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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

1-2

See You Later

Planning and routines

Before you go to work or drop your child off somewhere, share a favourite “See you later” story, such as “After a while, crocodile” or “See you soon, cocoon.” Create a new goodbye tradition. Tell them that after it’s finished, it will be time for you to leave. Reassure them that you will see them later.

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1-2

See You Later

Planning and routines

Before you go to work or drop your child off somewhere, share a favourite “See you later” story, such as “After a while, crocodile” or “See you soon, cocoon.” Create a new goodbye tradition. Tell them that after it’s finished, it will be time for you to leave. Reassure them that you will see them later.

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Transitions can be difficult for toddlers. When you create a goodbye tradition through the “See you later” poem or another story, you give them some control, which helps them feel safe.

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4-5

Same Letter Sentence

Relationships and communication

Choose a letter, and see if you and your child can think of a sentence using as many words as you can think of that begin with that letter. For example, if you chose the letter M, you might say something like, “My mother made meatballs.” What other M words can you and your child come up with?

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4-5

Same Letter Sentence

Relationships and communication

Choose a letter, and see if you and your child can think of a sentence using as many words as you can think of that begin with that letter. For example, if you chose the letter M, you might say something like, “My mother made meatballs.” What other M words can you and your child come up with?

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Playing with letters and sounds is a great way to help your child’s literacy and communication skills, since it helps them make connections between sounds and words in a playful way. These games also draw on their memory, focus, self-control, and flexible thinking skills.

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4-5

One Letter at a Time

Attention and focus

Is your child curious about spelling familiar words, like their name? Take turns going back and forth spelling a simple word like “cat”: you say c, your child says a, you say t. Make it even harder and challenge your child to try and spell the word backward with you!

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4-5

One Letter at a Time

Attention and focus

Is your child curious about spelling familiar words, like their name? Take turns going back and forth spelling a simple word like “cat”: you say c, your child says a, you say t. Make it even harder and challenge your child to try and spell the word backward with you!

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Playing with letters and sounds encourages your child to use what they already know to make connections between letters and sounds. Spelling backward helps them to think flexibly and not just go on autopilot. Spelling games like this one also help prepare them for later reading and writing.

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2-3

What’s Next?

Planning and routines

Encourage your child’s independence by asking them questions instead of telling them what to do. If you are getting ready to leave the house, instead of telling them to put shoes on, try saying something like, “I see your socks are on. What comes next?”

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2-3

What’s Next?

Planning and routines

Encourage your child’s independence by asking them questions instead of telling them what to do. If you are getting ready to leave the house, instead of telling them to put shoes on, try saying something like, “I see your socks are on. What comes next?”

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Asking questions encourages them to think before acting instead of just responding automatically. This ability takes focus and self-control: your child must stop what they might want to do so they can reach a goal, even something as simple as putting on shoes!

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0-1

Space Explorer

Attention and focus

Show your child the world from different points of view. When they're in your arms, crouch down low or gently lift them up in the air. Describe what you’re doing and respond to their reactions. “You’re as high as the light! Look what you can see up here!”

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0-1

Space Explorer

Attention and focus

Show your child the world from different points of view. When they're in your arms, crouch down low or gently lift them up in the air. Describe what you’re doing and respond to their reactions. “You’re as high as the light! Look what you can see up here!”

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Moving your child around and talking about what you’re doing helps them learn about important concepts like shape and space. Children learn these concepts through back and forth conversations, where you follow their lead and respond to their reactions.

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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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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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2-3

No Words?

Relationships and communication

Are you teaching your child to use words to express their feelings? As you're out and about, ask them to notice animals, which don’t use words, and see how they communicate what they want. Does the dog bark or stare at you? Ask them what they think the dog is trying to say.

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2-3

No Words?

Relationships and communication

Are you teaching your child to use words to express their feelings? As you're out and about, ask them to notice animals, which don’t use words, and see how they communicate what they want. Does the dog bark or stare at you? Ask them what they think the dog is trying to say.

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You can help your child learn to communicate with words and in other ways by noticing how animals communicate when they have No Words. Use what they notice to ask questions and help them think like a scientist, applying what they observe to their own life.

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0-1

Sound Conversations

Relationships and communication

If your child says "Ba,” repeat the sound back to them. Then add on to it, "Ba, ba, ba." Do they try to copy your sounds? Add a new sound next, ”Ba, ba, MA.” Do they notice the change? Do they try to repeat it? Go back and forth repeating each other’s sounds and building on them.

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0-1

Sound Conversations

Relationships and communication

If your child says "Ba,” repeat the sound back to them. Then add on to it, "Ba, ba, ba." Do they try to copy your sounds? Add a new sound next, ”Ba, ba, MA.” Do they notice the change? Do they try to repeat it? Go back and forth repeating each other’s sounds and building on them.

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Having Sound Conversations with your child encourages communication, using sounds and actions to “talk” to you. Changing the sounds helps them pay careful attention to the differences between sounds—an important step in learning to talk.

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2-3

Imaginary Flower

Taking on challenges

Does your child like to pretend? Tell them there is an imaginary flower growing on their nose. Describe what it looks like. Then pretend to grab it! Now say there is a flower on their ear and grab it too. Have them describe and grab the flowers on you and enjoy the joke.

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2-3

Imaginary Flower

Taking on challenges

Does your child like to pretend? Tell them there is an imaginary flower growing on their nose. Describe what it looks like. Then pretend to grab it! Now say there is a flower on their ear and grab it too. Have them describe and grab the flowers on you and enjoy the joke.

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Although pretending is lots of fun, it also teaches your child that one thing can stand for something else. These symbols are the basis of reading and writing, with words standing for objects and ideas. This game also develops children’s creative thinking.

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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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