Apparently, one of the big mistakes new parents make is to read to babies before bed or nap time. At this point, they are tired, fidgety and irritable. A better time to read is when they wake from their nap or during their play time, when they will be more alert and open to sitting still on their parents' laps with a book.

Choose the right book.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is wonderful for babies in its language and presentation, with holes that curious babies can poke their fingers through, numbers and a wide range of words and sounds. The "That's Not My..." series is also popular with babies, introducing them to different textures, which can be beneficial for their development.

Respond to their interests.
Some children love trains and cars. Others are interested in animals and nature. Some love fairies. Others are fascinated by monsters. Find books that appeal to your child's interests. Even if you can't get through the whole story, you can talk about the pictures and make associated sounds (roar like a lion, toot like a train), which provides many of the benefits of reading.

Let children see how much you love to read.
Your interest in books will be infectious as the child gets older and they are likely to model their behaviour on you.

Don't give up.
Even recognising how to open a book and turn pages is an advantage when children start school.

Children who are brought up in bi-lingual homes often have separate times and activities for the 2 languages.

For example you may play with your child in Spanish, but speak English while you are feeding him.

Later he can have books and stories you can read in both languages. It is important in the beginning to have quite separate zones for the different languages.

Does anyone know a card trick involving math?
such as:

1.take a card
2.multiply by 3
3.add 6
4.multiply by 10
5.add 12
6.divide by 3
7.subtract 30
8.add suit value(clubs=6 diamonds=7 hearts=8 spades=9)

needs to have a minimum of 7 steps and different suit values
10 points will be rewarded to the most complex and/or the most steps

Babies are little bundles of energy! They don’t want to lie still to have their diapers changed. They cry, fuss, or even crawl away. A simple issue can turn into a major tug-of-war between parent and baby. The position of parent and baby during a diaper change is perfect for creating a bonding experience between you. You are leaning over your baby, and your face is at the perfect arms-length distance for engaging eye contact and communication. What’s more, this golden opportunity presents itself many times during each day; no matter how busy you both get, you have a few moments of quiet connection. It’s too valuable a ritual to treat it as simply maintenance.

Thanks for all the information. It was very helpful.

Thanks for all the information. It was very helpful.   

I use Primer a lot more than I thought i would. Its an iphone app that prime factorizes any number you put into it (to a point, of course). Very useful and simple

I think so, RyanGosslyn

Young Minds Kids DVD
This DVD covers numbers 1-10 for young children and also teaches animal names and sounds, machines, fruits and vegetables.

Hi, it is possible to learn piano with no teacher and no online resources. People taught themselves for many years to play piano by ear alone. Some are born with a great ear, which makes it SO much easier, however, with enough determination, anyone can learn to do this.

Colors for Children to Learn With Street Vehicles and Water Slide... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfqFS45Z2Cg

Many people think that young kids will learn the conceptual foundations of math through spontaneous play - songs, games, playing with blocks, etc.  Research shows that doesn't happen.  Kids need systematic instruction on the concepts to get it.  Here's a quote from an article in Science:

[People] often believe they are “doing mathematics” [with young children] when they provide puzzles, blocks, and songs. Even when they teach mathematics, that content is usually not the main focus, but is embedded in a fine-motor or reading activity. Unfortunately, evidence suggests that such an approach is ineffective, owing to a lack of explicit attention to mathematical concepts and procedures along with a lack of intentionality to engage in mathematical practices (p. 968).

Other research shows that kids who don't have a solid foundation in what is called "number sense" by the time they finish kindergarten (or better yet, before they enter kindergarten) will have a much harder time in the mainstream math curriculum than kids who do.  Here's another quote from the same paper:

...preschool children’s knowledge of mathematics predicts their later school success into elementary and even high school.

Parents who practice a healthy lifestyle are the best, positive influence on the lives of their children. It's often said that "children are terrible listeners, but they are great imitators." When parents have healthy eating habits, those habits are quickly adopted by their kids. And studies show that most of our adult eating habits are first developed in childhood.

One great place to start teaching your kids about healthy eating is at the supermarket. Teach them to read labels. This not only teaches them about healthy eating, it also helps them learn to read and improves their math skills too. Take your kids with you to the grocery store next time you go and point out these items found on the Nutrition Facts panel of almost every packaged food:

Serving Size: Packaged foods often contain more than one serving - this may be news to your kids! Learning this one aspect can lead to a lifetime of "portion control." Many people think that a "standard" portion is an entire package.

Good Fat versus Bad Fat: Unsaturated fats can be beneficial, but should still be limited because of their high-calorie count. Saturated fats (mostly from animal products and additives) should be limited because of their link to higher cholesterol levels and increased risk of heart disease. Trans fats (often listed as "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oils) should be avoided altogether. These are artificial fats and pose a number of health risks.

Sugars: Simple sugars are a type of carbohydrate, and should be eaten in very small amounts because they contain a lot of calories and little nutrition. Sugar can come in many forms including high fructose corn syrup, which is in the news these days. It is important to know that all simple sugars are processed the same by the body - none is substantially better than another.

Nutrients: This is a pure numbers game. You should teach kids to look for lots of protein and vitamins on food labels.

Understanding the information found on most common food products is a great place to start teaching kids about healthy eating.

Try "Gus on the Go" app

Musical games for kids are becoming very popular nowadays. More and more people across the world realize that games are a wonderful way to teach children about various things - and music is one of them.

There is no doubt that music is a big part of our lives, and as parents we want our children to know and love music just as much as we do. Musical games for kids are suited especially for those who are not very familiar with the theory of music and with the basics, and wish to know more. Obviously, those games are very friendly for kids, have great graphics and are easy to control and understand.

What Are The Best Musical Games For Kids?

Here are some of the best games out there that will improve your child's musical knowledge and understanding:

Kids Piano Free - This wonderful game is meant for young children who have no knowledge of music at all. It has very simple controls, colorful graphics and animations and it teaches children the most basic things they need to know in order to develop their musical learning. Kids Piano Free contains many famous children songs and it is probably one of the best musical game out there.

123 Kids Fun Music Free - Another great game is 123 Kids Fun Music and it will introduce your children to sounds, musical notes and musical bits. It is perfectly designed for kids - it has rich and colorful graphics, a child-friendly design, simple controls and a very easy game-play.

Tap The Music - Tap The Music is suitable for both young children and teenagers - it teaches the basics of guitar playing using great graphics and simple controls. The game introduces the players with four strings on which they play to the beat of the music. There are three different musical styles to choose from and three difficulty levels, and it is definitely a fun and addictive game.

Drum Set - If you've had too many piano and guitar games and wish to introduce your kids with drums, then Drum Set is the game for you. Drum Set is a simple yet very enjoyable game, in which the player gets to know all the basics of playing the drums. It will teach your kids about rhythm, coordination and much more, and it is very child-friendly. However, it is also suitable for adult and teenagers, so you can play along with your kids and spend some quality time learning to play the drums.