Seven brain-boosting tips for those little moments together with your toddler
DID YOU know your child’s brain develops faster in the first five years than at any other stage of life?
By the time your little one celebrates their fifth birthday, 90 per cent of their brain growth has already happened!
The little moments you spend together can hugely enhance their overall development, particularly when it comes to learning to talk and communicate – whether it’s reading at bedtime, playing at shopping or splashing around in the bath.
None of these special moments have to be hard work for you, yet it’s amazing how they will teach your child key skills.
Every smile, cuddle, chat and game makes a difference, helping them learn to communicate, gain confidence and make friends. No need to spend money on fancy toys or big days out!
Mum Ann-Marie Kinlock says playing games with her son Toby, five, has really boosted his language, fine motor skills and confidence.
Ann-Marie, from Hackney, East London, says: “One of our favourite games was naming body parts as I got Toby out of the bath. I’d point to his tummy, his ears and eyes, naming each part.
“As he got older, I could see his mouth trying to mimic mine and he would babble back. Now five, his language is advanced for his age.” Here are seven everyday moments you could share with your child to help spark brilliant brain development.
1 BEDTIME READING
Your little one will love this being built into their bedtime routine.
Reading has many benefits, which include teaching them new words, helping develop imagination and giving the opportunity to ask lots of questions. Mum of one Anna Roberts says reading to her son before he goes to sleep is their special time together.
Anna, 40, who lives in Anglesey, North Wales, with partner Al, 37, and three-year-old son Eddie, says: “Story time before bed is so special. I never imagined how much I’d come to love it. I get to cuddle into him and escape into a childhood world.
“When he was a tiny baby he would point at the pictures and he started to make animal noises.
“More recently he’s started repeating almost entire books back to us. One book used a lot of tricky words but he would reel it off as I turned the pages.
“As we live in Wales, we read him two English books and one Welsh book every night. Everyone is blown away by how his speech has developed.”
Make the most of libraries and second-hand books in charity shops, and remember that children often love looking at the same books every night, so you don’t need to spend a lot of money to have fun reading. You also don’t need to put in an Oscar-winning performance reading it – unless you want to!
2 COUNTING GAMES
Real life provides the best opportunities to develop early maths skills like counting and recognising numbers. You can count anything – from peas on their plate to bubbles in the bath.
Sam Kennedy Christian, 38, from Herne Bay, Kent, is mum to Rose, five, and James, 17 months.
Sam says: “With my littlest, I help him learn by watching what he is interested in and finding ways to do it more.
“He’s into emptying tissue boxes right now, so I’ve put small cloths into an empty tissue box so he can keep doing it.
“He loves putting things in boxes, so I often give him a cup and dry pasta – he can then sit and sort them in his highchair while I cook dinner.
“We often count while he is doing it. He seems very interested in numbers even though he isn’t yet two!”
For NHS tips, advice and support at every stage of your child’s early development, sign up to the really useful, free Start for Life emails. You’ll receive regular personalised emails tailored to your child’s age.
3 MEALTIMES
Mealtimes are great opportunities to get toddlers learning new words.
Give them options. For example, ask “Would you like the tomato or the cucumber?” or describe how food looks and feels, using colours or adjectives such as “soft” and “squishy”.
If your child says a word incorrectly, don’t worry. Encourage them with a big smile and repeat the word back to them correctly.
4 WATER PLAY
Most children love splish-splashing in the bath.
You could combine water play with giving dolly a bath. Talk about what you are doing – “wash dolly’s legs”, “clean dolly’s tummy” – or have a pretend tea party using bubbles for ice cream.
5 CUDDLE TIME
Cuddling not only helps your child feel safe and secure, it’s also good for their brains.
Physical touch helps our bodies release oxytocin, otherwise known as “the happy hormone”.
You can sing nursery rhymes while giving your child a hug, or read a book.
From the moment children are born, we talk about the importance of “kangaroo care” and skin-to-skin contact. That should continue through the early years.
6 BEING OUT AND ABOUT
Kids love being outside – and even your daily routine can bring wonder for them!
Play “I spy” while riding on a bus. Count stairs together as you go up them. If you’re going for an appointment, look around and ask your child what shapes and pictures they can see in the waiting room.
Ask them if they can remember what else you’ve got on your shopping list while they’re sitting in the trolley in the supermarket.
It makes them feel part of what you’re doing while sparking their thought processes!
Don’t feel you have to be super creative. Let your little one take the lead on what word games or activities to do.
What do they love? If it’s dinosaurs, play “What would a T. rex eat at the park?”
They might be fascinated by colours or animals or cars or different people’s jobs. A game like “count the blue cars” on the way to nursery is so easy, and it encourages them to look at their world.
When there’s time for a little bit of mess, why not take a couple of empty yoghurt pots in your bag when you’re going to the playground? Building things or drawing shapes, letters and numbers in the sandpit is a great way to fire up their minds.
Remember, you can make up simple stories or puzzles based on what you can see around you, such as dogs, trees, birds and flowers.
7 ROLE PLAY
Playing any “let’s pretend” games, from shops to doctors, with your child will help develop their understanding of the outside world.
Hairdresser Marie Campbell, 27, from Ashford, Kent, says daughter Janie, aged two, loves playing bus drivers.
She says: “Janie loves pretending to drive the bus and, at the age of two, she can already count to 20, as we often count teddies as passengers and give them tickets.
“She loves playing hairdressers too, using my clips and combs.
“Janie has a fascination with all sorts of jobs and a real interest in the world around her.”
Enjoy Little Moments Together
Support and free resources – including helpful ideas, activities and learning materials – are available on the Start for Life website