These amazing baby nappers use smart technology to help babies sleep so tired parents can rest too. By using motion, sound and light, these smart bassinets mimic a mother’s calming womb or a parent’s comforting arms to create the ideal environment for newborn’s sleep. Prices vary. A lot. Find the right one for your budget below.
Created by pediatrician and child development expert Dr. Harvey Karp, the SNOO is a responsive bassinet that combines gentle rocking, white noise and safe swaddling for a womb-like environment. Smart technology gives the bassinet the ability to automatically respond to baby’s cries with increased motion and sound. The bassinet comes with a mattress, three organic cotton swaddles that keep newborns in a safe sleeping position, an organic cotton sheet, and a water-resistant cover. The mobile app allows caregivers to view sleep patterns, customize settings, and receive helpful tips. While buying it carries a hefty price tag, you can also rent this sleeper for $129 per month.
With five unique motions—car ride, wave, kangaroo, tree swing, and rock-a-bye—that mimic the natural movements of parents and other caregivers, this bassinet is designed to help newborns fall asleep fast and stay asleep. There are also five speed options and four white-noise choices that can all be controlled with the Bluetooth-enabled 4moms app. The firm, flat sleep surface comes with a water-resistant mattress and sheet.
The 3-in-1 design makes this combination bedside sleeper, portable bassinet and changing pad a real deal. Keep baby close by and adjust to the right height for your bedside, or roll it into any other room and lock the casters into place. Soothing melodies and vibrations lull baby to sleep. When it’s time for a diaper change, flip the quilted mattress over to the waterproof changing-pad side. The fabrics are machine-washable. This sleeper accommodates babies up to 20 pounds, or until they push up on hands and knees, and the changing pad is for little ones up to 35 pounds.
This bassinet has a 360-degree swivel and lowering bedside wall that make it easier for new moms to tend to their newborns. The soothing center includes four sounds, two levels of vibration, a nightlight and floorlight, and a timer. It comes with a newborn insert that provides a snug sleeping surface that mimics the womb. The fabric is machine-washable and the sleeper includes a waterproof pad and fitted sheet. The bed itself can be removed from the stand, so baby can nap wherever you are.
The built-in microphone hears baby’s cries and automatically adjusts the bassinet’s setting to lull baby back to sleep. The Sense2Snooze includes a head-to-toe soothing motion with three different speeds, two-speed vibration, and a variety of noise options. You can even save your newborn’s favorite combination of settings for quick calming action. There is a dimmable light and a reversible canopy for optimal light options. A storage space keeps all the essentials close at hand.
The gentle swaying motion of this sleeper can be activated by parent or baby to send your little one off to dreamland. An overhead mobile rocks along with the bassinet, and light features include a projector that can be removed to use as a tabletop soother. Calming vibrations, songs and sounds all help create the right sleep environment. The removable sheet is machine-washable and the pad can be wiped clean.
Combining a bassinet, crib and baby monitor all in one, the Cradlewise adjusts as baby grows. The noiseless bouncing mechanism can respond to baby's wake-up cues before they cry and does not disturb sleeping parents. The built-in monitor has video, audio and a night-vision camera that can be monitored from home or remotely. Once your newborn grows out of the higher bassinet level, the mattress can be dropped to crib level for use by a toddler. In addition to a customizable app, the sleeper can be operated with hand gestures.
Cue the holiday baking. Hershey is sharing the Holiday Sugar Cookie Blossom, to spark festive cookie baking this year. With a sugar cookie base and the Hershey’s Kisses Sugar Cookie candy at the center, these sweets are a colorful addition to holiday traditions.
The inspiration for the new Blossoms recipe comes from Hershey’s home state, Pennsylvania. The sugar cookie is a holiday favorite that was introduced to the world by Dutch settlers in Pennsylvania in the 1700s, and now serves as the base for the new Holiday Sugar Cookie Blossoms, featuring Hershey’s Kisses Sugar Cookie candy. This is one of over 25 Hershey Blossoms variations to add some flare to holiday baking this season.
“The Hershey Kitchen elves have been hard at work this year creating festive ways to brighten the holiday season,” said Erin Crawford, brand manager, Hershey holiday team. “We know that Blossoms are a holiday cookie staple. This year we wanted to introduce something new and festive showcasing our newest holiday Kisses – Hershey’s Kisses Sugar Cookie candy. The Holiday Sugar Cookie Blossoms are colorful, super easy cookies to make; bound to make sweet and special memories in the kitchen this holiday season.”
Heat oven to 375° F. Remove wrappers from candies; set aside.
Mix cookie dough following package directions for cutout cookies. Divide dough into 36 equal (about 1-1/4 inch) balls; roll in green or red sugar. Place balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookie edges are set. Cool 2 minutes; press candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove cookies from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
The classic Peanut Butter Blossoms recipe, which consists of a peanut butter dough rolled in sugar and topped with a Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolate candy, has been around for 63 years and is one of America’s favorite holiday cookies. With holiday baking more popular than ever this year, head over to HersheyHappiness.com to get over 25 additional Blossoms recipes to keep baking this entire holiday season.
I should have known. Nearly two years into our “new normal” of canceled outings and curbed activities, I launched my son from the relative safety of the pandemic womb into—of all places—an indoor water park.
He loved the water park (thankfully). But the moment we got home, Alex quickly retreated to his room, desperate for reprieve. Dropping his backpack at the front door, he raced upstairs, grabbed a book, and curled himself into his “sensory swing,” his long body folded into the fabric sack like a baby kangaroo nestled inside its mama’s pouch.
It was his way of taking a deep breath. And it worked: what may have turned into a tantrum in his younger years ended with peace and quiet. The water park endeavor was a success.
Full disclosure: we are a family of acronyms. Between my two boys, we’ve got ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), DMDD (Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder), OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, CTD (Chronic Tic Disorder), GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), SAD (the woefully ironic initials for Social Anxiety Disorder), and ODD (Oppositional Defiance Disorder). For that last one, here’s a piece I wrote about what it’s like to parent a child with “chronic aggression.”
The labels have come and gone, depending on who’s doing the diagnosing. But whether or not the titles tell a clear story, one thing is consistent: both of my boys have trouble regulating their emotions. As Mama Bear, I’ve done what I can to help—from finding various therapists to amassing an arsenal of physical tools to help my kids relax. That swing, for one, works wonders.
But that’s not all. There’s an abundance of gear out there designed to give revved-up kids a place to regulate (whether they’ve got a label or not). Here’s what’s worked for us—and some expert opinions on why.
My middle son with anxiety loves the feeling of a compression sheet, which wraps all the way around the mattress like a tight sleeve. Before using it, his restless nights would mean he’d wake up sheetless, his bedding kicked off and crumpled on the floor. Now, he can’t even kick his sheets off the bed if he tried.
And it's a good thing, says Casey Ames, the founder of Harkla, a company dedicated to making products for neurodiverse families. Ames said improving sleep Is one of the most important things a sensory product can do. “I think the feedback we get for the compression sheet or weighted blanket makes me the happiest, since improving sleep is such a big win for families,” Ames says. “It not only helps the child, but oftentimes parents can get back to sleeping normally after years of interrupted sleep.”
Good to Know: it’s a bit of a pain to get on and off the mattress (if you've ever worn compression socks, you get it). Still, seeing my restless boy snuggle happily beneath his covers at night makes it all worth it.
This one is the golden ticket for us: the go-to for my oldest son, in particular, when he needs to decompress. Experts say it’s not just neurodiverse kids who can benefit from the sensory swing’s tight “hug.” These sorts of swings—which are usually made of stretchy fabric that wraps around the body like a womb—can help all kids. “Think of babies when they’re distressed and crying, what do we do? We swaddle them or swing them,” says Los Angeles pediatric neurologist Pantea Hannauer. “Sensory swings do the same thing. They give that needed sensory input.”
Note: Make sure you have enough space around the swing. Therapeutic or not, it's still a swing, and if my kids are any indication, it will be swung as high as possible.
Bean bags are a must for all sensory-seeking kids (and arguably any kid). Whether your child needs something to smash into while diving from the couch or a snuggly spot for sitting with a book, bean bags give neurodiverse kids reprieve while giving neurotypical kids a cozy space to curl up.
“It’s beneficial for kids to have a place with furniture that they can use to calm down and recharge their batteries, enhance calmness, or provide an outlet to prevent boredom,” says Eyal Levy, the founder of Yogibo, a sensory-friendly furniture company that specializes in zero-pressure-point bean bags. “It's great for pushing, pulling, crashing, or jumping into to provide deep pressure input—these help to regulate kids’ moods and give them a sense of calm and peace.
We've tried a few but especially love the Yogibo Max, a humongous, oblong-shaped bean bag with so many tiny foam beans inside that it conforms to your body as you sink into it. At nearly $300, it’s a splurge, for sure. But it’s durable (you can change the covers when they get dirty), super-comfy, lightweight, and big enough to use as a bed when the kids want sleepovers.
We discovered how much my oldest son needed these when, at 8 years old, he was completely overwhelmed by Disneyland’s Cars ride. It wasn’t the motion, he said; it was the noise. It was just. So. Loud. The next time, he wore these headphones, and the experience was way better. He also wears them to movies (or at our noisy dinner table) when he needs a buffer between him and the sounds. They also work great for keeping things quiet while doing homework. He's 12 now, so we’re looking into noise-canceling earbuds like these, which will be more discreet in public.
When our family goes out to dinner, we can always tell which cup my middle son has been using because it’s always the one with the straw that’s been chewed almost to the point it doesn’t work as a straw anymore. He does it with his pencils and pens, too. In fact, one time he turned to me, mid-homework, with black ink all over his mouth; he had actually chewed a pen so hard it cracked.
Enter these chewable pencil toppers, which let him nibble away when he feels the need. We've tried thesechew necklaces, too, but he doesn't like to use them in school because he doesn't like how they look. The pencil toppers are discreet, and he can chomp away.
Bed tents are the best. Not only do they look super cool, they're also great for littles with sensory processing disorder, ADHD, or autism because they can help those kids relax without actually being in a formal "therapeutic" device. We originally got them to give my boys privacy when they shared a room, but they enjoyed them even when they were alone.
“Bed tents are actually creating some sensory deprivation, which makes some kids feel more cozy and safe,” Hannauer says. “It deprives them of sensory input so they're actually doing the appropriate steps for sleep hygiene.” In other words, kids will be having fun chilling in their tent, but really they’re in their beds… getting sleepy.
When famed autistic scientist Temple Grandin invented the "hug machine" as a teen, she was basically looking for a way to give herself a hug—to get that deep, all-encompassing pressure—without actually needing to hug another person (which can be hard for some kids on the spectrum). Of course, Grandin's hug machine was the size of a large bathtub, so not realistic for most families. Weighted blankets, on the other hand, are easy and offer a similar sort of deep-pressure "hug."
"I'm a big fan of weighted blankets," says Hannauer, who treats mainly children with ADHD and autism at her Los Angeles office. "These are sensory interventions that provide deep-pressure sensory input. Basically, the more calm you are, the less sensitive."
My kids look ridiculous when they climb into these faceless, zipped-up sacks (think Blue Man meets The Mummy), but I can tell they're getting something out of it because they'll go in one way (angry and frustrated) and come out another (calm and happy). Experts say it's the deep pressure they're getting from all sides—similar to how swaddling a baby works—that helps ease the anxiousness. Note: the picture above is my actual child in his sensory sack.
We’ve gone through three chairs with my middle son, who has a tendency to perch precariously on the edges of a chair as if the center of the seat is too hot to rest his tush on. He also likes to move, often rocking the chair on one leg, a habit that eventually popped the springs of two dining room chairs, sagged the wicker of a kitchen chair, and thoroughly scratched the hardwood floor.
These balance ball seats solve this problem. They’re basically yoga balls with legs—and they work great for kids who need to move while they’re working. They're also super-durable and can't be broken with an aggressive bounce or sway, though my son probably does look a bit silly on Zoom calls, his body bouncing in and out of the screen. But they work. My 10-year-old gets his wiggles out, and he gets his work done. Bonus points for the exercise.
This was the most surprising life hack of all. Apparently, chewing gum is good for you! According to a mental health study, chewing gum can ease anxiety, fight fatigue, and boost moods. A 2009 study also showed that chewing gum reduces stress, specifically for kids with ADHD, which makes it a great tool to use during homework or school time. For us, it helps ease my kids' motor tics, which means it's probably helping them de-stress as well.
Children learn through their senses—and oral activity can be very calming. According to experts, the act of chewing gum also provides constant sensory input to the muscles in the jaw and ears, which can help children to concentrate better. Of course, not all schools are cool with gum-chewing, so if you want your fidgety kid to use gum to focus, you may need to talk it over with the teacher first.
—Mia E.; author and kid’s names have been changed to protect their privacy.
Is dishwashing the most hated chore? A new survey shows that Americans are willing to make big sacrifices to never do them again and that dish drudgery is a source of constant arguments at home.
As it turns out, one in five adults would give up sex for an entire year in exchange for a lifetime free of doing dishes. At least, that’s what the survey commissioned by frozen vegetable brand Birds Eye suggests. That’s quite the tradeoff, but when data says that Americans spend an average of six days a year washing dishes, it might be worth it?
Even with dishwashers to automate some of the process, 43 percent of survey respondents said that they argue with their family over who will do the chore. And if they’re arguing, it’s a pretty common occurrence—two out of three said it happens every week! Part of that has to do with the number of dishes, pots and pans that require washing, since 41 percent said they use six or more tools for every meal.
The study surveyed more than 1,000 Americans over 18 and it was conducted by Kelton Global. Birds Eye wants to give you a break from the dreaded dish duty with the launch of new sheet pan frozen meals. The one-pan meals feature a protein with veggies and unique seasonings for a quick and simple dinner. No battles necessary!
––Sarah Shebek
Featured image courtesy of Nathan Dumlao, Unsplash
Now that you’ve carved those jack-o-lanterns to the delight of your little punkins’ be sure to hold on to the seeds! This easy recipe that you can adapt to your family’s tastes (spice lovers or not) is packed with nutrition too. Sprinkle a few on salads and pack them in lunches! Read on for the how-to.
Ingredients:
2 cups pumpkin seeds (fresh from a carving pumpkin)
tsp. chili powder (optional)
1 lime, cut in half and squeezed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of Cayenne Powder (optional)
Directions:
1) Wash pumpkin seeds well in water. Dry them with a paper towel.
2) Put spices, oil, and lime juice on the seeds and mix well.
3) Spread the seeds on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F. for 10-14 minutes, or until crispy, dry, and fragrant.
Learning about numbers doesn’t have to boring! Take a look at these 11 examples below—from writing on windows to reinventing hopscotch, there’s more than one way to count it out. Read on for the ideas and get ready to make math fun for everyone.
This activity can be played together or independently. This game, from Fun Learning for Kids, has kids roll the dice and then "dot" or color in the corresponding number on the free printable. Great for kids just learning their numbers or, for kids looking for a harder challenge, create a sheet with various sums from the dice. Once they roll the dice, have them add-up the numbers and then find the corresponding number on the sheet. Get the full how-to here.
Racers, on your mark! This division activity from Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational will go over big with Matchbox car fans. Score the instructions—and a free download of the race track—here.
Get the littles learning about size and measurement thanks to this hands-on idea from Buggy and Buddy. They'll love having they're own station and tools for experimenting—you'll love that everything's contained in one area. Learn more here.
Who says math is all sitting still and staying in one place? Over at Guilt-Free Homeschooling, there's an idea that has all the active fun of hopscotch, with a bit of addition and subtraction thrown in. Feel free to tailor the grid to your kiddo's age and math level. Get more info here.
Your pint-sized royalty will get a kick out of this activity from Where Imagination Grows. It's a fairytale way to practice counting, simple addition or subtraction, and more. Learn more here.
Those LEGO bricks your little one is obsessed with? They might as well get some milage as math helpers. We like how this activity from The Educators' Spin On It is centered on what kids already like to do with LEGO: build things. Get the scoop here.
We're pretty sure this idea from Coffee Cups and Crayons is the very definition of hands-on learning. It's a simple way to get kids counting or visualizing addition problems—and it involves tactile fun, too. Just add playdough! Get all the info (plus more math ideas) here.
Take your kids love of building LEGO towers and transfer it to this LEGO game from Teach With Laughter. The highest tower wins and everyone gets to practice counting and adding. Bonus: you can download the game board (for free!) thanks to Teach With Laughter.
Sure, the littles are bound to be excited about writing on windows—but they'll also get a kick out of number matching, counting, and making those mathematical connections. See more here.
With this game, your little super heroes get to bust nefarious bank robbers—and practicing number recognition, counting, and addition while they're at it. Get the instructions here.
This fraction game from JDaniel4's Mom is just further proof that LEGO bricks are the ultimate learning tool. It uses fraction prompts and different color LEGO, to get kids thinking about fractions—genius! Get the how-to here.
Looking for that perfect gift for a grown-up? Whether it’s for your S.O., your in-laws, your boss or anyone totally into the taste of hops, Costco’s German beer advent calendar is the gift of the season.
The Brewer’s Advent Calendar is back for its seventh year and continues to boast lots of hoppy deliciousness. It’s packed with 24 different 16.9-ounce cans of German beer and comes in at just $59.99!
If a surprise beer isn’t your thing, you can totally check out all the inclusions on the display at your Costco warehouse. But let’s be honest, nobody does beer better than the Germans so chances are you’ll be counting down the days to Christmas with some tasty hops.
If you see this advent calendar, buy it quick. They usually sell out as early as October.
Ah, sleep, one of the first things we come to terms with losing as we begin our journey into parenthood. For many moms-to-be, this often starts well before birth as pregnancy makes plenty of everyday tasks, including sleep, increasingly uncomfortable. Add a pandemic to the mix and you have the perfect recipe for sleepless nights.
I could have never imagined that I’d be pregnant amid a worldwide health crisis, but here we were equal parts over-the-moon and scared to bits. My husband and I are a pretty tech-savvy (and sleep-loving) pair, so a smart bassinet was something we were interested in early on. It just so happened that in the middle of my pregnancy, Happiest Baby (the company behind SNOO) had been in touch with an offer to try out their SNOO rental program and the rest (pun absolutely intended) is history!
SNOO was created by Dr. Harvey Karp, the renowned pediatrician who authored Happiest Baby on the Block & Happiest Toddler on the Block. In certain circles, he is referred to as “The Baby Whisperer” so we knew that the SNOO was something we wanted to try out.
We put our little bundle in the SNOO starting the first night we were home with her. I will say, seeing her jiggling in there was pretty funny, but before I knew it, she was out like a light. So I’ll go ahead and assume her favorite thing about it is the motion since she’s been quite the mover and shaker since her days in the womb. Here’s what I loved about the experience (for both my child and myself):
The rental aspect. This is a huge win in my opinion. These tiny humans already require so much stuff it’s ironic. For the amount of time they sleep in a bassinet vs how much space a bassinet takes up in your house, being able to use it for however long you need and not have yet another item to store, sell or hand down to someone else seems ideal. It’s one less thing to have to sort out and let’s face it, most people simply don’t have oodles of storage space. Another edge case, given that all babies are different, is if it doesn’t work for your baby it can be sent back early. Most other baby products you’re just going to have to take the L on if your little doesn’t like it or you end up not using it as much as you anticipated.
The rental includes a mattress, sheet and swaddles that are specifically designed to hook into the SNOO. You’ll likely want to purchase an extra sheet and swaddles because spit (and a host of other messes) happens.
The clip-in swaddles. Anyone who remembers the very beginning of their parenting journey likely recalls checking on their baby approximately a million times per night. Now, this won’t exactly eliminate all of your urges to check on the baby (who can resist stealing a few minutes to watch those sweet little faces sleep?), but it definitely does reduce the urges that are based on safety concerns in our experience. Safe sleep is a top priority for every parent, so the fact that the swaddles clip into the base giving your baby no way to accidentally roll over to an unsafe position that they can’t get out of gave us huge peace of mind. Our child has been extremely wiggly since day one, so this would have been a major concern of mine if not for the SNOO. Plus, in the early days, minimizing that startle reflex is key which is part and parcel of swaddling them.
The app. We liked that the SNOO app makes it easy to customize the motions & sounds to your child’s preferences as well as give you a visual of your baby’s sleep journey. Each day can be viewed with markers for time the SNOO is on and time the SNOO is on and actively calming the baby. The SNOO is responsive to cries and will cycle through 4 levels of both sound and motion, however, if it is on the top level for 2-3 minutes and the baby is still upset, it will turn off signaling that the baby needs your care.
I really liked the fact that I could visually see how well the baby had slept, for how long and how long feedings took in the middle of the night before putting her back to bed. It is frankly one less thing you have to be responsible for remembering or recording . . . so you can get back to bed, too!
The bassinet makes a noise similar to in the womb but you just might find that you start relying on the white noise also. In which case, you might be tempted to get our bonus favorite thing for your baby AND yourself…
The BFF: SNOOBear is a wonderful companion product that was introduced last year and is meant to help your baby transition from the SNOO into their crib. We found it especially useful for naps on the go. It plays the sounds your baby is used to from the bassinet so even if they’re not movin’ and groovin’ as they would be in the SNOO, the familiar sounds are comforting and help them drift off. Plus, they’re adorable which is just an added bonus. We’d use ours for impromptu naps while out and about or on walks—it happened to fit perfectly in the compartment below the stroller bassinet so the baby would still be alone (because some rules are definitely not meant to be broken)!
Overall, we’ve had a very positive experience with the SNOO. At about 3 months old, she’s largely sleeping for about 8-hour stretches each night (sometimes more). If she does start fussing sooner than that, we just let the bassinet do its thing and 9 times out of 10, she drifts back off to sleep. It’s made for a happy baby and possibly, even happier new parents. I can say without a doubt that if more babies come along for us, we will be renting a SNOO for them.
To learn more about the rental option, or to purchase a SNOO, head to HappiestBaby.com
—Jen Watro
Special thanks to Happiest Baby for sharing a SNOOBear & loaning us a SNOO bassinet to try out! All opinions expressed here are my own.
With the current state of the world and the kids going back to school, the odds are you’re finding yourself a bit flustered while trying to keep a routine or get things done. We’ve created three free printable templates you can use to help track things and stay sane: for daily schedule, chores, and self-care.
(Just click on the links to open a new tab for the printables).
Keeping on top of household maintenance with a household full of people is not without its challenges. Use this chart to get everyone to pitch in (this could be the start of something!)
Don't forget to take care of yourself during these trying times! This sheet will remind you to drink water, go for a short walk if you can, stretch, tell a joke or just give yourself a compliment. This is a great one to assign each kid as well, to teach them the value of their own well-being.
Summer means more time for fun reads! And reading time is important to keep your kids engaged and ready for another year of school. Amazon has two programs to make that book goal a bit easier: Journey into Reading and the Summer Reading Challenge.
You’ll find tons of great book recommendations through Journey into Reading. It’s a rotating list of topics along with age-appropriate reading recommendations from the Amazon Book Editors. Aimed at kids from 6 to 12, it also offers free downloadable activity sheets. Topics range from “In the Kitchen” to “Outer Space” and you can sign up for emails about the upcoming weeks.
Reading challenges make the season more fun and Amazon is running one until August 23. Kids from kindergarten through eighth grade can sign up and pick seven books to read. Once they’ve completed that accomplishment, they can turn in a completed sign-up sheet to a participating store and receive a free National Geographic Kids book! Find your participating store to get more details.
Need more reading inspiration? Check out our best books of 2021, so far. You’ll find a curated list that spans from the first year of life all the way to the end of middle school!
