Parents aiming to supercharge their baby's intelligence with a barrage of colourful, high-tech toys and activities might be doing more harm than good, a leading expert has claimed.
The Science of Simplicity
Professor Sam Wass, director of the Institute for the Science of Early Years at the University of East London, states that young children's brains are ill-equipped for excessive stimulation. Instead, they flourish with simplicity and repetition.
"A few years ago, there was this idea that young children need a lot of stimulation," Professor Wass told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "You know this idea of Baby Einstein: the more you throw at them, the more that they learn."
He added: "I hate to disappoint but the science is really clear that when they're young, their brains are a big, jumbled mess, and what they need is exactly the opposite of that."
Challenging the 'Baby Einstein' Model
Professor Wass's comments directly challenge the philosophy behind products like the once-ubiquitous Baby Einstein videos. Founded in 1996 by former American teacher Julie Aigner-Clark, the brand promised to boost infant intelligence through early exposure to classical music, foreign languages, and vibrant shapes.
However, scientific research has significantly undermined these claims. A major 2007 study found that babies who watched such videos actually understood fewer words than those who did not. While later analysis suggested the videos were not actively harmful, experts agreed they offered little tangible benefit for language development.
Why Repetition is Key
According to Professor Wass, the optimal approach for infant learning is strikingly straightforward. "What works best is definitely to read the same book over and over, to press just one button on one toy to make it pop up over and over again," he explained.
"We have this idea that the more we throw at them, the more they learn. In fact, it's exactly the opposite of that."
The core issue lies in the speed of neural processing. A baby's brain works far slower than an adult's, meaning it can easily miss crucial details if information is not presented slowly or repeated frequently. This neurological reality makes repetitive, simple play the most effective tool for helping infants extract meaning and build cognitive foundations.
