children's video & dvd review
brainy baby right brain and brainy baby left
brain
Rating: 
Ages: 6 months to 36 months
Subject: Early Learning Publisher:
Small Fry Productions
Review Sections: Product Overview
Dollar Value
Product Overview
Brainy Baby videos are new developmental videos
from the makers of the excellent series Baby's First Impressions (see our review).
There are two Brainy Baby videos — Volume 1: Right Brain, and
Volume 2: Left Brain. These videos are based on research in infant development
and incorporate findings about the tendency for one side of the brain to be more
dominant than the other. The Brainy Baby series strives to develop both
sides of the brain, and to help infants to be "whole brain" thinkers.
Each video runs for 32 minutes. The audio component of the Brainy Baby
videos consists of classical music tracks (including Mozart) that are soothing
and gentle, as well as very clear narration. The intellectual and emotional
benefits of exposure to classical music have, in recent years, been brought
to light through many different research findings, and are often termed the
"Mozart Effect". Listening to classical music is said to increase
cognitive development and spatial reasoning.
Volume 1: Right Brain introduces babies to "right brain"
— or creative — concepts. The theme of this video is creativity, art,
geometry, imagination, and perception. Young children are treated to the demonstration
of art in a number of forms including the drawing of simple objects, painting,
and tracing. Volume 1 features lots of babies playing with colorful toys, demonstration
of nesting shape toys, colorful patterns galore, and imaginative transformations
— clouds and inkblots turn into everyday objects such as teddy bears, cars,
and baby chicks. The music and scenes are decidedly more whimsical than those
of Volume 2, designed to appeal to the more imaginative side of the brain. There
is a bear playing peek-a-boo, spinning colorful objects, and lots of toy trains
and trucks. Completed puzzles are displayed, followed by the puzzle pieces.
Rhyming words, such as "car/star" are even explored.
Volume 2: Left Brain is designed to stimulate the "left brain"
— or analytical — side. Volume 2 explores math, language, and logic.
This video features lots of babies in colorful outfits playing with stimulating
toys, as well as carefully chosen feature objects. Black and white balloons
appear, as well as visuals including a black star on a white background (high
contrast objects said to be highly stimulating to the youngest of infants),
various shapes of blocks that are stacked in graduated sizes, colorful shapes,
and more. Volume 2 contains a number of puzzle sequences. For example, simple
animal puzzles that have interchangeable heads are placed incorrectly, at which
point the narrator says "oops! that's not right" and then places the
pieces correctly. Plenty of educational toys are shown, including the classic
ring stacker, a marble drop toy, gears, etc. Letters of the alphabet are featured
on this video as well, and various alphabet puzzles are demonstrated. Some simple
words are even spelled out for babies. Foreign languages are touched upon, as
some objects, such as apple, water, fish, balloon, etc., are named in English,
Spanish, and French. The math section includes counting bears, numerals, and
even simple adding and subtracting ("there are 2 tomatoes, now add 2 more,
and let's count the tomatoes.").
We have found these videos to be highly stimulating for young children, and
pleasing to the eyes and ears.
Dollar Value
Each video is $15.95 US.
Both videos in this set are good quality, stimulating,
and appealing to babies and toddlers. Featuring lively and educational visual
and audio stimulation, these videos aim to help children to become "whole brain"
thinkers.
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