Infants and Toddlers: Infant Play Gazebo (Part 2 of 4)

The Adventurous Child simply cannot get enough of Young Children magazine! Recently I read an article about infancy demands for a responsive approach to care (July 2006). The following passage really spoke to me:

“Development is a continuous process through which a child gradually grows and changes. But as early childhood professionals we need to keep in mind that each developmental period has its own challenges and opportunities. As brain development research has reached the general public, most of us have become aware of the infant period as an important time when neural pathways that influence learning and development are formed” (Lally & Mangione, 2006, p. 14; italics mine).

The hexagonal Infant Play Gazebo provides five different activities for infants to do while crawling on a rubber surface. The heights of the panels are set so that an infant pulling herself up can see over the panel into the real world. The best activities are those that interact with the senses, such as: a sound panel, a ball drop panel, a mirror panel with cruising bar, a shape spinner panel, a bubble panel, and a gate. These activities will stimulate infants’ neural pathways and at the same time, delight their senses and occupy their interest. Who knows – the gazebo may occupy you as well!