Learning together

Every smile, cuddle, chat, and game you play with your child will help them to grow and learn.

Here are some ideas of the things you can do with your child that will help them to learn and may help them do well at nursery and school.

Babies

Your baby’s brain doubles in size in the first year of life. Playing with your baby helps their brain to grow!

Sing songs and nursery rhymes to your baby. If you don’t know the words use the links on the back page or sing family songs you enjoy. Clap along.

Snuggle up and read books to your baby. Let them hold the book. Find family favourites.

Visit the library to choose some books. Join in a story time or singing group.

Visit groups with your baby where they can be near, see, hear and play near other babies and adults.

Let your baby get safely messy. They learn by using their senses, touching, smelling, listening, tasting and looking.

Your baby’s brain has been growing fast and by the time your baby is 3 years old their brain will be 80% of the size of their adult brain.

Carry on singing, reading, playing and going on visits.

Explore numbers and count all day long. You could say the numbers as you go up and down stairs or count out pieces of fruit.

Use sticks, crayons and paint brushes to explore how to make marks, draw and paint. Don’t worry too much what your marks and pictures look like.

Start to notice sounds such as cars engines, leaves rustling, birds singing or dripping rain.

Make or buy musical instruments and bang and shake them, in time, together.

Let your child turn the pages of the book you are sharing. Point to the pictures and use different voices.