Why Toddlers Love Sophie the Giraffe

I am in Tampa this week spending time with my brother and his family. He has two adorable little boys.

Yesterday, my sister-in-law pulled up some "Sophie the Giraffe" videos for them to watch. As soon as she started the first video, the boys zoomed in and started laughing with excitement. They love watching Sophie the Giraffe. Anytime you find a character or toy that grabs kids' attention, it's worth finding out why. Why is this character able to grab the attention of a toddler and hold it? Let's look behind the curtain and find out why.

Toddlers can chew on Sophie. The toy is made of natural rubber and food-grade paints. The toy feels good on toddlers' gums when they are teething. Sophie engages toddlers. They love to play with her. The toy can keep toddlers' attention. Visual stimulation. The toy has dark spots. This color contrast causes babies to look at her for extended periods of time. Squeaking. Sophie squeaks when you squeeze her. Toddlers love this sound and it can cause them to giggle. Videos done well that engages kids. As I just mentioned, we turned on a Sophie video and the kids immediately zoomed in and were engaged. The videos honor kids' attention spans. The videos are 2-3 minutes max. This is perfect for that age range. With this in mind, let me ask you a question. Are you engaging babies and toddlers with a short lesson? It can and should be done. These are some of the most important months and years in a person's life. If you are not teaching in those age ranges, you are missing a critical time.

"In the race to a child's heart, the first one there wins." George Barna

We have an incredible opportunity to invest in the lives of babies and toddlers. Let's get there first with the good news that Jesus loves them.