brain games for babies, toddlers and twos maria!
TRANSCRIPT
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I ntrod uction
Games
Birth to 3'months
3 to 6 moirths
6 to 9 months
9 to l2 months
12 to 15 months
15 to 18 months
18 to 21 months
21 lo 24 months
24 to 27 months
27 to 3O months
3O to 33 months
33 to 36 months
(t
22
s85774
a293
104115
725
136
147
158
160
: Index
Acknowledgements
Birth to 3 months
Snuggle, buggle, I love you 7
Baby talk 8
Soothing music 9
Hugs and kisses 10
Where did it go? 11
The rattle game 12
Follow the action 13
Here's my finger 14
Sensory experiences 15
Bend those knees 16
Shadows 17
Hello 18 l,1i. '
"
Non-verba ngames 19
Switching piitches 20
Nappy-chariging game 21
::: ::
Bi rth to 3 months
Snuggle, buggle, I love you
.,'/HAT RESEARCH SAYS
::::arch shows that the rnore
. _'ant is cudd ed, snuggled: r teo tne more secLrre ano_ r.cendenl she wi I be when!-: s c der.
This game develops
b,cnding between you
3nd your baby.
t Hold yoLr baby in roJ- arms and rock he.back and forth.
q As you rock, say the words, Snuggle.buggle, I love you.'
O O- Lhe word you'. ( -- a part o- he. booy
* As your ch ld grows oder, she may ask toplay this game.
Birth to 3 months
When you speak
'parentese'toinfants, you are
communicalingwith them and
encouraging vocal
responses. This in
turn develops
language skills.
Baby talkWHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Babies respond to 'parentese
the h gh p tched souncls adu ts
make when laking to bables.
s Say things like, 'You're such a sweet baby'or'Look at tLose ten ttle toes.'
s As you speak n 'parentese , hod the babynear to your face and look d recty into her
Birth to 3 months
Soothing musicWHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Newborns possess a naturaresponse to music through theircondit on ng in the wonrb tofhythrn. sound and movement.
g Place a srnall cassetre player near your
g Choose soft insirumental music or lullabies
* Music that has a repeated meody is verysoothing to an infani because it is the kind ofsound she heard in the womb-
1! Yo- coLrld fapa you'clishwas'er o- was'_gmachine and play ihis to your baby too,because these are aso similar to the solrnds
Even small babies
may be soothed by
familiar music.
Birth to 3 months
Hugs and kisses
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
A ch id's capac ty to controlernotions hinges on earlyexperiences and attachments.
il Chant the following song as you rock andkrss your baby:
'HL'gs and kisses, love you,I iove you, I love you.Hugs and kisses, love you.You're my baby.'
* When you are chang ng your baby,s nappy,you can sing this song and kiss h s nose, histoes, his fingers.
How we touch, treatand nurture infantscan have a lastingeffect on the kind ofadults they become,This game will makeyour baby feel safeand secure.
Where did it go?
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
',:urons ior vs on beg n
':'T ng dlring the f rst few-.nths of iie. Act vties that,: nu ate a baby's sight wil: _ s!re gooo v sual
ra\re opment.
Birth to 3 months
Play this game oftenbecause it will helpyour baby's brain
capacity to grow.
t Hod a brightly coloureclobleci in front of
q Slowly move it around and talk about howbright it is.
r: When you.a.e sure ihat your baby is lookingat the object, slowly move it io one side.
il Keep mov ng it back and foRh to encouragehim to follow it wiih his eyes.
Note: As with any game, watch for signsthat your baby is tired of the game andready to rest or play something different.
The rattle game
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
An infant's brain thrives on
feedback frorn ts environment
and 'wires itself into a thinking
and emot ona organ lJas-ao on
early expenences,
Birth to 3 months
'a,
* ,ti'
e
e'
The combination of sight and
sound will encourage Yourbaby to make connections'
s Hold a ratt e in iront of Your babyand shake it gent y.
* As you shake the rattle. sing anysong or the fo lowing to ihe tune of'Old MacDonald-:
'Ratile, ratue, shake, shake,shake. E-l-E-l-O,
Fattle, rattle. shake, shake,shake, E-l-E-L-O.',
r: When you are sure that Your babyls waiching ihe rattle, slowly moveit to one sicle ancl s ng flie songagain.
* Coniinue movlng the raitle todlfferent paces n ffie roorn andwatch as your baby moves hlshead in the d rect on of the sound
g Put the rattle in Your baby s handand sing the song aga n
g Babies Love singing and laier, whenthey are ready to taLk, they will tryio imitate sounds firey ve heard
Birth to 3 months
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
3y two months babies can
C stingu sh features on a face.
Babies love to lookat faces, especiallythe faces of people
they love.+ Try dlfferent facial expresslons and sounds
to deveop your baby s vision and hearing.
* Here are some ideas:. Sing a song using big lip movements.. Blink yoLrr eyes.. Stick out your tongue.. Make contortions with your mouth-. Make lip sounds.. Cough or yawn.
Birth to 3 months
Here's my f nger
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Jusl reaching for an objecthe ps the bra n to deve ophand eye coordination.
This game willstrengthen a baby'shands and fingers,while developingtracking skills.
l} Hold your baby in your lap or lie her on
i} Put your index finger in her hand.
l} She wili probably grasp your finger, as this isa natural reflex with newborns.
f Each time she grasps your finger, saypositive words ke, That's my wondedulg r I' or 'You're so strongl'
Birth to 3 months
Sensory experiences
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
What babies see and sme I
causes bra n cofnect ons tobe made, espec a ly f theexperiences happen na ovng,cons sient, predlctab e manner.
Exposing your baby tomany differentsensations willbroaden his
awareness of himselfand the world.
t Try rubbing your baby's arrns wih dlfferentfabrlas. Satin, wool and towelling are goodexambles to start with.
g C ve yo-r baoy rn oppo-tlrn -y lo -\per encedifferent smells. Go outside and smel afower, or try a ireshly cut orange,
Note: Be careful not to overstimulate yourbaby. Watch for signs that he is tired ofrne game-
Birth to 3 months
Bend those ees
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Stfengthening your baby's thigh
muscles s importaft for iuturecrawlng and walking.
As long as you do this exercisegently you won't cause your
baby any discomfort and he
will enjoy it.
a Place your baby on his back andcarefu ly pull both legs until theyare straight.
* when his legs are straight, lighilytap the bottoms of his ieet.
i He will point h s toes downwardand bend his knees.
o As you do th s game, sing ihefollowing to the tune of 'R ng-a-r ng
'Bending, bending, bending,Little knees are bendlng,Bending, bending,
* End a rhyme with some kind of acheer. Your baby will learn toanticipate it, and it makes thegame more exc|Irng.
il
HEnts wake up many
tim€s during the nightso it's good to have
things to lull themgentty back to sleep.
Birth to 3 months
S Shadows cast on the wall by a night-lightmake interesting shapes and forms for yourbabv ro oo< al.
O lf you can arrange a a-oo're so that it ref.ectsshadows. you w ,l be helping to develop yourbaby's visual groMh.
* When your child gets a little older, makeshadow designs with your hands.
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
-_: neurons for vision beg n
::'crm around two months,
::'n!lating a baby's sight wil-ac make the visual
:a_rections.
l
?hl
Birth to 3 months
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
At b dh your baby can see
best between 20 and 30 cm
(8 and 12 inches) from his eyes.
Hel
C Say the following poem wiih your iace closeto your baby's face:
'Hello, hello, I love you very much.Hello, hello, my fingers ihey can toLrch
Hello, _elo. lll louch your 'i1Le nose
(Touch baby s nose.)He lo, hello, l' I kiss your itile nose.(Kiss baby's nose.)
n Repeat this poem and change the last twolines to dlfferent parts of his face ears,eyes, cheek, Ps.
When your baby seesyour face, he will be
content.
Birth to 3 months
Non-verba I ga mes.,, HAT RESEARCH SAYS
: ::,a' not only comforts her' _: cs her bra n grow.
N olding your baby
:lose to you willCevelop the secure
?ttachment that she
leeds for her growth.
t Commun cate with infants by ook ng intotrrelr eyes, holding them close to your boclyand responcling to their souncls.
* Ho d your baby close and walk arouncl the
* Stop walking and ook lnto her eyes, smileand rub noses.
* Start walklng aga n. then siop. Repeai ihis
Birth to 3 months
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
When babies are Ll,] the worab,they are able to d stinguish the
sound of human vo ces.
According to brain
researchers, when a
baby hears a high-pitched voice (like
'parentese'), his heartrate increases,
indicating that he
feels secure and
cheerful.
When you speak in a lower-pitchec! voiceyour baby feels soothed ancl content,
s Try singing a song in a high voice and thenrepeat the same song n a low voice. Watchthe reaction of your baby to the iwo differeni
Birth to 3 months
Nappy-chang ng game
,! :'I AT RESEARCH SAYS
r :_::is are lust now rea zing" -'3er ences after b dh:: . - -e the actual 'wirng'oi
-he changing mat is
a iYays a good place
'or developing motorskills,
g Why not g ve your baby interesting things tolook at whie she is being changed?
S Try hanging an lnflatable ball from the cel ingclose enough for you to touch, but out ofyour baby's reach.
S Make the ball move slowiy whie you arechanglng ffie nappy.
* Your baby will be fascinated by th s and, beforeong, will ti-y to reach o'rt and tolch the bal.
* When the nappy is changecl, hold your babyand let her touch the ball.
* You could also hang a mobile with fam lypictures frorn the cei ng.
3 to 6 months
Look what I see 23
Nuggle nose 24
Going up the escalator 25
Choo choo train 26
Connect with conversalion 27
Taping sounds 28
Let',s kick 29
Dance a baby 30
Wiggles and shuffles 3'l
Changing hands 32
Hup, two, three, four 33
Roll Olympics 34
Where's the toy? 35
Let's bounce 35
Leg game 37
I1l
3 to 6 months
Look what see
II.TT R ESEARCH SAYS
: : :: _: .,sual sklls isi..-__ : :rJring the first
-3.a:ies love to stare atr:.resting faces and
:,: ourful toys.
* Take severa coloudultoys and, one at atime, slowly move them back and forth n
front of your baby to stjmulate her vsion.
O This is also the iime when babies discover therhands. They watch and watch and learn thatihey can make them appear and disappear.
O Take your baby's hands and gently clapL"em i_ froni of Fer face. As yoL do this. 5dyihe follow ng poem:
'Clap, ciap, cap your hands,
Put your hands on Mummy's face.(Substitute name at the person doing therhyme with baby.)Ciap your hands together.'
N ugg le nose
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Gently iouch ng your baby wil
make him fee secure and safe,
enab ing h m to becomeconf dent and, evenlual y,
3too months
.3'c
:
This game will helpyour baby form aclose emotional bond
with you.
ri Hold your baby in the air and say, 'Nose,nose, nuggre nose.
* On ihe word 'nuggle', br ng him clown ancl
touch your nose to his.
* Keep repeat ng th s game, touch ng noseson the word 'nugg e .
* Air6r )ou hdve p dyed hie d tew tinas. .rv.he wo'd 'nuqglF rro.e ih-n once. dlwaystouching noses.
* For examp e, say, Nuggle, nuggle, nuggie,nose' and touch noses iLree tlmes.
\1
3 to 6 months
Going up the escalator
I'HAT RESEARCH SAYS
- -! attachments he p bab es
:: : op trusl
As well as building
flJSt between you and
i our baby, this game
.rill strengthen her-r'ruscles.
t Hold on to your baby's fingers and gently ifther arms as you say ihe fo owlng rhyme:
Going down the escalator,Down, down, down.'
g Lift your baby's legs and say the rhyme.
* Cont nue lfting different pads of her body,saying the rhyme each t me.
f Try ending with lfting her up in the air and
o Always give a kss on the down part.
3 to 6 months
The combination of
touch and sound
involved in this game
is very stimulatingand great fun foryour baby.
c As you say the following rhyme, move your
fingers up your baby's arm and back down
again:'Choo choo train, choo choo train,
Going uP the trackTooi, ioot, toot, toot,Now it's comlng oacK
* Repeat with the other arm
f Be dramaiic with the word 'toot and soon
your baby will be trying to make that sound
C hoo choo train
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Draraat c speech encourages
emotional exPression in babLes
Th s in turn activates the brain
to release chemicals that he P
&''
3 to 6 months
Connect with conversationWHAT RESEARCH SAYS
_e nurnber of words babies_:ar each day inf uences their
'-:ure inteligence, social skills
:_d scho ast c ach evements.
O Start a conversation with your baby. Say asho( sentence like, 'lt ls a beautjful day
* when your baby responds, mlmic ihesounds that he makes. Those simple soundswill later turn into words. As he talks,respond with a nod of your head or a smle.
O Thls indicates to your baby that you arelistening to him and enjoying his sounds.
g Cont nue wth another sentence. Alwaysstop and listen to your baby's response.
When you let your
baby know that you
are listening to him
and that you like whatne says, you are
developing his
language skills and
confidence.
3 to 6 months
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Babies just iour days old can
dlstinguish one language from
another and soon PaY attention
to the sounds (words)thaimaIIet
This kind ofstimulatingenvironment assuresgood language skills
for the future.
Taping soundsI
o Tape-record your baby's babbling
S Play the sounds of the tape and see how
n Do the sounds get yoLrr baby exciied? Does
she talk back to the tape recorder?
* lf your baby enioys ljstenlng to the tapedsounds, try other ones, llke natlrre sounds
I
3 to 6 months
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
:apeating motor ski s over and
. ar strengthens the neLrral.aLrts that go irom the brain s
:_ tk ng areas to the motor:'3as and out to the nerves that
Let's kick
f
Kicking develops
motor skills and is
something that babies
love to do,
o Attach colourful items to your baby's anklesand watch him kick wth g ee.
C \,4d^y booues L ave brq5Lv coloured toFsthat babies love to watch as they kick.
g D-ng'e a rdnLe o' bells i_ tronl o'h:s fFet.Show him how to kick the ratrle or bells.
3 to 6 months
Dance a baby
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Connecting rhythrn, movement
and bond ng produces lots olbra n 'w rlng' that is ikely to
help babies in their fulure
development,
This is a variation ofan old English rhyme
called 'Dance a BabY
Diddy'.
* Homur baby flrmly under her arms anddance her on a soft surface.
s Say the rhyme and do the act ons'Dance a baby cliddy,
What can I do widdy?Sit on a ap(put baby on your taq),
And give her a pat(gently pat her cheek),Dance a baby diddy, dance a baby diddy(go back to dancing).'
3 to 6 months
I Wiggles and shuffles
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
,'/ gg es and shuffles he p the
'crmation of the bra n synapses
:hat develop future arge motorSKI S,
Babies wigglethemselves all overthe place. These )
wiggles and shuffles
are preparing thetto crawl.
C Place your baby on his tummy and lie on thefloor fac ng him.
o P,- d- nte-e>-.ng .oy i^ tront o h 1 b,L -'Loui of his reach.
o Move the toy (balls with jlngles are good)back and forth.
o As he aitempts to get the ball, he willprobably shuffle forward a little.
S Give him a chance to retrieve the ba I andpralse him generous y.
This kincl of success develops greatself-confidence,
3 to 6 months
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Repeating a moior skill over and
over will develop neuraL circuits thaimove frorf the bra n's thinking areas
into the motor cortex and oul to the
nerves that move the muscles.
C hanging hands
': .,1' ....ai ." aa' "'-". *
trr/i ..
You can help
strengthen the neural
circuits in the brain by
helping your babypractise changing
hands. This game
develops small motorskills and hand-eyecoordination.
Between the ages of three and six months,your baby may begin to transfer an obiectfrom one hand to the other.
o Pu( a small -aLtle nto o_e ol her hand'.
g Shake her hand with the rattle.
O Show her how to transfer the raitle to herother hand. These are the steps:. Put her empty hand on the rattle and she
wi I automaticallY grab it.. Undo her fingers on the first hand, then
kiss her fingers.
3 to 6 months
Hup, two, !h[ee, four,I'HAT RESEARCH SAYS
: _l:ng and dancing with yoLrr
:.3y are two of the best th ngs
r- can do io help'wlre' h s
* Ho d your baby close to your body andmove around the room as you sing yourfavourite songs. Any song wil do as long asi's one that you ike.
t Your baby wl I sense your loy and th s w ll
make him happy ioo.
f Try a marching cadence and say the words'hup, two, three, fouf as you march arouncl
* You can also sway, turn- tiptoe and takerarge, sweep ng sreps.
Babies enjoy musicand rhythm. When
they were in the
womb, they felt therhythm of the heartand heard the sounds
of the blood moving
ihrough the body.
3 to 6 months
Roll OlympicsWHAT RESEARCH SAYS
us ng their chest and arm
muscles repeatedly gives
babies the strength and
e asticity for rolLlng over.
Helping your baby roll over
from her tummy to her backwill develop these muscles.
This is a fun game to play whileencouraging your baby to roll over,
E Put your baby on her tummy on asoft and flat surface. Carpetedfloors ancl the middle of beds aregood for ihis game.
* Hold up a teddy bear in froni of herface and do antics with tre bear.You mighi say the following poemas yo! make the tecldy bear move:
'Teddy bear, teddy bear, iurn
(Turn teddy bear around.)Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch
(Make teddy fall down.)'
C When you know that your baby iswatching the ieddy, move t to theside so that her eyes and hopefu ly
her body follow it.
f Repeat the poem, mov ng theieddy bear each time. f your babytires of this game, try lt aga n on
3 to 6 months
Where's the toyr AT RESEARCH SAYS
--= :,::.iences that fil a
:,'. : '-st months of life have
,:= _: .e Lmpacl on thej : - =::!re of lhe brain and' '-
= :'? n capacity,
)!t
ly
3! moving toys in
a-'l out of your
r€hy s sight you will
:imulate his curiosity,
n-iich is important lor€sr':]ing,
* Hold a favourite toy in front of your baby and
ihen put it out of sight.
I Encourage h rn to look for the toy. Askquestions like, 'ls i in the sky?'then look up
* Ask, 'ls it on the ground?'then look down tothe ground.
f Ask, ls it in my hands? Yes, here it isl'
* As your baby develops, he wlll begin to look
for the toy when you remove lt from his
sight.
* Once he has staded to pay attention towhere the ioy weni, he w ll follow youlmovements as yoir put it out of sight.
3 to 6 months
Bouncing games are
such fun for babiesand they play an
important part inhelping little oneslearn to balance.
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Bounc ng and rocking areprerequisites ior craw ing and
ater, wa king.
Let's bounceI
$ You can bounce your baby in many ways -stt ng on your lap, lying with her iummy onyour knees, lying with her back on yourknees a.d rocking side to sde.
S The following s a traditional bounc ng rhymeto try:
'To market, to market, to buy a fai pg,Home aga n, home again, jiggity jig,To markei, to market, to buy a p Llm bun,Home again, home aga n, market is done.'
Note: Always support your baby securelywhen bouncing her.
3 to 6 months
id,
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
a'.rc se strengthens muscles to
Leg ga me
t Lay your baby on her back on a firm surface.
0 Holding her ankles, bend and straighten herlegs io the iollowing rhyme:
'One, two, three,Bend your knees.One, two, three,Bend your knees.'
O Sjng the words above to a famiiar tune, ormake up your own tune.
Singing a tune as you
Co this exercise willcapture your baby's
attention and develop1er language at thesame time.
6 to 9 months
Srng and say 39
Peas and carrots 40
Mirror games 41
Where's the ball? 42
Puppet peekaboo 43
Whoops 44
Sounds everywhere 45
Touching textures 46
Little stuff 47
One, two 48
The big squeeze 49
Waving 50
A pop game 51
Let's climb 52
Love those keys! 53
Sing about the day 54
Where is the sound? 55
Baby, baby - a peekaboo game 56
6 to 9 months
Sing and say
:::rlier mLrs c s introduced,_:.e potential a ch ld has.-:-,1jng. Chidren
'_' -'Ced by words almost,, =. cecorae f uent by three
.--_- . d. Chi dren deprived of;._:-:je exper ences rnay
III HAT RESEARCH SAYS
lesearchers at theJ.liversity of{onstanz in Germany
'ound that 'exposure:3 music rewires-eural circuits in thecrain'.
* Th nk of some of your favourte songs andsing them to your balry.
* Whatever so rgs you .i g. your b.by c goi-gto enjoy hearing the words. lt doesn't matterthat she doesn't understand them.
0 lf your song has a familiar word that you( ow your liftle o_e does recognize. .i'gthat word louder than the others.
E Instead of s nging, try saylng the samewords in different ways - whispered, soft,oud and high-pitched.
o Whether you sing or speak the words, therhythm wi I open windows of opportunliy inyour child s bra n.
6 to 9 months
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Practice in hand-eyecoordlnation will develoP
'wiring' in the brain.
Babies enioy eating
with their fingers. Infact, it's an imponantstep in developing
small motor skills.
When babtes can pick up food and pLrt it in theirmoLtths,control that makes them feel wondefiuL
o Put some cooked peas and carrots on the tablein front of your baby.
o Sing her the following song, to the tune of 'Frere
'Peas and carrots, peas and carrots,Here they are, here they are.Put them in your moLlth, put them in your moLJ|rl
Yum, yum, yurn,Yum, yum, yum.'
O Guide her fngers to the peas and carrots and thento her mouth. She'll probably want to feed you too.
r;r i.: r.r '
6 to 9 months
-ooking into a mirrors great fun and gives
)'our baby anotherlerspective on who
-.he is.
Mirror games
,.,'HAT RESEARCH SAYS
: -:e the neurons for vision
=r n to form very ear y, bables
-.-l st mulating v sua
It seems that the more a baby sees, themore she wants to see.
* Here are some ihings that you can do wthyour baby as you look into a mirror:. Smile.. Shake dfferent parts of your body.. Make faces with sl y sounds.
' Make sounds wth your lips.. Make animal sounds.. Rock back and forth.
6to9 months
This game enhancesyour baby's
concentration andattention skills.
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
A study at the University ofAlabama found that blocks,beads, peekaboo and other'oldJashioned' toys andgames strengthenedcognitive, motor and
language development.
Where's the ba ll?
* Sit on the foor with your baby.
* Hold a favourite toy in your hand and ialk
* PL't the toy out of your baby's sight b,ehindyour back, in your pocket and so on.
* Ask the baby, 'Where's ihe toy?'
* Take out the toy and say 'Peekaboo'.
* Continue playing the game and change thelocation of the toy each t me,
6 to I months
Puppet pee(aboo
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
,Vih every game of peekaboo,
ihousands of connections
?mong bta n cels are formed or
strenglhened, adding a bit more
cevelopment to the comp ex',riring'that wll rernan largey inclace lor the rest of your chiLd's
fe. These connections are more
Cifficult to make later on.
Children love
watching and
with puppets.
playingPut a puppet on your hand and hold itbehind your back.
Bring out the puppei and say, Peekaboo,
Now pui ii behind your back again.
Coni nue doing this uniil your baby begins toanticipaie the puppet com ng out.
Then bring the puppet out at a dlfferentpace - ovef your head, over the baby'shead. Always bring it down n front of yourbaby's face (not too close) when you say thepeekaboo words,
Give the puppet to your baby and see f he
will imitate you.g
6 to 9 months
Any form of peekaboo
is a great favouritewith young children.
Whoops
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Peekaboo games ieach bab esthat objects that d sappear wil
come back aga n. A strong,secure connect on with yourchlld will help him withstand theord nafy stresses of daily life.
g Sit your baby on the foor.g Take a towel and put it over your face.
A Say the word 'peekaboo' as you take thetowel off and show your face to your baby.
O This game usually results n gales of laughterand the more you play it, the funnier it
O Try putiing the towel on your baby's headand see if he will pull it off.
* Remember to say, 'Peekaboo' each timeyou take off the towel,
6 to 9 months
",,HAT RESEARCH SAYS
:.: :s' heads beat faster when
= - parents make eye coftact
:_a speak n a melodious votce.
Sou nds everywhere
E Expose your baby to a var ety of sounds.
+ Cr!nch dlfferent kinds of paper. Cellophaneand tissue paper have nteresiing sounds.
il Make sounds with your mouih and put yourbaby's fingers on your mouth as you makethem. Here are some ideas for sounds to
. Buzz like a bee.
. Pop your cheeks.
. Make a siren sound.
. Cough.
. Pretend to sneeze.
i11proving yourtrhild's listening skillswill ultimately help
rer with language
ater on.
6 to 9 months
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Through nieract on, babies
develop lhe network of brain
cells that helps them earn to
ca m themselves.
Games thatencourage hand-eye
coordination are
important to play withyour baby because
they help develoP the
wiring in her brain.
* Gather together objects rnade of differentkinds of materiaLs - wool, cotton, velvet,
satin and any others thai you might have
t Sit on the floor with your baby and hold out
one of the objects cLose enough for her toreach. When she grabs at it, pralse her.
S Once she has touched the object, tell her
the name of it and place it on her palm
Describe the feeL of the material For
example, This is velvet and it feels smooih.
c She wilL not Lrnderstand all of your words, but
:ne wil a:so.,rje the sound of yol,r voice
with the feel of the material.
Touch ing textu res
Little stuff
tr HAT RESEARCH SAYS
: -: and large motor sk lls
,l r they require the same: _rl f^"ndrt ^nc fha
6 to 9 months
' !.( s advance a ttle:-: etime.
&q
,:u can ennance your
:aby's small motor.{ills by doing
::tivities with her.
* Give your baby a varjety of safe objecis ioplay with. Stad wth measur ng spoons, srnallballs and small toys.
A Pui an object in her hand and encourage her
C Give her a container to drop her treasuresinlo and the ' wa.L a fer .-ke ihem out
S Encourage her to give you an object andtren be sure to g ve it back.
t See if she can hold two things in the samehand (th s might be a little hard).
6 to 9 months
One, twoWHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Bab es need touchingexper ences to 'grow-the bra n
and ihe body. They are as
critical as nLrtr ents and
v tam ns.
C Make up rhymes as you hold your baby'shand and let her touch clifferent pads of
t Here are some ideas:'One, two, touch my shoe.Yellow, red, touch mY headD pplty dips, touch mY lips
Apples, pear, touch mY hair.
s Each t me you say ihe body part, put your
ch ld's hand on thai part When you say,
'One, two, touch my shoe', put her hand on
i Reverse the game and touch your baby as
you say the rhyn-re.
Your baby will enjoy
responding to your
touch and your voice.
6 to 9 months
The big squeeze,, HAT RESEARCH SAYS
: =-asing smal rnusc es has a
- :. : \,e effect on the motor. ::s of the brain.
Squeeze toys are great fun to play with.The rubbery kind seem to be the easiest to
f lf she s having trouble, put your hancls over*er , ard "q.ee/e .qe lov. O_ce.he get.the feellng n her hands, she wil be able to
f Here is a fun little poem to say as yousqueeze me roy:
'Squeeze ihe cheese, Louise, pleaselSqueeze ihe cheese, Louise, pleaselNot the bees and not ihe trees,Squeeze the cheese, Louise, pleasei'
Your baby is
Ceveloping her small
r'rotor skills when she
squeezes things.
6 to 9 months
Waving
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Sc ent sts say that creat ng an
attachment to your baby is themost crt ca facior in his
development. Bab es wil learn
faster and ieel belter aboutthemselves.
There are lots olopportunities topractise waving. Soonyour child will be able
to do this withoutyour help.
t Wave yo-r oaov s f-er "nd "rnds io peop_or pets he knows.
i t's best to p ay the game when the actualpeople are in the room.
* S ng this ,o_9. ro tre r, e ot'F'F-F JdcquF:'Wave to Daddy, wave to Dacldy,
Wave, wave, wave,Wave, wave, wave.Say hello to Daddy, say he lo to Daddy,
Wave, wave, wave,Wave, wave, wave,'
t You can wave wlth either hands or feet toMummy, Grandma, Grandpa, friends and
6 to I months
t A pop gaq;e
./JHAT BESEARCH SAYS
-: d ng and strok ng a baby will
::'nlr ate her brain to release
- aortant hormones ihat alow:'lo grow.
Movement and music
:ogether stimulateboth sides of the
brain.
a Hold your baby Ln your arms as you movearound the room and sing ihis song, to thetune of'Pop Goes the Weasel':
'All around ihe mu berry bush,The monkey chased the weasel,The monkey ihought 'twas all good tlrn,Popl goes the baby.(Ar say your child's name.)'
* When you come to the word 'pop, l'loLd yourbaby high into ihe a r, then bring her down
6to9 months
Let's climb
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Each young brain forms. at itsown pace, the neura and
muscular connections required
for crawlng and climbing.
There is no avoidingit! Your baby will soon
begin to climbeverything in sight.
Why not help her
along and develop her
large motor muscles?
I Take cush ons and p llows and pile them on
t Put your baby in front of the pl lows and shewill have a wonderful time.
O Take a favourite toy and put it on top of oneof the pillows. This wii entice her even rrore
6 to 9 months
Love those keys!
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
:xercis ng sma I muscles
:: m!la1es brain development-
This is an excellentgame for developing
small motor skills.
Keys are a favourite toy for babies. Theymake a noise and are easy to hold, anc!babies fike to clrop them.
0 Hoid the keys in your hand and say, 'One,two, three, let's drop the keys.
* Drop the keys on the foor and be sure yourbaby watches theni drop.
g Put the keys in his hancl and repeat.
C Ope. rs fingers a_d et'he \eys droE.
C After a few times, he will know what to doand will delight in this game.
6to9 months
Sing about the day
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Songs lntroduce babies to
speech paiterns and sensory
motor skils.
The more words your
baby hears, the more
the language sectionsof his brain willdevelop.
These musical 'conversations' will give yourbaby a Lasis for learning.
O Review your day n song- Make up any tuneand sing about what you did that day
A Sing about waking up, getting dressec,eating breakfasi, driving in the car and
S You can aso sing about peope in yourbaby s llfe:. Sing about grandparents -'Grandma
oves you and gives you a kLss '
. S -g aoout brol-ers and sisfers 'S slerSue loves you, you, You.'
. Sing about pets.
Where is the sound?
. IAT RESEARCH SAYS
::a expenences enhance_: '-iLrle abiily to reason
r : ':ctly, parliculady n the
6 to I months
l
> aying games to-eighten your baby's-earing awareness.,'ll help wire his
::ain. Such awareness
-. something that:3mes with age and
:xperlence.
i Take a wind-up musical toy and put t out olyour baby's slghi.._.
* W ncl t up ancl ask him, 'Where's irre
* When he turns to the sound, praise him
* Repeat this game n dfferent parts of ffre
O i your baby is crawling, you can hide themuslc under a p low or somewhere else sothat he can craw io it.
.i
,;irlJtlj
r;" lF: :'
6 to 9 months
Baby, baby - a peekaboo ganne
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Ta king to ch ldren from an earlyage wil help them learn tospeak.
Here's a rhyme that brings
together all the brain games
that we've played so far.
* Say the following rhyme and do the
'Baby, baby, rock in the cradle.(Rock your baby.)Baby, baby, jump n ihe bed.(Put your baby down on her
Bab'y, baby, sm le at your daddy.(Hold your face close ta your
baby's face and smile.)Baby, baby, wigg e your head.(Hald yaur baby's head andgently mave it fram side to side.)Baby, baby, p ay h de and seek.(Put your hands ovet yaur eyes.)Baby, baby, shall we peek?(Take your hands away from
Baby, baby, what do you see?(Bring yaur face close to your
(Give your baby a nice hug.)'
by Jackie Silberg
ne 9 tol2 months:ather, Mother and Uncle John 58
- and out 59
:ouch 60
- stacking toy 61
,',jhere's the baby? 62
,;ck-in-the-box 53
:ath time hickory 54
- twinkle game 65
-^e teeth rhyme 66
-- :covering books 57'.1cuth songs 68
-:ppy face 69
:zy tI agatn 70
9 to 12 months
Father; Mother and Uncle lqt ilWHAT RESEARCH SAYS
A sirong emotional bond
actualLy affects the baby's
biological systerns that adapt
to stress.
Try this game whereyou pretend to letyour baby fall. Her
confidence in you
will outweigh any fear
and she will love the
sensation.
O Put your baby on yoLrr lap facing you and
recite the following rhyme as you oounce
'Faiher, Mother and Uncle John
Bode io the doctor one bY one'Father fell off,Mother fell off,But uncle John rode on and on.
Father fell ofi,Mother feLl off,But Uncle John rode on '
o On the words 'Father fell off', hold your baby
tighUy and pretend to fall to one S|de
$ On the words 'Mother fell off', holding your
oaby iighr'y. preteno ro lall to t^e other -'de
9 to 12 months
r4
Jnderstanding spatial
:oncepts like in, ouf,
aehind, under and;,'er is imporlant forlrain development.
In and out
,!'HAT RESEARCH SAYS
:,-! experiences shape the
:- c rcuils are made n the': r.
Playing games that encourage anunderstanding of space wil beneft your babyin future years. Start with inside and oLltside.
* Take a large paper bag or a box and put afavoLrrlte toy jnside.
* Help your baby f nd the ioy and take it out.
C Pui ii back ln again and keep playing thegame over and over,
* Make up a sily song, such as the one beow.and say li each time you pui the toy back:
'Boxy, woxy, toysie, woysie,Boom, boom, boorr.(Say the last boam in a bigger vaice.)'
)y
I to 12 months
I touch
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Touching bab es helps their
d gesilon and re ieves stress.
This rhyme helps your
baby identify her bodyparts.
* Firsi say the following rhyme and point toeach paft of your bocly:
'l ll to-cr m/ c '_. ny -.eeh. rTy chaill'LltoucL my head, my heels, mY hair,
l'lltouch my knees, my neck, my nose,Then l ll bend and touch mY toes '
c Next, take your baby's hand and point toeach part of her body as you say the rrryme
aga n, changlng my'to Your'.
f You are aLso saying words that beg n withtne same souno.
9 to 12 months
A stacking toyWHAT RESEARCH SAYS
-]e p ng a baby's braln 'grow' means_rmersing her in env ronrnents thai are
:rrotionaly and inte lectualy rich and
.:irnu at ng,
Stacking toys have
lots of possibilities fordevelopmental play. All toys have great creative possibililies.
Help your baby see the different ways to
o Depending on your baby's developmenialneeds and skills, encourage her to try any ofthe following:
. Siack ng large to small, small to large andany orner way.
. Throwing the rings.
. Putting the rings on her fingers.
. Putting the rings in her mouth.
. Spinning the rings.
9to 12 months
Where's the baby?
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Researchers now conf rm thal
how you interact with Your lraby
and ihe experiences You
provide have an rapacl on ner
emot onal develoPment and
earnlng abilities.
You can also PlaY thisgame with Picturesof family members
and friends.
O Find several piciures of a baby and hide
them in different Places
o Choose paces that are famlliar to your baby -on the ceiing above the changing place, Ln ine
.oy ooi o" Lrnde- a olate on .hF "ig"cha I
g Say, 'Let's find the bab'Y '
c Ask different questions: 'ls lt ln the sink?" 'lsit on the chair?'
o Finally ask the question, 'ls it in the toy box(ar othet place)?
c When your baby finds the plcture' prase ner
ancl clap your hands.
9 to 12 months
Jack-in-the-box
IlHAT RESEARCH SAYS
a rrks, ad and pretending alL
_= l ch ldren deve op cLrriosiiy,
:_ juage, problem solv ng
: : and mathematical ab lity.
-his popular game-elps reinforce thedea lhat surprises:an be fun.
c Make a fst with boih hands and tuck yourthumb under the fingers.
s On the words 'Yes, lwill , pop up your
'Jack-in the-box sits so sti! .
Won't you come out?
+ Help your child make a fist and show rrerhow to pop up her trrumb.
t You crn -r,o pldy this ga 1.- by c-ouchinqdown and tumping uP.
9 to 12 months
Bath t
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Language skils and fuiure
language capac tY develoP best
in an environment rlch in
spoken anguage.
'Hickory, Dickory,
Dock' is a wonderful
nursery rhyme to sing
and play when giving
your baby a bath.
me hickory {
*", E
'Hickory, Dickory, Dock,The mouse ran uP the cLock-
The clock struck one,The moL.rse ran oown,Hickory, Djckory, Dock.
* Take the soap or the flannel and sow tmove up your bab,y's arm as you sing, 'The
mouse ran uP the c ock
* On the words 'The mouse ran down ' slrde
the fannel down your baby's arm and make
a splash in the waier'
* You can also play ihis game by moving a to!up and down the side of the bath
9 to 12 months
A twinkl e game
,; HAT RESEARCH SAYS
:.:earch confirms that the_ :_est evel of rnusic apt tude::Lrrs mmeclately after b rth._:nrs possess an aDunoance
: Jenes and synapses that--ediate y make thern ready':- earn ng rnLrsic.
Vusic organizes therhythm of language.
* Slt your baby on the floor fac ng you.
* Sing the song 'Tw nkle, Twlnkle. Ltte Staawhile you are hoding your baby's hands.
i On the last word of each line, clap his hands.oqe.he' .s you e. ofasi/e .!e *ord a lL-louder than the others.
Twrkl.. .winke. liLte S-AF (c/ap /,ands).How lwonder what you AREI(ctap hands).Up above the earth so HIGH (clap hands),L ke a diamond n ihe SKY lclap hards).Tw nkle, twinkle, little STAR (c/ap hards),How I wonder what you AFE(ctap hands).'
9 to 12 months
The teeth rhyme
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Love is a powerful connectLon
lor a ch ld. The expresslons olthat ove wiLl atfecl the way rrer
brain makes connectrons.
This is one of those games
that babies love and may use
to show off to your friends
and relations.
t Teach your baby to open hermouth and show her teeth-
g Stick out your tongue and see iiyour baby copies You
* Now rub your tongue agaLnst Your
O Say the following rhyme and do trre
'Four and iwenty white horses(point ta your teeth),Standing in a sta I
Out came a red bull(stick out Yaur tongue),And icked them all (rck Yolrruppet teeth with Your tongue)
s Say it again and Point to Yourbaby's ieeth and tongue
* EncoLrrage her to stLck out hertongrJe and lick her uPper teeth.
9 to 12 months
scoven n books
,r HAT RESEARCH SAYS_
= ?aguage lourney starts in
: :mb. where the foetus-: ;rr,/ h6rr< th6 c^ 'h.lc ^f
: ..athefs voice.
::ading aloud is a| 3 ndedul gift that.:u can grve your
: "t to.
Babies are interested in the shape of abook, pictures, turning the pages, andholding and touching a book.
* Point to a picture and say what t is. When youpoint to the same pcture several iimes, yourchild wll learn the name of the object or
g A,l. you" Lhild. Wh^.e F the I See 'she will point to the plctlrre.
g Let your baby ho cl, drop and iurn ffre pagesof d book. T",l.ind o e\perm-r'd'o_ -elsthe path for good speech, reading andspecial times for you and your child.
t Reao -^a s--re boo< ove- a.d ov-r ag.in.
I to 12 months
As your baby is
developing her
language skills, she
will enjoy discovering
all the many thingsthat she can do withher mouth,
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Songs, movement and mLrsical
games of chlldhood are
neurolog caL exerc ses that help
children earn speech patterns
and molor skils.
Mouth songs
$ Pck a song that your little one enjoyshear ng. Some popu ar ones are 'TwinkleTwnkle, Little Siaa, Incey, Wincey Spiderand This Od Man'.
C Sing the so'lq n cl'ferent wav.. Sing il in .high volce, a whspering voce, a humm ng
vorce and so on.
* The more ways your baby hears this song.the more she will iry to copy you anddevelop her language skils.
9 to 12 months
I Happy face
[' -AT RESEARCH SAYS
:..::'chers have found that' ,_:n are belter at reca ling
:--s thal aroLrse strong
- _js n Inem.
::courage your baby
:: express his feelings:'ough stories. * Flnd plctures n magazines of children
ld. g_ing and "ni .q. Coloured piLLures :rF
c Mount these pictures on carclboard and lookat thern with your baby.
q Talk about the feelngs porirayed n thepictures. A happy face w L becomecemented in your baby's mind and will rnakenew connections in his brain.
c Look at the happy face plctures with yourbaby and sing a song (any songl) wh lesm lng.
9 to 12 months
Say it again
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Talking to barJ es encourages
the develoPment ol a good
vocabulary in the future.
S Say a word and encourage your baby io
o Pick words that she is famillar with ancl start
with one syllable.
g You've probably already done this by
ieaching yoLrr baby, 'What does the cow
O Each rine she _epaat( what vou sav p'arse
her and give her a hug
g Some easy words are 'light' and 'cai' Some
simple iwo-syllable words are 'baby',
'Daddy','Mummy','apple' and'bye-bye'
lmitation is a natural
skill that babies have.
to 15
5ong-patting 72
Bouncing, bouncing 73
Yum, yum 74
Peekaboo 75
Practising'parentese' 75
Lots of TLC 77
Rock-a-bye baby 78
Reading games 79
Crawl to the toy 80
The pushing game 81
12 to 15 months
, ,,,f' r'-,:. : t,.:,, ,1.
ng-patttn
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
For a young chid's brain to
grow and thrive, the child needs
io be loved, held, taked to,
read to and al owed to explore
This game helps
develop a child'ssense of rhythm and
her listening skills.
Try song-patting when changing yourtoddler's nappy, giving her a bath or at
* Sing your favourite song to your toddler and.
at the same time, pat her tummy, stroKe ner
cheek or rub her back with vour index finger
to the rhythm of the song
C Aways end the iorg w'11 a snuggly kiss
* You can also sing one line of the song and
pat only one word. For example, 'Twinkle,
twlnkle, little (pat the word "star" but don tsing tt) .
12 to 15 months
I Bouncing, bouncing
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
:csilive interact ons w tn caringi;:lu ts stimulate a ch/ld's brain,
,:using synapses to grow and
:{ sting connections 10 be
: renglneneo.
o Put your child on your lap. Hold him firmlyunder the arms.
a Say the following as you bounce your child:'Bouncing. bouncing. el': 90 bounci'9.Up and down,
Bouncing, bouncing, let's go bouncing.Whoops, don't fall down.(Tp your toddler to ane side.)'
t Say the poem again and 't p' to the other
f Repeat the poem and on ihe word 'whoopsopen.p your knees while holding vo rtoddler at ihe waist and et hlm fall back.
This enjoyable
bouncing game is a
great bonding
experience for you
and your toddler.
12 to 15 months
Expressing pleasant
emotions with your
toddler is good forbrain development.
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Tone and faclal expressions
are understood before words.
Emotional learning sinteriwined with a I domalnsof Learn ng,
Yum,yum
s Develop your ioddlels language skils whenyou prepare a med or snack by chanting thefollowing verse or singing t io the tune of'The Farmer in ihe De L':
'lt's time to find the milk,li's tirne to find ihe m lk,
Hi, ho, the derry oh,]t's time to find the milk.'
O Wdk io the refrigerator and take out the m k
carton. Say, llove milk. Yum, yum.'
i Use the chant with other foods or househo ci
items. Take out the item, chant the verse,then talk about the food.
g Ganes 'ke l* s oevelop ld gJage 5k ls.
I
Peeka boo.,I.IHAT RESEARCH SAYS
',jih every game of peekaboo,
:_ousands of connections
---long brain cells are formed or
:.engthened, adding a bt more
:afnton and comp exity to the_:r cate circuitry that wil rema n:-.a1,/ i. hlr^a f^r th6 r6<t ^f
f You can play peekaboo by:. coverins your eyes with your h.nds.. Putting a towel over your face.. Hiding behind a door or large piece of
furntLrre and popping out.. Putting your toddler's hands over her eyes
and then taklng them away.. Placing a toy or stuffed animal under a
cover and pulling the cover away.. Drawlng a face on your thumb with a
marker pen and hlding your thumb underthe other fingers.
12 lo 15 months
rur chlld's life.
Not only is peekaboo
tun for your toddler, itis also very importantfor'growing'thebrain.
I 2 to 15 months
The word 'parentese'means to speak and
sing to your child in a
high-pitched voice.
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Because young children p:c ose attent on to the hrgf-p tched, singsong speecl_
known as'parentese', the.will learn lhe lmpodance c'
C Practise singing some of your Javouritesongs, like 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Staf or'DcYou Know the Muffin Man?' in a parentese
s Hold your child close to you and sing thesongs two ways first, the normal way andsecond, the 'parentese way.
* Your toddler will pay particular atrention tothe second time you sing.
tising 'parentese' I
i
i
I
Lots of TLC
I HAT RESEARCH SAYS
'::-.'ding to Dr Bruce Perry,
::- ch atrist at Baylor
:ge of l\,4ed cine in Texas.
r'en who don't get their: i of TLC early ln lfe nray. : _e proper w ring to form
r: '9 ationsh ps.
12 to 15 months
/s
-- s game develops- - iuring skills.
S St on the floor with your tocld er and put twoor three of her favourite dolls or stuffedanimals on ihe foor with you.
c P ck up one of the stuffed toys and cuddle tin your ar-r.. Sdy oving word\ re. 'p "y nowith you is so much fun', I love your brownfur' or' love to hug you.'
$ Now do irre same thing to your ch d.
* Give her one of ihe animals and ask her tocuddle i and give it kisses.
g Keep the game golng for as ong as yolrrtoddler is nreresLed. Yo- w ll soon no.icethat she starts playing the game by herselt.
12 to 15 months
Hold your child inyour arms and rockher back and forth asyou sing lullabies and
other soothing songs.
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Recent siudies have shown hc
exposure to music atfectsspat a temporal reasoning tl_:
ability to see a disassemb edp cture and menta ly piece tback together, Such feason ng
underpins maths. engineer ng
and other disciplines.
f Here are some suggestions of songs tosing:. 'Goodnight, lrene'.. 'Hush Little Baby' (The Mockingbird
sons).
. 'Rock-a-bye Baby'.
. 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot'.
o Use a rocking rrotion to cdm your child anddevelop trust betlveen the two of you.
f After the last line of the song, hold yourioddler close and give her a big hug.
JI
12 to 15 months
There are many waysyou can help your
ioddler develop a love
of reading.
Reading games
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Reading or teling a story toyour chid wil help 'grow' her
bran and encourage her to
associate books with whal she
loves the most your vo ce and
S Encourage your ioddler to play with touchand-fee books and books made from clothor sturdy carclboard.
* Poini io pictures in books and name ihevarous oblects.
* Sing ihe nursery rhymes n books.
* Vary ihe tone of your vo ce, make funnyfaces or do other spec al effects when you
read, to stimulate your chid s interest.
S Fead io your toddler often, but ior shortperiods of time.
12 lo 15 months
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Crawl to the toy
I\,4ineras in the body are the raw
mater als necessary for bujldingbra n connect ons- One reason
some ch ldren learn to crawand walk ead er than others ls
that ihey produce mlnerals
earler n the r deve opment-
,+
It's a lot of fun tocrawl around in a
circle with your child.
When your toddler is crawling, encouragethis movement with the following game.
E Place a favourite toy at one end of the roor
t Get down on the foor and crawl to the toyWhen you reach the toy. pick lt up andprete.d tha- t -dys. Cone o^. /chld srame), can you come and get me?'
g Encourage you. llttle one to craw to the toy.
S l'your (,r.o c geLting ready To wdlh. place
the loy at a higher leJel so ihdl s6e will 11 io
pull herself up to reach it.
12 lo 15 months
I The pushi
TVHAT RESEARCH SAYS
':he brain's neurons ihat are
:.nnecled with sight and motor.< ls are not tra ned at an eary.Je by adulthood they w I
: npy not be 'p astlc'enough:a be rewired for many
Pushing games make
a young child feelpowerful and in
control. They are a
wonderful way todevelop a toddler'sconfidence and
coordination.
o Select several ltems for your child to push.Choose very lghtwelght objects such as astuffed an mal, a small toy or a push toy.
g Say, One, t!vo, three, push , and then pushone of the toys.
$ Repeat the count ng and encourage yourchild to do the pushing.
* When your little one keeps saying 'tree'(meaning ihe word 'three ) all day ong, youw I know ihat she loves this gamel
89
90
15 to 18 months
Sing out 83
Playing with texture 84
Everything can talk 85
Rolling fun 86
Early block fun 87
Story time 88
The cuddle game
Going to the park
Looking at me 91
Toy sounds 92
Sing outHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Develop your child's musical
abilities and sensibilities by
singing to her.
)on't worry about singing in keyar changing the worcls of a song.anjoying the singing is the
e The following are suggestions forsongs, atnougn any song youknow and ove wou d be line:. 'lf You're Happy and You Know t .
. 'l'm a Little Teapot'.
. 'Going to the zoo'.
. 'Five Ltte Ducks .
. ' ncey, wincey Sp cler'.
. ThsOldMan.
. 'Skip to My Lou .
s Sing the song again and add
g Move your toddleas hands iorcapping, waving and so on. Do
ihe acton first and firen let your
rl Enjoy singing with your toddler anytlme during the day - whLle you aren ihe car, waiting ln the queue atthe supermarket or stt ng in adoctor's waiting room. Any t meis a good ime to sing.
15 to 18 months
- a :arlier a ch ld s
'-: dLrced to music.
- -rore potentiaL
- iras for learning
:_r enloy ng rnuslc.
.t't ,
15 to 18 months
Playing with texture
This game develops tactileawareness and language skills.
t Put together several objects withinteresting terrures for your toddlerto experience, such as somethinghard (a block) and something soft(a squishy toy).
S Put her hand on a hard item youhave chosen and say the name ofthe item with the word 'hard'before it. For example, 'Hard
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Ch ldren who grow up in an
environment rich in language
are almost always fluent by i::age of three. People deprived rlanguage as children struggle:master it, no rnatter how smat:they are or how intensively
they're trained.
block.' Now put her hand onsomething else that is hard andsay the name again. For example.'Hard table,'
O Do this several times and ihenintroduce the sofi iiems, such asa soft rug or a soft pillow
O When you say the word 'hard' usea hard-sounding voice, and whenyou say the word 'soft' use a soft
I)
'1 5 to 18 months
Everything can talk!vHAT RESEARCH SAYS
:oeak slowy and wlth carefu
:_Lrnciat on so the young ch d:ar dist ng! sh ndividual
1 d< Fmnh,c 7 n6 ^,
':3--ating one word also he ps,
Take a favourie stuffed an mal, such as ateddy bear, and hold it up io your ear as fyou are listening to what it is say ng. Tel yourtoddler that teddy says, Lei's play.'
Js^ a high-pilcheo vok e wr-^ you sdy lhewords,'Let's play.'
Give the .edoy -o your -oddl-r a^d d 'k hinwhat he th nks teddy said.
Continue playing the game by asking whatdfferent toys or objects in the room say. Forexamp e, a cha r can say, soft.'
Always use a hlgh-pitchecl vo ce whenspeak ng for the toy or oblect.
This is a playful way
:o develop a child'slanguage skills.
15 to 18 months
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Every new rnove has to be
repeated over ano over ro
strengthen neural circuiis that
w nd from the brain's thinking
areas into the motor cortex
and out to nerves cor]nected
to muscles.
You can develop your
child's motor skills by
rolling a ball to her
and encouragingher to roll it back.
Your toddler has reached the age whererolling ba s is tun lo clo- Try the fo owing.
o Sii on the floor with your chid. Call out hername so she will look at you, then rol! the
f Encourage her to roll it back to you
o As you are rolling, chant ihe words, 'l roLltl-€ball ta (child's name).'
o When she rolls the ball back to you chant,' (Child's name) rolls th'e ball to (Daddy).
o Only chant the words when the actual roLlin,c
is taking place.
Rolling f u n
il
Early block fun15 to 'l 8 months
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Sma I and arge motor skilsdevelop ndependently,
although they reqLrire the samephys ca foundations. lf a chids putting ots of effod into largemotor skils one week, he won'tbe working much on smallmotor skils at the same lime.
{0
Stacking blocks help
develop small motorskills.
* You can play ihis with bought building blocksbut it is more fun to make your own.
l} Make disposable bocks out of small milkcartons. Tape the ends together and coverthe cartons with sicky-backed paper.
il Encourage your toddler to decorate theblocks with crayons or siickers.
* Pay a stacking game, praising him eachtime he stacks one bock on top of another.
ll Sometimes he wi I have more fun knockingdown ihe stacks.
15 to 18 months
Story t
,..
This game develops a toddler'spre-reading skills and
encourages her to love books
and reading,
When reading to your child beaware of the following.
g Feacling books io toddlers can befrustrating. li s important to reallzethat two to four rninuies is aboutas ong as they can st st L
f Todders are interesied ln bookswth photos of chlldren doing familiar
me
WHAT RESEARCH SA'':
Reading books aloud tochidref stlmu ates lheirimagination and expands -:know edge of the woridhelps them deveop langJ:.'and I sten ng ski ls and pf:: : ..them to understand the ! _ :word.
thlngs lke eaiing, running and
q Books about saying he o anclgooclbye are popular wth chilclren
of th s age.
* Sirnp e rhyrnes and predictable texiare also impodant crter a.
A To increase your child's interesi na book, sLrbsttuie her name forthe name of a child in the book.
* You can read anywhere - on abed, at baih time (us ngwaterproof books, ol courseL),sitting on the floor or rn a swing.
15 to 18 months
t,I The cuddle game
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
'rung children fal n love wth'rerr parents. Psycholog sts ca I
'attachment'. First postulated
:r' Br tish psychiatrist John
:cw by in the 1950s,
::iachment rema ns one of th s
::ntury's more enduring:^eories of human
::velopment.
Cuddling your toddleris a very importantway to build his brain
capacity.
ln times of dange\ cudclling is even moreimportant. lt also engenders thedevelopment of trust.
* f your little one wanders where he s notallowed to go, pick him up and cuddle h mwhile expla ning, 'You cannot go therebecause it is clangerous.'
t He wil -roerstand bv r-e tone oi your votcethat what he did is a 'no-no ,
t By the way that you hold him as you saythose words, he wil aso understand thatYou care and want to Protect h m.
Going to the park
WHAT FESEABCH SAYS
Helping a child's brain 'grow
means mmers!ng neT In
and lntellectua ly.
envlronraenls that are nch and
stimu ating, both enrohonallY
This game develops Your
toddler's language skills.
Toddlers love their stuffed toys,and you wi often hear themcarrying on a conversation with a
g Engage your child ln a Preiendgame of 'going to ihe Park' withher stuffed toys.
E Ask questions that encourage ner
to talk. For example, 'What do Youihink teddy shou d wear today?','ls it cold outslde?', 'lf teddy
15 to 18 months
i,::ll
doesn t wear shoes, what will
happen to his feet?'
$ More ldeas for questlons are 'Sha
we take some lunch to the Park?and 'What does Your monkey ik'r
f Always respond to what Your chL :says, wh ch will encoLrrage her tcta k even more.
* Language skills are also essentiawhen a todd er is older andlearning to read.
15 to 18 months
1
This game will help
him become more
aware of himself and
his abilities.
Looking at me
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Sensory experiences and socjal
nteractlons with sLrpport ve
adu ts w I help your chi d todeve op thinking abilties.
S Look into a mirror with your todd er and lethim watch h s face as he does differentthings.
c As he watches himself in the mirror, ask himto do the following:. Sm le.. Suck out h s tongue and inspeci it.. Open and cLose his mouth.. Look at h s ieeth.
o Give him someihing to eat and let him watchhimself chew (wth his mouth closed, of
15 to 18 months
Toy sou n
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Exposure to a var ety of muslcal
stimLrl and deve oplng listening
(auditory) skills n the early
years are impoftant to a ch ld's
mental growth.
Think about the toys
that your toddler likes
to play with and
encourage him to
make up sounds that
the toys could make.* Here are some suggestons:
. Tra ns train sound.
. Cars - car sounds
. Siuffed animals made-Lrp voices
. Dols - made-LlP voices
. Blocks the taLler the iower, the higher
:
to218 1
Words, words, words 94
The classics 95
Tops and bottoms 96
Can you find me? 97
Different voices 98
Hippety hoppity 99
Someone special 100
Cat and mouse 101
,-isten to the sound 102
Animal talk 103
I 8 to 21 months
Words, words, words
WHAT RESEARCH SA\':
Ch ldren learn a languaga l
hearlng words ovel and a :That's why the ear ter yo" . :
talklng to ch ldren the be:::
n-3
* Now ask yoLrr toddler what thecow says. f she doesn t resPoF.repeat your words again
l' Po nt to a baby and say, The ba.ls n the cradle. The baby says,
"Waa, waa."' Then ask Yourtodd er what the baby says.
* Ta k about a piciure that Your cn -has a ready seen, then add a ne.'
6 Let your ch d choose one ot thepictures and tell You about it or
rnake up a short, s mP e sloryabout one of the Pictures
;:t
Pictures lrom books and
magazines can be a great
source of discussion'
t Cut out pictures oi farniliar ihingsslrch as animals, bab es and foodfrom a magaz ne.
g Look at the Pictures wth Yourtodcller and talk aboui each
g For exampLe, Point to a cow ano
say, 'The cow is at the farm "Moo,moo," says the cow
18 to 21 months
The class CS..n*1
,,VHAT RESEARCH SAYS
_.Lrs c, chidren strengthen the
:.3 n circuits used fofrathemat cs. L stening to'rJs c also enhances the-herent brain patterns that are
,s:d for complex reasonrng
..
).4
Classical music can be great
to dance to. Select some fastand slow music.
+ Dance io the musc andencourage your toddler to join in.
* Muslc llke 'The Flght of ftreBurnb e Bee' (Rimsky-Korsakov) sgood because t ls fast and youcan pretencl to be a bee buzz ng
* Classca music that is soft andgentle w ll relax your child and lsexce lent to play during nap ti'ne.
t Here are a few suggestions forcassical mus c to use:. The B ue Danube (Strauss)
infectious musc you have to
'Carnival of the Anirnas' (Sa nt-Saens) the nstrumenis mitate
'William Tell Overture (Rossrni)
fam liar, ive y mus c-
'The Nuicrackei (Tchaikovsky)
excellent for acilng out.'Clair cle Lune' (Debussy) - muscthat descr bes moonlght.
18 to 21 months
WHAT RESEARCH
Teaching conceptsslrch as top and
boilom nurtures
connections that l
develop ihecapacily ol
Tops and bottoms
f Sit on the foor with your toddler.
* Take three or four blocks and build a tower
* Take a toy and put it on top of the blocksand say, 'The toy is on the top.'
* Knock the ioy off the top of ihe tower andsay, 'The toy s on the bottorn.'
* Repeai the game, lett ng your iodd er movethe toy from top to bottom.
As well as spatial
concepts this game
will help to develop
small motor skills.
18 to 21 months
Can you find me?
This is a very popular
game with toddlers.
g Pick a favourte stuffed an mal.
g Hide the an mal whiie your toddleris watchlng.
E Say the iolow ng:'Where is bunny rabbit(or another stutfed animat)?Where could he be?Let's find him as quick as "one.two. three".'
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
From lhe mornenl a baby isDOTn, eacn ano every
exper -once buids the neura
connect ons that gu de
oevetopmenL
* Go to the place that the bunny hasbeen hidden and pui it out. say,'Here s rabbit, hoorayl'
C Continue the game by hiding oiherioys- Always say the rhyme(changing the narne oi the siuffedanimal) before you find the toy.
s Ask your todd er to h de a toy.Fepeat the rhyme and let himflnd ii.
Different voices
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Ear y chi dhood exper ences have a dramat c rnpact,
physicaly deterrnin ng how the ntricate neura
clrcu ts of the bfain are 'w red'.
18 to 21 months
Talking and singing
in different voices are
good ways toencourage language
development,
* S ng a simple song that you know.
* Flrst sing lt ln a norma singing vo ce.
g Now change your voice and try to get yoLrr-odolF to oo the -.ne. T-y cliFfer-' voic-.including:. High vo ce.
. Nasa vo ce (ho d your nose as you singl
* Th s kind of game w ll help your young ch ldearn about patterns of speech.
H ip pety h op p ity
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
An adult's vocabulary s large y
determ ned by speech heard
r! thin the f rst three years.
Children love action rhymes. lfyour child has a favourite toy,
make up a poem of your own.
* Develop your todd er's anguageskills by saying the foiow ng poemand doing the acuons:
'H ppeiy hoppity, hippety hoppity(jump tike a bunny rabbit),Hippety hoppity, siop.(stap jumping.)I'm so t red, l'm so tired (yawn).I th nk l'm going to flop.(Fall dawn an the sraund.)'
byJackeSlberg
18 to 21 months
ts When you have stopped hopping,
ask your ch d why the bunny rabbit
* Suggest things the rabbit mighthave seen while he was hopping
+ Talk about the p aces the rabbitmight have gone into yourgarden, down the sireet or behind
* G ve your chid the words ancl
before you know t, she w lbemak ng up her own poem.
18 to 21 months
Someone special
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
When ch ldren have a nuriur ng
environment eary in ife, they
olten have higher lQ scores and
adjusi rnore easiy to school.
This game developsyour child's listening
skills because he
must listen to knowwhat to do.
* Develop your tocld er's sten ng skills by
saylng the followlng poem to hlm:'l know someone very specral.Do you know who?l'ilturn around and iLrrn around(turn around),And then l' point to yoLr (point ta your
by Jack e SiLberg
* Ask him to turn arouncl as you say the
6 Repeat the poem and change the action.nstead of turning around. jump up and downclap your hands, fly like a bircl and so on.
18 to 21 months
Cat and mouseWHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Exercis ng forms and
strengthens neural bridges:hal are necessary Tor
earn ng academic sk lsn ater life.
This game is not onlygreat fun but also a
wonderful way todevelop large motormuscles.
S Te! your ioddler that you are a Uny ittlemolrse and that she ls a cai ihat is going
t Tell her thai the moLrse says, Squeak,squeak" and the cat says, 'Meow, nreow'
c Get down on the floor and say, YoLr can'tcatch me!' Start crawling quickly andencourage your child to chase You.
* Crawl behind furniture, uncler tables and lnto
* When yoLrr child understands the game,
I
18 to 21 months
Listen to the sound$
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Expose your toddler to avariety of sensory sl rnu i
corours, m!s c, anguage,
naluraland mechanical
sounds, touch, smel , taste -to ensure that. as an adult,
he wi I have the most llex b e
braln power for learning.
This game will helpyour toddler become
aware of thewonderful sounds
of the outdoors,
* Take your toddler outs de.
* Start listening for birds. When you hear abird chatter or sing, try to copy the soundand te him that you are maklng the 'bird e
O t you coniinue Lhis. Ee wil ba.o1.e ,wareof the sound and may try to dup icate it.
o Add n-w "o-nd,. such ds -"e wind blowingor dogs barking.
i Listen for other sounds in your environment.such as car sounds, motorcycle sounds and
Animal ta
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
By listening, watching and
!lving words to exper ences.,,,ou deraonstrate interest in
ch ldren and raake ihem feeihat their thoughts and words
rfe imporlant.
18 to 21 months
n|\
--lI
Toddlers love to make animal
sounds and this game will help
them associate sounds that go
with different animals.
g Show your toddler a picture of adog. Talk aboui the sound that the
4 Next show her a picture of a catancl ta k about the sounci that the
+ Now show her a pcture of a fsh and,
insteacl of making a sound, show herhow ihe fish moves its mouth.
g Say the following:'Wlrat does the cloggie say?'Woof, woof, woof."What cloes the kitty say?''Meow, meow. meow.But the fishle, oh, ihe fish e
Coes (move your mouth tike a
* The next t me, siart with a familaran mal, then adcl a new anima andts sound. You could look atplctLrres before you say the poern.
* Always end with the fish. A fami arend w ll give your ch d a feeling of
21 to 24 months
Sharing music 105
Dressing up 106
Talk to the animals 107
The looking game 108
Learning with play 109
Singing names 110
Clap your hands 111
Old MacDonald 112
Oh, my goodness! 113
Rickety Roo 114
2'l to 24 months
Shari n9 m usrc
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
'.'lus cal expefiences are v ta to:peech and motor development:nd to sensory integrat on.
Sharing music withyour toddler willbenefit his brain andgive you both a lot ofpreasure.
* Play a variety ofrnusic (any kind thatyou and your child enjoy sten ng to)and respond to your child's movementst he sways, you sway. f he jumps, you jump.
a Hold his hand and do different movementsto the music. You can lump, slide, run, twirL
s Move free y to the music and let your toddlerdo ihe same. When he sees that you areenjoyjng the musc, he wi enloy it too.
2'l to 24 months
words than ch ldren of ess ta kat ve
'nothers; at two years, the gap
had more than doub ed to
295 words.
Playing dressing uP is
something toddlerslove to do. As you
discuss the various
clothes, you are
developing theirlanguage and giving
them new vocabulary.
C Gather logel_-r all ki'ds of clolhr 'g l-ats
scarves, shoes, gloves or whatever you thini(
that yoLrr ioddler would enjoy
S Put on one of ihe hats and say, 'How do you
do, Mt (child's name)?'
g Put on a glove and say, 'OL, this fee s so
s Encolrrage yolrr child to p ck an article ofclothing. Help him wlth words if he doesn't
* Soon a conversaton w ll deveLop ancl thelanguage wi I flow'
Dressing up
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
The s ze of a two-year old's vocabulary s closely llnked
to how much an adult talks to the chid. At 20 months,
ch ldren of chatty mothers had on average 131 more
(,,
-;i...':.::: .r"
Talk to the animalsWHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Sc ent sts have shown thai n
stressful s tuations ch Jdren who
have a secure attachment to aparent or carer adapt more
eas ly and prodLrce ess cort so ,
a stress hormone that affectsrhe metabo sm, the imrnune
system and the brain.
21 to 24 months
Acting out everyday situationshelps your toddler understand
them.4 Pick a favourite stuffed animal that
your ch d ikes to play with.
f Carry on a conversation with the
You: ' took your bscuit and ate it.-Stuffed friend: 'Thank you fortellng me.'You: 'Can I gei you another one?'Stuffed friend: 'Yes, ihank you
You: like to p ay dressing upwith you.
Stuffed friencl: 'l I ke to wear the
Stuffecl frlend:'And t'ssnowlng.
* Think up situatons to act out withyour ioddler that can teach himabout lmporiant events ors tuations ln his life.
* Encourage him to enter into the
* Other deas for conversation areputting away toys, brushing teethand going io fire doctor.
21 to 24 months
This game will require
your toddler to
concentrate, he needs
to listen carefully toyour instructions then
carry them out.
The ooking game
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
A chlld's potent al is determined
n the early years - from the flrst
moments oi life to the age or
three. These are the Years when
we create the Promise of a
child s fLrture.
* Place a few familiar ioys on each side of ihe
* Sit on the floor With your ioddler'
S Show him how to Lift his chin high in the arr'
* Show him how to turn h s head to one sde
and then the other sloe
* Ask hirn to look at (name a toy) as he iurns
his head in diffefent direcions
* Repeat places for hlm io Look - Look at the
ceiling, look at the floor and so on
WH
Bra
whz
argr
Ea(
\Lli
1
tI
LearningWHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Bra n research underscores
what educators have ong
argued: early soc a and
emotiona experiences are tl're
seeds of human nle lgence.
Each chid's J'reural circuits are
carving highways in the brain
where future earning wil travel
i Se\ec\ se\e\a\ os\ec\s. s\c\ as e.\ei\b\\\s\.a spoon or a cup that your todcller is famjlrarwith and uses on a regular basis.
f Sei them on the floor.
t Sit in front of the objecis.
t P ck up one objeci, such as the hairbrush,and pretend to brush your halr.
$ Pick up each object and pretend to use it.
* Ask your toddler to pick up one ol theobjects and show you how he would use it
21 to 24 months
!h play
+
\\i\s \s a g\ea\ game
to develop your
toddler's thinkingskills and help him
imagine other thingsto do with the same
obiect, such as using
a cup to drink fromand for pouring.
21 to 24 months
ngrng names
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
The more words a ch ld hears,
lhe faster he earns language.
The sound of words creates theneural c rcu try that s necessary
for chidren to develop anguage
skils.
f. .a-,€-a ,\"
This is a great
vocabulary-buildinggame.
S Si on the floor wih your child.
* Name an object in the room that the ch ldknows by chanting or saylng, 'l can see ateddy bear' (or other familiar object).
+ AsL you' child to roLch i5- tFddy be-r.
s Continue by nam ng anoiher objeci in theroom. Each time you name an objeci, chanior say t in the sentence first, then ask your
21 to 24 months
Clap your handso:?
Ar'
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Before a ch ld can process
anguage, ne can pfocess
music. Early mus cal
expenences ncrease ano
enhance spatiaFtemporareasoning and the earnlng ofmathemat ca concepts.
When children do tast and
slow actions, they begin tointernalize the concepts.
* S ng the folow ng very sowy tothe tune of Row, Row, Fow YourBoai :
'Clap, clap, clap your hands,Slowly every day.(Ctap yaur hands slowly.)Merr y, n'rerrly, merrily, merrily(keep clapping),Then we shout, "Hooray".(Jump up anci clown and shout"hooray' slowly.)'
f Sing thls verse faster.
Faster every day.(Ctap your hands faster.)Merrily, merrily, merriy, merriy,Then we shoui, "Hooray".'
by Jackie Sj berg
* Sing this song with d fferentactions. Always do the actionssowly at nrsi. ihen speed ffrem up.
$ Other actions to try jnciude ro lingyour hands, shaking your hands,waving your hands, stamping yourfeet and shaking your hips.
21 to 24 months
A favourite song withtoddlers is 'OldMacDonald Had a
Farm'. They love tomake the animalsounqs.
d MacDonald
WHAT RESEARCHSAYS
A neurolog ca scan olchidren who are s ng ranursery rhymes and
do ng counting garnes
wou d show sect ons cithe r brains lteralyglow ng with activiiy.
* Try singing a new version of the song:'Old MacDonald had a cold, E, l, E, I, O.And wth his cod he had a cough,E, I, E, t, O.'
f Add so--d, you m g"r .rdke w"-n yo- ^a\ e
f Old M.cDon"ld co-ld al-o h-ve d Sd-de^. atso .--. a cw-ei siop a-d qo on. Ch.ngi-gthe words develops vocabu ary.
i For a cha lenge, sing this as a sequentialsong, repeaUng the list of items mentionedat the encl of each verse.
21 to 24 months
Oh, my goodness
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
When children receive warm,
responstve care. trtey are morei[6 v t^ fa^ crfa rn^ ca.' ro
ancl to be able to build
attachments to others,
4This rhyme willencourage a sense ofsecurity in your child.
n Say the following to your ch ld:'Oh, my goodness,Oh, my gracious,Look who's here, look who's here.Oh, my goodness,Oh, my gracious,lt's my favourte (child's name).'
$ Hold your chid ciose and give her a big hug.
C Repeat the poem again. When you hug yourchild, hold her high in the air and then bringher down for a big kiss.
* Try rocking her, slowly spinning her aroundor any other lov ng moUon.
* Your ittle one will absolutely love this!
21 to 24 months
Rickety roq
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
A ch ld's brain grows throLrgh
exper ence and attachment, two
crt ca components necessary
Your child will want to do thisover and over again. lt's theperfect way to develop
attachment skills,
o Put your todd er on your lap facjngyou. Hold her at the waist andmove your knees up and down sothat she can lrounce.
s Say the following rhyme:'R ckety roo, R ckety ree,Bouncing on your Daddy's knee.R ckety roo, rickety row,
Stop the horsy,
(Pull yaur child clase to yau andgive her a hug.)
s Start the bouncing again, sayrng
ihe fo Lowing:'R ckety roo, rickety rup,Go ng up, up, up.(Lift yout child in the air.)Rickety roo, rickeiy round,Watch achlld's name) going down(Suppotl her under the arms asshe falls between your knees.)
by Jacke Silberg
24 to 27 months
Looking for faces 116
Ring-a-ring o' roses 117
Look at yourself 118
Sweet little bunny 119
Learning rhymes 120
Shake your fingers 121
Whispering 122
The fruit story 123
Free like the wind 124
24 to 27 months
Look ng for faces
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
When you express difierenternot ons, you st mu ate thebra n. Emotions cause a
release of chemicals thathelps the brain remeraber
d fferent feelngs and theevents that are related 10
those fee ngs.
This game helps two-year-olds identify theirteelings.
t St wth your two year old and find picturesof faces n magazines and books.
o Ask your child about the expression on ihe
e Find a picture of a ch d s face that lookshappy. Describe ihe emotion on ihe face ofthe p cture and then ask your child to make
C Keep looking for happy-face pictures.
s On anoiher day look for different kinds ofexpress ons. Excted- sad and silly are good
* Look for expresslons thai match the wayyoL'r ch d s feeling that day.
24 to 27 months
Ring-a-ring o'roses
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
All ch !dren learn. What theylearn depends on what theyhave been exposed to. Because
most of your chid's llrain
deve oprnent takes place aiter
birth, you have many
opportunities every day tocontribute to his heathy brain
This is a wondedul way todevelop your child's spatial
understanding,
g Play the usual 'Ring-a-ring o'Roses' with your two-year-old.Hold hands, walk around in a circleand slng the following wordsi
'Ring-a-ring o' roses,A pocketfui of posies,A-iishoo, a-tishoo,We a fall down.'
g Fa down to the ground gently.Your child will absolL'tely ove trr|sl
C Now play the game aga n, butinstead of saying 'al fall down',change ihe action.
'Bing-a-ring o roses,A pocketful of posies,A-tishoo, a-tisrroo,Turn around.
f You could also clap your rrands;
hop, hop, hopijump up and down;and quack llke a duck.
24 lo 27 months
Look at yourself
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Bra n studies ndicate thatparents and educators have agolden opportun ty to deve op achid's brain. That meansprov ding a rch environment
without undue academ c stress.
This is a wonderful game to helpyour child think about the
different parts of his body and toenhance his observation skills.
E Say io your iwo-year-od, 'li youare wearing shoes, jLrmp up and
$ Help your child by asking him, 'Areyou wearing shoes? Show mewhere they are.
t Poirit to his shoes and ask him tolump up and down. You might need todemonstrate how to do the jumping.
* Each time you ask him ab'outhimseif, po nt io thai part of hisbody and show him how to do the
S Here are other ideas:. lf you are wearing socks, twist
back and forth.. lf you are wearing a shirt, clap
. lf you are wearing trousers,shake your head up and down.
s Once you have played th s game afew times, you w ll find that yourchild may be abe to do the actionswithoui your rrelp.
Sweet little bunny
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Scientisis have found that Yourrelationship wilh your ch ld
affects her braln in many ways-
By prov ding warm, respons ve
care, you strengthen the
bio ogical systems that helP her
hand e her emot ons,
This game will develop your
child's spatial concepts.
g Play this game usrng your two-year-old's favourite stuffed animal.
Change the name of 'bunny' iowhatever stuffed animal that you
t Say the following Poem and do ihe
'Sweet little bunnY,Hopping on the ground.(Hold the bunny and hoq it uP
24 to 27 months
Sweet little bunny,Looking all around.(Turn the bunny arcund.)Look up hLgh.
(Hold the bunny high in the air.)
(Bring the bunny dawn to the
(Run with bunny.)Oh, oh, oh,Sweet Liitle bunny,Where dld you go?(Hide the bunny behind Your
24 lo 27 months
N/ernory is earn ng thatsllcks. When earn ng
occurs, new synaps,as
form and/or old
strengthened.
Two-year-olds are like
sponges, They hear
something once and
are already beginning
to memorize it,
especially if it involves
actions.
Lea rn ing rhymes
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
An interesting way to say nursery rhymes is
to accent the last word of each line and doan action at lhe same ttme. This wi helpyour child to memorize the rhyme.
t Here is an examp e. Remember to accent
'Hlckory, dickory, DOCK.(Move yoLtr fingers h a climbing motian )The mouse ran up the CLOCK.(Ctimb yaur fingers up again.)The clock struck ONE (hold up one tinger)The mouse ran DOWN.(Move the ane finger downwatds.)Hickory, dickory, DOCK.(Clap you hands on the word "dack' .)'
24 to 27 months
Shake your fingersWHAT RESEAFCH SAYS
Positive eady experiences andnteractlons alfect a child's emotionaldevelopment.
Play this game with adoll or stuffed toy thathas hands and feet.
O S. on tne floor w .' yoLr- two-year-oo d-osnow her how to take the do|,s or stuffedtoy s arms and shake them up and down.
ll Give the toy to your chltd and tet her try tt_
0 Think of all the things that you can do w|tnthe stuffecJ toy.
ll Here are some ideas:. Wave your hand.. Clap your hands.. Clap your feet together.. Throw a kiss.
C Ask your two-year-otd for her deas.
24 lo 27 months
Wh ispering
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Each time a child is stimulatedto think, ethef new neura
br dges are formed or pre-
exist ng ones are strengthened-
The more neura bridges formecl
or strengthened, the more thelntellect w ll be developed.
Two-year-olds are fascinatecl by whisperingand are very prcud when they can clo it.
o Whisper something to your two-year-old.Say, 'Let s clap our hands.'
s Ask your two-yearold to whisper someihing
C Keep whisper ng to each other until yourrwo-year-old -r derstands how to rr'rke Fi5
voice very soft.
Whispering helps a
child learn tomodulate his voice, an
important aspect ofsound awareness. ltalso takes a lot ofconcentralion.
24 lo 27 months
The fruit storvWHAT RESEARCH SAYS
The pLast c ty of the brain, ts abilty torewire tsef, s what makes it so easy forchidren to earn language. The rnore
words yoLrng chidren hear, the rnofe
connectiofs their bra ns make.
Everyday objects can be agreat source of inspiration forconversation and language
development.
E Pick three or foLrr fruits for yourch ld to examine with yoLr.
I Cut each one open an.l talk aboutwhat's inside. Does it have seeds,a core, segments and so on?
* Tell a siory about the fruit, usingyour own words. Here is an
'Once Lrpon a time there was an
apple that carne to play with Billy.
"Hi Billy, 'm giad to be here, but I
am a bt onely. Could we lnviieanother fruit to come over andplav?""Okay", said Billy, "L'll call an
Bi y dialed the phone and sad,"Heilo, orange. Would you like tocome over io play?"'
n Let your child suggest whom tocall next. Wiih each new iruit,examine it, talk about it, and, ofcourse, taste it.
Free like the windWHAT RESEARCH SAYS
A ch ld's capacity to earn and
thrive n a varety oi settings
between nature (genet c
endowment) and nuriure (the
kind of care, stmuLation, and
teaching they receive).
24 to 27 months
It feels wonderful tohold a scad in your
hand as you movefreely to music. lt alsogivesachildasenseof balance and
control.
This is a very creative game and your childwill want to play it again anc! again.
S Play some lnsirumental muslc as you andyour child dance with scarves-
* Swoop the scad high into the air and ihenow to the ground.
* Hold the scarf out as you turn in a circie.
* You ancl your child can each holcl one end ofthe scarf and dance together.
* Whatever you do, your child will copy you.
27 lo 3O months
Repeating 126
The mice game 127
Walkity, walkity, stop 128
Can you do it too? 129
The smelly game 130
Fill in the word 131
Building a house 132
Looking for stones 133
The wheels on the bus '134
My little bird 135
27 lo 30 months
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Repeating
O Here are some ideas:
Children learn /anguage by
near ng woros over ano overagain. Language is a crucial
skil since t is a pfmarycoramunicat on system.
Play a game with your
two-year-old whereyou repeat the last
word ot a sentence
three times.
'Do you like ice cream, crearr, cream?'Can I brLrsh your hair, hair, hair?''Let's play with ioys. toys, toys.'
* As you say the repeated word, accent theword the first time.
* Encourage your two-year-old to make up
her own words and repeat them.
The mice game
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
The number of bra n
connect ons ncreases when ach id gfows Lrp in an enr ched
27 to 30 months
Fingerplays are fun ways todevelop a child's language andsmall motor skills.
t Put your hands behind your back.Say the following flngerptay and do
'Five liite mice went out to pay(place hands in ftont of yau),Looklng for food along the way.(Pretend to put the food in your
Olt came the pussy cat, seekand taI (hold hands like ctaws),And four little mice wentscampering back.'
* Flepeat, subtracting the nurober ofmrce that scamper back.
O When you get to one liite mouseand you say, 'Out came the pussycat sleek and fat', stop for asecond, then say very quickty,'The mouse ran away, now whatdo you think of thatt,
O Repeat the fingerpiay andencourage your chitd io do theactions with you.
Walkity, walkity, stop
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Large motor skils, smal motorskils, thinkng skiLs -everything s learned byplaying. When children fina ly
That s whal play s all aboLrt
- try ng dlfferent th ngs tolind out what works and
what doesn't.
27 to 30 months
"j
This game will help to developyour toddler's coordinationand large muscles.
* Hold your child's hand as you walkand say the following:
'Walkity, walkity, walkity, walklty,Wa kity, wa kity, siop.'
* Stop when you say'stop'.
* Change the movement iromwa king to hopping.
'Hopp;ty, hoppity, hoppity,
Hoppity, hoppity, stop.'
S Stop again when you say 'stop'.
a Keep changing the aciion, butalways stop on the word 'stop'.
o What you w ll find ls that your childwil know the exact t me to stop-
g Oiher actions you might try includejumping, swimm ng, tLrrning,runnLng and marcn ng.
'SFr
27 to 3O months
;
a
This game developsyour child's thinkingand communicationskills as well as his
imagination.
Can you do it too?
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
At no other stage does thebrarn master so many
activities w th such ease.
s Pretend to use an imaginary object and te I
your ch ld what you are doing-
* For example, pretend to drink some milk.
o Say, 'l am drinking some milk-'
i Ask your two-year-old, 'Can you do t too?'
t Continue acting out simple activities thaiyour chid knows, such as the following:. Throw a ball.. Brush your teeth.. Wash your face.. BrL'sh your hair.
* Always ask, 'Can you do it too?' after you doa pretend action.
27 lo 30 months
The smelly gameWHAT RESEARCH SAYS
The human bran is un qLrey
constrLrcted to benefit from
warff i ov ng experencesand frorn good teaching,pariicu ary dur ng
the first years
'l'\.
Playing with fruit and {lowersin this way develops your
child's sensory experiences.
C Select three different tems thathave a distinct smel . lt's easlest tosiaft wth food ancl flowers. Forexampe, lnterest ng smels comefrorn an orange, a pickle and lilacs.
C Slggest to your child that you bothpretend to be bears on a wa k.
* Say, 'Little bear, I sme I someth ng
S Preiend io pck an orange frorn airee- Take ofi some of the skin andlet your two-year-old smell it.
* Continue with the other two ltemsihat you have se ected.
S Say, 'Little Bear, et's sit in the
agarn.
S Fina y, say to yoLrr ltt e one,'Would you like to taste one of thethings that we have smelt?'
C When you add taste, you introduceanother sensory experience.
27 to 30 months
I
LI
IFill in the word
WHATRESEARCHSAYS
Ta king to childrenis the best way todevelop their future
language skils.
Two-year-olds are
developing language
at a very fast rate,
This game is an
excellent way todevelop bothlanguage skills and
imagination.
To encourage your two-year-old's languagetry the fo owing.
i Make up a story with your child's name in it.Each time you come to her name, let her fil
* For example, Once upon a time there was alitte girl named (your chlld's name).This little glrl named (let child fill in theword) went io the kitchen to eat her lunch.'
i Add situations to the story ihat willencourage her to fill in more blanks.' (Your child's name) opened thecupboard and took out some
-.'
g Depending on your child, yoLr can make thestory simple or complicated, short or long.
27 lo 3O months
Bu td
WHAT RESEARCH
SAYS
When a ch ld s two, his
bra n is twice as active
or I dr v, a !u,EgE
siuoenL
Make this game more
exciting by giving yourchild plastic animals
and/or people to put
inside the structureshe builds.
ng a house
.il
\i *"vi;$:
g Sii on the floor with your two-year-old andlots of building blocks.
* Make a simple structure with ihree or four
$ lf your child does not stad buildingsomeihing on his own, encourage him to
* lf your child is interested n making morecomplicated bu ldings, lei him iake the lead-
27 to 30 months
Looking for stonesWHAT RESEARCH SAYS
New ins ghts into brain
deve opment affirm whatmany parents and carers haveknown for years - that ov ng
attachments between young
children and adults, and
slimulation that s positive
and appropr ate, reaily domake a difference n
children's deve opment,
This enjoyable game
teaches an awareness
of nature.
c Pick a nice day to look for stones with your
* Talk about whai you are going to do andtare ,long a cont.iner io put the etones in.
+ Suggest to your child thai you look for acertain kind of stone. For example, 'Let s finda small stone' or 'Let's find a smooth sione.'
C You can look for stones that are large, small,bumpy, smooth, wh ie, brown and so on-
d When you have inished, bring the stoneshome and wash them.
* Look at them closely and tatk about wherethey might have come from.
Note: ff your child stiputs things into hismouth, be sufe youcollect only stones thatdo not pose a choking
27 lo 3O months
The wheels on the bus
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
l\,4usic optim zes bra n
development, enhances
multlple nle ligences and
faciltates bond ng between
adllt and chid.
This popular song is a great
favourite of young children.
f lf you don't know the tune, youcan say the words or make upyour own rune.
'The whees on ihe bus goround and round (rollyour fistsover one another),Round and round, round androun l (continLte ralling fists).The whees on the bus go round
Allthrough the town.
o Continue with other verses:'The doors on the bus go openand shut (use your hands) . . .
The horn on the bus goes beep,beep, beep (pretencl to honk a
The kids on the bus go up anddown (move up and down) .-.'
t And ihe all-t me favourite verse:'The baby on ihe bus goes, 'waa,waa, waa (pretend to cry) ...
* Make up imaginaiive verses:'The sheep/cows/dinosaurs on thebus go, "Baa, baa, baa" ... / 'Moo,moo. moo"... / "Grrr, grrr, grrr"...'
My li
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Attachrnents between young
ch ldren and their parents orcarers are biolog ca ly 'wired'toforge a c ose emot onal ti-o.
27 to 30 months
By holding your childclose while you saythis poem you willenhance your child'sfeeling of security.
t Say the following poem and do the actions:'Here is a nest,All warm inside,Where my little birdCan safely hide (wrap your arms aroundyour chitd and hald her clasely).Here is a nest,All h dden away,Where my little b rdCan s ng and play (give yaur child a toy).Here s a nest,Al cosy and deep,Where my little birdCan go to sleep (rack your little one gentlyand pretend to go to sleeq).
ttle bird
30 to 33 months
Favourite poems 137
The sequence game 138
A treasure hunt 139
Puddle watch 140
Telling stories '141
Here comes Susie Moosey 142
Sorting toys 143
, When I was 144
What do you see? 145
I Again! 146
t'
Favourite poems
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Causality is a key component oilogic: if I smie, N,4urnmy smiesback. A sense that one thrng
causes another forms synapses
thai will eventualy suPport
mofe complex concepts of
causa ry.
30 to 33 months
The more dramatic and funyou make this, the more your
children will enioy it. This kind
of game will remain with them
for ever.
Two-year-olds love the rhyme,rhythm and emotions that wordsconjure up, especially in poems.
O The folLowing are good Poems touse wlth young chldren.. 'Hickory, Dickory, Dock'.. 'Hey, Diddle, Diddle .
. 'Jack and JilL'.
. 'Humpty Dumpty'.
. Twlnkle, Twinkle, Little Siaa.
. 'Mary Had a Little Lamb'.
. 'Jack Be Nimble'.
.'Pat-a-Cake'.
t Say the poem with yoLrr two-Year-old. Be dramatic and try acting outthe story.
C What a fun way to learn languageskillsl
The sequence game
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
During her first ihree years, atotaly dependent ch ld w I bu ldan ncredibly complex newbra n thai w I enable her towalk, ialk, analyse, care, love,play, exp ore and have a uniqueemotiona personality.
30 to 33 months
fi
Sequencing is an impodantpre-reading skill. Helping yourtwo-year-old learn to think in
an orderly way will benefit herin the future.
Sequencing means cloing a seriesof things in a certain order orpattern, lt also means being at teto repeat a pattern and add on
rl Self-care tasks, sLrch as washlngyour hands, getting dressed orbrusrring your teeth, are a goodp ace to siart thinking about
t Chant the fo lowing:'Now t's Ume to wash our
Now it's time to wash oLrr handsWhat comes ne)ar?'
* Ask your chicl whai she w I donext. lf she says, 'Brush my teeth ,
then chant that.
S Add the new part each time.
A treasu re h u nt
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
ALthough the brain is capable oflearning throughout life, nothing
wil ever again match th s most
exuberant time ol earn ng.
30 to 33 months
Your child will love
searching for and
finding treasures.
O Hide three or foLrr treasures in your garden.
C Tle ribbons or crope paper near thetreasures, so that they wilL be easy to find.
O Tell your child in advance what the treasuresare, such as the following:
' Smd toys hidden under some leaves.. Toys in a low branch ot a tree,. Toys on the seat of a swing or at the end
c Holding your iwo-year-old s hand, walkaround the garden and search for the
30 to 33 months
This kind of activitydevelops thinkingskills. Play this game
after it rains.
Pudd le watch
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
A strong bond to a nunuring
adult can help a chid withstancthe ordinary stress of daily lfe.
C Go outside and find a puddle-
n lf it is on a pavement, draw a Iine around thepudd e with chalk.
O lf it is in a muddy area, draw a ine around it
O WdtLh r rhroLrgro-r tre day as it or es.
* TLis br ^gs -p wo-derrul conversationjabout what has happened to the water.
30 to 33 months
Telling stories
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Whie grammar is earned more
easiy by hearing short
sentences, chiidren whoseparents use many dependenlclauses (beg nn ng with'because'and 'which') earn touse these in their speech ear ier
than the chi dren of parents
who do not.
This is a good game to play
with poems.
{ Tell a familiar story with repeated
t The fo lowing dialogue from TheThree Liil:le Pigs' is a goodexample of repeated phrases:
Wolf voice: 'Little pig, lirde pig,let me come in,Pig voice: 'Not by the hair on mY
chinny-chin-chin.'wolf voice: 'Then l'll huff and l'llpuff and l'll blow your house in-'
* Soon your two-year-old will be ableto say the words with you.
* once your chlld knows the words,you can begin to leave blanks andlet him fill in the word.
* The following are additional stories,songs or folktales with repeated
. 'Goldilocks and the ThreeBears .
. 'The Three Billy Goais Gruff'.
. 'The Gingerbread Man'.
30 to 33 months
Here comes Susie Moose
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Scieniists are lust now rea izing
how much experiences aft-or
b rth, rather than something
innate, deterrnine the actua'wir ng' of the hurnan bra n.
This game willdevelop your toddler'slistening skills and
coordination.
g Say ihe folow ng, using your ch ld's named^d rhyning it. For example. 'Here conesBobby Dobby' or 'Jackie wacky':
'Here comes Susie Moosey,Walking down the street.She can walk a lot of ways,Watch her little feet.'
f Suggesi an action for your t\,vo-year-old to clo:
'Hop Sus e Moosey,Hop, hop, hop.You can hop down the street,With your little feet (hop with your child).'
0 Coninue the game, changing the actions.Additionar io-as a'e.unp. rLn. tiptoe. slide.skate and march.
:::,:',:
iftt:.
Sorting toys
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Chidren love to play. lt comesnaturally to them and issomething they should be
encouraged to do, becauseit is essent a to the rdevelopment. Large rnotorsk ls, srnall motor sk lls,
thinking skils every,4hing s
learfecl throLrgh p ay.
30 to 33 months
This game willdevelop your child'sthinking skills.
Two-year-olds love their toys. The more youcan play games that involve their toys, themore they will enjoy it.
A Sii on ihe floor with your two-year-old andput many toys n front of you.
C Siart sorting by colour: 'Let's find al the toysthat are red and put ihem together.'Continue softing by coloLtr.
S You can sort by size, colour orcharacteristics (toys that have wheels,animaltoys and so on).
* Ask your child how she thlnks the toysshoLrld be sorted. You and she w ll think ofmany ways by ook ng at the toys-
30 to 33 months
When I was
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
One thing young ch ldren need
for opt mum brain developments a rich and responsive
anguage envtronmenr
n whlch they are
exposed to a wlde range
Develop your two-year-old's language
skills and imagination
by chanting aboutdifferent objects in
the room and making
up imaginative
aclions for them.
f Chant or sing the fo lowing to the tune of'Mary Had a Little Lamb':
'When I was a ifrle chair,Litt e chair, little chair.When lwas a tte chair,I could sit like th s.
When lwas a litle plane,Little plane, iitle plane.When I was a liitle plane,L could fly like ihis.
When I was a little ba l,
Little ba l, little ball.When I was a little baLl,
I could ro I like this.'
30 to 33 months
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
DLrring crtical learningperiods, or windows ofopporiunity. pathways growthat form the foundation forfuture skils.
What do you see?
0 For e\anple. i'you are wrll"i-g ouisde. asjyour two-year-old what she sees. When sheg ves you an answer, stimu ate her th nkingby ask ng questions.
* li your chid says ihat she sees a tree, hereare some quesiions you could aski. How big is the iree?. What colour is it?. What do the Ieave. look like?. Where is the very top of the tree and the
very bottorn?
This is a very creativegame that is good toplay during a walkoutside or a ride inthe car.
30 to 33 months
in !Aga
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
When the rhythm and melody of
anguage become a pari ol a
ch ld s lfe, learning io read will
be as natural as learning towalk and talk.
Reading stories willhelp your child have a
longer attention span.when two-year-olds like a poem, a book ora song, they want to hear it again andagain.
f lf the carer hears a story so many times thatit gets bor ng, iry ask ng the child to te L thestory in his own words.
* Read the story and let yoLrr two-year-old fill
n sore of the wo'ds. He probably hd> thastory memorized lry now,
* Simple stories ihai your child can rememberare favourites at this age,
$,(t
33 to 36 months
Where is Jack? 148
Musical instruments 149
Let's choose 150
Muffin Man rhymes '151
Colourful steps 152
The puppy game 153
Funny tricks 154
Grocery shopping 155
A rhythm game 156
Laundry baskets '157
33 to 36 months
Action songs willdelight your child and
as he gets to knowthem well he will startto ioin in with thewords.
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Each young brain iorms theneurona and muscu ar
connections required for s ttlngand craw ing, wa king and
ta king, at ts own pace.
Where is Jack?
* Say -he'ol,o$,' 9 rhyne a.o do ihe a.ro^..ihen a<k your lwo yed -old to join yo.:
'l'm a little box(stoop dawn with your atms hugging yaur
Still as can be (stand very sti ).Lft up my id(slowly raise your hands above yaur
And what do you see?Shhhl BooL(Jump up and Hise yaur hands high in the
Jack-in-ihe-boxl
Musical
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Dr [/]ark Tramo, a neuroscientistat Harvard l,,4ed cal Schoo ,
reporled that exposure to mus c
rewlres neural circLrils. L ke
other c rcu ts formed early ln
lfe, the ones for mus c w I
endLrre.
33 to 36 months
nstruments
4."r'n{'
Provide a selectionof instruments foryour two-year-old toexplore different kinds
ot sounds.
* Start with drums, sand blocks, triangle and
g DrLrnT <: l"rlLenonthe'i-r,t'en _"'rnldd e. The sound will be higher and lower.
* Sand blocks: rub them iogether to hear an
interesting sound like a tra n.
* Triangle: hit it at different places to producehlgher and lower sounds.
t Sticks: hii ihem on different surfaces to produce
differeni sounds. Hitting a stick on the floor andthen on atabe willfasclnate your chlld.
i
33 to 36 months
Let's choose
WHATRESEARCHSAYS
cefra n endorphins
strengthens thefunct on ng of brain
Pos t ve, happyieei ngs cause ihe
Play this pretend
game to help your
two-year-old learn
about choices.
t Sit on the floor wlth your child and putseveral stuffed animals on the floor wth you.
* Talk to one of the animals. 'Mr Bear, wouldyou ike cereal or cheese today?' Ask yourchild to answer for Mr Bear.
* Discuss the pros and cons of the choice.
S Pick up another animal and say, 'Bunnyrabbit, are you golng to play insde or outside
* Here again s a good chance to discuss the
t lt is impoftant for a child to feel goocl aboutthe choices that he makes.
33 to 36 months
l
This game helps yourtwo-year-old learnabout rhyming.
f S ng ihe tune of DoYou Know the MufftnMan?' us ng thefollowing worcls:
'Do you know the jo,
Muffin Man rhymes
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Scans of ch ldren's brains showthat the growth at th s age isexp os ve, a fact that a lowsthera to absorb and organ zenew intormation at a rate muchfaster than adLllts.
co, go, go,Do you know the jo, jo, jo,Ho, ho, go, go go, heyt,
C As you sing the song, ctance around andcap your hands on the word ,hey,.
g PicL dnv .h ee .Fy.ni,lg sou-d, io sng rresong.
Colourful steps
WHAT RESEARCHSAYS
Dur ng crit ca periods
long, th n fbres grow
nside the brain, creatingpathways that carry
electr ca mpulses ffoncell to cel . The resu t ng
network. whlch grows
da ly n the yoLrng braln,
forms the neufo ogical
foundat on upon wh ch
a ch d bu lds a let nre
of sklls.
You can develop your
children's spatialthinking by expanding
the actions you ask
them to do,
33 to 36 months
* Make a tra of paper p ates on the floor.
* Use two or three dfferent coours in your path
* S ng a favourite song as you and your twoyear-old walk on the path. Twinkje, Twinkle,Little Star' is a good one to use.
* Each i me you stop s nging, siop walk ng. liyour chilcl knows colours, ask him to namethe coloLrr thai you are standing on.
* Deve op your chilcl's spatial thlnking bysuggest ng. 'Let s walk over the p aies .
'Let's walk on the plates' or'Let's waLk
around the plates.
* You can also do other actions, sLrch ashopping, lumping and tiptoelng.
33 to 36 months
. ppy
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
The hurnan brain deve ops mostraprdly from birth to the age of srx.
Researchers agree that personal ty, atliiudes,concepts of sef, anguage. cop ng sk lls al,]d earnngpatterns are in place by the age of three.
Pretend play creates newopportunities for languagestimulation.
S Designate an area of the room asthe 'kennel' where the puppiesplav.
t Pretend to be the mummy ordaddy dog wlth your two-year-old
* Ask your little puppy what hisname is and call him by this nameas you play the game,
11 You can say, 'Bow wow. woofwoot. (puppy's name),lets hopover to the kennel.'
* Folow the direction and ask yourchild to do the same.
l} Continue giving ideas for differentthings to do ln the kennel.
C Ask your child for hls ideas.
t Other ideas include jumping in thekennel, marching ln the kennel,crawling in the kennel and eating inthe kennel. Pretend to chew on abone, or maybe eat a real snack in
33 to 36 months
Funny tricksWHAT RESEARCHSAYS
f the brain's visua and
Tnotor neurons are nottrained between tlreages of two and eleven,
neurons are raTety
'p/astic enough tobe'rewired'.
Sequencing games
are wonderful forpreparing your two-year-old for reading.
f Chant or slng ihe followlng to the tune ot'London Briclge is Fall ng Down :
'| can clo a funny trck, funny tnck, funny
I can do a funny trick,Here's what I can do Aump up and
s Repeat the song and at the end add a
second activity after jumping up ancl down
$ Keep sing ng the song, adding on anadditiona acUvlty.
s Addltlonal ideas nc ude shaking a leg.clapping hands, turning around, noddingyour head and touching your toes.
33 to 36 months
&WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
In the course of the first three years,
a totally dependent ch ld w I bu ld
an incred b y cornplex brain thatwil be the begrnning of a new
independent chid.
Your two-year-old willlove to help you out inreal-life situations.
o Ask your child to help you prepare ashopping list.
i Take her to the supermarket and look for theitems on the list.
* When you return home, let her help you putaway the groceries and read the labels, boxtops aro packages ds you slore then_,
O lf possible, make a recipe with theingredients that you bought at the shop.
O Praise the efforts of your two-year-old
33 to 36 months
A rhythm game
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Exposure to mus c rewires
neural clrcults that may a so
strengthen the c rcuits used
in rnathematics.
* Say the following chani and do the actrons:'One, two, three,Touch your knee.One, two, three,Knee, knee, knee.'
* Repeat, changing the parts of the body. Forexampe, Touch your arm' or'Touch your
S The words do not have to rhyme.
This helps children totearn an awareness
of rhythm.
Laundry baskets
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS
Fvery new move has to be
repeated over and over tostrengthen neura c rcu ts,
Laundry baskets or large plastic boxes areperted to help your child practise throwing
O Experiment with throwing diiferent objects,like balls, wadded paper and scarves, into
$ Each ob,ject will require a clifferent klnd ofmotor skill to get it in.
* Place the baskei close enough to your chilclso that he will be successful in getting theobject inio the basket.
33 to 36 months
This is a great way todeveloo coordination,
Aabstract reasoning 55action rhymes 99,144animal sounds 103, 112
atiachment 50, 49, 1O7,
113, 114, 135
attention skills 42, 146
Bbalance 36ball games aobaskets, throwing into
157
baih time 64body parts, identirying
60, nabonding 7, 19, 24,
132F5
books 67, 79, 88, 94,146
bouncing 36, 73
brain development 4-5building blocks 47,132
ccausality 137
'Choo choo train' 26clapplng games 111
classical music 95climbir'g 52clothes, dressing up
'106
colours 152
concentratibn skills 42,1o4,122
confidence 54, a1
coordination 128, 142,
157
hand €ye 14, 32, 40,46
cortisollOTcouniing games 112
crawling 16, 31, 52, AO
cuddling 7,19, a9curiosity 35, 63
Ddancing 30, 33, 124
dressing up lOo
Eemoiional development
10, 116
endorphins 150
Ffaclal expressions 13, 18,
74,116'Father, Malther and
uncle John' 58feeding skills 40finger food 40fingerplays l2Tfruit 123, 130
G'Going up the escalatoi
grammar 141
Hhand eye coordination
'14,32,40, 46'Hickory dickory, dock'
64hiding games 97,139
peekaboo games 35,42 4,56,75
'Hippet/ hoppity' 99
I
imagination 129, 131, 153
imitation 70
J'Jack-ln-the-box' 63
Kkeys 53kicking 29
Llanguage development
birth to 3 months a3 to 6 moriths 27-a6 to I months 54, 56I to 12 months 64-5,
6a-7012 to 15 months 7415 to 1a months 84-5,
901a to 21 months 94,
94921 to 24 months 106,
110
24 to 27 months 12327 to 30 monihs
126-7 , 131
30 to 33 months 137,
141,144
throwing into 157
legs, strengthening 16,
29,37
Index
6 to I months 4512 to 15 months 7215 to 1a months 9218 to 21 months 1OO,
1Q2
30 to 33 months 142
logic 137
looking games 1Oa.145love aglu abies 7a
M
mathematics 95. 111, 156
memory oeveropmenr26.116,120
3 to 6 months 29,
6 to 9 months 47, 49,
5315 to 18 months a6-71A io 21 months 96,
101
27 to 30 months 127 A
'MLrff n Man' 151
birth to 3 months 9
3 to 6 months 336 io 9 months 39
9 to 12 months 65
12 to 15 months 7a
15 to 1a months a31a ro 21 monrhs 95
21 to 24 months 1O5,
]]l24 ta 27 nonlhs 12427 to 30 months 134
musical instruments '149
'My tte bird'135
Nnaming oblects 110
nappy changing 21
'N'rggle nose' 24nurturng skils 77
oobservat on sk lls 1Ta
'Oh, my goodnessl'113
'Old MacDonald'112
P'parentese', talking to
babies a, 20, 76peekaboo games 35.
42-4, 56,75pictLres, looking at 67,
79, aa, 94, 116
pretend games 129, 150,153
pushing games a1
R
read ng 67,79,44,146
reasoning ab ty 95repear ng, ranguage
rhyrnes 1T2-14, 120, 137,
151
rhtthm 72, 156
'Fling a ringo roses'117
rocking 36, 7a
rolling over 34
sscarves, danc ng with
124
security 113, 135
sef-awareness 91
sensory experiencessmells T5. T3O
textures 15, 46, A4sequencing garnes 134,
154
shopping 155
srngrng3 to 6 months 33,
376 to 9 months 39,
I to T2 months 6A
12 to T5 months 7a
15 to TA months a31a to 2T months 9a21 to 24 months 111
27 to 30 months 134
smells T5, 130
'Snuggle, buggle, love
Acknowledgements
A
T13,
B
oas
157
60,
134
146
buildi
c
104
157
song-paiting 72
anrmar souncls 103. 112
stening to T02
spar ar conceptsI to l2 months 5912 to 15 rnonths 781A to 2T rnonths 9621 to 24 months T11
24 ta 27 nonths 117,
33 to 36 months 152
stackrng toys 6T, 47. 96,
stones, looking for 133
siory telling 69, 79, Aa,141,146
stroking 51
stuffed toys 45, 90, 97,107, T19, 121, 150
'Sweet little bunny' 119
Ttalking to bab es and
birth to 3 months a,2A
3 to 6 months 276 to 9 months 56I to 12 months 7012 to 15 months 7618 to 2T rnonths 9A27 to 30 months 131
taste. sense of 130teeth 66textures 15, 46, 84throwing skilrs 157
fLc 77
birth to 3 months 15
3 to 6 months 246 to 9 months 46, 48
I to 12 nronths 6015 to la r.onths a4
trust 25. a9
'Tw nke, twinkle, ltte s65
visua clevelopmentb irh to 3 rnonths rr,
17
3 to 6 months 236 to 9 months 4T
walk ng 16, 37'Walkity, wa kity, stop lwaving 50'The whees on the bus
131
'Where's trre baby2' 62whisper ng 122
wigg es and shufiles 3T
Acknowledgements
Executve Eclitor Jane MctntoshEditor Sharon AshmanSenior Designer Fozette Benthe mDesigner Bill Mason
Picture Fesearcher Jennrfer VeallSenior Producton Contro er Jo S r.Al photographs Octopus PubtishingGroup Ltd/ Peter Pugh Cook
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