Come on, let’s go to the park – you can copy the way I play

What to do 

• Take a trip to a local park or play area where there is a high chance of meeting other children.  
• While you are there, engage in imaginative play with your toddler. You might pretend you are on a safari, looking for animals. Invite your toddler to wear their pretend binoculars and off you go.  
• Look for things other children are doing; if you feel confident enough to, comment on their actions and copy them. Your toddler will probably copy you too.  
• Seeing you copy other children’s actions can help your toddler learn that we can look to other people to get ideas of how to play.  
• You might find that another child looks interested; if you feel comfortable, invite them to join in. Your toddler will have two people to copy now.