Get creative for toddlers
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What’s the best way to stimulate my two-year-old daughter so she learns as much as possible during her early life?
Child psychologist Dr Elizabeth Kilbey, best known for appearing on Channel 4’s The Secret Life of Four, Five and Six-year-olds, is supporting the Department for Education’s Hungry Little Minds campaign, encouraging parents to support early learning.
She says: “Thinking about children who are two, they’re very busy and active. Their language is really beginning to develop and there are so many easy, simple things parents can do to help their child navigate this transition.
“At this age, children often like to learn through doing. Therefore, I would advise getting your daughter involved in as much creativity and play-based activity as possible. Remember to keep it short, as two-year-olds don’t have a huge attention span.
“Use bath time or bed time as an opportunity to make a fun, short story with some of her toys or even some made-up characters.
“In general, creative and imaginary games are brilliant for developing minds. You can use anything – empty boxes, pots and pans, cushions, anything you have around the house – to make into something make-believe like a pirate ship or desert island.
“You can also stimulate your daughter by talking about the actions you’re doing throughout the day and why you’re doing them. For example, when you’re washing the dishes, you could say, ‘The plates are dirty, let’s wash them to make them clean’.
“When you’re out and about, build on what your daughter says to encourage her learning and understanding of words. For example, if she says, ‘Look, a dog!’, you might say, ‘Yes, over there is a really big dog’ or ‘a brown dog’ or ‘a furry dog’.
“More than anything, time spent playing with your daughter is time that’s never wasted. Playing together builds language skills and vital social interaction skills.
“It also helps build the emotional bond between you and your child.”
