A child’s brain develops rapidly during the golden years toddler years. During the early years, your child’s brain undergoes rapid growth, forming billions of connections that determine how he learns, how creative he will be, and how he manages his emotion. As a parent, you are one of the most important providers of stimulation that drives your toddler’s brain development.
Providing proper stimulation doesn’t just help your child in developing basic skills, it also makes sure that he is ready to face challenges in the future.
Here are a few actionable strategies to boost your toddler’s brain development:
Actively Communicate
Talking to your toddler as much as possible is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to spark their brain. By communicating, your kid adds vocabulary, recognizes sentences, and acquires language. You could simply read bedtime stories everyday to add to their imagination and make them a reader. Also pose basic questions, such as, “What do you see outside the window?” to get your toddler thinking and responding.
Create Educational Playtime
Playtime is more than having fun; it is also an essential way that toddlers learn. Opt for activities that have sensory, motor and logical components to hone their skills. You could play with puzzles to train problem-solving and concentration, colorful building blocks to develop hand-eye coordination, or some role play as doctor or chef to facilitate their imagination.
Provide Sensory Stimulation
Sensory stimulation is any activity that helps stimulate your toddler’s senses—his sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Consider adding kinetic sand to their play so that they can explore it through touch, or set music on and have your child dance or clap along to the rhythm.
Establish Outdoor Routines
Being out outside is not only enjoyable, but it also provides practical learning scenarios. The outdoors has so much to stimulate a toddler’s brain. Find a park and teach your baby about plants, insects and the new environment. Involve gross motor activities such as swinging, running, or tossing a ball.
Use Educational Toys
Helper TVs: There are the right toys which are not only for fun but also provide educational and communication skill develop to your toddler’s. Some good examples are Lego sets to build for motor coordination and creativity, flashcards for introduction to the names of different objects, and toys with different shapes and colors for them to learn to differentiate;
Provide Proper Nutrition
Balanced nutrition is the third requirement for optimal brain stimulation. Encourage your toddler to eat omega-3, iron- and vitamin B-rich foods για brain development. Use oily fish such as salmon or tuna to provide omega-3. For snacks, offer nuts or sliced vegetables with dipping sauces. Also, ensure they consume nutrient-rich milk to help them grow their brain.
It is essential for their future to create a brain-stimulating environment for your toddler. You are building a solid base for the learning process as well as bonding with your child by introducing the right stimulation.
