The Five Senses of a Baby.

Your child explores the world using the five senses. She notices the simplicity and loveliness of the everyday.  He notices the things that as adults we walk past and take for granted. She will look, listen, touch, smell and taste with intention. He will experience for the first, second and third time as if there is nothing better in this world than the moment he is in right now. Using the five senses to learn about the world she is living in will connect neurons in the brain building the foundations for later learning and development.

Whether he is mesmerised by his fists, or soothed by the sound of a nursery rhyme or the smell of your skin baby’s sensory explorations are constant. Keep things interesting for her but keep things simple. Try to avoid a lot of sensory stimulation at once; this is overwhelming and perhaps a little scary. Your baby’s first toy is his hands as he feels with his mouth, tasting with his tongue. Then with delight he finds his second toy – his feet.

Provide new sensations for her to experience; look for things in nature and around you rather than for things in a local toy store. Tickle her with a feather, let her smell a flower and play with a wooden spoon.  When it is raining watch the drips fall down the window, listen to the sounds of sticks tapping and provide messy play letting fingers get dirty. Lay him down and take notice of things he is seeing, touching and exploring. Acknowledge and encourage this innate awareness rather than provide another toy which will distract from the original sensory play.

Throughout the early years allowing your child to be continually aware of her surroundings using the five senses will help for your baby to find her own unique place in the world – keep it interesting but remember keep it simple.

Create a rainbow of fruits and vegetables!

It is a well known fact that fruit and vegetables are good for us; you may be aware that we need to eat at least 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables a day; you may know that a serving size is a good handful. . . . But do you know which fruit and vegetables contain which vitamins and why they are so good for us?

Using colour as a guideline you will find a list of common fruit and vegetables with the key vitamin or mineral that they contain and why it is worth eating a variety everyday. Use colour to stimulate your child's interest in eating fruit and vegetables while learning why they are good for us- have fun!

Using colour to give meaning to fruits and vegetables:

Red to keep a healthy heart: 

Apple

 The skin of an apple is a great source of fibre, which is essential for maintaining a healthy digestive system.

Strawberry

 Strawberries contain a small amount of calcium which help to build strong bones.

Tomato

 Rich in lycopene which helps to prevent cardiovascular disease and cancers. Lycopene absorption increases when a tomato is cooked.

                               

Yellow for energy and digestion:

Banana

 A good source of vitamin B6 which helps the body to produce antibodies to fight infection. A banana is best eaten ripe, when the skin is freckled brown.

Pineapple

 A sweet treat which contains bromelain, an enzyme that helps to aid digestion and reduce inflammation.

Sweetcorn

Contains the B Vitamin Folate which can not be made by the body and must come from the diet. Folate plays a role in make DNA (makes up our genes) and RNA (needed to make proteins). 

Green for health and vitality:

Kiwifruit

 Full of vitamin C which is important for the formation of collagen. This is a strengthens bones and secures teeth into the gums.

Broccoli

Contains beta-carotene; a pro-vitamin which is converted to an active form of vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A plays a role in your eyes adjusting to being able to see in the dark.

Spinach

 Filled with Iron so especially important for vegetarians. Iron is a component of haemoglobin which plays a role in transporting oxygen around the body.

Purple to live long and healthy:

Beetroot

 Filled with phytochemicals that have an antioxidant effect that protects cells from cancer and cardiovascular disease. 

Plums

Are a good source of vitamin C and also potassium. Potassium helps the body store blood sugar in the form of glycogen. This is the main source of energy to get muscles working.

Grapes

Purple grapes contain antioxidants that protect against cancer; they are also high in vitamin C.

Orange to prevent disease such as cancer:

Carrot

   A medium carrot gives a substantial amount of vitamin A. It also provides Vitamin B1 which has an important role in helping the body convert carbohydrates and fats into energy.

Orange

  Filled with Vitamin C an orange or a glass of orange juice at meal time will increase absorption of iron in the body. Remember it is better to eat the fruit than drink a juice as juice is high in sugar.

Pumpkin

The colour orange provides antioxidants that will give a healthy heart, improve vision and keep a healthy immune system.

Games for teaching:

It is important to teach the children from a young age why eating fruit and vegetables is so good for us. Find pictures of different fruits and vegetables, cut out the pictures and use them in the following games:

 1. Create a salad or use skewers to make a kebab with the pictures. Ask your child what they would like in their salad and on their kebab through imagery. You never know what new recipe you may get!

 2. Talk about the different fruits and vegetables and what they are good for in the body. Ask your child to place the picture on a body part that the fruit/vegetable is good for. E.g. carrots are filled with vitamin A which is good for our eyesight.  

3.  Take a picture of the fruit/vegetable and ask your child to match the picture with a real piece of the fruit/vegetable. Start with the piece in its whole form and then try it in different ways. E.g. sliced apple, grated carrot and mashed banana. Once matched - taste it!

Create a rainbow of fruit and vegetables for summer and turn eating into a healthy fun part of your day!