Active Baby, Healthy Brain: 135 Fun Exercises and Activities to Maximize Your Childs Brain Development from Birth Through Age 5 ,Used

From Publishers WeeklySasse, founder of Australiabased ToddlerKindy GymbaROO, offers a practical handbook for parents hoping to boost their baby'sintellectual and physical development. The author, who died last year at the age of 80, divides her program into eight sections ranging from newborn to age fiveandahalf. In each, she offers specific, ageappropriate exercises and activities, accompanied by illustrations: each exercise takes only two minutes or less, totaling about 10 minutes per day. Along with instructions, the author provides the rationale behind each activity; for instance, in a section titled vestibular fun, she asserts that rocking chairs and swinging cradles not only lull an infant to sleep but also provide sensory stimulation, contributing to the accelerated development of motor skills. Sasse explains why tummy time is essential to building pathways in the baby's brain, and encourages the use of dance and music for stimulating nerve endings in the inner ear. For toddlers and older children, the author offers interactive activities that employ the use of beanbags, hoops, balls and other resources. Sasse's focus is on fun, but she also provides parents with an informative manual that outlines the crucial connections between movement and the health and development of body and brain.(Jan.)Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Product DescriptionMovement, play, and active exploration in the first five years of a childs life are essential to the development of his or her body and brain. Now Active Baby, Healthy Brain presents 135 massages, exercises, and activities that engage your childs love of play while also stimulating his or her brain development in multiple areas, including: Balance Crosspattern movement Visualization Vestibular (inner ear) stimulation Laterality Fine and gross motor skillsEach activity is presented on its own page with stepbystep instructions, appealing illustrations, and illuminating sidebars. The detailed instructions tell you exactly how to do each activity, as well as how to incorporate toys, music, dance, and games. No single activity takes more than two minutes, and all thats required is ten minutes a day. More than thirty years in the making, Active Baby, Healthy Brain is an indispensable guide for everyone who is raising a child or who interacts with preschoolers.ReviewSasss focus is on fun, but she also provides parents with an informative manual that outlines the crucial connections between movement and the health and development of body and brain.Publishers WeeklyA fabulous legacy for our children and an excellent contribution to the area of childrens health and wellbeing.Oh Baby! magazineCharmingly illustrated and easy to read, this delightful book will be a boon to busy parents looking for fun ways to support their childs development.Linda Acredolo, PhD, coauthor of Baby Minds: BrainBuilding Games Your Baby Will LoveActive Baby provides a wealth of very informative and userfriendly information about the young childrens physical development. It fills a void for daily parenting skills and makes a great gift for every new parent!Rhonda Clements, EdD, former President of the American Association for the Childs Right to Play, Professor of Physical Education at Manhattanville College, and author of nine books on childrens games and play activitiesRarely have I been presented with a book so userfriendly, complete, and profound in its breadth of understanding of early childhood development as Margaret Sasss book. It is truly a musthave book for all new parents, grandparents, and people working with preschool children. Margaret has come to the heart of what is most essential for our precious children todayrich sensory experiences, movement, play, and human connection. Margaret has given the world a wonderful gift.Carla Hannaford, PhD, biologist, educator, and author of Smart