Nursery World - Enabling Environments: Resources for under-threes: In black & white

In the first of an occasional series, Claire Stevenson, Donna Luck and Veronica Lawrence look at learning resources designed for children under three and the powerful effects of imagery.

A baby's first year of life is a crucial period for development and learning. Babies have difficulty distinguishing between different tones and shades. In their first few months of life they see mostly in shades of grey. High-contrasting colours, particularly black and white, are a simple and effective way to stimulate babies' senses and help develop neural connections in their brains.

Black-and-white pictures provide the highest possible contrast, while distinct regular patterns present the highest contrast to the eye and gain babies' attention. They are attracted to these colour combinations and geometric designs, and exposure can hold their interest and help them to focus by stimulating the neural connections associated with vision.

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