This wonderful developmental video is designed for infants, babies, and toddlers and is based on relatively recent studies of early brain development. We now know that the first years of life are crucial to the development of the brain and, more specifically, the first year is a time when the brain is the most receptive to learning the sounds (phonemes) of a foreign language.
Baby Einstein is set up as follows: During the course of about half an hour, babies are exposed to pleasing nursery rhymes, songs, and alphabet and counting sequences spoken in 7 different languages as they watch short clips of bright and appealing non-animated objects. Baby Einstein also employs natural sound effects such as bubble sounds when a fish bowl is shown, and the sound of a metronome as it clicks back and forth.
The visual component is highly stimulating and interesting for babies and toddlers. The objects shown are mostly, but not limited to, bright and fascinating toys. For example, a colorful ring post toy appears and babies watch as the rings are taken off the post one by one. The ability to predict an outcome is stimulated by a Jack-in-the-Box sequence — a button is pressed on the toy and a teddy bear pops out to a child's delight. Children also anticipate a train after first hearing a train whistle. This same train reappears several times during the course of the video — always preceded by the train whistle — but each time doing something a little different (for example, appearing first from the left then the right side of the screen). High-contrast patterns are shown (black, white, and red) as well as some visuals that will help encourage visual tracking. Baby Einstein is filled with simple but powerful sequences that will appeal to babies — flickering candles, a multi-colored pinwheel, a lava lamp, a spinning top, a cat, a mobile, a musical clock with hands that tick to the sound of counting. The sequences can be anywhere from 10 seconds to just over a minute long — perfect for the short attention span of this age group.
The audio component of Baby Einstein consists of nursery rhymes, songs, alphabet and counting sequences. The voices and audio are pleasing and clear, and song is used often. Mothers speak in their native languages (English, French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish) with soothing and appealing voices.
The purpose of this video is not to teach babies to be multilingual, but to stimulate neurons in the brain to make learning languages at a later date all the more easy, and to promote greater brain capacity. Many experts feel that stimulating the brain in such a way can also develop language skills and sound discrimination in general, which improves a child's language ability in his own native language.
As noted in the video's insert, a baby's brain grows to 70% of its adult weight by the age of one. Additionally, there is more and more evidence that during the first 3 years of life, brains are literally wired by a young child's experiences. Baby Einstein provides a pleasant means of stimulating babies' brains through sight and sound.
Many parents will enjoy the fact that the objects chosen for the video are real — in my own experience, some of my favorite "baby books" were actually photography manuals. Infants and toddlers, although attracted to some animations, seem to respond to real objects more readily and spiritedly.
The intent is to use the video as a "video board book". At least for the first few viewings, parents can sit their babies or toddlers on their laps and point out objects as they would when showing them a board book. Younger babies are not expected to sit and watch the whole video in one sitting.
The Baby Einstein Company was founded by Julie Aigner-Clark, a stay-at-home mom. There is a distinctive personal touch that is evident in the whole video series — something most parents will appreciate.
Although Baby Einstein is designed for children aged 1-18 months, my 2 year old daughter was actually very pleased with it. She watched the program from beginning to end, then asked to see it again. A 12 month old "tester" was also very entertained and thoroughly taken by the video. We even showed the video to a 3 month old baby who enjoys sitting in his baby swing while remaining alert. His parents decided that it wouldn't hurt to allow him to focus his vision on something stimulating while he did his swinging. At the same time he would be listening to something that will help boost brain development.
Please see our reviews of Baby Mozart and Baby Bach.
