Fine motor skill development is a big focus for children age around 2 years old and older and surprisingly there are a tonne of fun games for helping children learn these skills. For this game you will need large (A4)cards with shapes drawn on them with colourful pens. A good starting set would include a circle, a square, a triangle, a straight horizontal line and … Continue reading Play Time: Fine Motor Magic
We have spoken about the importance of manners in previous posts, especially for older children, but at what point can we really start teaching our little ones the intricacies of manner culture? Of course we lead by example and aim to show courtesy in our behavior in front of children, which of course does ingrain in their young minds, but what and when can we … Continue reading Play Time: Manners Managed
Silly soup is a fun game which will help children from 2 years and older to enhance their verbal memory. For this game you will need a large soup pot with a lid, a large wooden spoon and a small basket of items. To start this game, tell the child you are going to make some soup and you’d like their help. Ask the child … Continue reading Play Time: Silly Soup
Toddlers love searching games and this one, suitable for children as young as 18 months old also teaches them the names of colors, objects and counting. To start the game, say to the child, ‘Shall we go on a treasure hunt?’. Give the child a bag in which to collect things in. Where the child is still quite small show the child an object that … Continue reading Play Time: Rainbow Treasure
Its a well known fact that routines help children to feel secure and children also love to mimic and most have a very caring nature about them. This wonderful game allows your little one to act out some of the routines day to day, mimic and practice the art of caring for others, while teaching them how they are cared for, simultaneously building language and … Continue reading Play Time: Routine Ramble
A while ago we posted a delicious article on the benefits of letting children dress themselves. We highlighted how dressing oneself encourages self confidence and a sense of achievement, but did you know that making ‘dressing up’ a game can also enhance and boost their language skills? Try this fancy dress game as a learning tool to play with children from the age of around … Continue reading Play Time: Fancy Dress for Toddlers
Sorting games are a wonderful way to improve our children’s vocabularies, as well as visual and verbal memories. These work spectacularly for children from the age of around 18 months and older. Our homes are full with possibilities to sort, resort, arrange and organize things while letting our little ones learn through participation in these activities. Get the kids involved in all the sorting chores. … Continue reading Play Time: Mix and Match
This is a great game you can play when you are out shopping to teach the little one in your care all about sequences. Great for kids over two years old, this game is almost guaranteed to get you past the sweet and toy aisles without the usual breakdown tantrum. Warning; playing this game may invoke rather strange looks from the occasional non parent type, … Continue reading Play Time: The Shopping Song
Did you know you can raise a child’s IQ simply by engaging him or her in regular conversation? Encouraging responsiveness and enjoying their company? Language is our main avenue to learning about the world. Talking and listening to a child is one of the most important intellectual forms of stimulation a child will ever receive. Music too has been shown to boost brain development. The … Continue reading Raising a child’s IQ through Language, Listening and Music
In small ways every day, allow your child to experiment with their self-confidence. If your child is pleased with something he has done, as long as it is not destructive or against a house rule, acknowledge his good efforts. This positive encouragement and praise will uplift his self-esteem and encourage him to keep trying. With time he’ll naturally learn that the zipper goes in the … Continue reading Look Mom, I can Dress Myself!
Mom’s Link Directory is pleased to introduce to you Smile Puzzles and educational toys! Smile Puzzles and Educational toys was established in 2002 by Steve Maree an industrial designer with a vision. Steve loved puzzles and he wanted to provide fun, quality educational toys and puzzles that the whole family could enjoy. With their fun, top-quality range of educational toys and puzzles which is continuously expanding to include … Continue reading If You Love Puzzles, Time to Smile!
Listening skills play an important role in communication, learning and especially the development of reading skills. We live in a world where there is noise around us at all times. Hence children may become accustomed to blocking out background noises and employing a ‘half-listening’strategy to life. There are many ways to encourage children to listen actively. Don’t expect miracles though as it will take time, … Continue reading Language Development: 2 to 4 Years Old: Learning to Listen
The games shown below will encourage children to search for the words they need to describe things. We have tried to incorporate a number of different games that can be played in different places and at different times. 1) A fun game that can played anywhere involves imaginary play. Pretend to be an animal or a child’s favorite toy. Can the child work out what … Continue reading Language Development: 2 to 4 years old: Language Games
Everything you and your child or the children in your care do together can be an opportunity for language development. Asking a lot of open ended questions creates wonderful opportunities for conversation. For example, ‘What do you think will happen if you leave the bath tap on?’ or ‘What did you play with at playschool today?’. Follow the child’s lead whenever you can, and, encourage … Continue reading Language Development: 2 to 4 Years Old: Building Language
Young children learn language mostly through conversations with other people. The key is to listen to what they have to say and continue the conversation from there. If you child says ‘I did painting at playschool’. You could reply ‘You did a painting? That sounds fun! What did you paint?’. This reassures them that what they’ve said was correct and encourages them to go on … Continue reading Language Development: 2 to 4 Years Old: Tips for Talking
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