Superscript

Try doing your favorite things outside

We can take a fussy baby outdoors they calm down immediately. And cranky kids can cut loose and be as loud as they want to under an open sky. Why would anyone want to spend their entire day inside enslavened by their cell phones and televisions?

SO...GO OUTSIDE AND EXPLORE !!!

THE AMAZING BENEFITS OF BEING OUTSIDE
FOR BABIES AND TODDLERS

Have you ever brought your baby outside and noticed that they come alive as the wind ruffles their hair and sunbeams dance on their face? Maybe there is something about the limitless sky or the endless discoveries to be made. And, it turns out that beyond these sensory delights, there are scientific advantages to exposing your wee one to the great outdoors. Here are seven fantastic benefits of getting your baby outside.

Outdoor play can make THEM happier.

Endorphins are chemical messengers from the brain that can do magical things like manage pain and even bring pleasure. As your blood and lungs pump during exercise, your brain releases endorphins and makes you happy. Grown-ups might know the feeling of a "runner's high." And kids might know this feeling as the pure joy sparked by frolicking outside. Allow your baby to roll around on a blanket in the grass or practice those first steps at the park, and they might just be able to bask in those blissful brain chemicals, too.

Spending time outside helps foster a love of nature.

If you give your baby lots of opportunities to commune with nature, then they might grow up to be a nature lover! Taking daily walks and talking about how much you love the sunshine, the singing birds, the feel of the air, or pointing out plants, bugs, and critters can ignite your child’s curiosity and appreciation for the great outdoors. Playing in nature can help children of all ages with their motor skills, communication, social-emotional skills, sensory integration, and so much more!

Newborns who spend time outside sleep better at night.

In a 2004 study, researchers found that babies who spent time outside in the sun slept better than babies who did not spend time outside. The results indicated that natural light affects a baby's circadian rhythms, and exposure to early afternoon sunlight helped their brains better identify when they should sleep and when they should wake.

EXPLORING Promotes Early Language Development:

The outdoors helps babies to learn. When infants and toddlers are exposed to rich sensory environments their minds are active. When you bring a baby outside and begin pointing out all the wonderful things they can see, hear, touch, smell, and even taste (hello, rain!) then you are giving your child a robust learning experience that can build their vocabulary and fire up their imagination. One fun activity is to give your baby a tour of one particular sense, like smell or sight, and point out all of the things they can experience with that sense. Nature provides an abundance of sensory experiences which in turn activates the intake of the child’s mind. Babies become more curious and this combination encourages early language development.

eXPLORING Helps them Make sense of the world:

Inviting infants and toddlers to explore nature coincides with their natural instincts to become scientists and explorers. These explorations build a foundation for their learning. Nature exploration develops the formation of babies’ synapses while they are trying to make sense of the world. If you give your baby lots of opportunities to commune with nature, then they might grow up to be a nature lover! Taking daily walks and talking about how much you love the sunshine, the singing birds, the feel of the air, or pointing out plants, bugs, and critters can ignite your child’s curiosity and appreciation for the great outdoors.

Good for the entire family

Infants and toddlers sense the stress of their caregivers. Exploring nature together is an ideal activity, as getting outdoors can decrease depression, anxiety, and tension in adults. Outdoor play can make you happier. Endorphins are chemical messengers from the brain that can do magical things like manage pain and even bring pleasure. As your blood and lungs pump during exercise, your brain releases endorphins and makes you happy. Grown-ups might know the feeling of a "runner's high." And kids might know this feeling as the pure joy sparked by frolicking outside. Allow your baby to roll around on a blanket in the grass or practice those first steps at the park, and they might just be able to bask in those blissful brain chemicals, too.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR INFANTS
UP TO 1-YEAR-OLD

It’s easy to explore nature with infants.  Get them into some appropriate clothing for the weather, and head out the door.  Nature is a perfectly balanced sensory experience for children.  They’ll be able to take in the muted colours and natural sounds without feeling overwhelmed.   If you’re holding them against you for these experiences, then all the better as they are also being comforted and connected to you at the same time.

So, my guess is you will go with your preference as to where your baby will spend the bulk of their time irregardless of anything I can say. But I will tell you that your baby benifits greatly from the fresh air and sunshine. (arrow down to article on the benifits of your baby being outside)

Most anything that you do inside, you also can do outside for the morning and give them what they need. So I am going to give you suggestions for infant develpment that are universal to either environment. The choice is your to make on the setting.

In the first 3 months of life, babies are simply processing and sizing up the world around them. So fill that time with things that you want to share with them. They are literally like sponges absorbing and taking in sensory data that we provide for them. That is how they are learning.
However, don't confuse the inability to react, with the ability to learn. So read to them, sing to them, and narrate your activities in a way that is comforting to them. 

Introduce them the people, places and things that will be important in their lives so they build a bond and feel secure in those situations. Challenge them learn and explore with all their senses and discover all the delights of our world so they become curious little beings. And most of all snuggle and hang out with them every moment that you can so you learn what things make them happy, sad, cry, smile etc. I am sure that you will want to be at their side whenever they are experienceing something new so they learn to depend on you. 

 For infants, the actual activity really isn’t as important as just giving your baby new experiences. These activities for infants are all simple, quick and easy and should be able to easily incorporated into your daily flow. Being outside with a newborn is so much fun. Everything is new for them to experience and you can help them develop their vision, hearing, touching, and smelling through exploring through all those senses.  For infants, the actual activity really isn’t as important as just giving your baby new experiences. These activities for infants are all simple, quick and easy and should be able to easily incorporated into your routine.

Babies are naturally curious about everything in their surroundings, and you may well find that they are drawn to the strangest objects. Also, they may start to show that they have some favorite objects.

From birth, introduce lots of tummy time using a variety of textured materials, scarves and mirrors. Tummy time is important for the physical development of the body. This sows the seeds for developing our core muscles needed for fine and gross motor skills. It also begins the process of bodily development that will later result in body posture, and even toilet training.

Provide lots of items to develop hand eye coordination:

• Scarves and ribbons

• Bright colored hair scrunchies

• Sensory balls-several sizes with differing textures

• Soft hand mitts

• Curtain rings

• Homemade sensory bottles

• Textured materials

• Board books

• Hair rollers

• Nature's Treasures- loose parts of a safe size

• Interesting kitchen utensils

At around 3 months they will start reaching and grasping. I love baby animal toys, rattles, soft blocks, figurines etc., so I start there. You should look You will start to see some interest in grasping toys. She won’t be very effective at grasping yet but her attempts to secure objects will strengthen her hand and finger muscles, improve her coordination, and capture her attention.

From Reflexive to Purposeful Movement

This isn't your baby's first experience with grasping, she was born with a grasping reflex - the same one that makes for adorable newborn photos of a tiny hand wrapped around a parent's finger.

Most of baby's very earliest movements are driven by reflexes. Through opportunities to explore how her body moves and to "play" with people and objects, your baby's reflexes will begin to integrate, or disappear. This paves the way for intentional or purposeful movements - like grasping toys - to emerge.

Helping Baby Play Through Early Grasping

As she’s learning to grasp, your baby will be most successful with lightweight toys that can be secured with lots of different hand and finger positions. She won't have established grasping motor patterns (or set plans for how to shape and move her hands and fingers to grasp different objects) yet. All of her grasping will be trial and error at this point.

By placing objects in a basket or small shallow pan, you allow baby to push and bump her hands up against items while keeping them close. She can also use the wall of the container to help her grasp the items.

Given simple, quiet grasping activities, you'll be amazed at how focused and intent your little one can be for several minutes at a time. There isn't a need or benefit to loud, battery-operated toys or those that are extremely visually busy. Your kiddo's brain is wired to focus, persist through several rounds of trial and error and to find successfully grasping rewarding without bells and whistles. I advocate for simple grasping toys that introduce them to things in nature. 

 Cut paper towel or toilet paper tubes make great early grasping toys. Cut them into rings about 1-2” wide and place them in a low basket or pan. Ribbon strips are easy grasping toys (with close supervision, of course - eyes on baby within arm's reach). Golf balls make a great noise when placed in a metal pan and pushed around during grasping attempts.  Your baby is too young for ring stacker or shape sorter toys but you can place the pieces from those toys in a grabbing basket.

POSITIONING BABY FOR GRASPING PLAY

Tummy Time Grasping Play

Because grasping typically emerges before baby is strong enough to prop on one arm and reach in Tummy Time, it's helpful to prop baby on your lap or over a Tummy Time pillow with hands free to play.

She'll still get the back and neck strengthening benefits of Tummy Time, the sensory experience to her positional/movement sense (vestibular sense) and her pressure & stretch sense (proprioceptive sense), as well as a break from pressure across the back of her head (which helps to prevent Flat Head Syndrome or Positional Plagiocephaly).

Seated Grasping Play

If your baby is showing some ability to sit with support, you can hold her in a seated position for brief periods of seated grasping play. Holding your baby in supported sitting is preferable to putting her in a Bumbo or other seat because it offers dynamic, responsive support that adjusts to her body positions and needs.

Sidelying Reaching Play

Baby laying on her side is a great position for reaching play because it encourages her two hands to come together at midline - the center of her body. Midline and two-handed play promotes brain development by stimulating the two sides, or hemispheres, of the brain to communicate and coordinate. You can use a rolled towel or bag of rice behind her back to support baby in this position if she rolls easily out of it. 

By allowing your baby opportunities to practice the emerging skill of grasping, you support her natural development.  By giving her playtime in a variety of positions, unrestricted by Baby Holding Devices, you promote her healthy and prevent conditions such as Flat Head Syndrome and Torticollis. By understanding her development, you learn to enjoy watching and encouraging the most subtle changes she's making - a newfound interest in toys, opening and closing of her fingers, beginning to use her eyes and hands together to reach for objects. The early months are exhausting and challenging for new parents, why not add some fun into your days?!

Tummy time with a boppy

Using a Boppy for Tummy Time puts your baby at an incline (shoulders and head higher than hips) - making it a bit easier to lift and hold the head up for extended periods. It also changes your baby's line of sight so that he can see more of his surroundings. Plus, one of my favorite features is that it allows baby to reach, touch and grasp before he's able to shift all of his weight to one arm in order to free the other one for these tasks. 

All things in moderation...

It's important to remember that one of the many benefits of Tummy Time is upper body strengthening through weight-bearing on the arms. With that in mind, you won't want ALL of your baby's Tummy Time to take place over a Boppy or Tummy Time pillow. But it's a nice way to add variety to belly-down play, still accomplishes many of the benefits of Tummy Time and is a great alternative to parking baby in baby gear during awake time. 

By aiming to give your baby at least 60 minutes of Tummy Time by the end of month 2 and 90 minutes per day by the end of month 3, you'll have plenty of opportunity to do Tummy Time in a variety of places - on a Boppy, on a firm surface, on a parent or caregivers lap or chest (laying down), held belly-down on an adult's forearm, etc. 

10 Boppy Pillow Tummy Time Play Ideas

Most Tummy Time activities can be modified for using a Boppy Pillow. Here are some creative activities that you might not find elsewhere to make Tummy Time a time for play, exploration and discovery:

Float a Bath Toy In a Pan of Water

A Touching Pan of Fresh Herbs

Play With Flashlights

Tummy Time Finger Painting

Muffin Tin Play

Sensory Bags Taped to the Floor

Grasping Baskets with easy-to-hold toys

Look at an Accordion-Style Book

Turn Pages of a Board Book

CREATING A LOOSE PARTS SENSORY BASKET FOR BABY PLAYTIME

As a mom with tons of teaching experience and a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education, I want to show you how you can bring loose parts and sensory play into your home without the hassle.

When Brandon was about 7 months old I noticed he was tired of a lot of his toys. I found I had a hard time encouraging him to play independently as nothing could keep his attention for more than a minute or two. I suspected it may be time to introduce loose parts sensory play and was delighted to see that he was absolutely fascinated by the objects I presented him with. So, I did what any mom who’s a former educator would do. I poked around the yard and picked up a few things from nature, rooted through our recycling bin, and emptied the kitchen drawer.

 I decided to create a loose parts basket I could keep on hand and fill with interesting objects Brandon could explore time and time again. Since I wanted my measuring spoons back in the kitchen where I could use them, we hoofed it over to the dollar store with the intention of collecting designated items for a loose parts for a sensory play basket.

I first introduced loose parts to my son Brandon at 7 months old and in hindsight, probably could have done so at an earlier age. At over 10 months, he’s still happy to play independently with items from his loose parts sensory basket, such as these silicone hot plate holders.

Now, you may be saying “you did what? Collected outdoor loose parts?
What does sensory play mean?” If this is the case I don’t blame you. There are so many articles and boards out there confusing us all with their early childhood education scholarly speak.

Creating a loose parts sensory basket saves time, space, and valuable parental energy. I want to make this information accessible and easy to understand because it’s one of the best learning opportunities you can offer to your baby. Let’s break this down in the simplest way possible so you can get started with some loose parts sensory fun with your kiddo.

Creating a loose parts sensory basket saves time, space, and valuable parental energy. Engaging your baby in sensory play doesn’t have to be an elaborate activity. Creating a basket of loose parts for baby to explore makes interesting objects easily accessible.

WHAT IS SENSORY AND LOOSE PARTS PLAY?

I have read so many articles over the years that complicate the concept of sensory and loose parts play to no end. So plainly speaking, what is it?

Sensory play is meant to excite the senses (sounds fairly obvious, doesn’t it). This includes activities and objects that will stimulate baby’s sense of hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Learning that stimulates baby’s sense of hearing, touch, smell, and taste. As humans, we retain information more efficiently when we engage with several of our senses in any experiece.

Sensory play helps the brain create strong connections through problem-solving and exploration.

The entire point of introducing sensory activities to baby is to stimulate their senses while also providing opportunities for open-ended learning (so they’re busy with something for a while and you’re able to finish your cup of coffee, you feel me?).

I see all kinds of sensory play activities online, but they’re one-offs, or they’re something the child will explore for an afternoon before you clean it up and put it away. This is why I like to create sensory play activities using loose parts and have a designated basket to house the items, for repeated use.

I’m purposefully not referring to these items as toys because they’re not. Loose parts aren’t toys, they’re things. This kind of play provides baby with opportunities to mouth, touch, bang together, manipulate, observe, and rearrange objects.

Loose parts aren’t toys, they’re things. They’re items from nature, stuff you have lying around the house, and even things from the recycling bin. Metal bowls, silicone pot holders, a plastic water bottle filled with beans, a silicone dish scrubber, pine cones, or a whisk from the kitchen drawer. This kind of play provides baby with opportunities to mouth, touch, bang together, manipulate, observe, and rearrange objects.

If you’ve ever given your baby toys only to witness them reaching for the coaster on the coffee table a moment later it’s because they’re naturally interested in everyday objects as a way of making sense of their environment. Remember that to baby, everything is new and interesting, even a spatula.

Making a loose parts basket that engages your baby in sensory play is ideal because you’re picking and choosing which everyday objects you’re willing to let baby explore in a safe and supervised way.

WHY SHOULD I INTRODUCE LOOSE PARTS SENSORY PLAY ACTIVITIES TO MY BABY?

In terms of learning, here’s the beautiful thing about this kind of play and why I am such an advocate for it as an educator and parent. It doesn’t get boring. It never gets old. They never tire of it because it’s easy to change up. Sounds magical if you’re a mom to a little one with boundless energy and a need for stimulation. Am I right?

Why is sensory play so magical?
Simply because the items and objects involved are open-ended and do not have a distinct purpose for play. Take a whisk for example. Baby can put his/her fingers in between the loops, can bang it by the handle or by the end (making two completely different sounds), can stick his/her tongue into it, can chew on the end of it, can roll it, can throw it, and can even try to pull pom poms out of it. All this at a few months old! Just wait until they’re older and the very same whisk becomes a magic wand, a scepter, or a guitar.

HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT THAN ELECTRONIC TOYS?

All of this is very different than electronic toys that have buttons and flashing lights. The problem with some of these toys is that they don’t allow for endless possibilities. Once the child masters pressing the button to trigger the light or music, they’re done. They’ll be fascinated by this for some time, and you’ll admire them for their ability to link cause and effect, but it won’t last long. After some time you’ll find that they either ignore the toy entirely or they’re playing with it in some unintended way. They’re trying to take the toy apart or they’re throwing it around. You can’t blame them, they’re bored of it! Pushing a button is only fun as long as it is interesting and challenging. Once it isn’t, that toy just isn’t going to be fun for baby anymore.

The problem with some electronic toys is that they don’t allow for endless possibilities. Once the child masters pressing the button to trigger the light or music, they’re done. If they’re trying to take the toy apart or they’re throwing it around, you can’t blame them, they’re bored of it! Pushing a button is only fun as long as it is interesting and challenging.

Don’t get me wrong, I have some electronic toys too, and Lucas likes them, but I don’t expect he will want to play with them for long. Once he’s figured it out, he’ll toss it aside and search for the next learning opportunity. That’s why you so often see parents selling these once-loved toys online. They have a very limited shelf life.

Electronic toys are fun, but not all of them are effective at encouraging prolonged independent play.

WHICH LOOSE PARTS SENSORY PLAY ITEMS SHOULD I GATHER?

Loose parts sensory play offers unlimited learning opportunities for all children and can easily be adapted depending on age and ability. The materials provided, and how you offer them, is highly age-dependent. If you have an infant who puts everything into their mouths consider how you can house smaller objects that may be a choking hazard so baby can still explore them without concern. I use water bottles, tins, and clear plastic containers for this. For example, pebbles and beads can be placed within a container for infants, but are fine for older children to play with freely.

If you have an infant who puts everything into their mouths, substitute smaller objects that may become a choking hazard with larger items
so baby can still joyfully explore and play safetly. Safety should always be your number one concern when setting up a sensory bin or basket.

Below you’ll find examples of what’s in my loose parts sensory basket. Some of the things on this list I’m still on the hunt for or am saving for later. But this loose parts material list should provide some ideas for what you can look for at the dollar store, bring out of your kitchen drawers, recycling bin, crafting stash, or gather from outside.

DOLLAR STORE LOOSE PARTS LIST

• clear stackable plastic containers -Preferably with screw on lids

• small metal or wood bowls

• Large colourful beads

• tiny string lights

• set of measuring spoons (can be held together on a loop)

• water beads

• lightweight coasters

• faux glass hand-held mirror

• all types of sensory balls 

• decorative wooden/wicker balls for a bowl

• food coloring

• Pipe cleaners (for older kids, little ones can use ribbon)

• Velcro hair curlers

• Shower clips

GATHERED FROM NATURE LOOSE PARTS LIST

• tiny and large pinecones (watch that they don’t eat the big ones!)

• shells and coral (depending on where you live, the manufactured kind can be bought at the dollar store)

• water (in a bottle with food colouring, water beads, beads, or mixed with oil)

• tree cookies

• tree chunks/sticks (dependent on age)

• pebbles/rocks (dependent on age)

• nuts and/or acorns

• evergreen pieces (more appropriate for older children unless you contain them)

• wine corks

• potpourri (if you have a spice container, they could shake it and smell it!)

KITCHEN DRAWER, RECYCLING OR CRAFT BIN ITEMS

• toothpicks (remember, these small items should be housed within a container for baby play)

• pennies

• basting brush

• paper towel rolls

• boxes and tins (tissue boxes, baby puffs containers)

• ribbons of various widths, lengths and colours

• napkin rings

• small whisk

• silicone scrubber brushes

• circular silicone hot plate holders

• silicone garlic masher

• dish scrubber brush (or any kind of soft hair or paintbrush)

• ice cube tray

• spatula

• funnels

• disposable water bottles

• uncooked rice, beans, macaroni, and corn

• sponges

• wooden spoons

• tissue paper (just make sure they’re crinkling, not eating!)

• colander (can stick ribbon or pipe cleaner into the holes)

• fabric (different textures and colours)

• microfiber mop cloths

• bottle lids

• plastic Tupperware containers and lids

• plastic scraper/dough tools (flat-edged or grooved. My cast iron skillet came with these)

DOWNLOADABLE PDF LOOSE PARTS LIST

A note on safety: of course, since loose parts and sensory items aren’t always manufactured toys you need to make sure you’ve got your safety hat on. Since some of this is from the dollar store it’s not exactly high-quality stuff. Look over the items carefully first ensuring there are no loose parts (ha, get it?) ie. the top of the paintbrush is glued securely to the handle. Make sure bottle and container lids are screwed on tightly and check this regularly. Baby should always be supervised closely when engaging in loose parts play, particularly when first introducing them to the items. Your baby will explore the objects in different ways, and what may be safe one minute can get worrisome the next. For example, when I first gave Lucas a paper towel roll he banged it on everything and yelled into it for some time, which was great! But once he started to eat it, not so much.

HOW DO I INTRODUCE & ENGAGE MY BABY IN SENSORY LOOSE PARTS PLAY?

A little bit at a time! This is a good rule of thumb generally speaking with kids. Show baby only 3-6 items at once. They’re bound to get overstimulated and overwhelmed if they have too many items at a time (this is also true with regular toys).

Provide baby with 3-6 items to play with at a time to avoid overstimulation and keep them focused. You never want to provide your child with too many options (loose parts of otherwise) at a time and should rotate your toys.

Watch my Toy Rotation Video

Secondly, as I mentioned above, I don’t have everything on the list physically in my basket. There is no way that would fit! But actually, this is also quite intentional. Mama’s got to keep some things up her sleeve for when things get stale. When I can see it’s time to change things up because they aren’t keeping Lucas’ attention anymore, I’ll swap out some of the items. Keep it simple! Introduce a half-filled bottle of water with added water beads, or take the binder clips out of the clear container and add marbles instead. It’s great to have all of the items on hand so you can do this at a moment’s notice. You can slowly work towards creating your secret loose parts stash (which is what I’m actively doing).

I don’t have everything on the list physically in my basket. There is no way that would fit! But actually, this is also quite intentional. Mama’s got to keep some things up her sleeve for when things get stale. When I can see it’s time to change things up because they aren’t keeping Lucas’ attention anymore, I’ll swap out some of the items.

Don’t forget to play with your baby. Engaging baby in sensory and loose parts play can be tricky, because you may be tempted to show them how to do things, but you also want to let them discover things on their own. Wait for a lull in their play and inspire baby with something new, such as stacking containers, flipping something upside down, or making a sound by banging objects against one another. They’ll often copy you and try to see if they can manipulate the items in the same fashion.

Set up play invitations and encourage exploration by playing together. Stack containers, flip something upside down, or make a sound by banging objects against one another. They’ll often copy you and try to see if they can manipulate the items in the same fashion.

IN THE MEAN TIME TRY A FEW OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

HIKING OR WALKING OUTSIDE

From just about birth, you can start getting your baby outside to hike or walk with you. Whether they are in the stroller, baby carrier or just in your arms, and whether you are hiking a trail or just walking back and forth in the driveway, getting outside and moving is a beneficial experience for you and your little one.

TUMMY TIME, READING OR PLAYING OUTSIDE

Bring your normal inside activities outside to the fresh air. Grab a blanket and some books or toys and take playtime outside instead of inside.  Even just napping or nursing your infant outside can feel like a new experience.

PICNICS

What a better place to start your baby on new foods then outside? Sit them on a blanket and picnic together while they try out new foods and new ways of feeding themselves. Added bonus: cleanup for you doesn’t involve scrubbing floors, walls, windows or high chairs. If they still need support when sitting, try a “bumbo” type seat with a tray or just bring their high chair out with you.

SENSORY PLAY

One of the key elements for development in babies is sensory play and the outdoors is filled with new things to explore and stimulate their senses. Let them crawl around in new terrains – grass, dirt, sand, leaves, etc. Let them pick up new materials – rocks, sticks, sand or mud. Just keep a careful eye to make sure their new finds don’t turn into their next picnic.

GET DIRTY

Don’t be afraid to let them get dirty! Let them squish the mud or scoot through the dirt or roll around in the grass.  If you don’t want to rush to the bath tub afterwards, then move right on to one of the next activities below…

WATER PLAY

You can take them to a pool or body of water and take them in the water with you, or fill a few bowls with water and let them splash around with their hands. Don’t overthink it – babies thrive on simplicity.

PLAYGROUNDS

During off hours, when there are not many bigger kids around, playgrounds can be perfect places for babies to work on new large motor skills, such as crawling on new surfaces, pulling up and climbing.

BUBBLES

Babies love bubbles. They are easy and cheap (if you are ambitious, you can make your own following this recipe) and you are sure to get some giggles!

BALLS

One of the best toys for little ones are different sized balls for them to push around and watch bounce.  Outside is the perfect place because there is nothing to hit and plenty of space. Feel free to experiment with different size balls. This will help with both gross and fine motor control.

WALKING PRACTICE

Once your little one starts trying to walk, bring them outside where there are less sharp edges and lots of softer surfaces for the inevitable spills. The only downside is that they may become more interested in a new discovery on the ground and may not get very far!