Your Child at Play: Birth to One Year: Discovering the Senses and Learning About the World [Paperback]

Marilyn Segal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 4, 1999 | Series: Your Child at Play

This easy-to-read, delightfully illustrated book is organized in a month-by-month format. Each chapter begins with a description of the developmental events and advances in play behavior that are likely to occur during that month. A section on play ideas suggests ways that parents can introduce games and activities that capitalize on their babies’ emerging skills. Included are:

• More than 180 candid photos showing babies, parents, and caregivers at play
• 400 fun-filled play activities for parent and child to share during daily routines such as mealtime, diapering, bath time, and quiet time
• A month-by-month overview of a baby’s intellectual, emotional, social, and physical development
• Suggestions for solving everyday problems centering around sleeping, eating, and crying

Editorial Reviews

Review

A creative and rewarding approach to playing with children. -- Publishers Weekly

A must for parents who want the best for their babies and know that child's play is actually more than fun and games. -- Chattanooga News-Free Press

An excellent resource for your parent library...A series that recognizes the value and importance of playing with children! -- Early Childhood Education Newsline

An informative, illuminating and loving book series. There could be no better companion for parent and child. Dr. Segal provides a lovely framework for parents that will enrich their natural observation of their child in a delightful and very important way. -- Jeree H. Pawl, Ph.D. Director, Infant-Parent Program, University of California, San Francisco

As the mother of a 1-year old, I found this series very readable and down to earth. The play activities described are helpful and useful. The writing style is clear, uncluttered with professional jargon, and suitable for someone with a high school education. -- Nancy L. Loewen, Journal of Nurse-Midwifery

It is a rare series for parents of infants and young children that manages to answer their mounting questions while providing the best expert advice in a warm and accessible format. These terrific books are handsome, engaging, and chock full of practical knowledge about childcare and guidance-what's more, they provide numerous ways for parents and children to have fun as they explore each other's worlds. -- Edward Zigler, Sterling Professor of Psychology, Yale University

The revised edition of this series is a masterpiece! A treasure of knowledge for parents...Dr. Segal beautifully communicates in words and pictures her vast knowledge and clinical expertise about the magical process contributing to children's growth and development. Every mother, father and child can benefit from the wisdom contained in these magnificent volumes. -- Dante Cicchetti, Ph.D., Director, Mt. Hope Family Center University of Rochester

This delightful series of books, designed to help parents discover, enjoy and enhance development in their young children is long overdue...Undoubtedly a valued resource to parents with young children and the professionals who deal with these parents. -- Journal of Pediatric Psychology

Unusually creative and imaginative...[These books] will not only encourage cognitive growth in the child but also a feeling of closeness between child and parent. The examples given concretely demonstrate what constitutes "quality time" between parent and child. -- Anneliese Korner, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Stanford University School of Medicine, Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

About the Author

Marilyn Segal, Ph.D., the noted developmental psychologist, educator, and researcher specializing in early childhood, is the founder and dean emeritus of the Family and School Center at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The mother of five children and grandmother of thirteen, she has written nineteen books, including the Your Child at Play series and In Time and With Love. She also produced a nine-part, public-service TV series, To Reach a Child.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Second Edition edition (June 4, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557043302
• ISBN-13: 978-1557043306
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #415,366 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great ideas for parents, October 9, 1999

By 

Heidi Tandy "Heidi8" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Your Child at Play: Birth to One Year: Discovering the Senses and Learning About the World (Paperback)

I admit that I'm not the most creative person at coming up with games to play with my 10 week old son, and this book has been inspirational for me. The ideas about how to teach your baby about where his foot is, or how to sit up, or that bubble float, are terrific, and the look on his face when I do something the book recommends is just pure joy! My only recommendation is that you stay at least one month ahead, and do things from that month which you think your child is ready for.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book on our shelf, May 4, 2000

By 

Mildred C. J. Rosenblatt "cj" (US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Your Child at Play: Birth to One Year: Discovering the Senses and Learning About the World (Paperback)

We have a library of books to help us understand what we can do to best understand and stimulate our childs growth/development(i.e.- What to expect series, Brazleton, Baby book, etc). This is my favorite book since it covers what to expect each month (vs. grouping 6-9 mos developmental stage). In addition it has great ideas for games and play and is very easy to read. Only warning is that relative to other books this book generally is a bit aggressive in its projected milestones (assumes baby will crawl at 6 mos).

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of a kind--invaluable, May 22, 2007

By 

DCSenators (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Your Child at Play: Birth to One Year: Discovering the Senses and Learning About the World (Paperback)

I have a 4 month old baby. I'm a stay-at-home mom and while I know "everything is fascinating" to such a young baby, the fact is, we have to do something to fill in the hours. I do not think that certain exercises will help baby roll over faster, or that watching Baby Einstein videos will make baby smarter. I DO think that activities are invaluable for bonding with the baby.

Enter this book. This is the book I have been looking for! Other books with activities for babies tend to focus more on the toddler ages--aka after walking, or at least after crawling. This book has fun activities even for pre-crawlers--even for babies who cannot yet move their head! And the activities are grouped month by month. O fcourse, take these monthly guidelines with a grain of salt--every baby is different, and as another reviewer mentioned, crawling at 6 months is a little ambitious. Having just found the book, I've gone back and pulled some activities from the youinger ages as well.

Finally, while the activities may seem simple, even the most creative caregiver cannot think of everything. For example, in the 4 month section, Dr. Segal recommends placing baby on a blanket and picking up the blanket to cause them to roll over. I've been playing rolling-over games with my son, but never thought to use a blanket to roll him over, and it turns out he LOVES it. The activities mentioned have also sparked my imagine for other activities, and at the very least, are invaluable in the middle of the afternoon when baby is on napping strike and the day seems to drag on....

HIGHLY recommend this book!