Activities for Toddlers to Boost Brain Function
As your baby transforms into a toddler, it is easy to reflect upon just how much he is changing. Now a walking, talking little boy, he is clearly expressing his personality in ways he never did before. The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages parents to give children opportunities to explore their worlds during this period of brain development. One-on-one interaction is still important, because kids rely heavily on the parent-child bond, and plenty of activities exist that will engage your toddler and that will boost his brain development.
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Read
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Reading to your toddler at least 20 minutes a day is a great way to enhance her brain development. Select books that will assist your toddler in learning how to count or develop basic sorting and matching skills. Good examples are ̶0;Ten, Nine, Eight̶1; by Molly Bang, which focuses on the numbers one through 10 in a little girls bedtime routine, and ̶0;Cat̵7;s Colors̶1; by Jane Cabrera, which encourages your child̵7;s recognition of color. Reading the same stories repeatedly develops the neural pathways in your child̵7;s brain that link sound and meaning. Pause to reflect on what you are reading to your child, and ask questions to keep her engaged.
Using Blocks
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Toddlers enjoy stacking blocks, fitting various blocks together and watching as the towers that they build crumble. According to Gabriel Guyton, contributing writer to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, this type of play allows your toddler to develop his understanding of spatial relationships. It is also an opportunity for toddlers to expand on their problem solving abilities and to make the neural connections, which allow them to learn how balance works.
Pretend Play
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Seize upon your toddler's active imagination to encourage play activities centered on pretending. This is how your child will learn to think symbolically and make the connection between how letters and numbers relate to our world, according to Dr. Jane M. Healy, author of ̶0;Your Child̵7;s Growing Mind: Brain Development and Learning from Birth to Adolescence.̶1; Healy suggests that you allow your child to act like an adult, so that your toddler can try grown up roles such as pretending to be a doctor or lawyer. Other pretend-activity ideas experts recommend include playing superheroes or acting out scary situations. Healy also recommends that you allow children to direct this imaginative play themselves, so that they can remain in control.
Using Color and Textures
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Set out old newspapers and prepare to make a mess. Using different textures and supplies, fill bowls with things like water, mud and liquefied cornstarch. Bring out the finger paints and prepare a canvas. Allow him to explore these different sensory experiences as his brain processes the varying consistencies and colors. This type of sensory play will stimulate your child̵7;s senses and strengthen his neural pathways, creating a foundation necessary for the development of future skills, according to Suzanne Gainsley, an early childhood specialist.
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