Parenting Pointers: Communication

Communication is a huge part of development. There was a noticeable difference between the way my girls developed in this skill growing up, and it made a huge impact on how they acted as toddlers. My first daughter was talking early, and using full sentences at two. My second was a late talker, and hardly said even one word at a time at age two, so we had a lot more issues with tantrums and crying. But now, she's a wonderful talker as well. Preschool - interacting with other kids there - was a big contributing factor.

There's a great post discussing the importance of play over at the Smart Play website: The ABC's of Communication.It's been fun watching the girls play at the Children's Museum since we first got our membership. They learn so much when they go (my daughter is pictured at a light-mixing area) and there are so many wonderful areas for free play. Two of the most popular places at the museum are the block factory and the Our World area, which is like a mini village for kids to play in. We love it! Of course, you don't need a museum to capture the benefits of free play - just give your kids lots of chances for free play, with you and with other kids.

Disclosure: I'm posting this as a Minnesota Children's Museum Smart Play Ambassador. All opinions are my own.