Playing independently could help your toddler build their self-regulation skills
A recent study has highlighted the value of making sure your toddler has time to play freely, without an adult directing or planning the activity for them. It suggests there might be a link between how much time children spend playing like this before the age of five, and their self-regulation skills as they get older.
One of the areas scientists, educators and parents are becoming increasingly aware of as important is the ability for people to self-regulate. This means being able to control your response to events and emotions you experience.
Can thinking about actions now help future decision-making?
Your toddler is beginning to understand and learn more about how their actions affect what happens next. The more they play and explore in this way, the better they will become at thinking how to do things.
Cause and effect will always be an exciting phase of learning; as your toddler grows, they constantly learn more about how their actions can cause something else to happen.
Look! The world is full of similarities and differences
Your toddler's world is an ever-growing array of colours, shapes, smells and tastes – some similar, some different. As they become more aware of what's around them, and show interest in particular things, they can make connections between what they see and how these look like the things that really spark their interest.
Your toddler has been learning about items and objects since they were a baby, and now they are beginning to extend their early sorting and classification of objects.
The approximate number system – building a foundation for maths
From birth, we all have the ability to recognise differences in quantity, thanks to something known as the approximate number system. This ability develops with age and experience. So what do we know about how your toddler understands quantity?
What exactly is the approximate number system?
Much more than capital cities – how you can help your toddler become a geographer
You might not have given much thought to your toddler's grasp of geography. But the experiences and conversations they have will give them skills and knowledge that provide a rich foundation for understanding people and places – which really is what geography is all about!
What is geography?
Motor planning and what it means when stacking blocks
You'll spot the term 'motor planning' a few times in the app. It involves making lots of different connections between the body and brain. Watching your toddler stacking blocks is a great way to see this complex process played out in a seemingly simple (but incredibly skillful) way.
Motor planning is a skill used in loads of everyday activities; it’s a combination of thought, sensory information and movement
We don’t have three brains – find out more about your toddler’s brain
If you’ve ever googled brain development you might have come across articles that refer to the triune model of the brain, or that describe us as having a lizard brain which takes over when we feel scared or threatened. As neuroscientists learn more about our brains, this way of understanding the brain has been questioned – read on to find out more.
We don’t have a lizard brain
Intonation and numbers: it all counts!
Speech usually comes to mind when we think of rhythm and intonation. When we talk to babies and young children, we use sing-song voices to emphasise words and make everything said seem like the most fascinating thing ever heard. But, did you know we use just as much intonation when we say numbers?
Think about using numbers with your toddler; do you elongate the sounds, ooooonnnnnnne, twwwwooooooooo, threeeeeeeeeeee?
Taking toddlers to restaurants – why it’s really good for them
Does the thought of dining out as a family fill you with joy or worry? With young children, things can change suddenly, and let's face it, we never know what will happen next!
Thankfully, most UK restaurants are very welcoming towards families with young children, and TV chef and restaurant owner Simon Rimmer commented that he enjoys seeing children in his restaurants because it helps them develop important life skills.[1]
Peep Inside Night-time – a view into the world at night
This beautiful little book tells the story of what happens at night. It’s perfect for young children who love to lift flaps and learn more about the world around them.
The book opens with a night-time image revealing windows into people's houses as they try to fall asleep, while the bakery next door has the lights on and is busily setting up so that it can bake a lot of fresh goods for the morning.
