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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

4-5

Letter Language

Relationships and communication

Use a letter, like B, to begin every word you say. Instead of “Hello, how are you?” say, “Bello, bow bar boo?” Encourage your child to use the same letter to begin the words of their response: “I am fine, how are you?” would become “Bye bam bine, bow bar boo?” How long can you keep it up?

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4-5

Letter Language

Relationships and communication

Use a letter, like B, to begin every word you say. Instead of “Hello, how are you?” say, “Bello, bow bar boo?” Encourage your child to use the same letter to begin the words of their response: “I am fine, how are you?” would become “Bye bam bine, bow bar boo?” How long can you keep it up?

BRAINY BACKGROUND

To keep the game going, your child must focus and think flexibly to switch the letters in the words they say. It also helps them to think hard about what each letter of the alphabet sounds like. Making these connections between letters and their sounds is important in learning language.

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3-5

In the Real World

Attention and focus

When out and about, point out things you and your child have read about in books or seen in their favourite show. For example, "That backpack looks like the one Dora wears!” or “That train makes sounds like Thomas the Train!”

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3-5

In the Real World

Attention and focus

When out and about, point out things you and your child have read about in books or seen in their favourite show. For example, "That backpack looks like the one Dora wears!” or “That train makes sounds like Thomas the Train!”

BRAINY BACKGROUND

This game helps your child understand symbols because they can see how the things in books or on TV are representations of real life.

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3-4

Stop and Go

Attention and focus

While at the park, play a game of Stop and Go with your child. When you say “go” you and your child run, dance, and jump around. Then, when you say “stop” everybody freezes. After a few rounds, let them be the one to shout the commands.

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3-4

Stop and Go

Attention and focus

While at the park, play a game of Stop and Go with your child. When you say “go” you and your child run, dance, and jump around. Then, when you say “stop” everybody freezes. After a few rounds, let them be the one to shout the commands.

BRAINY BACKGROUND

Playing Stop and Go helps your child focus, remember the rules, and not go on autopilot—important skills for success in school and in life.

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2-3

New Timers

Taking on challenges

When you’re at a playground, help your child do things they haven’t done before. Try out the swings or the slide, or even feel the different textures on the ground. As long as they're safe, let them try new playground experiences, with a helping hand if they need it. How do they respond? Celebrate what they say and do!

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2-3

New Timers

Taking on challenges

When you’re at a playground, help your child do things they haven’t done before. Try out the swings or the slide, or even feel the different textures on the ground. As long as they're safe, let them try new playground experiences, with a helping hand if they need it. How do they respond? Celebrate what they say and do!

BRAINY BACKGROUND

Giving your child the chance to do safe things by their self helps them feel confident, competent, and to learn to take on challenges.

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2.5-3

What Can You Do?

Relationships and communication

Ask your child to think of things they can do in the park like jump, climb, take giant steps, or collect stones. Ask them to show you one of them. Respond with something you can do, like collect leaves or make a telescope with your hands. Go back and forth.

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2.5-3

What Can You Do?

Relationships and communication

Ask your child to think of things they can do in the park like jump, climb, take giant steps, or collect stones. Ask them to show you one of them. Respond with something you can do, like collect leaves or make a telescope with your hands. Go back and forth.

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Are there things you can do together? Things they can do that you can’t? Things you can do that they can’t? You're giving them the chance to compare and understand people are the same in some ways and different in others.

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2.5-3

Sounds of the Park

Planning and routines

As you walk in the park, listen to the sounds with your child. Which ones are quiet, which are loud? Yell “loud!” and mimic the sound. Then whisper “quiet” and try that one too. Go back and forth with them imitating all the sounds at their different volumes.

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2.5-3

Sounds of the Park

Planning and routines

As you walk in the park, listen to the sounds with your child. Which ones are quiet, which are loud? Yell “loud!” and mimic the sound. Then whisper “quiet” and try that one too. Go back and forth with them imitating all the sounds at their different volumes.

BRAINY BACKGROUND

Outdoors is the perfect place to talk about quiet and loud sounds. As your child listens for sounds and waits for the right time to make a quiet or loud sound, they're controlling their behaviour. This skill is part of being able to set and reach goals.

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2.5-3

Park Ranger

Taking on challenges

The park is a great time to be on the lookout for what’s around. As you walk with your child, point out groups of birds, trees, leaves, people, etc. and ask them, “How many do you see?” Take turns pointing to different things all over the park!

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2.5-3

Park Ranger

Taking on challenges

The park is a great time to be on the lookout for what’s around. As you walk with your child, point out groups of birds, trees, leaves, people, etc. and ask them, “How many do you see?” Take turns pointing to different things all over the park!

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As you act like Park Rangers, your child is learning to estimate numbers. They're using what they know about numbers and applying it. Being able to estimate is an important part of learning and using math.

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0-0.5

Big Kids

Relationships and communication

When in the park with your child, look for the “big kids”. Sit your child on your lap or move their stroller so you can watch them and talk about what you are seeing. “Those kids are playing hide and seek like you will one day!"

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0-0.5

Big Kids

Relationships and communication

When in the park with your child, look for the “big kids”. Sit your child on your lap or move their stroller so you can watch them and talk about what you are seeing. “Those kids are playing hide and seek like you will one day!"

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Watching and talking about “big kids” gives your child the chance to practice gathering information about other people by watching. As they get older, they will want to imitate kids on the swings or going down slides. For now, watching and talking are fun.

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0-1

Did you Hear That?

Relationships and communication

When you’re in the park, ask your child, “Did you hear that?” each time you hear a sound. Imitate the sound out loud and make gestures to go along with it. Invite them to make the sound too.

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0-1

Did you Hear That?

Relationships and communication

When you’re in the park, ask your child, “Did you hear that?” each time you hear a sound. Imitate the sound out loud and make gestures to go along with it. Invite them to make the sound too.

BRAINY BACKGROUND

You're giving your child practice being able to hear differences in sounds. This is an important skill for enjoying and learning language so they can communicate well with others.

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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