Interacting with your child is a great way to bond, and help to build your child’s brain. In the first three years of life, the child is building billions of neurons which help the child have a better life. The specific ways we interact with our children can have a profound effect on their cognitive development. And as we continue to play these games as they grow, we can observe subtle changes in their cognition, and motor skills abilities. Below are some of our favorite ways to interact with your child.

  1. Peekaboo

Peekaboo is a classic game to play. The key here is that young children haven’t developed the mental skills to realize the person is behind the blanket. They think the person has gone, so when you reappear it truly is a surprise. In addition to being a lot of fun, this game builds trust that even if you “go away”, you will always come back, and returning is joyful.

  1. Tracking

Move objects around in space. Get our child to trace the object, and develop neural and visual pathways. You can do the same with sound. Shake a shaker to the left then to the right, and watch the child respond to the sound spatially.

  1. Sensory Play 

Introduce your baby to different sensory and tactile experiences — water, texture etc. How does baby react and respond.

  1. Music Singing and Dancing

Sing a song to your child. Give the infant a rattle and help to start playing a rhythm. Music and math are linked in the brain, so by playing music you are giving your child a head start in math.

  1. Talking

Aside from it being a joyful experience, talking to your child helps develop a strong brain. It is easy and fun. You can simply narrate your day, talking to your child. “Mommy is reading a book”, “We are going to the store later”. Naming objects is another good way to develop communication.

When your baby tries to speak to you, even though you may not understand, go ahead and respond. This establishes reciprocal communication.

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