Category: Play with

Invite your child to hide. Then search for them, talking out loud about the clues you’re using to find them. You can say, “I see something wiggling. I wonder if they’re near that chair.” If they giggle, say, “I hear a laughing noise near the door.” Now you hide and they make up the clues… Continue reading Hide

As you walk, listen to your child. Which sounds are quiet, which are loud? Yell “loud!” and mimic the sound. Then whisper “quiet” and try that one too. Go back and forth with them imitating all the sounds at their different volumes.

Let your child pick a fun, fast song to dance to. Ask them to make a dance move and then copy what they do. Take turns going back and forth copying each other’s dance moves.

Put some safe items your child loves—like an egg carton, plastic bottle, or small box—into a bag just for them. They can play with the full bag. When they reach in, ask, “What do you feel? Is it an egg carton or a bottle?”

Hide something like a spoon or cup and encourage your child to find it. As they get closer say, “You’re getting warm.” If they move farther away say, “You’re getting cold.” After they find it, take turns choosing a hiding place and use “warm” and “cold” to tell each other where to look.

When you set the table for a meal, encourage your child to think of different ways to fold napkins or paper towels to make different shapes and sizes. You might say, “What shapes can you make?” “What does this shape look like?” “What would happen if you kept folding the corners down?”

Pretend you and your child are packing for a trip. It can be for a visit to a family member’s house or an imaginary trip, like to outer space. Take turns naming things to bring. As they get older, you can try coming up with things in alphabetical order.

Ask your child to listen to your words and do what you say, instead of following what you do. Say, “Stomp your feet” while you clap your hands. They should stomp their feet and try not to focus on the clapping. Try new words and new actions when they learn to do this. Take turns!

Special moments happen all the time. Trips to a new park, visits with family, or birthdays are a few examples. Stretch those moments! Ask your child to help you make a memory book using photos or drawings. Then write down the words they use to describe what’s happening in the pictures.

Ask your child to imitate you as you walk, jump, clap, or bend down to touch your toes. Then see if they can do the actions when you just say the words. Challenge them by going fast and slow or adding multiple steps like, “Reach up, turn around, and then jump!”