Simple ideas and activities to try with your child:

In your routine

• Do daily tasks with your child. Talk about what you are doing and why you are doing it. When hanging up the washing, you could say ‘The clothes are wet, let’s hang them up to dry.’ Give them simple tasks like passing you the socks. Praise them for helping.

On the go

• When you’re out and about, build on what your child says about what they can see – so when they say ‘Big bird!’ you can say, ‘Yes, it’s a big, noisy bird called a crow’.

• Talk to your child about what has happened so far in the day – for example, ‘We went to the shops this morning, didn’t we? We bought some apples.’ And talk about what is going to happen next – ‘After lunch we’ll do the washing up.’

Other ideas

• You could make a photo-book of funny, or memorable, family events and talk about it with your child.

• Sing songs together that encourage your child to use their imagination. For example, try singing The Wheels on the Bus and ask your child to suggest other things on the bus and describe what sound they make.

• Read picture books together. Talk about the things they can see and how we use them. For example, ‘A bed is something we sleep in.’

• Use books to talk about your own experiences, and theirs, giving them time to respond. ‘Oh look, the boy is at the park. We went to the park yesterday with Granny.’

We have created a list of fun, affordable activities and groups suitable for 0 to 5's with a focus on music, the outdoors, language development and storytelling. Follow the link below to see what you can do together in Cornwall.

Find a Group to feed their Mind!