Oliiki Blog

Brain Development - Health and nutrition matter, but what about early experiences? There is lots of research and science to back up the theory that health and nutrition are crucially important in the brain development of a baby. This is not disputed. However, what is becoming increasingly clear from research is that early experience plays a fundamental role as well. The interactions that a baby has, and the environment in which it is raised, together with life experiences, all contribute to the growth of the brain – healthy or otherwise.…

Number songs are a part of growing up! My favourite as a child was 10 little speckled frogs, I would sing it endlessly! It became a family joke and a much-loved party piece. I remember standing on the…

It’s a beautiful day.  Why not take your baby out for a walk in the woods?  This will be good exercise for you and give your baby some fresh air.  Those are good enough reasons to go for a walk…but did you realise you will be offering your child a whole range of other learning opportunities?  Research has shown that children are a product of their experiences and the environment in which they live, and these experiences and environments are actually helping to build the very structure of their young brains.…

You’ve just had a baby.  Congratulations!  You have created a new life and your baby has finally arrived after many long months of waiting.  The priority right now is to keep your baby fed and healthy… and to get some sleep!  If you are managing to do those three things right now, then well done!…

Do I have to be an expert in order to help my child’s brain development? When you hear talk about brain growth and activities that will help your child’s brain development, it might sound quite technical and off-putting. Thoughts of ‘does this mean I need to do a course on child brain development’ and ‘this all sounds a bit too complicated and not for me’ may run through your mind and make you want to run a mile! You are already up to your eyes in just looking after your child – how on earth are you expected to cram in anymore? The simple truth is that as a caring parent you are probably already doing far more than you realise to encourage your child’s brain to grow and develop!…

Most of us imagine that a newborn baby is mainly concerned with sleeping and feeding – and this is true. But, their brains are ready for learning and are primed for extraordinary growth over the next three years. Here are a few things you may not have considered about your new baby……

You may have heard the expression, ‘The First 1000 Days’. When is this measured from?  Does it mean from birth onwards, or from conception?  Or does it just mean the length of time since you actually got a full night’s sleep?!! Actually, the first 1000 days refers to the period from the moment of conception, until your child’s second birthday…