How To Have A Smarter Toddler
Building more cognitive abilities is something that all children can achieve, but parents and caregiver's need to be involved, in a daily, supportive and encouraging way.
1. Playing And Singing Music
Playing calm, classical and stimulating music within the home is a wonderful way to relax and stimulate your toddler's brain. Classical music helps to activate the right side of the brain, which (“controls creativity, spatial ability, artistic, and musical skills”). Children also feel less stressed and happier when listening to Happier rhythms, and it lifts spirits.
Having calmer music playing in the home while your child is engaged in independent play, transitions, or getting ready for bedtime can help them stay focused on their task and help keep them calm. For example, music with rain sounds, water flowing, soothing bird sounds, or classical music would work great. More playful, upbeat, energetic, and active music/songs can be played during your child’s outdoor playtime and playtime.
Children need to listen to music on CDs, tapes, iPads, or computers, but it is just as vital for them to hear music sung to them; please remember to sing songs sometimes with your child. Voice singing can help hear new language, expressions, and vocabulary.
2. Play Fast, Repetitive Cognitive Games
When done regularly, repetitive and speedy games can help train, challenge, and stimulate new learning and memory skills in the brain. These kinds of games can spark the side of the brain that builds deeper thinking, learning new abilities, feeling happy, object recognition, sequence recognition, and creativity.
Simple Cognitive games for toddlers
Object naming -Use picture flashcards of animals, home objects, colors, or anything else that interests your child. Ask your child, “What is this?” or “What do you see?”.
Memory and spatial awareness- Move a small ball between 2 cups, cover it and ask your child to find it.
Language development: Show your child a few objects, then cover them with a blanket. Ask your child what objects they remember.
Repetition awareness: Place a few plastic animals in a line. As you point to each one, say the name and sound of the animal. After a few times, give your child a chance to name the animals independently.
Vocabulary development: Read a storybook with bold pictures. While reading, show your child the images and ask them open-ended questions about the pictures. Repeat this a few times.
Challenging fun: Point at objects in the home and ask your child to name them. You can do this on walks, in the car, at the park, etc. To create more challenges, you can also ask them what the objects are used for.
3. Play Mental Thinking Games
Cognitive development consists of thinking, reasoning, problem-solving, using the imagination, and tapping into prior knowledge. These skills can be matured daily by playing thinking games, asking open-ended questions, creating daily thinking challenges, and leaving room for exploration.
Simulating Mental Car Games
Play what animal I am guessing games.
Play fill-in-the-blank games.
What animal sounds like this?
What is that road sign?
What color is that object?
Play the I Spy game.
Play a counting game.
4. Provide An Engaging Environment
Providing a safe and engaging environment where your child can freely explore, be independent, have unconditional love, find new interests, test things out, feel secure, and feel supported is essential for your child’s mental health, cognitive strength, and overall development. Your child’s home environments should be arranged to foster their independence, well-being, health, and identity, along with an exploration space for them to face challenges. Toddlers need to learn more about themselves, find out what they can do, see how they fit in their families and understand the world around them.
Give enough room for self-helping skills
Give space for your child to get to know themselves and explore their bodies and interests.
Have visual picture labels within the home so your child can independently clean up.
Give enough time for clean-up and playtime. This includes giving enough warring time before the end of playtime.
Provide more activities and toys that require repetition, manipulation, creativity, taking apart, challenges and choice-making.
Convey openness
Actively listen to your child as they talk and share things with you.
Express positive body language, love and an openness to talk about things.
Use thought-provoking questions during conversations to get your child to think deeper.
React appropriately when your child misbehaves.
5. Have More Rich Quality Time
Activities that provide time for more meaningful interactions between you and your child should be worked into home life daily. These interactions can help your toddler feel more loved and valued while building their well-being.
Some daily home ideas
Partake in your child’s activities as a play supporter.
Do activities your child is interested in; this will help you both smile, laugh, and learn together.
Watch a few cartoon shows with your child. Choose shows with positive images and healthy ideas.
Cuddle together while reading a few picture books.
Model what a healthy, loving, and respectful relationship looks like when your toddler is around.
Build a loving, accepting, and flexible home environment with choices, independence, appreciation, and acceptability.
Offer positive vocal praises to your child when they try or accomplish things.
Collaborative activity Ideas
Do an inside scavenger hunt together. Hide objects around the house and ask your child to find them. Please show your child the things before hiding them.
Explore a variety of thinking toys together. Have a variety of open-ended toys that can be taken apart, rebuilt, dumped, filled, and used for more profound thinking skills. These toys should be realistic-looking and promote complexity.
Sing songs and read books together. Do hand movements while singing and reading books with your toddler. Also, add hand puppets, finger play, and Music with repetitive movements. Some great hand songs are Around, Around the Garden, If You're Happy and You Know It, and The Wheels on the Bus.
Play with baby dolls together. Pretend play can be fun and spark so much new learning. Different items can be added to extend imagination, creativity, and fun. Use items from around the home. For example, use bowls, spoons, and pretend food to feed the babies.
Look at picture albums together. Find pictures of yourself, your child, relatives, etc. and look and name them with your child. Fun guessing games can be created from these pictures.