Let’s try this... bilateral hand use activity
Bi-lateral coordination - squeezing activity:
Learning about themselves and other people, challenging stereotypes and celebrating diversity
Your toddler is interested in the world around them, including the people they meet. To understand the world they group together things they think are similar, in what are described as schemas – so your toddler might have a people schema and within that, group people together according to similarities they notice (or that other people seem to think are important). This organisation of information can lead to your toddler developing stereotypical views.
For example, if they see a male doctor in real life, then in a story and on a TV programme they might think doctors are always men.
Researchers have found that babies prefer faces from their own racial group over others,[1] and that toddlers show bias towards their own race when selecting who and what toys to play with.
Watch this two-minute video from the NSPCC – parents' tips for supporting children’s behaviour
We all have moments with our children that feel difficult. The NSPCC asked parents to share their tips for when children’s behaviour feels hard to handle.
Remember to take five minutes – if you need to!
Why does my child love to read repetitive stories?
Children learn more effectively when they hear the same books read again and over. Hearing the same words again and over helps them comprehend the meaning of the words and to use them in context. The text is familiar, which gives your child the confidence to read on his or her own. The use of repeated words helps your child to directly participate in the reading experience, which boosts their confidence and makes story time more fun. When your child feels at ease with a repeating narrative and can participate, this will help lay the foundation for future literacy skills.
Your toddler’s language and the emergence of emotional self-regulation
Have you noticed your toddler becoming aware of their emotions and beginning to use words to describe some of them? You may hear them start to say how they feel; this can be helpful for your toddler, as it helps them to regulate their emotions.
Emotions can be very powerful for toddlers, as can the feelings that come with them.
Why making mistakes when learning how to talk is most definitely clever
In this video on YouTube, Prof Ben Ambridge from the ESRC International Centre for Language and Communicative Development (LuCiD) outlines why 'clever mistakes' are often a sign of progress in language learning and why the best way to respond to them is to keep on talking.
Higher, higher: How can playing on a swing support your child’s development?
Swinging is great fun and has many benefits for your child’s development:
What is Bilateral Coordination?
Bilateral coordination is the movement of both arms, or both legs, together. The movements can be made at the same time with both arms, like raising them to make a ‘T’ shape, or alternate like using one hand to hold paper still while the other cuts it with scissors.
Many, if not most, of the tasks we do each day require us to use bilateral coordination, and often to control and combine our movements so that our hands (or arms, or legs) are working together to achieve the same goal.
Choosing a balance bike, advice from an expert!
Choosing a first bike can feel daunting. There is so much information out there to work through, and once you’ve decided what type and brand you’re going for, you have to start making decisions about size, too!
We asked Karen Wood, balance bike expert and co-owner of Kidvelo® Bikes, to share some advice on choosing the right balance bike for your child...
Fun fact – taking part in an obstacle course uses senses you may not have heard of before!
Obstacle courses are typically challenging, yet fun, for toddlers (well, all ages of children and adults!) They bring loads of benefits for overall development, encouraging problem solving and creativity as well as physical skills galore. Tackling obstacles also stimulates a number of senses; let’s delve into which ones and how...
Tactile sense – the sense of touch
