Your child learns through play and you are her best teacher, especially during the first three years of her life. At this time she forms a very close attachment with you. Choose activities based around your daily routine and repeat them over and over again. According to the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center, young children love familiar games and feel safe with a regular schedule. Link her learning activities into her day.
Active Play
Running and kicking: a toddler has plenty of energy and likes to let off steam. A daily trip to the back yard or to a park means he has space to build up his strength. Twisting, kicking and rolling around in the dirt she will use all his muscles and build his strength and agility.
Throwing and catching: throw balls for him to catch, to develop him eye-hand coordination. Let him shout and be loud, because his lungs need exercise too. Plenty of noisy activity leads to sound sleep at night and a healthy child.
Cooking and cleaning: let her help in the kitchen, remembering to keep him safe at all times. As he cuts shapes out of pastry dough and manipulates safe knives and cookie cutters he hones his fine motor skills. Putting things away and sweeping the floor keep that energetic body active.
Mirrors: make faces in the mirror with her while she exercises the tiny muscles of her face, learns how to brush and comb her hair and brushes her teeth.
Hearing and Language
Every day is full of opportunities for listening and talking according to ICAN.
Bath time: talk about the bubbles in the bath, the feel of soap and towels, the sound of water rushing out of the faucet. Name all the parts of her body as she washes them.
Singing games: singing to a baby or toddler comes naturally and she will not mind if you can't carry a tune. Remember those rhymes you used to know when you were small? If not, buy or borrow a book of rhymes and sing them every day with her. One book will last for years and she will learn about rhythm and rhyme and hear plenty of new words.
Copying noises: talk about all the noises you hear around the house. Whether it's the vacuum cleaner or the dishwasher, the door bell or the telephone, once you start listening together she'll become amazed at the wealth of sounds around. Each one presents a learning opportunity for your child as you talk together about what the noise means, how to copy it and what noise will happen next.
Pretend Play
Banging pots and pans: this is the beginning of pretend play as your toddler puts things in and out of cupboards, pretending to be Mom.
Tea time: your child's favorite dolly or bear can offer plenty of chances to learn. Talk with her about dolly dancing, or bear sitting down, or offer dolly a pretend drink of juice. Soon your child will build up whole sequences involving tea parties or putting the bear to bed.
Dressing up: wearing Dad's hats or Mom's shoes soon leads to full fantasy play, where your child loses herself in imaginary worlds.
Books: from the day she is born, looking at books together is one of the best learning activities you can set up. A story at bedtime will settle her down ready to sleep, and she will be learning all the time.
