From infancy, children develop and learn new skills rapidly. It's important to make the most of this time of life by spurring healthy development with tools to engage and challenge the child. Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child reports that future community and economic development begins in early childhood --- with the children who will one day be the leaders of society.
Books/Reading
Reading to children and letting them look through books themselves can help their development in several positive ways. The U.S. Department of Education endorses reading to children as an effective developmental tool, explaining that it can help enhance a child's language, reading skills and cognitive function. Additionally, several governmental initiatives --- such as Early Reading First and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 --- focus on improving reading programs in secondary and elementary schools. Books are affordable and effective tools for positive early childhood development.
Hands-On Activities
Engaging young children, and even infants, in various types of age-appropriate, hands-on activities can help develop early learning skills, PBS reports. The public broadcaster recommend involving children in educational games to help improve their motor skills, learning abilities and let their imaginations loose. A few of the many fun activities that can help to engage children are finger painting, puzzles, building blocks, drawing and playing with toys.
Outdoor Play Kit
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have created a useful "Go Out and Play! Kit" designed to be used by early educators to monitor a child's development through primarily outdoor play. The idea behind this development tool is to get children to use outdoor play as a way to socialize, get exercise and improve their early childhood development. The CDC recommends activities including scavenger hunts, follow the leader, pretend play/role playing games, duck, duck, goose, playing on playground equipment, hide and seek, tag and more. The focus of these activities is to help young children develop and learn new skills while having fun at the same time.
