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The ideas hub.

A child's brain is a remarkable little creature forming more than a million neural connections every second when activated. Babies learn through spending time with their parents and other special people in their life. Here are some ideas to help create meaningful moments with your child. These meaningful moments, especially if they occur early in a child’s life and often, build strong brains, providing a strong foundation for their life.

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Icon Attention and focus

Icon Responding to emotions

Icon Relationships and communication

Icon Planning and routines

Icon Taking on challenges

AGE GROUP

Ages 1-2

Big Hug, Little Hug

Relationships and communication

When it’s time for a hug, ask your child if they want a big hug or a little hug and then do what they ask. Then you take a turn and say whether you want a big or little hug. You can add other words, like a “wiggly hug” or a “quiet hug.”

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Ages 1-2

Big Hug, Little Hug

Relationships and communication

When it’s time for a hug, ask your child if they want a big hug or a little hug and then do what they ask. Then you take a turn and say whether you want a big or little hug. You can add other words, like a “wiggly hug” or a “quiet hug.”

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The sense of touch is calming and comforting to your child. These hugs not only make your relationship stronger, they also allow you to share new words and concepts with them, like big and little.

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Ages 2-4

Silly Speech

Taking on challenges

Invite your child to choose a word and explore different ways to say it together: use a high voice, a low voice, a loud voice, a soft voice, speak slowly, or speak fast. Have fun and keep it going back and forth! Try having a conversation or telling a story while you play Silly Speech.

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Ages 2-4

Silly Speech

Taking on challenges

Invite your child to choose a word and explore different ways to say it together: use a high voice, a low voice, a loud voice, a soft voice, speak slowly, or speak fast. Have fun and keep it going back and forth! Try having a conversation or telling a story while you play Silly Speech.

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Playing with word sounds is not only fun, it provides a foundation for your child’s language and literacy learning. As they explore different ways to use their voice, they're paying attention and thinking flexibly, a skill that enables them to come up with new creative ideas.

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Ages 1-2

The Power of Pointing

Taking on challenges

When your child points at something, talk back and forth about what they notice like, “You see the big truck!” Then you can take a turn to point something out to them and say what you see. Do they turn to look at it? Do they point or name the object?

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Ages 1-2

The Power of Pointing

Taking on challenges

When your child points at something, talk back and forth about what they notice like, “You see the big truck!” Then you can take a turn to point something out to them and say what you see. Do they turn to look at it? Do they point or name the object?

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Your child learns to communicate when you respond to their movements and sounds and encourage them to reply. You support their desire to learn more about the world and motivate them to continue to be curious and explore. These are essential qualities for learning.

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Ages 3-5

Memory Book

Relationships and communication

The next time you come back from visiting your family, invite your child to help you make a memory book using one or more photos from your visit. Write the words they use to describe what’s happening in the pictures.

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Ages 3-5

Memory Book

Relationships and communication

The next time you come back from visiting your family, invite your child to help you make a memory book using one or more photos from your visit. Write the words they use to describe what’s happening in the pictures.

BRAINY BACKGROUND

When you write down your child’s words after a family visit, they make connections between their real experiences, photos, and their words. They use their working memory to remember details of the visit and their communication skills to describe what happened.

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Ages 1-2

What’s That?

Planning and routines

Does your child point and say “dat?” Ask them, “What do you want?” Pick them up and have them lead you to what they're pointing at. When you find it, you can say, “That’s a spoon!” or “That’s the light switch!”

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Ages 1-2

What’s That?

Planning and routines

Does your child point and say “dat?” Ask them, “What do you want?” Pick them up and have them lead you to what they're pointing at. When you find it, you can say, “That’s a spoon!” or “That’s the light switch!”

BRAINY BACKGROUND

From infancy on, children pay attention to the intentions of other people and want to tell you their intentions. Pointing and saying “dat” is a first step toward learning the skill of communicating intentions. You can help children learn this by finding what they want and naming it.

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Ages 4-5

Today’s To-Do

Planning and routines

Talk back and forth with your child about the plans for the day. Talk about what you're having for breakfast, where they're going for the day, what you might do, and what they hope to do today.

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Ages 4-5

Today’s To-Do

Planning and routines

Talk back and forth with your child about the plans for the day. Talk about what you're having for breakfast, where they're going for the day, what you might do, and what they hope to do today.

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There is no better way to learn how to plan than practicing. When you give your child the chance to think ahead about the day, you invite them to call on what they already know and apply it in flexible ways to a new situation.

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Ages 2-3

Use Your Words

Relationships and communication

Does your child get upset and start to cry and whine? Remind them to use their words to say what is bothering them or what they want. If they're too upset to talk, try to guess what they want to say until they let you know you “got” it!

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Ages 2-3

Use Your Words

Relationships and communication

Does your child get upset and start to cry and whine? Remind them to use their words to say what is bothering them or what they want. If they're too upset to talk, try to guess what they want to say until they let you know you “got” it!

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Helping your child learn to communicate their upset feelings in words is one of the most important tools you can give them for managing these feelings, and expressing themselves in ways that can be understood and responded to.

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Ages 3-5

Move Like Me

Attention and focus

Ask your child to imitate you as you walk, jump, clap, or bend down to touch your toes. Then see if they can do the actions when you just say the words. Challenge them by going fast and slow or adding multiple steps like, “Reach up, turn around, and then jump!”

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Ages 3-5

Move Like Me

Attention and focus

Ask your child to imitate you as you walk, jump, clap, or bend down to touch your toes. Then see if they can do the actions when you just say the words. Challenge them by going fast and slow or adding multiple steps like, “Reach up, turn around, and then jump!”

BRAINY BACKGROUND

Your child uses their skills of focus and self-control as they try to mimic your words and actions. By changing the speed of the movements, you ask them to think on their feet. They must also use their working memory to keep track of what comes next.

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Ages 2-3

Smiles and Winks

Attention and focus

Smile at your child and wink at them. Repeat it several times, then encourage them to try to copy you. The smile is easy, and their wink, which may be just crinkling their eyes, will make you smile again! Take turns. Count how many smiles and winks you share.

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Ages 2-3

Smiles and Winks

Attention and focus

Smile at your child and wink at them. Repeat it several times, then encourage them to try to copy you. The smile is easy, and their wink, which may be just crinkling their eyes, will make you smile again! Take turns. Count how many smiles and winks you share.

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Playing Smiles and Winks may seem simple, but it takes a great deal of skill for your child to pay attention to what you're doing, remember the rules (first you smile, then wink), and copy what you're doing. These are important skills for school and life.

Vroom | Brain Building Moments

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Every time we connect with young children, it’s not just their eyes that light up—it’s their brains, too. A global program of the Bezos Family Foundation, Vroom(R) helps parents boost their child’s learning during the time they already spend together. Vroom believes all parents want what’s best for their children. So we joined with scientists, researchers, and parents to take the science out of the lab and put it in the hands of caregivers. Vroom provides science-based tips and tools to inspire families to turn shared, everyday moments into Brain Building Moments(TM). Since 2015, Vroom has grown to impact nearly 1,500,000 families in 37 US states and 6 countries around the world. Learn more at Vroom.org.

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