It's Simply Black and White

No one in our family will ever break world records with our height, we are inherently short.  Currently, our shortest member is our 5 month old son, Devin.  Devin quickly took a liking to objects and pictures with high contrasting colors after he was born, even if they were much higher up than him.  He has stared at the black frames against our white walls for long periods of time, even smiling and babbling at them as he got older.  Like all babies, his vision has not developed to its full potential yet, and won't until he's around 6-8 months old, which is why babies are so attracted to the boldness of black and white images, they are easier to see.

Devin's current height, and his lack of ability to sit or stand up yet, make lying on the floor in our house difficult to see his favorite objects high up on the wall.  Have you ever heard someone say, get down on the floor with your baby to see their view of the world?  It's a very different perspective!

Despite the toys I offer Devin to grab and inspect, life at that level can be frustrating, especially when he drops his toy and cannot reach it.  My furniture and some contact paper gave me an idea.  We have a lot of black colored furniture; our kitchen island, Devin's crib, and his dresser are just a few of them.  We are in the kitchen often, as many families are, prepping and eating meals.  Devin sits in his chair or lies on a blanket right next to a large blank surface of the island when we are in the kitchen.  Contact paper is very gentle on wooden surfaces, so I cut out some simple shapes and stuck them to the side of the island, a much closer view for Devin to enjoy.  

I did not cut these out by hand, the first set of objects I made were, but I've changed the scenery recently and used my die cutting machine.  I've got scissor skills, but I'm not that talented!

My desk is in Devin's room.  I try to do my work there when I can, so the next best place to add some visual stimulation for him was in that room.  If you don't have access to a die cutting machine, or you aren't handy with scissors, you can download free black and white clip art or cut out pictures in magazines.  Use clear contact paper to adhere them to a lower surface for your baby.  

As babies grow they prefer and can identify images of real things better than drawn ones.  You can change the scenery for them by using photos or clips from magazines.  Using clear contact paper to cover them is still great for older babies and toddlers because they can enjoy them without tearing them down as easily.

Do you have a spot in your home where the babies in your life can enjoy the simplicity of black and white?

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