BABY AT THE BEACH
Swimming, sandcastles, and sun are a definite recipe for fun! Watch the above video from socciandpency’s youtube channel to see Shelby prove our point. In the summer, the beach is the largest playroom baby could imagine. Observe Shelby crawling on a very large blanket and then continuing to crawl on the soft sand. She has the uncluttered expanse of the beach around her. Imagine the different sensations she experiences through her skin. She feels the texture, temperature, and dry or wetness of the sand under her hands and knees. She also feels the waves of the sea washing up and receding away as she sits at the edge of the shore with her mother. She anticipates these waves with delight and curiosity. She loves to play in the sand with her fingers and explores the different sensations between the dry and wet sand.
She also enjoys watching the other children splashing and surfing in the water! Her eyes receive a lot of stimulation as she follows the moving water on the sand, the child on the boogie board, or the grains of sand falling out of her fingers. For babies not yet crawling, they will love to watch what is happening around them. As Shelly demonstrates above, the beach is a wonderful playground providing much baby play. Bring her pail and shovel if he has one! Please read our articles “Summer Tips for Babies” to keep baby healthy and safe during her summer fun.
BABY IN THE SWIMMING POOL
Summertime play also includes baby swimming lessons! Children and babies of all ages benefit from the time in the water. Not only is swimming fun, it is also beneficial to motor skill development. The pressure of the water on the skin is wonderful for developing proprioception, which is the ability to clearly feel one’s body move in space. Improving proprioception will improve any motor skill a child or baby is learning. Often babies meet their motor milestones sooner when they participate in infant swim lessons because they improve both muscle strength and coordination. To learn more about babies and swimming, please read our articles “Can Babies Swim” and “Baby Diving Reflex.”
Stellar Caterpillar also loves the environment of the swimming pool. It is fun, dynamic, and confidence building. Swimming is a very productive outlet of energy, develops muscle strength, improves coordination and challenges young children to try new and intimidating activities such as going down a water slide. When conquered, these challenging activities build self-esteem. With both babies and children, learning to swim makes them water-safe as well. Please find a qualified infant swim instructor and learn pool water safety. And, don’t forget to bring snacks and dry clothes along so they can get comfortable after they get out of the water.
Happy Summertime!