Careful climbing – helping your toddler to climb safely
What goes up, must come down… and as your toddler starts to enjoy the challenge of climbing, it can be a worrying thing for you. But giving them time and space to explore this stage of development – while in a safe environment – will help support them to develop and understand safe climbing.
Safe climbing
Adventurous days – some simple ideas for adventures with your child
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.
Using the stairs – a simple way to get more activity into your day and great for your toddler’s development too!
We all know keeping active is important; but despite your watch telling you to move more, or a daily goal of 10,000 steps, the reality is that most parents don’t have time for sport, the gym or an exercise class every day. Which is where the stairs come in as a perfect way to fit in a bit of extra movement for your and your toddler.
As well as being vital for our bodies, physical activity can help us manage stress and sleep better. It's good to think that every minute counts and exercise in various forms and guises can be spread across the day. Physical activity is important for our physical and mental health, it can help us manage stress and sleep better.
Seesaw science, how your child learns physics as they play
Do you remember learning about forces and pivots in science lessons?? You might possibly remember diagrams of the forces acting on a seesaw, but surely all of this is way too complicated for your child?
We aren’t going to suggest introducing written equations to your child just yet! But the wonderful thing about giving them lots of time to play and move is that they are experiencing these forces in action.
Jumping with both feet off the ground – the benefits of jumping for your child (and you)
The more your child moves, the more they develop not only strength and control of their muscles but also a healthy cardiovascular system. We know physical exercise is also good for our wellbeing, and with concerns that children (and adults) should move more[1] – we thought: why not look at the benefits of something as simple as jumping!
We often look at our children’s apparently endless energy and think they must be moving enough, but it is worth thinking about the guidelines for children under five and if your child gets the time and space to be as physically active as possible.
Finding it hard to get moving on a bike? Five simple steps to help your child ride independently
The best (and surprising!) way to build writing skills
We know every child has their own individual interests and skills, which means every child’s path to mastering skills is unique. But it can still be difficult to keep calm if their friends seem to have got to grips with a skill that your child hasn’t yet. Sometimes it can help to think about the progress your child has already made, and the skills they have mastered, and remember that one skill builds on another as your child develops.
Skills like writing and drawing might start to feel really important, as your child gets closer to starting school or simply as they move into a pre-school room at nursery. And many of us have been tempted to try to get our child to master these skills a bit more quickly, perhaps by getting them to trace over pictures or shapes.
Should they be walking now? Things to think about if your child still prefers crawling or shuffling
Even when you know all children develop at their own pace, it can be hard to resist the temptation to compare your baby’s progress with other children. If your friends’ children all seem to be walking, but your little one still likes to crawl you might begin to wonder if you should be worried – so here are a few things to think about.
A broad range of ‘typical’
Advice from our community – have you heard about the rule of three?
Engagement with you – our My First Five Years parents and carers – is crucial to us. As well as the pages you use on our app, we also have a thriving Facebook community. It's a place for parents, grandparents and other carers to share their ideas, chat about their experiences and ask for tips and advice.
