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If your child can walk and crawl, try crab walking to help develop coordination! Sit on
the floor and raise up your seat using your hands and feet. Then crab - crab - crab
along as far as you can go. Have her go forward and backward, too! You'll be amazed
how far she can go with a little practice. (Courtesy of Moving Smart)
Climbing, hanging, swinging, and any other high-energy activities that build strength
in your child’s upper body and core muscles are vital precursors to fine motor skills.
(Courtesy of Moving Smart)
Choose books for infants and toddlers that include rhymes, songs, and repetition to
stimulate language and listening.
Talking and reading to your child regularly, and explaining the world around you helps
foster your child’s pretend play. Imaginative play is linked to cognitive flexibility and,
ultimately, creativity. (Courtesy of Psychology Today)
It takes many babies a bit of time to realize there's something to look at. Try to leave
the object you want your baby to focus on within his view for at least 30 seconds –
long enough for his eyes to follow and come upon it. (Courtesy of HuggaMind)
At first, your baby's fixation or attention span varies from four to 10 seconds. Then
he’ll close his eyes or shift his gaze aimlessly. The repeated sight of appropriate
objects, however, will help increase his attention span. (Courtesy of HuggaMind)
See how slow you can go, inching along like a caterpillar! Bend over to walk your
hands out in front of you, then walk your feet up to your hands. (Courtesy of Moving
Smart)
Twisting, turning, dangling and swinging helps develop the flexibility and agility
necessary for rotating the shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers. (Courtesy of Moving
Smart)
Answer your child’s questions, even if the answer is “no.” Along with engaging in
regular conversations and exploring language through singing, rhyming and songs, it
will help your child build communication skills. (Courtesy of National Education
Association)
Listening and speaking early on are the first steps to reading and writing in the
preschool years. (Courtesy of National Education Association)
A child moves his eyes from one object to another in a series of little jumps. He is
"scanning" his choices. When your baby scans, he learns how to see and compare
entire objects. This ability eventually helps him to distinguish all the objects in his
environment. (Courtesy of HuggaMind)
Children who become good readers are those who have had many positive
experiences with books during their early years, and you can give your child an
invaluable gift by reading to and with her. (Courtesy of Child Care Resources)
With imaginative play, taking on different roles allows your child the unique
opportunity to learn social skills such as communication, problem solving and
empathy. (Courtesy of Psychology Today)
Pushing, pulling, tugging, and lifting herself up builds your child’s strength. She also
develops an intuitive understanding of simple physics such as weight, pressure and
resistance. (Courtesy of Moving Smart)
Put your child’s name on his clothing and toys to help him recognize his name in print.
Being able to get along with other children, follow directions, take turns, and say
goodbye to you are skills that your child will need before starting school.
When your child explores her immediate environment—crawling or practicing selffeeding, for example—she learns self-confidence and how to manage emotions such
as frustration and fear. (Courtesy of Too Small to Fail)
Beginning from birth, your baby interacts with you by crying, babbling, and gazing into
your eyes. These first human-to-human interactions help him recognize and
understand emotions, and teaches him what to expect from future social experiences.
(Courtesy of Too Small to Fail)
Physical play is not the only kind of play. There is also pretend play or make-believe
play – the acting out of stories with multiple perspectives and the playful
manipulation of ideas and emotions. (Courtesy of Psychology Today)
Imaginative play reflects a critical feature of your child’s cognitive and social
development. Such imaginative play is a vital component to normal development.
(Courtesy of Psychology Today)
A "listening" walk can be fun! As you walk, point out the sounds of birds, passing cars,
whistling wind, even your footsteps on the sidewalk. What sounds can your child
identify on her own? Which are loud and which are soft? Which are high and which
are low? What is her favorite sounds? (Courtesy of Early Childhood News)
Infant brains are highly attuned to language, and even in the womb a fetus can detect
language sounds. After birth and as your child ages, his brain’s neural connections
strengthen, and he builds upon early vocabulary development to expand his learning
and mastery of his native language, as well as other languages that he has been
taught. (Courtesy of Too Small to Fail)
Your child develops social and emotional skills not only when you talk and cuddle with
him, but also when you remain calm when he expresses anger or frustration, and
encouraging him to explore his environment safely. (Courtesy of Too Small to Fail)
With proper support and encouragement, young children can develop healthy social
and emotional skills that will serve them well throughout their lives. (Courtesy of Too
Small to Fail)
Try water painting outside: Use a brush and a bucket of water to “paint.” It exercises
arms and the upper torso while teaching about wet and dry, light and dark, and
evaporation. (Courtesy of Early Childhood News)
Through imaginative play, your child develops an awareness that her thoughts may
differ from those of other people and that people have a variety of perspectives.
(Courtesy of Psychology Today)
Begin reading to children as soon as possible. The younger you start them, the easier
it is. Read as often as you and the child have time for. (Courtesy of Teach Preschool)
Start with pictures books with only a few words on the page then gradually move on
to books with more and more text and fewer pictures. (Courtesy of Teach Preschool)
Times of great change or stress are inevitable for all families, but stress can affect
your child’s development. Skills such as focusing on tasks at hand, setting goals and
making plans, following rules, solving problems and controlling impulses are all
helpful in protecting children’s emotional well-being. (Courtesy of Too Small to Fail)
Foster close relationships with friends and relatives, use consistent but sensitive
discipline, and maintain consistency in scheduling and child care so your child knows
what to expect from an early age. (Courtesy of Too Small to Fail)
Role play incorporates higher-level thinking, social responsibility, and democratic
ideals. It can also be a good vocabulary-builder, not to mention a source of physical
activity. (Courtesy of Education Week)
With imaginary games, children feel safe and in control, which promotes autonomy,
decision-making, and organizational skills. Inventing rules for games promotes an
understanding of why rules are necessary.
Before reading, allow your child a few minutes to settle down and adjust his mind and
body to the story. Mood is an important factor in listening. The authoritative “Now
stop that and settle down! Sit up straight! Pay attention!” doesn’t create a receptive
atmosphere. (Courtesy of Teach Preschool)
Slow down enough for your child to see the pictures without feeling hurried. Also,
reading quickly allows no time for you to use vocal expression. (Courtesy of Teach
Preschool)
Finding time to talk with your child, while engaged in other activities such as meal
preparation or diaper changes, can help with bonding and vocabulary development,
and increases quality family time. (Courtesy of Too Small to Fail)
Children who benefit the most from dual language learning are those who hear many
words from parents and caregivers. The more you talk, read and sing with your child
in your native language, the better her knowledge of words and word structure, and
the better able she is to make connections to English. (Courtesy of Too Small to Fail)
A nature walk enhances your child’s appreciation of the natural environment. Ask him
to tell you what they're seeing, hearing, and smelling. Encourage him to touch – to
discover the smoothness of a rock, the roughness of bark, and the fragility of a dried
leaf. For young children, these are science experiences. (Courtesy of Early Childhood
News)
Pretend play makes room for the expression of both positive and negative feelings.
Plus, make-believe games help in the early stages of developing self-regulation,
including reduced aggression, delay of gratification, civility and empathy. (Courtesy of
Psychology Today)
Newborns prefer to look at black and white geometric shapes, rather than bright
colors or pastels. Colors that provide the most contrast are the most appealing to
babies. Black and white, of course, afford the greatest contrast. (Courtesy of Books by
the Bushel)
What's so terrific about contrast? Your newborn's eyes have not matured enough for
him to perceive the values and intensities of the rainbow. Black and white are the
easiest for him to perceive and his interest in these starkly contrasting colors
continues until he is six to nine months old. (Courtesy of Books by the Bushel)
Learning how to take turns, control emotions, share with others and pay attention to
instruction are important skills for all human beings, regardless of age. (Courtesy of
Too Small to Fail)
So-called “soft skills”—social and emotional development skills—are critical to success
in school and life, and they being forming very early in life! (Courtesy of Too Small to
Fail)
Set up an obstacle course with household items inside, or natural items outside.
Moving through it will teach important concepts such as over, under, through and
around. (Courtesy of Early Childhood News)
Young hands begin with simple, reflexive, whole-hand grasping. Over time, the pincer
grip kicks in, allowing your child to use his forefinger and thumb in unison. Each day,
you'll see more deliberate hand and finger movements. (Courtesy of Moving Smart)
Reading to an infant requires "labeling" objects in each picture and adding a comment
to which she can relate. For example, "There is a spoon. You used a spoon this
morning when you ate your cereal." (Courtesy of Child Care Resources)
Remember that reading to your baby may take place in spurts as her attention allows,
but these moments are important in developing readers. (Courtesy of Child Care
Resources)
Bring a light blanket or an old sheet outside and play parachute games: shaking it,
circling with it, making waves with it, or bouncing foam balls on it. (Courtesy of Early
Childhood News)
Imaginative play contributes to increases in language usage including adjectives and
different verb tenses.
Using everyday objects, "read" to your child by pointing out the object and
encouraging a conversation about it. For example, "What is that? It says meow."
(Courtesy of Child Care Resources)
Enhancing language development in toddlers helps them to become readers. Provide
toddlers with books that contain colorful, but simple pictures that are relevant to
them. Board books work best for this age. (Courtesy of Child Care Resources)
Play is the “work” of children, and just like us, sometimes they need to rest! Take the
opportunity to play with your baby or toddler when she’s alert and relaxed. Watch
her closely for signs of being tired or fussy so that she can take a break from playing.
You know that parenting can be hard work, too. Take care of yourself physically,
mentally, and emotionally. It is easier to enjoy your new baby and be a positive, loving
parent when you are feeling good yourself.
It’s empowering for children to be able to express their feelings. Use this simple
template to express your feelings to them, so that they can copy it. “I feel ______
when you _________. I need _________.” (Courtesy of Books by the Bushel)
Learning language is more than making sounds ("babble"), or saying "ma-ma" and
"da-da". Listening, understanding, and knowing the names of people and things are all
a part of language development. (Courtesy of Centers for Disease Control)
Remember to tell your child how proud you are of their accomplishments, or even
that they tried. It’s a way to connect and to help build their confidence to keep
learning and trying new things.
Song and rhymes for young children have been passed down for generations. They
are fun, children love them, and they provide a warm, nurturing experience between
parent and child. (Courtesy of Books by the Bushel)
Help your child build motor skills and learn vocabulary at the same time. If she’s old
enough, describe different ways of moving (marching, walking slowly, crawling) and
ask her to model them. If your child is younger, you help her, or you can do the
moving and make faces and sounds to go along with them.
Keep your baby active. She might not be able to run and play like the "big kids" just
yet, but there’s lots she can do to keep her little arms and legs moving throughout the
day. Getting down on the floor to move helps your baby become strong, learn, and
explore. (Courtesy of Centers for Disease Control)
Look out the window and describe what you see (or, if your child is old enough, ask
him or her to talk about what he sees). Ask questions and help your child point out
things are similar colors or shapes, or that start with the same letter sound.
When your child sees you move your finger along as you read, he learns that text
moves from left to right, top to bottom. He also learns that words are made up of
letters.
At naptime and bedtime, try a routine to wind down. Make the room quiet and cozy,
consider playing soft, soothing music and allow toddlers to choose pajamas or a
stuffed animal to sleep with. Tuck in your child snugly for a feeling of security.
Children are so busy and active during the day. Even the smallest children are actively
learning and exploring their surroundings when they’re awake. It’s a good idea to give
them a special opportunity to slow down. Even if your child doesn’t fall asleep, it’s
helpful to set aside some quiet time during the day for relaxing.
“Simon Says” works not just for fun, but for everyday tasks. Your child learns to listen
to do the tasks. Try “Simon says, brush your teeth.” Or, “Simon says, put on your
socks.” http://school.familyeducation.com/preschool/activity/30334.html
Try adding visual representations to your child’s play. It gives them the opportunity to
make connections to the real objects and the pictures or photos. For example, a
picture of a piece of art next to paper and crayons, or a book about the zoo next to
stuffed animals. (Courtesy of Learning Together with Young Children)
Talk about opposites. Can your child find something big and something small? Can she
feel the difference between something hard and something soft?
Problem-solving skills start early, with something as simple as the ability to answer
who, what, when, where and why. Pose these questions during the day and guide
your child to the answer.
When your child accomplishes something meaningful and shows pride in his work,
request that he show and tell others. Ask him to talk about what he did and how he
figured it out. These actions will help him better understand it himself. (Courtesy of
Learning Together with Young Children)
Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving "bye bye" are
called developmental milestones. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn,
speak, behave, and move (crawling, walking, etc.). This list from the Centers for
Disease Control gives developmental milestones for several ages.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html
Stand in front of a mirror with your baby and point to his reflection. Using his name,
say, “I see Brandon. Where is Brandon?” Encourage him to point to himself in the
mirror.
Children have a huge capacity for offering support and also for accepting and
benefiting from the gifts given by others. They are compelled to connect with one
another, and genuinely fascinated with one another’s words, ideas and actions.
(Courtesy of Learning Together with Young Children)
Make songs and stories interactive. If a story mentions a body part, such as the nose
or feet, touch your child’s nose or wiggle his foot. Introduce simple noisemakers, such
as a pot and a wooden spoon, to create sound effects.
Listening comprehension precedes reading comprehension. The rhyming songs and
stories (“Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Jack and Jill” are examples) are repetitious and allow
children to memorize basic structures and patterns. (Courtesy of Books by the Bushel)
If your child goes abnormally quiet or even screams when another adult picks her up,
it’s a sign that she is picking up on the differences in people. She is learning that not
everyone is the same. Give her time to accept new people and learn to trust them.
Your baby might cry when you leave the room, but that is sign of attachment that will
set the foundation for healthy relationships throughout his life.
Are the leaves starting to fall? Try collecting leaves in your neighborhood and making
art projects from them. Gather a pile of leaves and let your child play: What happens
when you throw the leaves in the air? What sounds do the leaves make underfoot?
By fostering creativity in your child, you encourage him to make connections among
the many things he is learning and help him learn different ways to express himself.
(Courtesy of Learning Together with Young Children)
Make up rhymes about things you see in your home and as you go about your daily
routine. “That’s a fat cat.” “Let’s walk through the door to the store.” (Courtesy of
Books by the Bushel)
Rhymes help children build an awareness of sounds and familiar words. Try rhyming
your child’s name, too. It’s OK if you use nonsense words. Playing with the sounds of
language is the important part. (Courtesy of Books by the Bushel)
Reading with your child is a great bonding activity, but reading aloud doesn’t come
naturally to everyone! To feel at ease while reading and to make your child feel the
same, practice the skill. “Previewing” the book also gives you the opportunity to
determine whether there is any part of the story you want to customize for your child.
(Courtesy of Teach Preschool)
Help your child express their emotions through conversation,
writing, drawing, and singing. Accept his feelings, pay attention and listen. Show him
that you will continue to love him and make him feel safe.
Identify different scents around the house or as you run errands. What smells good
and what smells bad? Flowers? Food? Garbage can? Fresh laundry?
With play, you are providing opportunities for your child to explore and learn.
Remember to encourage him and give him independence while offering support when
needed. Everyday routines and real experiences that make sense to him will help him
learn.
The first time you read a book aloud, discuss the illustrations on the cover of the book
and ask your child what he thinks the book will be about. Remember to say the name
of the book and introduce the author and illustrator, no matter how many times you
have read the this one before. (Courtesy of Teach Preschool)
Think about how you doodle while on the phone or in a meeting. Your child might also
need to keep his hands busy while listening. You can offer a crayon and paper to your
child during the read-aloud experience. (Courtesy of Teach Preschool)
When your child is playing, make sure she has space to add her own ideas and actions.
Set aside “your way” and leave room for invention. Her increasing familiarity with the
objects propels her to new understandings and actions. (Courtesy of Learning
Together with Young Children)
A loving, warm and responsive relationship also includes listening. You can engage
with your child in your daily life: Explaining, speculating, describing, making
connections and asking questions that require more than a yes/no answer.
From a young age, movement is important in developing motor skills. Even small
babies can kick and wave their arms. Practice different types of movement. Can your
child raise one arm, then the other? What about bending knees and elbows at the
same time?
Kids who are active not only sleep better and are better able to maintain a healthy
weight, but some research shows that they are more likely to stave off serious
illnesses as they get older.
Talk about the four seasons. What is the weather like right now? Describe what it
feels like when it’s sunny and when it’s snowy. Ask your child what he would wear in
different weather.
Exploring the things around you helps children learn how to solve problems. Don’t
worry if you don’t have all the answers to your child’s questions: Ask her how she
thinks things work.
Messes happen when playing, or by accident. When an accident happens, remind
your child that it’s OK to make mistakes, but it’s important to do what you can to fix
the mistake. (Courtesy of Learning Together with Young Children)
When you help your child with a task, remind him that you help because you care.
Friends and family help each other in work and in play. Find ways that he can help
you, too, to feel empowered. (Courtesy of Learning Together with Young Children)
Playing is fun, but the cleanup afterward can be fun, too! Talk about how it’s
important to clean up together, and use a song or rhyme that helps the cleanup go
faster.
Moving playthings to a different location in a room can stimulate a new interest and a
new way to use them. You can also try putting new things in proximity to one
another. Try moving a toy onto a table or the floor. It might help your child try new
ways to play. (Courtesy of Learning Together with Young Children)
Have a “Letter Day.” Choose a letter and point out things that start with that letter all
day. Even a baby will benefit from your narration and your engagement, before he
can understand everything you’re saying.
Playing with letters and sounds helps children get ready to read, and repetition helps!
Babies and toddlers are so interested in the adult world and the tools that you use.
When it’s safe, let your child try a new skill or task that expands his knowledge. You
will be surprised what he can do!
Children of this age haven’t yet been convinced that they are incapable of
participating fully in the world, and they are right! Enjoy the opportunity to embrace
the challenges they offer.
Think about using objects in nontraditional ways (as long as you’re watching and it’s
safe). A puzzle with missing pieces can become materials for a colorful art project. A
spoon and a bowl become a drum set. Pillows and scarves of different textures are
fun for babies to touch.
Children thrive when they have significant amounts of time to pursue their own ideas
through play using open-ended materials. Rather than interfering, taking over or
overwhelming them with too much instruction, the actions you choose should
support your child’s learning. (Courtesy of Learning Together with Young Children)
If you’re prepared to go outside in the chilly weather, let your child touch trees and
other bits of nature. Compare the sizes, textures and shapes, and talk about the
season.
The more you “think out loud” with your child, the better she will understand the
“why” of what you’re doing. If you change a routine or approach to a challenge,
explain why and what you’re trying to accomplish. (Courtesy of Learning Together
with Young Children)
Look for animals throughout the day: squirrels, dogs, cats, birds. Practice making their
sounds and imitating their noises. Count how many you see on a walk or out the bus
window. Ask your child what kinds of animals people keep as pets.
Helping your child build skills in observation taps into his eagerness to sort, classify,
and see how things are alike and different. As he grows, noticing details will help him
with spatial relations, drawing, literacy skills, as well as emotional intelligence, such as
reading facial expressions. (Courtesy of Learning Together with Young Children)
Is your child fixated on one particular toy or a set of materials? She can still be
learning if you help her expand her play by asking her questions. “Tell me the story.
What comes first?” Or, “Let’s draw what you have been doing.”
If you talk to your child about her ideas and helps her explain her actions, you are
helping her “learn how to learn” while pursuing her own interests. (Courtesy of
Learning Together with Young Children)
Look for ways to group household objects and talk about their similarities. Perhaps it’s
items made out of wood, or things we use at mealtimes. Encourage your child to
touch the items and talk about them.
Notice the power of humor to enhance children’s thinking. Making up silly songs and
performing funny faces and gestures have a role in the learning process.
Children are fascinated by their own faces. Give your child an opportunity to look at
himself in a mirror and use various materials to re-create an image of himself.
Improvisational actors live by the principle “Yes and …” instead of “Yes, but …” Use
this way of thinking when your child wants to try something new. With “Yes, and …”
you can challenge her to tap into her love of songs and music, or build on her
attention for the natural world. (Courtesy of Learning Together with Young Children)
Messy play is ideal for building up strength and dexterity in the hand muscles – which
will one day support writing. Play-Doh, sand and water play, mud (yes, mud!), and any
other tactile play is great sensory experience for the brain and hands!
Fine motor skills are the highly precise motor control necessary to bring all five fingers
together to do detailed work requiring minute, almost imperceptible movements,
such as using a pencil to write your name. (Courtesy of Moving Smart)
Show your child your love with your touch. Hugs, kisses, snuggles, chubby baby belly
zrrrrrrrbrrrrts are all wonderful ways to shower your child with affection.
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Encourage your baby to pick up crackers or
peas, touch noses and toes, point to pictures and grab toys. The muscles in those little
hands will grow strong and agile. (Courtesy of Reading Rockets)
Fun Fact: Children are learning all the time, in all areas. The brain is particularly
receptive to learning math and logic between the ages of 1 and 4, and early math
skills also strongly predict later reading achievement. (Courtesy of Early Education for
All)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Young children are naturally inquisitive
learners who ask an average of 76 questions per hour. Participate in their constant
experiments by asking and answering questions. Watch as they make predictions,
check them, and use evidence to deduce results. (Courtesy of Early Education for All)
Fun Fact: Inquiry and exploration are foundations for math and science and are also
the foundations of early learning. Neuroscience research shows that critical aspects of
brain architecture are shaped by experiences in the first few years of life. It is
important to take advantage of these early stages to help develop children’s learning
capacities. (Courtesy of Early Education for All)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Smile and react positively as your baby coos
and gurgles, and encourage attempts to mimic you. The more your child practices
making sounds, the clearer they will become. (Courtesy of Reading Rockets)
Fun Fact: When you hold your child close and look at a book together, he will enjoy
the snuggling and hearing your voice as well as the story. Feeling safe and secure with
you while looking at a book builds his confidence and love of reading. (Courtesy of
Reading Rockets)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Measuring cups provide a great opportunity to
learn concepts of volume, including vocabulary words such as more, less, and equal
to. Fill a plastic bin with uncooked rice, un-popped popcorn, dried beans, or noodles.
Allow your child to explore using all different sized measuring cups.
Fun Fact: Children learn to solve math problems as they design and test solutions
through the construction of block towers, piecing together puzzles and even dividing
up a snack among friends. (Courtesy of Early Education for All)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Children of all ages can enjoy books. Babies
enjoy being held and talked to while looking at simple picture books. Toddlers like to
look at pictures while lifting flaps and feeling textures and hearing rhymes. Children
age 4-5 enjoy longer stories and repeated reading of favorite stories and nonfiction
books. (Courtesy of Harvard Graduate School of Education)
Fun Fact: The concept of literacy is complex. It includes skills-based competencies,
such as alphabet knowledge and spelling, as well as knowledge-based competencies,
such as the ability to understand and express complex ideas. The latter starts
developing in infancy and requires sustained instruction. (Courtesy of Harvard
Graduate School of Education)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: When reading with your child, pay attention to
how she reacts to the book you are reading. Stop if she isn't enjoying the story and try
another book or another time. Reading in the early years is about building positive
experiences with books, not about finishing every one you start. (Courtesy of Reading
Rockets)
Fun Fact: Toddlers frequently have shorter attention spans than babies. When it
comes to focused, interactive activities, try to engage your child a little bit, several
times a day. (Courtesy of Reading Rockets)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: On a rainy day, set up a rain gauge using a
clear plastic tumbler or wide-mouth bottle. Talk about the weather and what will
happen to the container; ask an older child to guess how much rain will be collected.
Fun Fact: Children learn about science through play. They blow soap bubbles, for
instance. Or, they might add a block that causes a tower to collapse or refract light
through a prism. (Courtesy of Early Education for All)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: As you prepare a meal, narrate your activities.
Children who are too young to assist with cooking can “help” by bringing out all the
pots and pans. Ask questions, like, “Which one is biggest? What color is it? Can you
find the lid?”
Fun Fact: While you read to your child, she is learning to make predictions – which she
can use to monitor her understanding of the story while thinking ahead to the next
part. (Courtesy of Reading Rockets)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Even young children are experiencing and
cataloging emotions every day. Pay attention to the way that your child identifies with
characters in stories as they dress, eat, visit, nap and play. (Courtesy of Reading
Rockets)
Fun Fact: As children learn to express themselves with words, listen closely – they
have strong opinions and interesting ideas about the world. Encourage your child to
tell you what he thinks. You'll build language skills and learn what makes him tick at
the same time. (Courtesy of Reading Rockets)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Provide opportunities to sort and categorize
items by size or shape. The groups could be general concepts such as "hard things"
and "soft things," or something personal, such as "things that were gifts" or "things I
found." (Courtesy of Reading Rockets)
Fun Fact: Don't expect your toddler to sit still for a book! Toddlers need to move, so
don't worry if they act out stories or just skip, romp, or tumble as you read to them.
They may be moving, but they are listening. (Courtesy of Reading Rockets)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Make sure books are as easy to reach, hold,
and look at as toys. (For younger children, make sure it’s only chewable books within
reach!) (Courtesy of Reading Rockets)
Fun Fact: Your child will endlessly ask “why” because he’s trying to learn about the
world around him. It’s important to answer these questions patiently, and when you
don’t know how to answer, say, “I don’t know. Let’s look it up in a book.” That shows
him that books are important resources. (Courtesy of U.S. Department of Education)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Stick to routines that not only help your child
feel safe, but also help him learn to predict what will happen next and see patterns in
his everyday life. Almost everything we see, hear, or touch contains details that our
brain processes.
Fun Fact: Even our youngest children are able to recognize patterns and use
categories to process new information. Without realizing it, our brain is looking for
what is new, what is different, and what has changed. New information is matched to
a category that already exists in our mind. (Courtesy of Reading Rockets)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Encourage play that involves naming,
describing, and communicating. Set up a zoo with all the stuffed animals, or stage a
race with the toy cars. Put your child in charge and ask lots of questions. (Courtesy of
Reading Rockets)
Fun Fact: What’s “old hat” to you can be new and exciting to babies, toddlers and
preschoolers. When you talk about everyday experiences, you help children connect
their world to language and enable them to go beyond that world to new ideas.
(Courtesy of U.S. Department of Education)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Help your young explorer use terms such as
taller, shorter, wide, small, large, lighter, heavier, hotter, colder, warm, and variations
of the terms such as large, larger, largest, small, smaller, smallest. These words
introduce math and science concepts early on. (Courtesy of Reading Rockets)
Fun Fact: Before your child begins writing, drawing can be a way to record
observations. Simple drawings and labels that order objects from smallest to largest
provide a chance to put all the language arts, math, and science skills together.
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: It’s OK to make mistakes! When reciting
rhymes and singing songs, pause to let your child fill in the blank or chant a refrain.
Once he is familiar with the rhyme or pattern, make mistakes on purpose and get
caught.
Fun Fact: In the excitement of interacting with you, your child might interrupt or yell
out. Be gentle and patient in this process, and let him know you appreciate his
participation. (Courtesy of U.S. Department of Education)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: On a trip to the store, talk to your child and
ask questions about what you might or can buy there. Play a guessing game and
include items that you can’t buy at the market. “Will we buy apples? Will we buy
trains? Will we buy eggs? Will we buy beds?”
Fun Fact: Most parents and caregivers talk to their child about cause and effect long
before we expect our children to understand those terms. We teach cause and effect
every time we help a young child recognize a relationship between two things, or
when we demonstrate that one event is the result of another. (Courtesy of Reading
Rockets)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: It helps build your child’s vocabulary when you
give everything a name. Talk about interesting words and objects. For example, "Look
at that airplane! Those are the wings of the plane. Why do you think they are called
wings?" (Courtesy of Reading Rockets)
Fun Fact: Before your child learns to read and write, it’s not too early to point out
elements that they’ll learn later on. Mention how we read from left to right and how
words are separated by spaces. Point out and talk about the written words you see in
the world around you. (Courtesy of Reading Rockets)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Make reading a bonding activity. Tell your
child how much you enjoy reading with her. Talk about "story time" as the favorite
part of your day, and read with fun in your voice. (Courtesy of Reading Rockets)
Fun Fact: When you read to your baby or toddler, your child is forming an association
between books and what is most loved – your voice and closeness. Allowing your
child to handle books deepens the attachment even more. (Courtesy of U.S.
Department of Education)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Ask questions that your child can answer, or
that you can help her solve. “What color is your room? What is in this kitchen
drawer?” Make predictions, then investigate together!
Fun Fact: Research and information literacy is a collection of skills that, when
combined, means that a learner is able to find, understand, evaluate and use
information. When playing with your child, engage him in a conversation about what
is “fact” and what is “opinion.” Or talk about information sources: “Who said that?”
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Make a point of reading books out loud—
listening is tough work for kids at first, but easier with practice; it is valuable for
children’s language growth to hear great stories that are beyond their reading ability.
It is also great fun for caregivers and children alike to read together. (Courtesy of
Harvard Graduate School of Education)
Fun Fact: When it comes to literacy, skills-based competencies such as word reading,
are necessary but not sufficient for early literacy development; later reading
comprehension and academic success depend mostly on strong knowledge‐based
competencies, such as concepts about the world and oral language skills. (Courtesy of
Harvard Graduate School of Education)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: After your child speaks or tells a story, show
with your facial expression, tone and questions that you are interested in what she
has to say. This will help build her confidence and ability to recount stories. (Courtesy
of U.S. Department of Education)
Fun Fact: When children anticipate what’s coming next in a story or poem, they have
a sense of mastery over books, and when they feel power, they have the courage to
try. Encourage your child to pretend to read, especially books with repetition and
rhyme. (Courtesy of U.S. Department of Education)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Help your child build skills in estimation. Set
up simple “experiments” where your child can estimate the number of uncooked
beans that will fit in a jar, then fill it up, or you predict what will be heavier, a spoon or
a cup, then hold each one and feel its weight.
Fun Fact: Hands-on measurement activities are fun to explore with children.
Introduce your young learner to these interesting new vocabulary words and
knowledge, and help your child develop an early love of measuring everything in
sight! (Courtesy of Reading Rockets)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Play rhyming games with simple words and
objects you find around the house. “Cat,” “hat,” “ball,” “wall.” Your child can enjoy
and learn from the rhymes at age 2 and can play rhyming games at age 3. (Courtesy of
Harvard Graduate School of Education)
Fun Fact: Even as a toddler, your child can understand simple phrases and by age 2,
has 250-350 words. By age 3, she has 800-1,000 words and can repeat common
rhymes. (Courtesy of Harvard Graduate School of Education)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Try acting out a story or nursery rhyme with
your child, making faces that show the way a character is feeling. Bring emotion into
your voice, and be an enthusiastic audience. Applause is always nice! (Courtesy of U.S.
Department of Education)
Fun Fact: Having an audience is very helpful for a child to improve language skills, as
well as confidence in speaking. Parents can be the best audience a child will ever
have. (Courtesy of U.S. Department of Education)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: In addition to rulers and cups, children can
measure using non-standard tools. Ask your child to use stuffed animals to measure
distance. "How many stuffed animals long is our kitchen table?" Crackers, blocks, and
dried pasta can also serve this purpose.
Fun Fact: Young children learn by engaging in activities that are real and meaningful
to them — activities that encourage the development of skills, knowledge, and ways
of thinking and learning. Parents can help teach children the early skills for literacy as
well as science and mathematics development by creating simple settings that
encourage learning. (Courtesy of Reading Rockets)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Talking and reading from birth can become a
habit. As you move through your day, sing songs and play games. Elaborate on what
your child says to increase his language, then tell your own stories—about what
happened on the bus, what you saw on the news, what you heard on the radio—and
encourage him
to tell his. (Courtesy of Harvard Graduate School of Education)
Fun Fact: A child’s vocabulary at age 4 is predictive of third
grade reading comprehension. The good news is that, in the early years, the activities
that can help young children grow their skills can also be enjoyable for them!
(Courtesy of Harvard Graduate School of Education)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: There is no such thing as too much singing!
Narrate your day in a singsong voice; sing about cleaning up or about making meals.
You can sing familiar songs, or make up the words as you go along. It helps your child
love and learn through repetition. (Courtesy of Books by the Bushel)
Fun Fact: Children are born with the potential to develop executive function including the capacity to remember, the ability to filter thoughts and control impulses,
and the capacity to adjust to changing demands - but the foundation for these skills is
shaped by their early experiences.
Play dough is fun for all ages! Check out this recipe for edible dough: 18 oz. peanut
butter, 6 tablespoons honey and nonfat dry milk. Mix well and refrigerate. When it’s
ready, let your creativity run wild. Your child will develop motor skills while exploring
the possibilities of creating creatures and objects out of the dough.
Research shows that sensory stimulation is a significant factor in brain development.
For basic gross-motor skills, the experiences from the prenatal period to age 5 are
critical. Activities that build the foundation for these experiences include everything
from kicking to dancing to rolling on the floor.
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Reading with books is really important, but
don’t forget about oral storytelling! Try making up a story with your child as the main
character, or tell stories about family and friends. Be expressive with voices and
gestures.
Fun Fact: Research shows a strong relationship between singing and literacy
development. Think about exploring sounds and sequence; both are critical skills for
reading. (Courtesy of Books by the Bushel)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Cuddling and smiling show your affection.
How do you emphasize it with words? It can be as simple as saying “I love you,”
“Thank you,” and even “You can do it!” Get more ideas here.
Fun Fact: Strong bonds with parents and other caring adults help children to handle
stress and improve overall mental health. That's one thing we can do to help them
build the resiliency they will need for good health their whole lives through.
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Play is the “work” of children, and just like us,
sometimes they need to rest! Take the opportunity to play with your baby or toddler
when she’s alert and relaxed. Watch her closely for signs of being tired or fussy so
that she can take a break from playing.
Fun Fact: You know that parenting can be hard work, too. Take care of yourself
physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is easier to enjoy your new baby and be a
positive, loving parent when you are feeling good yourself.
Remember to tell your child how proud you are of their accomplishments, or even
that they tried. It’s a way to connect and to help build their confidence to keep
learning and trying new things.
Everyday Ways: Blocks are great toys for all young children. Give your child some
blocks and a box. Show her how to put a block in and then let her have a turn. Let
her do another. Dump the box and start over. Or stack blocks. Show her how to
stack two blocks then give them to your child to try. Around 12-18 months, children
can stack two blocks or put three small objects in a container.
Fun Fact: Imaginative play helps children to develop a critical cognitive skill called
executive function. Executive function helps a child to self-regulate her
actions. “Children with good self-regulation are better able to control their emotions,
their behavior, resist impulses and exert self-control and discipline.” (Source: NPR's
Morning Edition: Creative Play Makes for Kids in Control). Children also do better in
school when they have developed their executive function to a higher level.
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Make the Story Come Alive when you read
with your child. Create voices for the story characters and use your body to tell the
story.
Fun Fact: Do you hear early literacy and worry that your two year old should be
reading? Not at all. That’s too young! Early literacy emphasizes the natural unfolding
of skills through the enjoyment of books, positive interactions between young
children and adults, and literacy-rich experiences. Look for your child to turn pages,
point at pictures, and even chew the book. Early literacy in action!
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Each moment brings a new chance to say “I
love you” - not just with words, but with deeds and actions. If your child wants to help
you with the housework or in the kitchen, let her. Include her in your everyday tasks
and be sure to thank them for their efforts. Yes, you can probably accomplish things
faster without their help but faster isn’t the goal. Slow down, be patient, and don’t
worry about things being done perfectly. For more ideas, click here.
Fun Fact: Relationships are the way babies come to know the world and their place in
it. They provide the loving context necessary to comfort, protect, encourage, and
offer a buffer against stressful times. Nurturing relationships are crucial for the
development of trust, empathy, compassion, generosity, and conscience.
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Two to three year olds love pretend play!
Enter your child’s pretend world and follow his lead. Ask questions like “Who should I
be?” and “What do I do next?” (Courtesy of Zero to Three.)
Fun Fact: Children don’t understand sharing, even at three years old. Be prepared for
frustrations if another child is on the swing or wants the bucket in the sandbox. Offer
an alternative as your child learns to wait. (Courtesy of Zero to Three.)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: When getting ready for the day or for bed, ask
your child what order to do things: "Do you want to brush your teeth first, or wash
your face?" You can also ask him what he wants to do himself: "Will you button your
shirt, or do you want me to help you?" He can also pick a song for you to sing while
you get ready.
Fun Fact: Asking nonjudgmental questions and sharing your own thoughts and
feelings help children develop key self-management skills. Try asking your child what
she is doing and feeling, and why. Ask her, "What else could you do? What do you
think would be best?" (Courtesy of Washington State Early Learning and Development
Guidelines)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Home means something different to
everyone. Try building a pretend “house” with chairs, blankets and pillows. Crawl in to
spend time with your child, and talk about how people live in different types of
homes, such as boats, apartments, trailers and tents.
Fun Fact: When children begin school, they will often be asked to make choices.
When they practice making choices at home with you, they will then be able to make
choices at school. (Courtesy of Child Care Resources)
Everyday Ways: You don't need toys to play outside. Introduce your child to the
concept of sun and shadows. Talk about how you feel in the sun: warm or cold? Point
out how you make shadows as you walk. Move around to make your shadow get
longer or shorter, and move your arms and legs to see how the shadows change.
Fun Fact: Your child learns by copying your vocalization, facial expressions and body
movement. Simple turn-taking games, such as peek-a-boo, can be extremely
gratifying for her - and it's helping her learn. (Courtesy of Washington State Early
Learning and Development Guidelines)
Everyday Ways: Now that it’s summertime, the market is bursting with color in the
fruit and vegetable section. Ask your younger child to point to red fruits or green
vegetables. Ask your older child, “A banana is yellow. What else is yellow?” When you
get home, practice sorting the items by color.
Fun Fact: It’s OK to repeat questions or directions – repetition is how children learn.
You can also help younger children understand by using gestures. By age 1, children
should be able to pay attention to what an adult is looking at or pointing to, and reach
and point to communicate. (Courtesy of Washington State Early Learning and
Development Guidelines)
Everyday Ways: Your child won’t notice if you can’t carry a tune! Share your favorite
song from your childhood, and patiently sing it several times so that your child can
become familiar with it. Turn chores or routines into fun activities by associating
songs with them; you can even make up the tunes. Maybe a song about cleaning up
or about getting ready for bed?
Fun Fact: Infants might cry to express or relieve a variety of feelings, and the crying
might increase when you listen and respond. Respond promptly and consistently, and
help and comfort him when he is upset or stressed. (Courtesy of Washington State
Early Learning and Development Guidelines)
Everyday Ways: Here’s a fun outdoor activity for a sunny day: Blow bubbles! Mix half
a cup of liquid dish soap with one-and-a-half cups of water with 2 teaspoons of light
corn syrup or sugar. Let it sit in the open for a few hours to make the bubbles
“stronger.” Make bubble wands with pipe cleaners.
Fun Fact: We all know that babies will put anything they can grasp in their mouths.
But it’s a normal process of building up their sensormotor skills. They want to hear,
touch, see, smell – and taste – to learn more about the objects in their world.
(Courtesy of Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Help your child observe the items big and
small in your neighborhood. Take a walk or look out the window, and describe
something you see. Ask him to guess what it is. Start with big, easy-to-see things, like
cars or houses, then try something more difficult. With older kids, take turns
describing what you see.
Fun Fact: Children who are learning more than one language or dialect may
experience a silent period or seem to be learning more slowly. This is because they
are absorbing the sounds and learning the words of the new language. For most
children, learning more than one language does not lead to delays in speech or
language development. (Courtesy of Washington State Early Learning and
Development Guidelines)
Everyday Ways: It’s normal for young children to demonstrate fear of unknown
people and places. Prepare for transitions or separations by sharing information. Tell
what will happen next and use a consistent departure routine. (Courtesy of
Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines)
Fun Fact: Even as infants, children begin to notice routines. You see this when your
child learns to hold up her arms when she wants you to pick her up. The consistency
of daily activities such as naptimes are important to help her feel safe. (Courtesy of
Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines)
Everyday Ways: Make household chores fun by asking your child to help. Ask him to
pile all the socks together, and match them by size or color. He can also find his
clothes and practice folding them. (Don’t worry if he doesn’t fold them “right” at first
– with practice, he will learn!)
Fun Fact: As young as 9 months old, children are capable of staying focused on an
activity for a sustained period of time. Often, they will repeat a simple activity until
they are successful at it. Give your child time to try out different materials and master
them. (Courtesy of Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines)
Everyday Ways: At the market, as you place items in your cart, tell your child what
color it is. “This is a red apple. This box of cookies is blue.” Ask your child to name
things that are the same color. Then, when you’re waiting in line, pass the time by
talking about shapes. Help your child recognize rectangles, triangles and circles. Point
to an item and him to name the shape.
Fun Fact: Reading aloud is the single most important thing you can do to help your
child succeed in school! Reading aloud stimulates literacy and cognitive skills, builds
motivation, curiosity and memory, and helps create a nurturing relationship between
parent and child.
Everyday Ways: In the car or on the bus, keep your child engaged by narrating your
trip. Explain, “See the yellow light? That means we must slow down.” Talk about the
colors and shapes of the lights and signs, for example green light and red triangle.
Fun Fact: You might think you know everything about your baby, but her rapid
learning and deft mimicry can sometimes catch you by surprise. Take note of the
actions your child has done that surprised you with a new ability, skill or
understanding.
Everyday Ways: Take a walk around your home or neighborhood to listen for sounds.
Tell your child what you are hearing, and ask her if she can hear it also. You can
prompt her with questions, like, “Do you hear a truck? Do you hear a dog?” Try to
imitate or describe the sounds, like, “A cat says meow. A car goes vroom.”
Fun Fact: Babies and toddlers begin to observe and explore their surroundings early
on, and they begin to act bored (crying and fussing) if the activity doesn’t change. Try
to limit your child’s time in infant equipment such as car seats or carriers, and take
him outdoors to talk about what he is hearing, seeing and feeling. (Courtesy of
Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines)
Everyday Ways: At the end of the day, it’s a good time to talk about activities and tell
stories. You can tell your story first, using words like “first,” “then,” and “after.” Your
child can add details to the story, or you can ask him to tell the story himself and
describe his favorite part of the day.
Fun Fact: Children learn in the same way that they build a tower of blocks: One block
goes on top of another. In reading for example, a child starts by simply enjoying
listening to someone speaking to him. Then, by age 3 or 4, he starts pretending to
read, or tell a story during play. The ability to retell stories comes later. (Courtesy of
Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines)
Everyday Ways: It’s important to watch your child closely while she plays, but when
she’s first learning to move, you can position yourself just out of reach to encourage
rolling, scooting, creeping and crawling. For babies who aren’t yet mobile, motor skills
can build by simply singing songs or playing games that involve big movements with
arms and legs. (Courtesy of Washington State Early Learning and Development
Guidelines)
Fun Fact: Toddlers use trusted adults as a secure base from which to explore. That
means testing your response – such as reaching for a forbidden object or making an
effort to re-engage your attention if you’re distracted – is a normal way to learn selfmanagement. (Courtesy of Washington State Early Learning and Development
Guidelines)
Everyday Ways: Children are small scientists who learn by experimenting. Set up this
experiment: Put two bowls of water, one warm and one cool, on a towel, then add ice
cubes to the mix. Let your child play with the ice in the water and try to pick them up
with a spoon. Ask questions about how the water feels, and how the ice affects the
water.
Fun Fact: Your child is a little scientist. Watch how he repeats actions – such as
dropping a toy – over and over to figure out cause and effect. (Courtesy of
Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines)
Everyday Ways: At the doctor’s or dentist’s office, tell your child what you see: “Four
chairs, two tables, one lamp.” If your child is older, ask her to tell you what she sees in
the room. You can also ask the doctor, dentist or nurse to name items they use:
thermometer, mirror, drill, light, sink, scale.
Fun Fact: Communication skills begin before birth. Language is an important part of
cultural identity. Language skills begin in a child’s home language(s). Tribal children
may be learning their tribal language at the same time as a home language. (Courtesy
of Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Halloween costumes and decorations can be
scary for young children. Help them to feel secure by providing non-frightening masks
for them to play with before Halloween. Trick-or-treating? Stick to houses you know,
so your child will be greeted by friendly faces. Walk up and ring the bell with your
little one, and crouch down next to her in case she feels unsure. For other ideas, visit
Zero to Three.
Fun Fact: Halloween often scares children. Masks and costumes are terrifying for
children because they challenge your child’s trust in one of his most basic
understandings—what a person looks like. Imagine a clown. It is the mismatch
between what the clown looks like and your child’s expectations that makes this
situation so scary and confusing.
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: With falling leaves comes fun play. Raking
leaves? Sit, crawl or jump in them with your little one. Crunch the dry leaves. Talk
about the changing colors. Throw them in the air and let them fall on your child’s
head while talking about how they are going up and down.
Fun Fact: Make the most of playtime with your child by reading your child's signals.
Your little one may not be able to tell you using words when he's had enough or when
he's frustrated. But he has other ways—like using his sounds, facial expressions, and
gestures. Reading the signals help you know when to jump in, change to a new
activity, or what activities your child prefers.
Everyday Ways: Get your child thinking about what will happen next. When you are
planning to leave the house or daycare, ask, “Where are we going now?” While you’re
out running errands, ask, “What do you think we will buy?” When you’re visiting
friends or family, ask, “When we arrive, what will they do?” Then ask what your child
will do when she gets home again.
Fun Fact: Before your child is 1 year old, he is noticing the physical characteristics and
emotional expressions of adults and other children. It’s not too early to read or tell
stories about family and friends; understand that he is taking cues from how you treat
others. (Courtesy of Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines)
Everyday Ways: Even a young child can help in the kitchen by stirring, pouring, or
handing you bowls and spoons. Or, while you cook and talk about your favorite foods,
your child can draw pictures of the meal you’re making.
Fun Fact: Just as you encourage your child to triumph, let him learn to fail, too. It
creates a bonding moment when you are there for him with hugs and
encouragement.
Everyday Ways: Math doesn’t start with 2 plus 2. Playing with stackable items such as
blocks or cups, especially those with different sizes and shapes, introduce
mathematical concepts. Even young children can benefit from hearing you count out
objects or use words such as “more,” “again” and “another.” (Courtesy of Washington
State Early Learning and Development Guidelines)
Fun Fact: Even before age 1, your child is capable of understanding that something
can still exist even when she can’t see it. This is an important concept to learn, and it’s
why your child has great interest in games like peek-a-boo or hide-and-seek, and in
the items in your purse or pocket.
Everyday Ways: When you’re out shopping, practice naming colors. Then ask your
child to help you find something, for example, a yellow cup or a blue T-shirt.
Fun Fact: Sometime between the ages of 15-24 months, many children experience
what researchers call a word spurt, from a vocabulary of 50 words up to as many as
600 words. Researchers have noted that the words learned during a spurt can be
names of objects or verbs, and this varies by culture and language.
Fun Fact: Children have different learning styles. Match your play activities to his
learning style and preferences to help him learn best. Auditory learners learn best
from hearing things. Visual learners like to see you do something or learn from
pictures. Whole body learners interact with materials, feel, touch and move to learn
best.
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: It’s cold outside! Talk about cold with your
child. For babies, use the word “cold” when the two of you touch cold water, snow or
ice, open the fridge, or when you go outside in cold weather. Talk with your toddler
about what “cold” feels like. Use other words for “cold”—like “freezing,” “icy” or
“chilly.” (Courtesy of Zero to Three)
Fun Fact: You swear you won’t do it, but you find yourself talking “baby talk” or
“parentese.” Researchers report that babies not only pay much more attention when
hearing parentese, but also appear to learn from it. Studies found that babies exposed
to parentese learned words and developed language skills faster than babies who
were not. Learn more.
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Happy Valentine’s Day! Show your child your
love today with your touch. Hugs, kisses, chubby baby belly zrrrrrrrbrrrrts are all
wonderful ways to shower your child with affection. Help your child show his love by
making Valentines and giving them to family and friends. And don't forget to say, "I
love you" to children of all ages! What will you do to show your love this Valentine’s
Day?
Fun Fact: Children learn that you love them in so many different ways – words, touch,
letting them help you, showing them you remember them when you are apart. For
some fresh ideas to show your love, click here.
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Use ice play to teach children about cold.
With babies (6 months and older), put a few wet ice cubes on the high chair tray and
see how they respond. For toddlers, shave some ice in a blender. Put it in a shallow
pan, along with some ice cubes for fun, but cold, play. Throw in some spoons, cups,
and bowls for him to scoop and dump with. Tell us how your child responds!
Fun Fact, Part 1: True or false? Flashcards, educational computer games, and “brain
development” videos accelerate young children’s learning. Tell us what you think!
We’ll share the correct answer tomorrow.
Fun Fact, Part 2: No, kids do not need flash cards and educational videos and
computer games. What they do need is lots of time to explore and play in a variety of
ways, indoors and out. And they need you to follow their lead, respect their individual
style of play, join in their play, and be their coach in making new discoveries.
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Talk about your day! Tell the story of the day.
Ask your child to add details. Ask your child to describe her favorite part of the day:
“What did you like doing today?” (Courtesy of Child Care Resources)
Fun Fact: Did you know that girls have a greater verbal ability and tend to speak and
read at a younger age? Boys and girls are different and develop at their own pace.
What differences have you seen between your sons and daughters?
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Kids love to help – let your child help you with
the laundry. Younger children can hand you clothes to fold. Toddlers may be able to
sort laundry by color. Older children can match socks or count washcloths.
Fun Fact: When you encourage your child to help you, you’re promoting his development in many ways. Just like adults, helping makes children feel valued. It also lets
them know they have useful skills. This builds their self-esteem.
Everyday Ways: It’s spring and that means rain! Go for a rain walk. Bundle up in
raincoat and rainboots; put a rain shield over the stroller. Open the umbrellas. What
do you see? Raindrops on leaves? Worms? Puddles? Don’t worry if your toddler gets
wet while he’s exploring; have some dry clothes and a towel right inside the door so
he can warm up and talk all about what you’ve just seen.
Fun Fact: Outdoor play is very important. It helps children develop many physical
skills like climbing, jumping, balance, and coordination.
Everyday Ways: You’ve had a rain walk. Now it’s time to talk about rain. Sing songs
like Rain, Rain Go Away and Itsy Bitsy Spider together. Read some rainy day books
together. For babies, try Gossie and Gertie by Olivia Dunrea and for toddlers, the
ultimate rainy day fantasy, The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. What are your favorite
rainy day books? (Courtesy of Zero to Three)
Fun Fact, Part 1: True or false? Young children who can’t read and write don’t
benefit from playing with real “grown-up” materials like paper, envelopes, pens,
books, and take-out menus. What do you think? We’ll post the answer tomorrow.
Fun Fact, Part 2: How did you answer yesterday’s question? The answer is false.
Research shows that playful experimentation with print supports literacy
development.
Everyday Ways: Do you have a routine for child care drop off or leaving for work?
Special kisses and hugs, counting stairs up to the child care center, hanging coats and
settling in a special place can make transitions between caregivers easier. Learn more
about the importance of routines here.
Fun Fact: As babies grow, they come into contact with more people and begin to
learn patterns and routines for social interaction. Greetings, good-byes, and chatting
with others are examples of routine interactions that teach social skills. These
interactions are also opportunities to help our children develop language skills.
(Courtesy of Zero to Three)
Everyday Ways: Create an obstacle course! Find an empty space and fill it with
cushions and large boxes. Drape blankets over a table or chairs to create tunnels. Use
a Hula Hoop to crawl through, or a step stool for older children. Practice the words,
in, out, over, under, around and through.
Fun Fact: Play is your child’s work. It is how he learns. Make the most of playtime by
following your child's lead. Provide an object, toy, or activity for your baby or toddler
and then see what he does with it. It's okay if it's not the "right" way...let him show
you a "new way." (Courtesy of Zero to Three)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Enjoy the beginning of spring with a walk with
your child and talk about what you hear. Tell your child what you are hearing. Ask
questions: “Do you hear a car? An airplane?” Make the sounds you hear or ask your
child to: “The dog goes ‘roof, roof.” (Courtesy of Child Care Resources)
Fun Fact: Did you know that research shows that children with the widest, richest
vocabularies acquired their trove of words through conversation and playful
interactions, not direct instruction. “Storytelling, singing, playing, telling jokes—those
are the building blocks of extensive vocabularies.” Peter L. Mangione, co-director of
the Center for Child and Family Studies at WestEd in San Francisco. Learn more.
Everyday Ways: Make getting dressed fun and a learning experience!
Provide two shirts, and let him choose. This gives him a sense of control and lets him
know you value what he likes. Be silly. Try putting a sock on his hand or a pant leg on
his arm. Laugh with him and say, “Oops! That’s not right. Where does it go?” What do
you do to make getting dressed easier? (Courtesy of Zero to Three)
Fun Fact: Helping your child be part of the dressing routine not only makes him feel
loved, it can teach him how to care for himself. When you encourage him to help,
and let him try some or all of it on his own, it builds his self-confidence. (Courtesy of
Zero to Three)
Everyday Ways: Play ball games with your child and you can help her develop her
ability to share. Try rolling or tossing a ball back and forth. What games do you play
with your child to help her learn about sharing?
Fun Fact, Part 1: True or False? An 18-month-old can be
expected to share toys during a play date. What do you think? We’ll share the
correct answer tomorrow.
Fun Fact, Part 2: The answer to yesterday’s question about sharing is false. 18month-olds simply have not developed the skills they need to succeed with sharing—
yet. Children begin to grasp the notion of sharing at about age 3 but will still need
help occasionally. (Courtesy of Zero to Three)
Everyday Ways: Take a trip to the zoo! Describe each of the animals you see, talk
about what they do, and make their sounds. “Look, there’s a giraffe! Giraffe’s have
long necks and eat leaves on trees. Munch, munch, munch.”
Fun Fact: Early language and literacy (reading and writing) development begins in the
first three years of life and is closely
linked to a child's earliest experiences with books and stories. Read daily with your
child – no matter how small he is!
Everyday Ways: Children like routine and ritual. Help your child feel secure by letting
her know what is happening next.
Fun Fact: Research shows that when you nurture your child, talk to him and give him
choices, it helps his vocabulary and his ability to learn. You can help him learn about
emotions and how to express them through your example. Remember – he learns
from you. Do you want him to copy what you just did?
Everyday Ways: Have a parade! Use a drum, shakers, tambourine or cymbal. If you
don’t have these, make them out of pots, lids, and wooden spoons. March around
the house carrying instruments, flags (made out of old sheets or scarves), and sing
songs you know and love. Don’t have walkers yet? Do the same, but have a concert.
Fun Fact: Teaching too much stifles children’s exploration. New research tested what
children learn if they are taught how to use a toy versus exploring on their own how
to use the toy. Those who were taught how to make the toy squeak played with it for
less time and discovered fewer functions than those who did not receive a tutorial.
How much do you let your children explore? How much do you teach?
Everyday Ways: Reading a book? Ask your child to tell a story based on the pictures.
Or see if he can predict what will happen next. Let your child finish a sentence. “Old
MacDonald had a _____.”
Fun Fact: Intentional, interactive reading where you and your child discuss the story
as you read (called dialogic reading) is shown in research to enhance children’s
emergent literacy skills.
Everyday Ways: Your child loves to help you and be close to you. Give him jobs that
he can do with you. Folding the laundry? Let him sort the socks by color. Emptying
the dishwasher? Let him help put spoons away. (Thanks to Children’s Home Society
of Washington, PlayBright Early Learning System.)
Fun Fact: You are so important to you child! She watches and imitates everything
you do. What do you want her to learn? How to show her feelings? How to solve
problems and get along with others? Be aware of what you are doing because she
wants to be just like you! (Thanks to Children’s Home Society of Washington,
PlayBright Early Learning System.)
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: Halloween costumes and decorations can be
scary for young children. Help them to feel secure by providing non-frightening masks
for them to play with before Halloween. Trick-or-treating? Stick to houses you know,
so your child will be greeted by friendly faces. Walk up and ring the bell with your
little one, and crouch down next to her in case she feels unsure. For other ideas, visit
Zero to Three.
Fun Fact: Halloween often scares children. Masks and costumes are terrifying for
children because they challenge your child’s trust in one of his most basic
understandings—what a person looks like. Imagine a clown. It is the mismatch
between what the clown looks like and your child’s expectations that makes this
situation so scary and confusing.
Everyday Ways to Love, Talk and Play: With falling leaves comes fun play. Raking
leaves? Sit, crawl or jump in them with your little one. Crunch the dry leaves. Talk
about the changing colors. Throw them in the air and let them fall on your child’s
head while talking about how they are going up and down.
Fun Fact: Make the most of playtime with your child by reading your child's signals.
Your little one may not be able to tell you using words when he's had enough or when
he's frustrated. But he has other ways—like using his sounds, facial expressions, and
gestures. Reading the signals help you know when to jump in, change to a new
activity, or what activities your child prefers.
Everyday Ways: Blocks are great toys for all young children. Give your child some
blocks and a box. Show her how to put a block in and then let her have a turn. Let
her do another. Dump the box and start over. Or stack blocks. Show her how to
stack two blocks then give them to your child to try. Around 12-18 months, children
can stack two blocks or put three small objects in a container.
Fun Fact: Imaginative play helps children to develop a critical cognitive skill called
executive function. Executive function helps a child to self-regulate her
actions. “Children with good self-regulation are better able to control their emotions,
their behavior, resist impulses and exert self-control and discipline.” (Source: NPR's
Morning Edition: Creative Play Makes for Kids in Control). Children also do better in
school when they have developed their executive function to a higher level.
SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Play
Toys that Encourage Creative Play, 0-2 - http://www.parentmap.com/article/toys-thatencourage-creative-play
Games Babies Play, 0-2 - http://www.parentmap.com/article/games-babies-play
"Dad's role in child play key to later development," Gottman says. http://www.parentmap.com/article/qdads-role-in-child-play-key-to-laterdevelopmentq-gottman-says
Make the Most of Playtime - http://www.zerotothree.org/childdevelopment/play/make-the-most-of-playtime.html
Tips on Playing with Baby and Toddlers - http://www.zerotothree.org/childdevelopment/play/play-tips.html
Play Time True and False – this is a PPT found at the bottom of this page http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/play/tips-and-tools-play.html.
Play is the Work of Young Children - http://eyeonearlyeducation.org/2012/02/01/playis-the-work-of-young-children/
Babies Hunger to Learn - http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/science/babies-hungerto-learn-shows-a-goldilocks-effect.html?_r=2&hpw
Talk
Bring on the Baby Talk - http://www.parentmap.com/article/encourage-your-baby-totalk
Reading with Toddlers: Storytime Tips for Wiggly Kids http://www.parentmap.com/article/reading-with-toddlers-storytime-tips-for-wigglykids
Babies, Brains and Books - http://www.parentmap.com/article/babies-brains-and-books
Look who's cooing: Help foster your baby's language skills http://www.parentmap.com/article/look-whos-cooing-help-foster-your-babyslanguage-skills
Early Literacy - http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/early-languageliteracy/earlyliteracy2pagehandout.pdf
Tips on Learning to Talk - http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/earlylanguage-literacy/helping-learn-to-talk.html
Supporting Your Child’s Communications Skills - http://www.zerotothree.org/early-careeducation/early-language-literacy/communication-skills.html
Word Counts and Young Children - http://eyeonearlyeducation.org/2011/02/28/wordcounts-and-young-children/
Early Literacy - http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/early-languageliteracy/earlyliteracy2pagehandout.pdf
Love
Bond baby, bond! - http://www.parentmap.com/article/bonding-with-your-baby
Love, Learning and Routines - http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/socialemotional-development/love-learning-and-routines.html
Magic of Everyday Moments – this page has 8 handouts by age in both English and
Spanish. http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/early-development/magic-ofeveryday-moments.html
14 Ways to Show Love for your Child on Valentine’s Day and Every Day http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/news-features-and-safetytips/Pages/14-Ways-to-Show-Love-for-Your-Child-This-Valentine%27s-Day.aspx
Spanish version of the above article - http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aappress-room/News%20Features/spanishvalentinetips.pdf
More than Words: Simple Ways to Show Your Kids You Love Them http://simplekids.net/more-than-words/
Tips for Promoting Social Emotional Development - http://www.zerotothree.org/childdevelopment/social-emotional-development/tips-for-promoting-social-emotionaldevelopment.html
Activities
Songs, Rhymes and Fingerplays (English and Spanish) http://www.zerotothree.org/early-care-education/early-languageliteracy/songsengspan.pdf
A Year of Play - http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/play/play-year.html