11 brain development activities for toddlers

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brain development for toddlers

The Importance of Brain Development in Toddlers

The brain develops rapidly during the first three years of life.

In this post we will suggest 11 brain development activities for toddlers which actually work.

This is a critical time for language and interpersonal skills to develop and interact with the world around them.

brain development activities are good for toddlers

Toddlers who are nurtured and cared for, show better brain development.

The critical period is different for each individual, but it is typically between birth and 36 months of age.

Some research has shown that babies born prematurely have a higher risk of developing disabilities.

They are more likely to be late talkers or late walkers, which can impact their quality of life in addition to their school performance.

There are many things that parents can do to help foster their child’s development, such as exposing them to new words, providing them with opportunities to work on puzzles, and playing games that stimulate logical reasoning.

The brain develops rapidly during the first three years of life.

This is a critical time for language and interpersonal skills to develop and interact with the world around them.

Toddlers who are nurtured and cared for, show better brain development.

What are the Benefits of Early Brain Development?

Early brain development benefits the child in many ways. It enhances the child’s ability to learn, boosts their cognitive skills, and provides a better chance of succeeding academically.

Early brain development is essential for a child’s development.

It enhances the ability to learn, boosts cognitive development, improves emotional development and provides a better chance of succeeding academically.

Children who have had early brain development benefit from these advantages for years to come.

Some other benefits that have been observed are:

1) Gaining a sense of security for the child by hearing their mother or father’s voice and getting used to someone who loves them unconditionally.

2) Development of language skills and Literacy skills.

3) Development of social skills.

3) Learning before they even go to school.

4) Learning how to love books.

5) Reaching milestones even faster.

6) Developing spatial awareness.

7) More self-confidence and self-control.

These benefits show that if we invest in early brain development, then we will get a healthier, more financially successful population.

11 activities to Improve Brain Development in Toddlers

Early brain development is absolutely crucial for the healthy development of children.

Research suggests that maintaining a regular routine for children is essential, but there are many different ways to do this.

The following 11 activities are some examples of the types of activities that one could do with their child in order to help them develop into healthy children with excellent mental health, good social communication skills and Foundational Motor skills.

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1) Talk to your baby.

mother talking to her baby

One of the most important things you can do for your baby is to talk to them, and talking to them at a young age is crucial because it can help make their brain grow more.

Respond to infant coos with joyful voices, gently draw out your syllables in a high-pitched voice.

Emphasize on phrases like pretty baby.

The exaggerated facial expressions and the excited tone will help your toddler learn the language quickly.

2) Games that involve hands.

baby playing with hands

Playing games that involve hands is a great way for toddlers to develop their brains.

Toddlers learn exploration, coordination, and self-expression through playing these types of games which can also help them develop their language skills.

They should be encouraged to play games, such as “I Spy” or “Patty Cake” .

Playing games like these strengthen the connections in the brain.

This, in turn, helps language development and cognitive development.

3) Improve passion for reading.

encouraging baby to read

Toddlers are one of the most impressionable age groups, but they struggle to maintain focus.

This is why it is important to foster their love for reading and keep them stimulated.

There are many ways to do this, such as using books with bright colors and pictures, talking about what you’re reading using expressive language, and making reading an interactive experience.

The more you read, the more they’ll be able to communicate with you and learn. Help your toddler  by reading books aloud together.

4) Puzzles.

baby playing with puzzles

Puzzles are one of the best ways to stimulate the brain development of toddlers. They help in developing problem-solving skills, logical thinking, and memory.

Puzzles for toddlers provide benefits like developing problem-solving skills, logical thinking, and memory.

Puzzles are one of the best ways to stimulate the brain development of toddlers because they help in developing these skills.

Puzzles are an excellent way to teach children different shapes.

By looking at puzzle pieces, kids can learn about shapes like circles, squares, triangles and rectangles.

However it is important that parents don’t frustrate their children with puzzles that are too difficult because it can lead to frustration.

You could get some Jigsaw Puzzle to help your toddler

5) Play hide-and-seek.

playing hide n seek is good for brain development

Children are naturally curious about the world around them.

They are always looking for new ways to explore things.

Playing hide-and-seek is a great way for toddlers to practice their problem solving skills – because they have to figure out how to search for an object that they can’t see even if it’s right in front of them.

The game also helps develop their memory skills, as they have to remember where they put the object before they can find it again.

Finally, playing hide-and-seek with toddlers helps them learn how to follow directions – because if you tell them “I’m going to hide this toy behind this chair,” then you have to do just that!

6) Build with blocks.

baby building with blocks

For babies, playtime is an opportunity to explore their creativity and learn new things. Toys like Lego bricks are a great way for kids to build bigger things with imaginative blocks.

Blocks provide babies with the opportunity to be creative in ways that they might not be able to otherwise. They let kids create anything imaginable without any limitations on what they can build.

What’s more, block play encourages problem-solving skills and early math skills which is crucial for brain development in young children.

It also helps in Motor development.

Recommended: Mega Bloks First Builders

7) Stack ’em up.

baby playing stack em up

Stack ’em up for toddlers is a game in which kids stack up blocks in different shapes with different colors.

The game improves the development of the child’s brain because it helps them to learn new words, learn how to attend, and develop their creativity.

This activity helps children learn spatial intelligence, shape recognition, and stacking skills while having fun.

It promotes hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, also helps with balance and body awareness.

Recommended: Stacking Peg Board Set Toy

8) Read for at least 15 min every day.

mother reading to her baby

Reading is a key activity that will help your toddler’s brain develop.

There are different types of reading materials you can use for children at this age: books with only a few words on each page, books with lots of pictures and very few words on each page, or books with only illustrations.

Start off by reading the book aloud to your child or asking them questions about the illustrations in order to raise their curiosity and enthusiasm for reading.

As a parent, you should take into consideration that you are not just reading – but you are getting your child’s attention and introducing him/her to new concepts such as shapes, colors, and animals.

These simple interactions show the toddler that there is more than one way of looking at things and can teach them how to communicate.

Recommended: First Little Readers Parent Pack

9) Teach toddlers about body parts.

teach toddlers about body partw

Play is essential for the development of children’s brains.

It provides them with the opportunity to have fun while learning about themselves and the world around them.

One important lesson that children need to learn is about their body parts, which can benefit brain development in various ways.

For example, kids might get curious when they find out that other people have genitals just like theirs, or they might realize how different but beautiful everyone’s bodies are.

This knowledge could help them reduce their embarrassment or build more empathy for others who are different from themselves.

Recommended: Game for Learning Human Body Parts

10) Use instructions.

mother giving instructions to toddlers

Parents should introduce novel ideas to their toddlers in an interactive way to help them learn things. Here are some tips on how to do that:

– Show the toddler the object and ask them about it.

– Give them a clue and let them find it.

– Make up a story based on the object and let the toddler guess what will happen next.

– Play with them, but don’t explain or give any instructions.

11) Introduce story-telling.

toddler story telling

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington shows that students are more likely to remember what happened in a story if they are asked to create an illustration of the scene.

For example, if you were reading a story about a family eating breakfast together, you would be more likely to remember it if you were asked to draw an image of the family at breakfast.

The goal is not to make your child into an artist but rather develop their brain for critical thinking skills and imagination.

There are many ways to teach kids, but this may be the most fun one.

Children learn through storytelling and they won’t be able to tell that they are getting brain development by reading their own story.

The human brain is more capable at learning when it has fun. This is why it is important for parents to introduce storytelling as early as possible in their children’s lives.

Summary:

There are plenty of activities for toddlers that will help improve their brain development, language skills, and motor skills. These 11 activities for toddlers will help your child be more creative and more curious.

Interesting Statistics

Factual sentences referenced across top search results:

  • Neurobehavioral problems, like autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, affect about 10-15% of kids born today, the authors say. (forbes.com)
  • Only about 30-40% of the cases of the disorders can be accounted for by genes alone, so environment must make up the other part. (forbes.com)
  • “About 90% are using screens by age one,” said Hutton, who published a number of studies that used MRIs to research the impact of reading versus screen use by kids. (cnn.com)
  • By the time they’re six, their brains are already about 90-95% of adult size. (raisingchildren.net.au)
  • These opportunities foster the development of executive functioning skills that are critically important for the development of 21st century skills, such as collaboration, problem solving, and creativity, according to the 2010 IBM’s Global CEO Study. (pediatrics.aappublications.org)
  • A national survey of 8950 preschool children and parents found that only 51% of children went outside to walk or play once per day with either parent. (pediatrics.aappublications.org)
  • In part, this may reflect the local environment: 94% of parents have expressed safety concerns about outdoor play, and access may be limited. (pediatrics.aappublications.org)
  • Only 20% of homes are located within a half-mile of a park. (pediatrics.aappublications.org)
  • From 1981 to 1997, children’s playtime decreased by 25%. (pediatrics.aappublications.org)

Recommended readings:

healthychildren.org

kidshealth.org

jamanetwork.com

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pediatrics.aappublications.org

magazine.store

aacap.org

doi.org

scite.ai


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Carrie Walters
AUTHOR
Carrie Walters is a young mother of Nina and Tom, who along with her husband Jake is passionate about helping moms and families find modern solutions to common parenting and lifestyle questions. Together with a team of real moms and medical experts, this young couple share sound advice and proven tips to help make your life easier. They manage this blog along with other blogs and Youtube channels on similar topics