Activities for you and your toddler

Doing some of the following activities together daily will help you to develop a good relationship with your child:

12 Months to 3 years:

Reading – sit the child in your lap, hold the book in front of the child and read together, pointing to and naming pictures. Ask your child questions about the story and characters. Read the same book over and over, repetition is good. Read with your child at least once a day. 

Build blocks together – set aside some time to play with your child everyday. Place a blanket on the floor and sit with your child. There are a variety of blocks available – use blocks that are big enough that young child will not swallow, but big enough that they can hold/play with. Blocks with pictures or numbers are better. Let your child explore the feel of the block. You can model building blocks, but allow your child to build their own version. Letting your child lead in play is crucial as it promotes independence and creativity.

Painting – try and paint together as often as possible, at least once a week. Use bigger paintbrushes and bigger pieces of paper for younger children (you can use ends of wallpaper, cereal boxes, etc.). You can also go outside together and wet a big paint brush with water and make marks on an outside wall.

Go for walks – bring your child for a walk as often as possible, and talk to them about what you see along your journey. Point to objects and name them as you go. When able to walk by them selves, you can hold their hand and talk as you go.

Download these tipsheets to learn how you can support your child's play: 

Source: NCCA