In fact, examining children’s drawing may give us important insights into how drawing fits into the overall physical, emotional and cognitive development of the young child. From toddlerhood through to primary school, children choose to draw and color, but the process actually starts much earlier – during toddlerhood.

At around the age of 18 months, toddlers become interested in scribbling. It appears to provide sensory enjoyment, but the child is also interested in the marks that are made. The act of doodling or scribbling can serve several useful purposes for the young child. Small muscle coordination (also known as fine motor skills) and control improve with practice, cognitive abilities are exercised, opportunities for social interaction arise, and the physical movements provide emotional release.

Because a toddler’s fine muscle control is not fully developed, he may approach the coloring sheet by grasping the marker with his or her fist and may have difficulty placing the marks exactly where he or she wants them. Movements are typically large, involving the entire arm with very little finger or wrist control. This is due to the fact that the pattern of physical development proceeds from the center of the trunk outward.

While full control will happen much later – in the short term the toddler will naturally improve his or her control. Some toddlers will rest their forearm on the drawing surface to give them additional control. A rhythmic, repetitive, scrubbing motion is common among two-year-olds, providing sensory enjoyment and making drawing a very physical act.

By providing children with the materials and opportunities to scribble a parent can promote physical skills. Just as babbling is a natural way to gain language, scribbling is a natural gateway to muscle control and coordination.

Intellectually toddlers are concerned with both the process and results of their art. They do not intend to represent objects at first. Instead, they are mainly concerned with color and line. However, they may actually look at the scribbles they have made and, in surprise, recognize a shape and name it. While they may not have intended to draw a car, a house or a tree, the scribbles suggest the shapes. Children interpret, rather than intend. This is called 'fortuitous realism' & becomes common as a child approaches his third year of age.

As a parent you can encourage your child to draw and color by offering him or her opportunities to do so. Provide them with blank sheets of paper to let their creativity run wild or supply a coloring book or coloring sheets – many of which are available free of charge online. Little boys may enjoy coloring images of  cars and trucks or of favorite characters such as Spiderman and at sites like Spiderman Coloring you’ll find Spiderman kids as well as coloring pages, funny pics and more. For little girls search for coloring pages of princesses or fairies or anything else she may be interested in such as Disney characters or even trucks!

Remember to always supervise toddlers while they draw and color – due to the choking hazard that crayons pose.

Technorati Tags: child development, children and art, coloring, drawing, fine motor skills, toddler, toddlers

It goes without saying that you need a bag to carry these things; it would literally be impossible to cope without one. Fortunately, there are plenty of baby bags on the market to fulfill your needs, but they are not all equal, and some, frankly, are a waste of time. So then, how can you be sure of getting a baby bag that completely meets your needs?

The bag should be fairly lightweight, since you will need to carry it around a lot, and all of a baby’s equipment will soon add pounds to it. Then, remember that you will be needing this bag for some time to come, so make sure the fabric is tough, and that the bag is sturdy and well-constructed.

Also, it is useful to buy a washable bag. Choosing one which you can just wipe clean can be handy, as creams and bottles have a habit of leaking, just when you are in a hurry. Then, for those of you who live in wet climates, make sure the bag is waterproof too.

You will also want a bag that has been well designed so far as pockets go. While this might seem to be overly specific, it really does make a difference. It should have all of the following: lots of pockets (so that items do not get mixed up); some large pockets (because changing mats and nappies take up a lot of space); sealable pockets (to prevent items falling out, or rain getting in).

The next thing to consider is what added features it has. Whilst these are not essential, they can really make your life easier. Examples being having a bag with see-through linings, so that it is easier to find items hidden away at the bottom, or one with an insulated bottle carrier.

Then, there is the overall design of the bag. Whether you opt for a rucksack, holdall, or satchel style bad is really down to personal preference, though you do need to bear in mind that some put extra pressure on certain points of your body, and some are easier to put on a push-chair than others.

After all these considerations, the rest comes down to style and price. Price wise, you are looking at anywhere from for a second-hand one from eBay, to hundreds of dollars for a brand name designer one. As for the style, well, choosing that is the fun part, with so many attractive bags on sale, so choose something that reflects your dress sense and lifestyle.

This here is one site I recommend if you’re looking for a great selection of designer baby changing bags to shop from. All the bags are top quality and the shipping is free!

Technorati Tags: babies, baby, baby accessories, baby bags, childbirth, children, Family, parenting, pregnancy, toddlers

You can view and learn by individual letters making
‘a-few-minutes-a-day’the best way to encourage daily fruit and daily fun.

£12.99
DVD Pal/NTSC All regions available including US, Canada, UK, Europe, Japan, Australia…

40 mins total running time approx.

For some exclusive T Shirts, Baby clothes and tote bags plus great activity sheets, reward stickers and free Downloads go to:
http://www.123fruityabc.com

Duration : 0:3:42

Technorati Tags: 123, abc, childrens, counting, early, kindergarten, learning, letter, new, phonics, preschool, reading, sounds, toddlers

Duration : 0:1:10

Technorati Tags: childhood, development, early, parenting, potty, teaching, tips, toddler, toddlers, training

http://www.thehappiestbaby.com

Duration : 0:6:3

Technorati Tags: babies, children, colic, crying, discipline, harvey, help, karp, parent, parenting, parents, spanking, tantrum, tips, toddlers

Duration : 0:1:47

Technorati Tags: childhood, development, early, parenting, potty, teaching, tips, toddler, toddlers, training

An excellent DVD ‘123 it’s a fruity abc’ has been produced using this principle – now available for all regions and dvd formats!
www.123fruityabc.com via amazon

Duration : 0:1:12

Technorati Tags: 123, abc, childrens, counting, early, kindergarten, learning, letter, new, phonics, preschool, reading, sounds, toddlers

Duration : 0:1:16

Technorati Tags: childhood, development, early, parenting, potty, teaching, tips, toddler, toddlers, training

You can view and learn by individual letters making
‘a-few-minutes-a-day’the best way to encourage daily fruit and daily fun.

£12.99
DVD Pal/NTSC All regions available including US, Canada, UK, Europe, Japan, Australia…
40 mins total running time approx.

For some exclusive T Shirts, Baby clothes and tote bags plus great activity sheets, reward stickers and free Downloads go to:
http://www.123fruityabc.com

Duration : 0:0:38

Technorati Tags: 123, abc, childrens, counting, early, kindergarten, learning, letter, new, phonics, preschool, reading, sounds, toddlers

Here’s a link to Flora, Divine Spirit of the Ironic Agnostics:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16298548/

Duration : 0:4:3

Technorati Tags: Comedy, Darfur, improv, Mocko, Opera, parenting, parody, Religion, Sex, Star, toddlers, Violence, Wars