Dance with your child and ask, “Should we dance slow?” Pick them up and gently move as you hum a slow tune. “Should we dance fast?” Change your tune and dance faster. Watch how they use their arms or move to tell you which they like and respond to what they’re telling you.
Author: Sarah Childs
Funny sounds
After you change your child, puff up your cheeks like a blowfish and then place their feet on your cheeks to push the air out till you go “pop!” What other sounds or faces can you make together—like sticking out your tongue? Can they copy some of these?
Mix things up
Sometimes it can be fun to mix things up as you make statements like, “Your banana is blue. I wear shoes on my ears,” or “This ice cream is hot.” Give your child a chance to correct you and show how much they know before they take a turn mixing things up.
Guess the family member
Ask your child to think of a family member or friend without telling you who. Have them give you hints until you guess who the mystery person is. Then it’s your turn to pick a person and their turn to guess.
Ask Questions
Ask your child questions like, “Would you rather be a bird or a fish? Why?” Have them give you a few reasons from real-life experience like, “I love the water so I want to be a fish!” Then you take a turn answering their questions!
Rhyming Fun
You can play this rhyming game anywhere, anytime. Think of a fun word, then let your child think of another word that rhymes with it. Take turns and keep going back and forth as long as you can! Plan? Fan? Ran?
Hum a song
Start humming a song your child knows and have them guess what it is. If they guess wrong, start over and hum the tune again. After a few guesses, you can add in some words to the song as hints. After a few tries, let them try a tune while you guess.
Describe Their World
What is your child doing? Reaching for a toy? Hitting two blocks together to make a sound? As they discover their world, pay attention, smile, and use words that they will learn someday: “You reached out your fingers and got your toy.”
Repeat Sounds
Is your child making lots of sounds? Talk back to them by repeating their sounds or describing what they’re doing using a sing-song voice. Do they respond by kicking their feet, waving their arms, or making more sounds? Together, you’re telling your own story!
Describe what they feel
Talk to your child about how things feel on their skin: “Your shirt is soft.” “The wind is cold.” “The ice cube is slippery.” See how they react and continue the conversation: “You like the warm water in your bath!”