Today Tile Triggered Content

All the 'That’s Not My..'. books are fabulously fun for very young readers. They are brightly illustrated board books with lovely clear images on each page.

There are so many opportunities to develop the language which is at the root of early reading skills throughout the day. 

Every generation is born into a world with significant advances in technology, as well as changes in how they view the world, themselves and other people. The only generation that has never experienced a world without smartphones and social media is Generation Alpha, which encompasses people born between 2010 and 2025. They are thought to be much more aware, as they live in a globally connected world.^[1] 

One area that has undergone tremendous change through the generations is the discussion of feelings and emotions. 

This is an adorable interactive storybook and a great introduction to action rhyme books. 'If You’re Happy and You Know It' is a popular action song that introduces the concept of expressing yourself in the best way you can. 

The illustrations are warm and welcoming, with lovely animal characters singing together with you. As you read through the book, you and your toddler can join in with the actions and copy the movements. 

Down in Dorset lives a man called Kev Potts, otherwise known as The Bearded Balancer. Kev has become known for his incredible stone-balancing abilities. This is a very addictive hobby which requires a sense of the size and weight of objects, and the patience to get them to perfectly balance together. Your toddler is busy learning all about how to predict, and check, the size and shape of the things they play with – see if you notice them doing experiments or moving objects in order to test their ideas. 

Kev spends time on beaches, in streams, or anywhere where there are stones. His goal is to create one-of-a-kind sculptures out of the stones he discovers in each location. When the stacks are finished, Kev leaves them so that onlookers can admire them. The stones eventually return to nature. If you’d like to see more of his work, or share it with your toddler to spark some creative building, you can find him on Facebook, Instagram or Flickr.  

An inspirational British artist called Michelle Reader uses creativity to raise awareness of the environmental issues that face all of us today – while also creating astonishingly beautiful sculptures out of other people’s rubbish. Sharing her artwork with your child is a fantastic way to let their imagination run wild, and embrace the kind of creative problem solving the next generation will use to tackle some of the challenges the world is facing.  

Realistic-looking animals ready to soar, expressive sculptures of people and even moving models (including a dinosaur!) can all be seen on Michelle Reader’s website, and they are all made of recycling and rubbish. Find more information and a gallery of her work here.

You might feel that your child can find an adventure anywhere. Their curiosity and desire to find new challenges can lead them to do things you just didn’t expect – which can feel hard at times as you balance keeping them safe and encouraging their sense of adventure. 

It may be unnerving for you, as their parent, to see your child grow more curious and enthusiastic about the world. Children are often driven to achieve new goals, and they do not experience the same level of fear that gradually creeps up on us adults over time. When you participate in their adventurous play, however, you can ensure that your child is safe to take chances and face challenges. 

Spot Goes to the Park is an adorable lift-the-flap book. To start with, the expressions on the animals’ faces as you read through the story are perfect – we especially like Spot and the elephant's faces when Spot accidentally kicks the ball too high and quickly, “Oops!” 

This is a great board book for babies, full of exciting language, new concepts and intrigue as your baby is encouraged to lift the flaps on each page to reveal where the beach ball is. 

This colourful, easy-to-read book by American author, Karen Katz, revolves around a ball that was lost by a baby while playing on the beach. As the search for baby's ball begins, we encounter some lovely words and illustrations about the beach and holidays, including some charming sea life characters along the way.

Do you have days when you feel like you’ve got to choose between cleaning, cooking and teaching your child something? You might feel like you've forgotten when you last saw the bottom of your washing basket, or be wondering what you should be making for the next meal – the good news is that getting your child involved in helping will teach them lots – and even better they will probably love it!  

Helping with tasks in your home is something your child really enjoys at this stage of development. Not just tidying their toys away, but jobs they see as important because you do them. When children carry out age-appropriate tasks alongside you they feel like a connected and valued member of the household.