Every parent wants to give their child the best start in life and its importance cannot be understated as childhood is when the most brain development happens. Needless to say, parents and child caregivers play an important role in aiding this development in early childhood. Brain development is part of cognitive development that describes how a child learns, thinks and solves problems. Positive interactions between children and caretakers are the best way to boost brain development. Luckily, brain development does not require money or physical resources, in fact here are a few everyday activities you can practice to strengthen your child's cognitive abilities. 

Reading

Maybe your little one is too young to read, but this should not bar you from reading to them instead. Reading to your child is a very powerful way to promote brain development because it is multisensorial. Reading kickstarts language and communication skills. By using animated gestures and tonal variation while reading to your child, you stimulate different parts of their brain by improving their imagination, vocabulary, concentration span and listening skills.

Counting Steps/Stairs

In the early years of life, a child's brain forms over one million neural connections every second, and such simple games enable their brains to make connections with the environment. When your child is learning to walk, walking them up and down the stairs while holding their hands is more than just a fun walking exercise. In addition, counting steps while walking not only makes the game more fun but also makes the child familiar with their numbers.

Colouring

Your child does not have to be an artist to let them express themselves on a canvas. The disjointed colouring and or paintings keeps children engaged because they enjoy the activity. Colouring helps your child improve their motoring skills, hand-eye coordination and concentration. If they hold on long enough, it could be a lifetime hobby.

Learning A New Language

Learning a new language activates different parts of the brain. Activities as simple as translating a sentence to a foreign language can be a fun activity to enhance communication skills and at the same time boost cognitive development, boost creativity and better self-esteem.

The activities above are some of the many that can be done to stimulate a child's motor, communication, social, emotional and cognitive abilities. With a little support, you can help your little one perform one or two activities daily to keep their brain active. For more ideas about how to help your child, reach out to a childcare professional.