The Gift of Touch

Before my son was even born, I had heard about the benefits of touch in parent-infant bonding. I never really researched the subject however, so I never did any of this with him. Recently, I had the opportunity to read a wonderful book called Mommy, Draw Stars On My Tummy by Martine Groenevald. This touch-play book is full of activities designed to reinforce the loving bond between you and your child.

Mommy, Draw Stars On My Tummy is a beautiful hardcover book. It includes a variety of rhymes, games, songs and stories to enjoy, some which were created especially for the book, and some old favorites such as Five Little Caterpillars and Itsy Bitsy Spider. The activities have easy to understand massage instructions for the parent, which accompany each rhyme, song and story. There are also helpful tips included in some of the activities to help personalize your experience and make it more fun.

I love how the touch play encourages creativity in a nurturing way. For example, the child might be asked to guess the shape that your drawing on his back as a story unfolds. I also loved the imaginative games like Magic Body Painting. My usually squirmy toddler even calmed down and sat still as I read some of the rhymes to him and drew shapes on his back. It's the perfect thing to do before bedtime or naptime!

The gift of positive touch is unique and one that can create a strong relationship to last a lifetime. Mommy, Draw Stars On My Tummy is one of those books that will make you smile each time you open it. Read more about the book and pre-order it here.