a post about the best in children's fashion or a lecture about how to dress your kid more like Suri Cruise. Considering the fact that last week I took my daughter out in pants with fruit snack stains on them (mortified doesn't begin to describe it)- I don't think I'm qualified for that kind of post. Instead this post is about paying attention to clothes as it relates to helping your preemie with their fine/gross motor skills.

1) Shoes - as soon as your preemie starts to work on standing, cruising, etc. they should be in some sort of shoe. Preferably one with a tennis shoe like bottom for the best possible grip. These days you can find shoes with a good sole in almost any style. Socks are far too slippery - imagine trying to learn how to stand or walk on ice. Bare feet are good too because your preemie can use his/her toes to better grip the floor.

2) Pants length - No matter how cute those baby jeans may look on your little one, if they are too long than they will interfere with your preemies movement. I constantly roll up the bottom of my daughter's pants to ensure that she won't trip or slide on the bottom of her pants. Just remember to unroll them when you are going out.

3) Sleeve length - The same rules apply to shirts. If your preemie can't see his/her hands than he/she won't be using them correctly. Make sure your preemie's shirts don't have sleeves that are too long or loose. Also, when working on self feeding or any other messy activity - remember to roll up the sleeves. It will be easier on them and you will feel less stressed about possibly cleaning yet another shirt (and less stress makes for happier mealtimes).

Favorite Product #30

Today's favorite product is a wooden Pop Up Toy.

I absolutely love this toy for its simplicity. There are four cylinders that have hidden springs on the bottom so your preemie can push each one down and then watch it pop back up again. I was amazed at how much time my son spent playing with this toy. Beyond the concept of cause and effect, it is also a great toy for teaching colors.

Ways to encourage development with this toy:

1) Cause and Effect - show your preemie how to push the cylinder down and then have him/her watch as it pops back up again. Help your preemie the first few times and then let him/her do it on his/her own once the concept is understood.

2) Fine motor skills - Once your preemie has figured out how to push the cylinder down, encourage him/her to use just one finger to push the cylinder. This will help him/her learn how to point and to isolate one finger to do something.

3) Colors - As your preemie gets older and starts to notice colors, this can be a great first toy for teaching different colors. Point out and talk about each color. Say a color and then push down the matching cylinder. As your preemie starts to get the concept you can ask him/her to do the same.

Favorite Product #28

This week's favorite product is the Fisher Price Fun 2 Imagine Shopping Cart

After seeing how much my daughter loved the shopping cart toy at her PT appointments, I went out and got this one for her. She absolutely loves it. She can put things inside the basket, push it around on her knees and use it as a walker (with help). If your preemie is starting to get the idea of walking - or just wants a fun shopping cart toy - than I would highly recommend this one. The shelf on the bottom is perfect for adding a heavy object for increased stability (a 5 pound bag of sugar works nicely).

For beginning walkers you can use this as a makeshift walker. Just make sure you weigh it down or help hold on to it because it will tilt. If your preemie has equipment requirements, I have heard of parents buying old kid size shopping carts from places like Trader Joe's. They are a bit bigger and more stable for holding oxygen, monitors, etc.

Once your preemie is walking, you can encourage imaginative play by using the shopping cart for a game of grocery store. Get older siblings involved as well - they can be the checkout person or the bagger.

For school age preemies - you can encourage them to write out their own grocery list before shopping. This helps them work on writing as well as remembering what foods they can "buy." Make your own grocery list and have your preemie practice reading the list as you shop. This is also a great activity to do in a real grocery store.

Amazon Baby Products Sale

I just received an email from Amazon.com that they are having a super sale in the baby store so I wanted to pass along the link for anyone who might be interested. This is a four day sale according to the website. Happy shopping!

Amazon Baby Store Super Sale

Handmade Holidays

Update: Thank you for all the nice comments - I'm so glad that people like the idea. I've added in some bigger pictures so people can get a closer look at the finished product. Also, I've gotten some emails from people who were wondering if I would make the race track book to sell (for those without time or sewing abilities). I've added the race track book to my etsy shop at http://www.domolidesigns.etsy.com/ for anyone interested. Thanks for the interest!!

Update2: I decided to create a seperate blog for all of the craft projects I have planned. Hopefully this will make it easier for those people who are interested only in craft projects or those people only interested in preemie specific posts.

The blog addres is http://giftsbyhand.blogspot.com/. The new felt play book designed especially for girls is now posted. Thanks!

With Halloween just behind us, the holiday season has officially arrived. And that means getting a move on with making gifts for the holidays. So I'm adding a new feature to the blog - Handmade Holidays. I'll feature some holiday gifts that I'm making or have been inspired by - all (mildly) related to preemies or families with preemies. I hope you enjoy!

Traveling Race Track Book

Since both of my kids are home with me, I end up having to take my 5 year-old to many doctor appointments, lab visits, and therapy appointments that aren't for him. I pack a lot of toys and activities to keep him entertained however I'm always looking for new items. I especially like activities that encourage him to use his imagination and the quieter - the better.

So I created his very own traveling race track book. It's a felt book with two different sized race tracks. When open, the small race track is the size of one piece of felt and the large track is the size of two pieces. The back has pockets for holding his beloved race cars. He loved it instantly. I plan on making some for our friends kids as well because every boy (or girl) can use a race track to take with them to places. The size makes it perfect for throwing in a purse or diaper bag.

Front View:

Small Track:

Large Track:

Car Storage:

Favorite Product #27

This week's favorite product is the Melissa and Doug Shapes Chunky Puzzle

I absolutely love puzzles. There are some many opportunities to teach concepts, hand eye coordination and most importantly - have fun. We just found this puzzle last week and it has been an instant favorite with my littlest preemie. What I like about this puzzle is that the design is bright and colorful but also basic. Each shape piece is chunky so it is easy for little hands to pick up the pieces. This would make a great first addition to any preemie's growing puzzle stash.

Here are some ways to use puzzles to encourage development:

1) Touch and Feel - puzzle pieces are a great way opportunity for preemie's to feel a new object and surface. Encourage your preemie to feel the edges and sharp corners of each piece. Talk about how the pieces are smooth, the edges are round/sharp/pointy/etc.

2) Doing the puzzle - First let your preemie just experiment with taking the pieces out of the puzzle and then trying to put them back in. It doesn't matter if he/she doesn't put them into the right spot at first - the key is that he/she recognizes that each piece goes in and out. After he/she has that concept, start with just one or two pieces. The circle and square are the best ones to start with because they are simple and yet also very different from each other. If you can, user your hands to cover the remaining pieces so your preemie can concentrate on just those spaces. First hand him/her one shape and let him/her try to put into the matching spot. Hand him/her the other piece and then start again. Slowly expand to the rest of the puzzle once he/she gets the hang of it.

3) Shapes and colors - As your preemie gets older you can go back to a basic puzzle like this to start teaching him/her about shapes and colors. The simple design of this puzzle makes it a really great place to start.

Happy Puzzling!!

Favorite Product #26

This favorite product post is dedicated to the Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Shape Sorter.

Shape sorters are always fun. They teach some great skills and can last for a long time even as your preemie learns new things. I like the Fisher Price shape sorter (although I have the slightly smaller version) for several reasons. Simplicity - the container itself is very simple so that kids can more easily concentrate on putting the shape blocks inside. Removable lid - you can use this product to teach your preemie about putting items in or taking items out before he/she can shape the blocks which makes it a long lasting toy.

Here are some great ways to use this toy to encourage your preemie's development:

1) Put in/Take out - put all the blocks into the container and then take off the lid. Encourage your preemie to take the blocks out of the container. You may need to add additional items to the container so that they are closer to the top and easier to reach. Once your preemie has mastered this skill, encourage him/her to put the items back in.

2) Shape sorting - start with just one shape. Offer your preemie one block and then encourage your preemie to put it into the container. Use your hands to cover up all of the shaped holes so that it is easy for your preemie to put it into the correct spot. Offer new shapes and more options as your preemie masters the skill.

3) Same - Use the blocks to encourage your preemie to sort the blocks into the same color/shape piles. Show your preemie how two of the blocks are the same and then try and get him/her to do the same.

Favorite Product #25

This week's favorite product is the Epic Dental Xylitol Mints. I know you may be thinking mints? On a preemie blog? Really? But yes I am talking about mints. These mints are specifically designed to help prevent cavities. As a person who had numerous dental problems that weren't entirely my fault, I was very interested in these mints. I ordered some for my son a couple of years ago. As I'm sure many of you have experienced first hand, getting small kids to brush or to have their teeth brushed effectively is difficult. They wiggle, they squirm and they just don't want to have it done.

The great thing about these mints is that they taste good so my son thinks he is getting a treat. We give him a couple with his vitamins in the morning. I do try to be as avid a tooth brusher as possible however using these mints helps me feel a little bit better about the whole thing.

Adults can use them too. Epic Dental makes mints, gum, toothbrush and toothpaste. The Epic Dental site offers some great information on how their product works as well as tips for improving dental hygiene in kids. I would encourage you to check it out!


Happy Brushing!

Finding fun toys with objects in your house

Most parents can be tempted to purchase all of the latest and greatest toys for their preemie. Those toys are fun however if you are looking to save some money or just want to try something new, take a look around your house for things that you already have. Many household items can be turned into entertaining things for your preemie quickly and easily. Here's a list to get you started:

1) Tissue paper - this is a great item for preemies. Tissue paper can be used to play peek-a-boo, crumpled up for a nice sound effect game or ripped apart.

2) Pillows - small pillows can make for great fun. Lay some on the ground and make an obstacle course. Throw the pillow in the air and try to catch it. Practice pushing and pulling the pillow.

3) Paint brushes and water - water is always fun (in the right place). Grab some old paint brushes and head outside. Let your preemie "paint" the sidewalk and then watch it dry. Repeat again and again.

4) Empty containers - clean out any container that is clear and put some small toys/items inside. Let your preemie shake the container and watch the items go back and forth.

5) Simple ball drop - when preemies are first learning how to put things into a small hole/shape - it's easiest to start with one shape like a circle. Take an empty oatmeal container and cut a circle shape in the top. Use ping pongs (or any small type balls) and let your preemie practice dropping the objects in and then taking them out.

6) Wooden spoons/pots and pans - this is a classic game that is still fun. Pull out an old pot or pan and let your preemie bang on the bottom with a wooden spoon. If your preemie is older, let him/her pretend to cook with you in the kitchen

Simple Mom had some other great suggestions of cheap or free toys. Check it out for additional fun.

Favorite Product #24

This week's favorite product is the Mega Blocks 123 School Bus

I absolutely love this product. Honestly I find it a little bit funny because it is a school bus with attachable train like cars on the back. The important thing is that kids love this toy. Both my son and now my daughter fell in love with this school bus/train the moment they played with it. This toy is great because your preemie can move it around like a car but it also has large lego type pieces on top. These lego pieces easily attach and come off so even little ones can have great fun stacking and pulling them apart.

Here are some great ways to encourage development with this toy:

1) Pushing and pulling - show your preemie how the school bus can be pushed and pulled around. Sit across from your preemie and push the bus towards him/her. Encourage him/her to do the same. Make it a fun game to play. At first your preemie may just want to pick up the bus and check out the wheels or hand it back to you and that is okay!

2) Stacking - stack the legos on top of each other. Tell your preemie what you are doing and then encourage him/her to do the same. These blocks easily attach together so after a little practice your preemie should get the hang of it.

3) Same/matching and sorting - Once your preemie understands that things are the "same" or "different", use the legos to see if your preemie can put all of the legos together based on color. First practice sorting and then stacking them.

4) Numbers/counting - the lego blocks also have numbers on them so older preemies can stack them up by number. There are also blocks that have a specific number of items on it (i.e. 2 apples, 3 pencils, etc.). Honestly by the time my son was old enough to get the concept of counting he had long outgrown this toy however it's a great way to encourage your older children to play with your preemie together.

Developmental Post #20

The developmental post for this week is focused on helping your preemie stack blocks. Stacking blocks can be a fun but difficult skill for preemies to learn. My daughter has currently figured out that blocks can go on top of each other but she hasn't quite mastered getting them to stay.

Here are some ways to get your preemie to start stacking blocks:

1) Make blocks readily available - Make blocks a part of the toy options that you provide to your preemie. If you don't have any yet, I did a post about my three favorite type of blocks here. To help encourage stacking, I prefer to use either of these blocks: The Alphabet Peek A Boo Blocks from Fisher Price and Parents Counting Pal Soft Blocks. The soft blocks are big but easy to stack and squeezable. The Fisher Price blocks are a good size for little hands to hold on to however they are slippery.

2) Encourage simple playing with the blocks - my daughter loves to bang things together and blocks are a favorite banging toy. By playing with blocks on his/her own, your preemie will become comfortable with them.

3) Learn by example - Stack blocks with your preemie. Let him/her knock the blocks over. Stack them back up again.

Once your preemie starts getting the concept of stacking, he/she may need a little help. Our developmental therapist just gave me a great tip to help master stacking: add velcro to the blocks. With the velcro, the block will easily stay without requiring a perfect stacking job. You can use sticky velcro or glue some on. Remember to put velcro on the top and bottom of the block - use opposite parts of the velcro for easier sticking to other blocks.

Happy Stacking!

Favorite Product #23

This week my favorite product is geared towards organizing (or at least trying to) all of your preemie's toys. My favorite thing for holding toys is a large Fabric bin from Target.

When I had my son I developed a fairly bad case of Developmental-toyitis. Each time that our developmental therapist would bring something new to the house and explain how it helped encourage various developmental milestones, I figured I had to get it. I couldn't deprive my son of something he needed to learn, right? If only I had realized how easily kids learn with or without the fancy toys. But that's another story. Our daughter has inherited those toys (and more) and I quickly found that they were taking up too much space. I bought a few of these fabric bins from Target and divided the toys into each bin. Each week one bin came out of the room and that was it. At the end of the week, we swapped it for a new one. This was a great way to keep the toys new for our daughter and make our living room look less like a preschool. I also like the fabric bins because they are flexible - baby toys don't all nicely fit into square boxes so having the ability to toss them into the box easily is a definite bonus.

Favorite Product #22

This favorite product post is actually dedicated to the preemie clothes found in RedSparks.

RedSparks is a fabulous online store devoted to preemie and newborn clothing and toys. The shop was started by the parents of a preemie. You can read their story on the site. What I love about their preemie clothing is that they feature adorable designs that you would also see on newborn sized clothing. Preemies need cute stuff too! Take a look at these pictures - there is some serious cuteness going on:
RedSparks also sells clothes for bigger kids too. Have fun shopping!

Favorite Products are featured weekly on this blog. To check out past entries, click here.

Book Recommendation

I just finished reading a book that you might be interested in. It's called I Will Not Be Broken by Jerry White.




The author is a recognized leader of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines, and co-founder of Survivor Corps (formerly Landmine Survivors Network). In 1984, Jerry lost his leg—and almost his life—in a landmine accident. He has endured the pain of loss and the challenge of rebuilding.

I Will Not Be Broken is a book devoted to helping people overcome a life crisis. I have to be honest with you. When the Survivor Corp's offered to send me a copy to read/review, my first thought was "this isn't right for me or my readers." Just to make sure, I read the first couple of chapters and found out more about the concept of the book. I quickly realized that this book WAS a good book for me and other preemie parents. Having a baby who is born premature is certainly a life crisis and the after effects of it can stick with you for a long time. There are a lot of books about prematurity but many of them don't deal with the personal feelings and deep impact that it can have on parents and other family members. There is a tremendous amount of guilt, confusion, anger, sadness, etc. that comes with having a baby born too soon. I definitely think this book can help parents get past the devastating effects of having a premature baby and the issues that come with it.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Jerry has put together five (5) steps for overcoming a life crisis. In between Jerry's own perspective and comments on the steps and how to get through them are stories from other survivors. The ability of these survivor's to not only just get on with things but to really live life after a crisis is truly inspiring. I felt motivated and encouraged just be reading their stories. The steps that Jerry discusses are:

1. Face Facts - preemie parents have to do this step pretty darn fast. Whether you get 3 months or 3 minutes to "prepare" for a premature birth, it doesn't really hit you until you enter the NICU and see your little one hooked up to monitors, ventilators, feeding pumps, etc. You don't get time to take it all in and really digest it because right away you are there trying to make the right decisions for your little one.


2. Choose Life - I've noticed that a lot of the time parents of preemies find themselves retreating from the world. Many people don't understand what you are going through and sometimes there can be too many things to deal with. It's important however to try and move past this and choose to be a part of the world. Take care of you and take care of your little one with the help of others.


3. Reach Out - This is also important for preemie parents - finding a way to reach out. Whether it's through a hospital support group, an online message board, other parents in the NICU - finding a way to connect can help yourself and others through the painful process both in the NICU and at home.


4. Get Moving - This is a tough one. Especially when your preemie is in the NICU. Try to keep going with your life. Make new goals and plans. Find a way to move forward (even if your little one is taking a step back at the moment).


5. Give Back - I firmly believe in this step. Giving back can be a really great way to feel like you can help other parents and babies. Whether you volunteer for the March of Dimes, make hats for babies in the NICU or get involved in some other way, giving back can really help you feel better and move forward.

If you would like to find out more information about the book or the author, you can go here. Also, the author Jerry White is going to be on ABC's Good Morning America this Thursday August 7th at 8:45am. I would encourage you to listen in and see what you think.

Favorite Product #21

This week's favorite product post is dedicated to baby/infant bathtubs. I've featured my personal favorite as well as one of our reader's favorite bathtubs.

For my daughter my favorite infant bathtub was the "Sure Comfort" Deluxe Newborn to Toddler Tub with Sling by First Years from Learning Curve.

My daughter was born 4 months early and was very small however once we started using a feeding pump for her feedings, she quickly gained enough weight so that she was the size of her actual age vs. her developmental age. The problem? Developmentally she was very far behind (esp. in gross motor) so by the time she was big enough to outgrow the baby bathtub she wasn't anywhere near being able to sit up on her own.

This bathtub came to the rescue. One side has a sloped side for bath time "lounging" and the other side has support for sitting straight. It also comes with a newborn sling for the top however I never used it as my daughter was too old/big for that when I got the bathtub. Although it seemed awkward at first (to support the lounging there is a raised portion on the bottom) it really did work. My daughter could take her bath without needing my constant support which made it much easier to get her washed up and encourage her to play in the water.

This next bathtub comes from one of our readers - Martha. She recommends the Clean Water Infant Tub with Built-in Thermometer by 4Moms

I love the concepts behind this bathtub. It has a built in thermometer so you can tell how hot/warm/cold the water is at all times. Once we get our little preemie into the bath it's often hard to remember to check the water temperature to make sure it isn't getting too cold. The other cool thing about this bathtub is that you can constantly have the dirty water flow out and clean water flow in. The water goes through the thermometer part first so you know that any water coming in is not too hold/cold. What a nice way to keep your preemie warm and clean. Thanks for the suggestion Martha!

Favorite Product #20

This product post is devoted to my all-time-hands-down favorite product to take in my diaper bag for entertaining little ones during dinner, doctor's office waiting rooms, etc. It's the AquaDoodle Mini Mats.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the AquaDoodle concept, basically kids use water to draw pictures or "color" in hidden pictures. I love the mini mats because each set has different characters and comes with three different mats to "color." Kids use a special pen that you fill with water and once they put it on the mat, the picture appears in full color. Here is why I love these mats:

1) Once the mat dries, the picture disppears and can be used again. And again. And again. They last for a long time. Our oldest set is 2 1/2 years old and still works just fine.

2) This is great for kids of all ages - we first got a mini mat set when our son was two. We went out to dinner with friends and there were kids that ranged from 2 to 10 at the table. After a few minutes, the kids were all interested in the mats and taking turns coloring the pictures. It kept them all occupied (and quiet) while we waited for dinner. It was great!

3) Size - the mats are small so they can easily fit into a pocket of your diaper bag.

Developmental Tip:

These are great mats for small kids who are just learning the concept of "drawing." You can give them one of these mats and let them experiment with putting pen to paper without worrying about the mess they are making on your carpet or table. Sit with your preemie and show them how the color appears when they use the pen. Once they have mastered the concept on the AquaDoodle, give them some crayons and see what they do.