Language Builders

By Amy Beal

Instead of forking over big bucks for those skill-building DVDs for your toddler, why not just break out some blocks? Helping your child build with these old-fashioned toys may be the best way to improve his language skills, according to a study from the University of Washington in Seattle. Researchers found that interactive play - talking with your child about what you're doing with the blocks - enhances his growing vocabulary more than any video can.

Keep up a running commentary as you stack, count, or sort the blocks by color and size, says study author Dimitri Christakis, M.D. And don't stop there: Playing any type of pretend game while you talk to your child - using dolls or trucks or stuffed animals - engages his brain, helping it form connections.

Later, when he plays on his own, his mind will start to link the toys with your words. Soon, he'll begin responding to simple commands, such as picking up a block when asked, laying the groundwork for words of his own.

Gardening Project

It's almost the end of spring and we just got done with the house maintenance - new sidings, new roof shingles and new windows. So that inspired me to take on another project - our backyard and our patio! Since I wanted to encourage Kirstin the love of growing things, I decided to do some gardening with her. We picked out some plants, gardening soil, decorative rocks, step stones, etc. I am not a pro to this myself but Cris gave us tips on how to prevent the plant from getting a root shock. So, we'll see if the plants can make it through the rest of the spring! Haha!