One Simple Activity To Nurture Your Gifted Toddler's Brain

Now that you're noticing how bright and downright intelligent your baby or toddler is, what can you do to nurture their budding capabilities without turning them off to learning?

For one thing, you can continue to notice what they're interested in and supply them with the knowledge they. need. Just don't hand it to them on a silver platter when they might learn from doing some of the research themselves.

Educators call this scaffolding.

For a young child, doing the research means to PLAY! One of the best ways to nurture their young minds is to let them. PLAY that is.

Here's one simple activity to try with your curious toddler that supports their brain's purpose of learning how to learn.

The Technique

Choose a time when you have 10 -15 minutes to devote entirely to your child. Don't prepare anything for this session. Don't bring your phone.

Enter a space where they will be able to explore safely as long as you are with them. Then begin to follow them around, watching everything they do. Help only when it's helpful to them. Give them the least amount of support they need to do what they're trying to do safely.

Be their assistant for a while. Give them credit for their choices. This can be really fun for you. You can learn a lot about your child by observing them while they play. It's OK to supply them with language, but avoid asking them close-ended questions like, "What color is the doll's dress?"

Instead, "Oh boy! I wonder what the doll will do now!" might be more inviting to the child.

The pressure is off to teach them anything. That's because they're actually teaching you and learning more while they do it. So grab a beverage and eke out 10-15 minutes to support your child's learning like the pro's do. Fair warning: you might have to set your beverage down during the session.

This is one of the ways your gifted or typical child's brain can develop to its full potential.

The good news is that this is only one of the 4 targeted problem-solving techniques featured in our free Baby Brain Toolkit and Curriculum. All 4 techniques are designed by experts to help your child develop their thinking skills. These techniques are simple and fun. They do, however, require time and devotion to the child.

Early Childhood Rocks is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering more peace, strength, and intelligence in the world through early care and education.

We strongly believe that sharing this well-researched, easy-to-read (10-minute) presentation can help unite parents and caregivers and encourage them to demand more for their young children during the first few years of their lives. Click the title page above to get your free copy. Learn more on our website, here!

Nanci J Bradley is an early childhood and family educator, author, teacher, SELF-care facilitator, family aerobics instructor, and an all-around fun-loving person. She believes in the power of sleep, healthy eating, lifelong learning, and most of all, PLAY! She studied early childhood education at Triton College and received her BS in education from NIU in 1986. She received her MA in human development from Pacific Oaks College in 2011. She lives and teaches in Madison WI.