Long Live the DIY!

Today, let's talk about DIY, cooking, sewing, drawing ... in short, let's talk about fine motor activities and DIY.

I recently read this very interesting article in which a London professor of surgery complains that he has seen his students dexterity tremendously drop in the last 10 years. According to him, the rise of digital entertainment has changed education and led his students, although brilliant academically, not knowing how to cut or sew correctly (skills essential to a good surgeon). This teacher thinks that we should return to a more manual education, especially since the latter would not only develop the child's fine motor skills, but also his self-confidence, his creativity, his adaptability, his stress and failure management... This is really a very interesting point of view on education, which I share.

From birth, it is through play that children develop. This is why, as a mom, I find the choice of toys and activities for my little one very important. As a creator of stuffed toys, I pay particular attention to the fact that my soft toys have an ergonomics that can stimulate both little ones and older ones. 

For example, it is possible to personalized Melvin the fish by adding a rattle in the stuffed animal. It becomes the ideal toy for a child from 0 to 6 months, who still has reflex movements and learn to grab things voluntarily. Its fins are easy to catch, while the stripes catch the eye and the rattle concretizes the movement with a sound.

Spiky the hedgehog, thanks to its labels, will help babies from 6 to 12 months to adapt the opening of his hand according to the size of the objects to take. My son loved to slip his little fingers into the labels of his plush toy. He spent long hours fiddling with them in every way. In addition, I use different fabrics  with various textures (grosgrain ribbons, satin ribbons, super-soft minky with and without bubbles): everything to develop touch in a subtle way, like the sensory plates used in some alternative pedagogy. 

Growing up, the children play to open and close the wings of Sully the owl: the snap is a real challenge when one is less than 2 years old! You can fine dressing frame in the Montessori pedagogy that displays all kinds of button closures to help children learn to manipulate them. The advantage of Sully is that you can also hug him after.

Around 3, children are able to turn the pages of a book one at a time, cut with scissors, build towers of 9 to 10 blocks.

Around age 4, they are able to do crafts and train to become a surgeon by doing sewing and little stuffed monsters for example.

►Learn how to sew an easy felt monster 

As you can see, I really want to offer you soft toys that are best suited to all stages of your children's development. In addition, you will find on Petit Loulou’s blog many ideas for crafts, games and readings to share great moments with your family.

Browse through my blog archives, you will find many DIY ideas for the whole year: Halloween stuffed monsters, advent calendars, Easter bunnies ... What activities would you like to do with your little ones? There is really nothing too difficult for a child from the moment we know how to adapt to his needs. I would be very happy to tell you about my (small) experience! Tell me in the comments what you would like me to see in future articles.