Fun at Home
Playing with Babies to Toddlers
“AUDITORY” developmental skill definition: distinguishing similarities and differences between sounds, integrating hearing with the act of listening, remembering the order of sounds, learning verbal communication.
THE CRITICAL WINDOWS during which the circuits of the brain are being most heavily wired for the Auditory sense is from prenatal.
The more opportunity children have to experience healthy, positive and nurturing auditory experiences from the womb, the more efficiently their brains will work over the long run.
A FEW DEVELOPMENTAL LEARNING TOOLS (toys and other objects) for the Auditory sense: • musical instruments and song
• rattles • musical mobiles • squeak/jingle toys • activity centers • talking animals 
• chirping/clicking/snapping/ringing toys • toy telephones • books on tape • instructional software
Some general Auditory tidbits:
• Baby can hear even in the womb – there’s a range of auditory skills to learn. Listen to a Joe Scruggs or other rhythmic musical tape in the car on the way to school, and help children distinguish similarities and differences between sounds as they begin to integrate hearing with the act of listening. This way they learn to remember what has been heard, in the order in which it was heard.
• The brain hones in on the sounds that make up words – not the words themselves – and builds connections that allow us to retrieve those sounds as our vocabulary grows. If something consistently interrupts hearing within the first 2 years, such as chronic ear infections, speech will not develop properly.
• If Baby seems uninterested in relating to you or others by the time he’s nearing 1 year old, he may have a hearing problem – consult your doctor.
• Toys that make any kind of noise fascinate little ones; more complex forms of voice and music delight older children by tapping into their desires to learn about the world around them.
• Children are inherently different in their tolerance to noise, activity, visual stimulation or changes in the environment. An environment that is sensitive to this need will provide interesting activities as well as a quiet place to get away from the action.
• Set aside “rhythm time.” Clap or use a wooden spoon and a metal pie pan (gently with newborns and lively with 2-year-olds and up) to beat out a rhythmic “1-2,” “1-2-3” and “1-2-3-4” patterns of poems or songs. Encourage Toddler and Preschooler to join you. Special thanks to: Nancy Pyne-Hapke
In the Santa Clarita Valley
Gibbon Conservation Center
A local conservation center with a mission to prevent the extinction
of this small SE Asian ape. Educational for older children.
Lombardi Ranch - Saugus
Lombardi Ranch has been in business in Santa Clarita for over 30 years. They have a huge pumpkin patch, amazing corn on the cob (my step-son's fav!), cute things for kids to climb on, corn fields, train ride and more...
Scooters Jungle - Indoor Play Area
(near Newhall Rch Road & Copper Hill Dr.)
The open play room is great! Check out their calendar to see when they have
"open play". The cost is $7 per child. The toddler play room has a GIANT blow up slide (like those at the large fairs), a huge jumper w/slide, another blow up play area with a zip line, ping pong (I haven't seen one toddler play it :), air hockey (Logan's Fav) and many more little toys to keep your todler busy for at least 10 minutes
(just kidding, hours of fun here)
In Surrounding Areas
Underwood Family Farm
Located in Moorpark where the 118 fwy & 23 meet.
This farm is so clean and the staff is amazingly friendly. It is worth the drive from SCV! Pick your own veggies or buy them from the fresh mart. Activities include a small train ride, bouncer, and meet animals
from goats to llamas (my son's favorite).
Admision is $3 per person M-F & $5 on weekends.
Buy tickets up front for the train ride, pony rides
and others and remember to buy carrots also to feed the animals.
Noah's Ark @ the Skirball Center
This museum has a wonderful area/exhibit for younger children called Noah's Ark. I took Logan there just before he turned 1. He had a blast (however, I think he will have more fun now that he walks). A museum employee starts your experience with a little talk about animals...then, you are set free to experience all the cool and creative animals and settings on your own. You can go at your own pace.
There is a quite family room located on the lower level of their main lobby for nursing, diaper changes or quite time before you make the treck home.
You need to make reservations for tickets! Go to:
Be transported millions of years back in time by the
"Walking with Dinosaurs" tour.
Inspired by the hit BBC documentary, this massive arena show brings 15 actual-sized dinosaurs to life, in all their fearsome glory, right before your very eyes. The mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurus and Raptor walk again in a show that will leave the whole family spellbound. AWESOME!!
The Dinosaur Farm in South Pasadena
Is your little one crazy about dinosaurs? This specialty toy and book store has a back room that
was transformed into a magical forest! 1510 Mission Street in South Pasadena
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