Your toddler is a little ball of energy that needs channelising in the right direction. Therefore, engaging your toddler in creative pursuits would not just help them spend their time in a productive way, but would also enhance their cognitive development along the way.
What Are the Cognitive Stages of a Toddler?
In simple terms, the cognitive stages of your toddler imply the evolution of their thinking, problem-solving, and learning abilities as they grow up. With each advancing stage, your toddler's cognitive characteristics continue to improve and evolve.
- By the age of 1, your toddler would start understanding that if they would push a button of their favorite toy, it will light up.
- Gradually their problem-solving skills begin to develop. If their toy is out of sight, they look around here and there in hopes of finding it.
- By the age of 1.5 to 2 years, your toddler’s ability to use words and gestures starts to develop. They can imagine objects and events in their mind.
- Later on, when toddlers are in the age group of 2 to 3 years, they engage in pretend play, widen their vocabulary, view the world with their perspective, and develop simple problem-solving abilities.
Improve Cognitive Skills in Toddlers With These Engaging Activities
Here are a bunch of activities that your toddlers would love. These home-friendly activities, would keep your kids engaged productively and boost their cognitive skills.
- Sing Along
Did you know that music helps develop sensorimotor skills in toddlers? Teaching your toddler to sing after you or with a music player would entertain them and enhance their social and emotional abilities. - Explore Animal Sounds
Have fun with your toddler while asking them to recognize different animal sounds. You can imitate the animal sounds or play on media. - Learn Letters and Words using Flashcards
Boost your kid’s memory by teaching them letters and small words with flashcards. The more regular the practice, the better the results. - Play Jigsaw Puzzles
A two or three-piece puzzle would help your kid use their memory, imagination, and logical thinking to complete it. This results in an improvement in Toddler Cognitive Development. - Teach Cause-and-Effect Concept with Button Toys
You can get your child a toy that lights up, makes sounds, or performs some activity with a click of a button. This would help your child understand cause-and-effect phenomena in a basic way. - Stacking Wooden Blocks Creatively
Give your toddlers the freedom to stack wooden blocks as they wish. This activity will boost their imagination and creativity while contributing to cognitive development. You can also provide suggestions to guide them along the way. - Explore Textures Through Touch-and-Feel Toys
Toddlers' toys usually come in various shapes and textures. Encourage your child to touch and feel different textures while playing by asking them questions. For example, 'So, how does Mr. Rabbit feel—soft or hard?' This will enhance their sensory development. - Engage in Pretend-Play
Toddlers love to use their imagination in everything they do. You can get your toddler toys such as a kitchen set or a doctor's set, which will allow them to get creative. - Set Up a Bike Racecourse at Home
To improve your toddler’s hand-feet coordination, set up a bike racecourse using chalk and props in your home or garden. You can encourage your toddler to pass through the course and reward them upon completion. - Involve your Toddler in Daily Activities
Routine activities are great learning opportunities for your toddler. Let your child clean up their toys after playing and arrange them in their allotted places. This will help your child become more responsible for their belongings, learn to hold things properly and develop a sense of direction regarding various objects in your home.
Toddler Cognitive Development Activities to Boost Memory
Here are some activities that aid in Early Childhood Development in a fun way:
- Hide a Thing
Children love ‘hide and find’ games. You can play games such as hiding a small item in your fists and encouraging your child to find it. This will boost the short-term memory of your toddler. - Repeat Songs and Stories
Do you know why nursery rhymes often have repeated lines and phrases? It’s because they are designed to boost a child’s memory and improve their pronunciation. Take some time to narrate children’s songs and stories to your toddler, and repeat them often. You can also pause randomly and encourage your child to continue the story or song. - Narrating Numbers and Letters
Repeating numbers and letters consistently would help your child memorize them at a faster pace. You can also play creative sequence games using numbers and letters with your dear toddler.
Toddler Cognitive Development Activities to Improve Logical Thinking
It is strongly believed that logical ability is one of the most important cognitive characteristics of a toddler. Here are some activities that boost logical thinking and aid in Early Childhood Development.
- Set Up a Daily Routine
Having set routines, such as scheduled times for baths, meals, playtime, storytime, and sleep, helps instill a sense of discipline in your toddler. Your child will learn the concept of sequence and develop expectations for the next activity accordingly. - Play Sort-based Games
As your toddler grows up, they would be able to identify and sort things based on parameters such as color, shape, type, size, etc. So wear your thinking cap and sprinkle creativity to make these games more fun for your lovely kid! - Matching Games & Puzzles
Improve your toddler's cognitive skills by playing games that involve matching, such as pairing pictures of animals with their sounds or colors with fruits of that color. These activities encourage your child to think and use their mind actively.
Toddler Cognitive Development Activities to Enhance Creativity
Let's get creative, spark some imagination, and have a whole lot of fun with these activities that boost your toddler's creativity!
- Engage in Art and Craft
Get your dear toddler a bunch of creative supplies such as drawing sheets, crayons, playing dough, and coloring books. Let them unleash their creativity and scribble the way they want. This will enhance their creative abilities and in turn help in their cognitive development. - Outdoor Play and Short Visits
Nature is the best teacher! Take your child to the park for a walk or a run. Your toddler would have a great time enjoying rides and playing with friends. You can also plan an outing to a museum, aquarium, zoo, or a picnic for a more knowledgable experience. - Create Imaginary Experiences
Have an imaginary party at your place and let your toddler invite all their friends. You will be surprised to see special guests from the animal kingdom, superhero universe, dolls and stuffed toys, and more, at your party! These experiences instill creativity in toddlers to a great extent.
Cognitive Development Toys for Toddlers at Home
Toys such as rattles and scribbling aids are some of the first toys that your toddler plays with. When you shake a toddler, you will notice that your toddler is getting attracted to the sound and movement of the rattle. Gradually your toddler would begin to hold the rattle by themselves and shake it. When it makes the sound, your child learns the purpose of the rattle, thus understanding the concept of cause and effect.
Moreover, providing a scribbling slate to your toddler would aid in their sensory development. They would learn to hold the chalk or pen, thereby refining their fine motor skills such as grasping. This helps them lay a strong foundation for writing and reading skills. Furthermore, this also offers your child an opportunity to spend time individually and creatively.
It can be concluded that boosting your toddler’s cognitive development at home with the help of creative activities is an enriching and rewarding experience. This also forms a strong foundation for their bright future! Furthermore, enrolling in a well-structured program, such as Mom & I, a one-of-a-kind mother-toddler program by the house of Mother’s Pride, is an excellent way to support the holistic development of your adorable toddler.
Summing Up