Smile at your child and wink at them. Then encourage them to try to copy you. When they can do this, change the order—wink first and then smile. You can step it up the challenge by smiling and winking two times.
Category: 6 Loving Habits
Word Pattern
Pick two food words, such as banana and apple, to make a word pattern two times. Repeat with your child, “Banana, apple, banana, apple.” Have them pick two food words and make a pattern two times: “fork, spoon, fork, spoon.” Talk about which word comes first and second.
Celebrate Independence
Does your child want to do everything themselves? Whether it’s eating with fingers or trying to use a fork, give them ways to be more independent. Talk to them about what they’re doing. If they need, help them a little. When they’re done, notice how they respond with a smile or an “I did it!”… Continue reading Celebrate Independence
Clothes Options
Does your child want to choose their clothes? Help them by giving them two choices: “Do you want to wear your blue pants or your green pants?” When they choose, congratulate them by saying, “Great choice, I like those too.”
Teeth Brushing Partner
When brushing your teeth, have your child be your partner. Let them brush their own teeth first, then give them your toothbrush so they can help brush yours. Ask, “Can you help me brush my teeth? Can you brush the ones in the front, and then the ones on the sides?” Take turns!
Rock Play
Ask your child to find an object like a stick or rock and place it on the ground near you. Encourage them to explore different ways of moving over it: Can they jump? Hop over on just one foot? Run and then jump? Take turns jumping with them and talk together about how far you… Continue reading Rock Play
Expressing Feelings with Words
Are you teaching your child to use words to express their feelings? As you’re out and about, ask them to notice animals, which don’t use words, and see how they express what they want. Does the dog bark or stare at you? Ask them what they think the dog is trying to say.
Object Game
Offer your child something common like a scarf, an empty box, or a pot. Watch to see what they do. Do they try to put the scarf in the box or the lid on the pot? Boost their learning by commenting on what they’re doing, “You put the scarf in the box!”
Washing Machine Magic
Is there a window on the front of your washing machine? Watch it spin with your child. If there isn’t a window, lift them so they can see the water going into the machine. Say things like, “Look, the water is rinsing soap off the clothes.” See how they respond and respond back to them.
Take Turns Pointing at Things
When your child points at something, talk back and forth about what they notice like, “You see the big truck!” Then you can take a turn to point something out to them and say what you see. Do they turn to look at it? Do they point or name the object?
