Playing with 1-2 year toddlers
WHAT YOU CAN DO AND OBSERVE
- Give your child things to put into containers and take out.
She/he will try to take them out and put them back on her/his own, which is excellent for the development of her/his eye-hand coordination skills.
- Give your toddler things to stack up.
She/he should try to stack more things on her/his own and make them fall down, or will stack things up until they fall down.
- Ask your child simple questions and respond to your child’s attempts to talk.
She/he should be willing to interact by responding and/or asking further questions.
- Try to talk about different realities with your infant, such as nature, pictures and things from the surrounding environment.
You should see your toddler move around and be willing to explore the environment.
- Encourage your toddler to learn by watching what she/he does and naming it: “You are filling the boxes.”
She/he will be happy to show you what she/he learned and will gain self-esteem.
- Play with your toddler and offer help: “Let’s do it together. Here are more stones to put into your box.”
These discoveries should make her/him happy and more confident.
- Use every opportunity to engage in a conversation with your toddler, including when feeding or bathing, or when working near her/him.
She/he should soon beginning to understand what you are saying and be able to follow simple directions.
- You can play simple word games, and ask simple questions: “Where is your toe?” or “Where is the bird?” You can look at pictures and talk about what you see.
She/he should show more and more curiosity and willingness to communicate about what she/he sees and hears.
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