Use these activities to learn with your child every day!
Activities for Infants
10m
Social-Emotional Learning
Peek-a-boo!
Play quick games of "peek-a-boo" throughout our daily routines. Some ideas:
When my head reappears from under my shirt during dressing or undressing
Playfully cover and uncover my face with my bib while I'm eating
Let me play peek-a-boo! Drape a small soft washcloth over my face. Talk to me so I know you are still there, but pretend you do not know where I am. Encourage me to remove the cloth.
As I play this game more and more, I may begin to participate by covering my own face or removing a cover.
10m
Language & Literacy
Self-Talk Tasks
Pick a simple task that your child can observe you doing as you hold them or as they sit in a bouncer or baby seat. Examples: preparing a bowl of cereal, doing a load of laundry, or getting mail from the mail box.
As you perform the task, use “self-talk” by narrating everything you do from start to end.
When using self talk, be as detailed as possible so your child can absorb as much langage as possible while observing the task.
Activities for Toddlers
30m
Language & Literacy
Let’s Go to the Library
Go to your local library and find the infant and toddler part of the children’s section. Many libraries have child-size book shelves, carpeted areas, and soft furniture for small children.
Explain that this is a place where you can borrow books and take them home for a short while.
Browse the aisles and guide your child toward low shelves so they can select the books they want. Model gentleness with books and how to turn the pages without ripping them.
Have your child watch the check-out process. When the books are at home, emphasize that you're reading special books your child picked out. Continue to model gentleness and care for books.
Varies
Health & Wellness
Healthy Foods Helper
Invite your child to help you to make healthy foods together.
They can help you choose ingredients, then do simple tasks like tearing lettuce leaves then tossing the salad.
While you’re cooking together, encourage your child to describe what they notice about the foods, like their textures, shapes and colors.
Talk together about why healthy food is important and how it helps your bodies grow.
Use these activities to learn with your child every day!
Activities for Infants
5m
Language & Literacy
It’s Book Time
Choose a book that will gain the interest of your infant (soft books, books with textures, board books, picture books, lift-the-flap books).
Sit close while you read the book or let your child hold the book; read the title, name the images on its cover, and then read the book if there are words.
As you read the book, point to images and words while describing what you see.
Allow your child to touch the book (and stick it in their mouth, if they want to!). Pause when something captures their attention or if they have a verbal response.
10m
Math
Matching Game
Gather three items: two that match, and one that is very different. Examples:
two blue blocks and one red stacking ring
two spoons and one cup
Sit on the floor with me and let me play with the items. After a few minutes, hold up one of the duplicate objects and ask me to find the object that is the same.
When I select a matching object, celebrate! Put it next to the other object to show me how it matches.
Repeat with different sets of objects for as long as I'm interested in the game
Activities for Toddlers
Varies
Approaches to Learning
Having a Tough Time with Transitions
Try to offer consistent routines when possible. This helps me naturally end one activity and prepare for the next.
Make a list of the transitions I typically need to complete in a day (like: sleeping to awakening, stopping play for mealtime, etc.). Are there any that I seem to have consistent trouble with?
Try offering a warning a few minutes before a change in activity. Ask your child's teacher if there are any special songs or routines that they use for classroom transitions and try them at home.
Despite your best efforts to ease transitions, there will still probably be times when they make me very upset. Do your best to stay calm and firm, and not give into my strong emotions.
10m
Health & Wellness
Learning to Wash Hands
Provide a sturdy step stool so I can reach the water by myself. I'll probably need help turning the faucet on and off. Show me how to make sure the water isn't too hot.
Go through each of the steps with me, telling me what we're doing as we go:
Wet hands
Put bar soap or liquid soap on hands
After we practice several times, let me wash my hands without any help. Then, help me finish washing to make sure I'm totally clean.
Let me practice the hand washing movements other times during the day. Let me rub lotion into my hands or use a wet wipe to "wash" my hands.
Use these activities to learn with your child every day!
Activities for Infants
5m
Language & Literacy
Baby Sign Language
Think about 2-4 needs your child has on a daily basis.
Practice teaching your child basic sign language for these needs and emotions by modeling the hand movements while saying the words.
You can look up "baby sign language" on the Internet, or try these common baby signs:
"More": Bunch your hands so the fingertips on each hand touch each other. Tap your hands together
"All done": Hold both hands up with palms facing forward. Rotate your hands back and forth so your palms face toward you and away.
Frequently model speaking and signing at the same time when you say these words.
Varies
Social-Emotional Learning
Telling You How I Feel
Watch and listen to my expressions to see how I tell you that I'm happy, angry, or frustrated. It may take some time and practice to figure out my feelings, and sometimes I'll send confusing mixed messages.
When you respond to the feelings I'm having, I'm learning that my feelings are understood and important.
You probably talk to me in "baby talk" sometimes. This exaggerated voice tone helps me learn about different emotions.
Talk to me throughout the day. Even though I can't understand the words, I understand the positive feelings and love.
Activities for Toddlers
15m
Math
Shape Bingo
Print out the bingo card PDF or draw the bingo card on a piece of paper. If playing with an older sibling, either make them their own card or have the children work together.
Ask your child to find something in the house that matches one of the shapes on the Bingo card (circle, triangle, square). Have them say the shape's name and then color over the matching shape on the Bingo card.
When your child marks off 3 squares in a row (across, up and down, or diagonally) they win! If playing with another sibling, whomever gets "Bingo" first wins.
If you’d like, play again, finding different objects in your house!
15m
Health & Wellness
Feed the Toys
While you’re pretend playing with your child, include materials that encourage them to practice eating skills and noticing cues about fullness, by feeding their toys.
For example, they can feed their doll with a bottle, or feed the stuffed animals pretend food using a spoon. Model this by feeding toys as well.
Ask them to think about how much food the toy might need, and how they will know when they’ve had enough.
You can also involve your child in feeding the family pets, and in deciding how much food to prepare and serve for family meals.
Use these activities to learn with your child every day!
Activities for Infants
15m
Language & Literacy
Making Connections
Pick out a board book and settle into your reading spot.
Before opening the book, read the title to your baby and tell them what the book is about.
While reading, connect the story in the book to experiences you've had with your baby, or to other books you've read together.
When you finish reading, enthusiastically say "All done!" or "The end!" and give your baby a hug or a kiss as you close the book.
Varies
Health & Wellness
Pre-Potty Training Signs
Notice if the timing of my wet or dirty diapers follows a pattern. You may notice that I'm now able to stay dry for a few hours, or that I typically have a bowel movement after a meal.
Watch for any verbal or non-verbal signs that I need a diaper change. I might:
Hide behind furniture
Touch my diaper or try to take off my pants
Let me know when you recognize my signs and change me right away.
Know that I'm not old enough to have voluntary control of my bowel or bladder, so I'm not ready for potty training yet.
Activities for Toddlers
5m
Physical
Hungry Little Crocodile
Show your child the objects you’ve gathered and the empty container. Tell your child that they’ll pretend to be hungry crocodiles and eat all the objects using their fingers.
Show them how to use their index finger and thumb only to pick up the objects, like a little crocodile’s mouth.
Encourage your child to “eat” all the objects and put them in the container. They can make crocodile sounds too!
Once they’re comfortable, your child can try to do it even faster. You can also race each other as you pick up the objects!
20m
Creativity
Dramatic Play with Dolls
Gather dolls, action figures, puppets, and stuffed animals to play with. Help me find simple pretend or real props to use in my pretend play with the dolls.
Encourage me to act out a certain type of scene by making suggestions. You can encourage scenes that match our real life to help me work through some of my emotions.
Use these activities to learn with your child every day!
Activities for Infants
5m
Social-Emotional Learning
Starting to Share
I'm beginning to learn that sharing toys, food, and other items is a nice way to socialize with other people.
At first, I'll just want to "show" you something, and I won't be ready to let it go.
Over time, I'll start to hand you the object I'm sharing. I won't actually want to share it though, I'll likely want it right back!
Reinforce my sharing by being really interested in what I’m sharing with you and praising me. Then, return the item back to me to help me learn that I can get things back after I share.
15m
Math
Shape Walk
Head outside with your child for a walk.
Look for differently-shaped objects at your child's eye level.
Point to the objects and talk about their shape. If possible, trace the shape's outline with your finger.
Try to direct your child's eyes to the object you're talking about by saying their name and pointing to it.
Activities for Toddlers
15m
Health & Wellness
Move Like an Animal
Gather everyone in the family who wants to play. Ask a child to choose an animal whose movement you could copy. Everyone has to move a certain distance (down a hallway, a lap around the swingset, etc.) doing that animal's move. Examples:
Slow sloth moving
Swing your elephant trunk
Demonstrate how to move like that animal, and see if your child can copy you (or let an older child be the demonstrator!).
Let someone else in the family choose the next animal for everyone to copy.
Keep going until you're tired! Have fun, and don't forget to make silly animal noises too.
15m
Social Studies
"Let’s Pretend to Be Family Members!"
Invite your child to play. Say, “Let’s have fun pretending to be the people in our family. Who’s in our family? Let’s name them together—like Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, or big sister.”
Set roles for the pretend play. Say, “Who do you want to pretend to be? I’ll pretend to be someone too!” Encourage your child to choose a role, like being Mommy or their big brother and you can be a different family member or family friend.
Using simple props, pretend together. For example, if your child pretends to be Daddy, you might say, “Daddy pours coffee in the morning. Can you pretend to pour coffee?” You can also use toy dolls to be other people in the family.
If time permits, switch roles and continue guiding and playing. Say, “Now I’ll be the baby, and you can be Grandma. What do you think Grandma does when the baby cries?”
Use these activities to learn with your child every day!
Activities for Infants
Varies
Health & Wellness
Second Year Sleep Patterns
Know that my sleep patterns might start to change after my 1st birthday.
Instead of sleeping 12-14 hours at night, I might start to sleep 10-12 hours each night.
I may also drop my morning nap, but I'll still need an afternoon nap that's 1-3 hours long. Some kids won't give up their afternoon nap until they are 3 or 4 years old.
If possible, keep my sleep times consistent. Reinforce my sleep routine with rituals like reading a book, taking a bath, or kissing my stuffed animals good night.
Know that it's normal for me to wake up and fuss for short stretches at night. A lot of the time, I'll be able to fall back asleep on my own.
If I'm having trouble falling back asleep, I might need a brief intervention. Try to be "boring." Limit your interaction to rubbing my back or changing my diaper, but don't play with me.
15m
Physical
Can I Get It?
Place me on the floor in a tummy time position. Play "Can You Get It?"
Attract my attention with a favorite toy.
Place it by my side, about 6" away from my hip
If I'm able to pivot to grab a toy, play "Can You Get It Up High?"
When I'm on my tummy, hold out a toy high enough in front of me that I'll need to reach for it.
Gradually increase the height of the toy to challenge my reaching skills.
Celebrate when I successfully reach a toy!
Activities for Toddlers
5m
Language & Literacy
Get the Croccoli
While your child is helping you to shop or while playing together, change the beginning sounds of some familiar words to make new silly words.
For example, instead of “broccoli”, ask your child to get some “croccoli.” Your child can repeat the new word after you.
You can ask your child what you should have said instead. Point out that you changed the sounds at the beginning from “B” to “C” (they are just being introduced to this, not expected to identify this).
15m
Health & Wellness
People Parts
Tell your child you're going to play a game called People Parts!
One at a time, ask your child to point to different body parts on their body. Ask them to find the same part on your body.
Start with familiar ones (like: feet, hand, nose) and then add others your child might not yet know (ankle, hip, wrist, eyelashes, fingernails). Add new body parts each time you play this game to stretch your child’s body part vocabulary!
Celebrate by "high fiving" with whatever body part your child found (if possible).
Use these activities to learn with your child every day!
Activities for Infants
15m
Physical
Learning to Roll
Help me learn to roll! Most babies will learn how to roll from tummy-to-back first, and then back-to-tummy later.
Play a rolling game with me:
Place me tummy-down on a small blanket or towel on the floor.
Slowly raise one side of the blanket until I tilt to the side.
Encourage me to roll other times we play on the floor:
Place me on my tummy and hold a toy where I can see it.
Move the toy behind my back slowly, and see if I'll roll to follow it.
Celebrate me when I complete a roll!
10m
Science
Paper Play
Gather different pieces of paper I can play with:
Great paper for playing: printer paper, white tissue paper, brown paper bag, sticky note, note paper
Avoid colored paper, magazine paper, newspaper, wrapping paper (colors can bleed if I put it in my mouth)
Show me all the different things you can do with paper!
Crumple it
Tear it
Let me explore the paper myself. This might include putting it in my mouth; gently remove the paper so I don't swallow it.
When I play with paper, I'm learning how to be a scientist! I'm experimenting with making different sounds, what happens when I rip paper, and observing gravity when I drop it.
Activities for Toddlers
15m
Math
Shape Bingo
Print out the bingo card PDF or draw the bingo card on a piece of paper. If playing with an older sibling, either make them their own card or have the children work together.
Ask your child to find something in the house that matches one of the shapes on the Bingo card (circle, triangle, square). Have them say the shape's name and then color over the matching shape on the Bingo card.
When your child marks off 3 squares in a row (across, up and down, or diagonally) they win! If playing with another sibling, whomever gets "Bingo" first wins.
If you’d like, play again, finding different objects in your house!
30m
Creativity
Play Dough
Play with play dough! You can use store-bought play dough or make your own (see recipe download on this page).
Show me how much fun it is to roll, squeeze, pound, poke, and pull apart play dough.
Help me use tools like popsicle sticks or spoons, a small rolling pin, or cookie cutters to shape the dough in different ways.
Make some pretend cookies or cakes and have a pretend tea party with dolls and stuffed animals.
