Mrs Mo Reviews: eebee's MIX & MASH adventures cook book

I very seldom call a baby toy/video/game/book magic but I'm telling you, that's what eebee is.

Eebee adventures (follow on Twitter), an award winning and Parenting Magazine approved TV, DVD, toy and book series from Sterling Publishing, recently announced the release of eebee's Mix & Mash adventures, the first cook-with-your-baby book and DVD.

I know what you might be thinking..."so is eebee like another Baby Einstein series?"  My answer is that it's so much more than that. It's not a video where you sit your child in front of the screen and expect or hope that they "get smarter" just by watching.  While it's fun for a child to watch the goofy eebee and the bright colors, it's a learning experience for parents as Krsity, eebee's "mom" models developmentally appropriate activities that you can do with your children to build their cognitive and physical ability.

As Dr. Geroge Forman, Ph.D, University of Massacres, states in the accompanying DVD, the eebee adventures series has a "curriculum embedded in ordinary moments." Simply stated-the everyday activities, from flicking a light switch to pouring water out of a bucket, are all learning experiences for your child. And the eebee adventures family has added to their library the interactive cookbook which is now available online or in your neighborhood Barnes and Noble.

Eebee Baby review: Parents and baby learn together

Every baby learns by doing.
-eebee.com

What may seem like a simple or silly activity with your baby may actually be helping with his or her cognitive and motor skill development.

Maddy's at an age (14 months) where she's really learning more motor skill and applying knowledge that she has gained by watching Rob and me. She conveniently knows how to change channels on the TV, scoots over to her high chair when it's time for strawberries, loves to sit on the couch to "read" her books out loud and has figured out that the curb means taking a step down. There are so many more little skills that she's demonstrating more comfortably now and what's even more amazing is how much she's learned from repetition and observation.

This is why I was excited to test out some videos for Every Baby's Adventures (eebee.com) and Michael Coviello, the editor of NewJerseyOnline.org. When I started the Eebee videos, it was mainly an option to occupy Maddy while I tried to get some work done. But these videos were like magic. The way they captured her attention. And Eebee the puppet, with all of his colors, was like the coolest thing to watch! So after her initial introduction to Eebee, I started taking the doll in the car with us. It become Maddy's newest buddy. She would "talk" to him and play with his "hair." She laughed when I make him dance or "kiss" her. More than that though, he was a TV Character who was "brought to life" in her own home. Recently, the Eebee doll has also become another "person" to demonstrate skills instead of just Mommy and Daddy all the time.


Today, I put another video on. This was a few weeks after I played the first video. She recognized Eebee immediately and made some sort of baby talk to indicate that she knew him. I'm telling you: the videos are magic!

But they're more than that. While your baby is absorbing the activities on the screen, parents are also learning. Each segment introduces and addresses a new motor or cognitive skill. Whether it's playing hide-and-seek with a ball or having your baby crawl up a pile of pillows to reach the ball, parents are learning the many ways they can engage their baby in learning through play.


As you can see, what's so cool about the activities is that chances are: you're already doing them with your baby! Something as simple as turning a light switch on and off is a major cognitive task. And in a way, the videos validate the quality of at-home play but also give new ideas try with your growing and curious baby. So guess what mom and dad: you're doing a great job!

If you don't want to make a financial investment in the Eebee videos and toys yet, the eebee website has wonderful resources for parents to help them guide their baby through his or her developmental journey. Parents can access printable activity guides and at-home ideas. But once you read the parent testimonials, you'll definitely want to get get 1 or a few videos to keep and share with friends.