How To Make Children Smarter – Learning Activities For Toddlers
Ways and activities to install a love for learning in toddlers and make children smarter..
1. Make-believe / Imaginative play
“Imaginative play activities teach children the concept of symbolism, which is at the foundation of reading, spoken language, mathematics, and virtually every higher intellectual function. When a child picks up an object and pretends it is something else, he is paving the way for abstract thinking, which is essential for advanced brain development,”
Here is an activity to encourage make-believe
One night when the moon is up, lie with your child on your backs on a blanket at your balcony. Look up at the moon and the night sky. Ask the toddler, ‘What do you see? Can you connect the stars to make a picture ? Can you make a face on the moon? Imagine what it be like to be an astronaut flying into space in a rocket. What would you expect to find on the moon? What would you do rather?
2. Engage all the senses in toddlers
It is important to engage all children senses : vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch. According to him, the all round development (emotional, social, physical, mental, spiritual, ethical) of children takes place when learning involves all senses. The sense of touch is often overlooked in learning activities.
This is one activity that challenges children to use it :
Put three or four objects (wooden numbers, letters, toys) in a bag,and tie the open end with a rubber band. Ask the toddler to guess what the objects are by feeling the bag. By doing this, children learn to appreciate the physical difference among objects and identify a shape, number, letter, solely by touch.
3. Emotions first:
No matter how bright a child is or how talented, it is important that we don’t forget the child’s emotional needs. Sometimes, we are so impressed by their gifts or intellectual brilliance, that we forget that we are dealing with young vulnerable children who need to feel safe, loved, accepted and connected with their parents.”
The fun Sign Language:
The fun sign language activity builds a ’secret’ language and strengthens the bond between your child and you. It also enables toddlers to express their needs fully. Involve your child in making signals with the hands, arms and fingers.
Each signal should stand for a word or expression like please, thank you sorry, full hungry, toilet etc.
Later, help her invent signals for emotions like joy, fear, love and sadness. Encourage her to use these signals in daily contexts.
4. Delve into nature
Let toddlers be one with nature. Let them act silly. look for ants under rocks, pick flowers, feed birds, plant a garden, make a hole in the ground, dig mud, point out tree’s shadows on the ground, or scout around for the smoothest stone. There are many exciting things to see, hear, smell and touch outdoors. It’s more important for a child to be familiar with names of flowers than names of cartoon characters on television.”
5. Ask toddlers open-ended questions
It is important to ask toddlers open-ended questions, accept divergent answer and encourage observation. When blowing bubbles, ask children, ‘Why do bubbles burst when they hit the ground?’ When you read books to them, ask: ‘What to you think will happen? Why do you think that will happen?’ Ask leading questions to help them make predictions’ ‘If I throw this ball up to the sky, where do you think it will stop?”
Open ended questions encourage scientific thinking in children by encouraging them to experiment with their ideas.
6. Look at a child’s interest : Allow children to express whatever they feel,” he says.
If Toys Could Dance:
It is an interesting activity, encouraging kids to express themselves through dance: Ask your child to collect her favourite toys. Play some music. Ask your child, ‘What would happen if each toy could move or dance? How would they dance? Let your child show you how each of her toys dance. Ask the child to dance as if she were that toy.
Surviving bright toddlers:
1. When your toddler asks you a question, say ‘let’s look it up.’ Getting her in the habit of looking things up will help her become a self-directed learner.
2. Speak to children about everyday activities and explain the processes involved in fixing a toaster, cooking, going shopping.
3. Read to them (at least five books every day).
4. Sing with your child, accompanied by musical instruments.
5. Provide imaginative toys instead of toys with batteries.
6. Replace her diet of soft drinks, fried foods and sugar-coated cereals, with water, fiber-rich vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains.
7. Give toddlers time to discover and learn on their own.
admin @ July 28, 2009