Finding a quality toddler care program can be challenging. New parents often spend hours searching for early childhood development resources but don’t always know where to start. Your little one will need high-quality toddler care to reach their developmental milestones.
Early childhood development has come a long way over the years. Through the support of government programs, such as the Voluntary Pre-K (VPK), your toddler can receive the support they need to thrive. Yet, there’s still a lot you can do to support your child’s educational development at home. Below we share three activities to support your toddler’s development.
How Does Your Toddler Learn?
According to researchers, children learn best through structured play. Young children are inquisitive and want to discover the world around them. Structured play encourages exploration while incorporating educational principles.
The activities you include in your toddler care program should promote your child’s cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development.
1. Sing A Long Nursery Songs
Your child develops their language skills by listening and watching. Singing to your child can help them develop essential early literacy and language skills, which will stay with them well into adulthood. The repetition and rhythm of the music can contribute to phonological awareness, vocabulary development, and auditory discrimination.
Toddler education starts with infant education. If you have not been singing to your child, since they were infants, now’s a good time to start. Music can be made with virtually anything! Parents can clap their hands, play with household pots, or even play music on their mobile devices. You should sing songs that are repetitive and easy to learn. Eventually, your toddler will initiate music time, all by themselves.
2. STEM-Based Sensory Play
Including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) based activities into your child’s toddler care program are crucial for their early development. STEM-based learning will form the basis of most of your child’s foundational and senior education. Early exposure to STEM principles can help your child succeed at future stages of their academic life.
There are many preschool activities to choose from, such as matching textures. For this game, you will need leaves, paper, and crayons.
Start by gathering leaves. While seated at a desk, place the paper on top of the leaf and color over the leaf with the crayons. After demonstrating to your toddler, they can trace the leaves in different colors and compare the different leaf prints.
3. Pillow Obstacle Course
This activity is great for when you’re spending time with your toddler indoors. The pillow obstacle course is great for developing your child’s gross motor skills. Motor skills are responsible for your body’s movement.
Activities that encourage multitasking, critical thinking, and movement can contribute to motor skill development. Your child’s brain, muscles, and nervous system work together to achieve a set goal.
Start by gathering all the pillows around your house and place them in a straight line on the floor. The area you choose should be free of any safety hazards, such as furniture. Place different pillows at different angles and distances. Your toddler should climb or jump to the next pillow without touching the floor.
Why Choose Parklands Children’s Academy as Your Toddler Care Provider?
Playing with your toddler at home is important for their developmental success, but including a structured curriculum could benefit them greatly too. Sending your child to a STEM-based daycare center or preschool can help them develop their social, emotional, and cognitive skills too.
At Parklands Children’s Academy, our curriculum is designed with your child’s educational needs in mind. The toddler care program at our learning center is fun and educational. Contact us today to find out more about our toddler care programs!