Fun Activities to Support Your Child’s Development

Build Up MI offers tips and fun activities to support your child’s development. Research states that what children learn in their first five years makes a significant impact on their entire life. Parents, grandparents, childcare providers and educators all contribute to a child’s development by providing a positive environment in which they can learn.

OAKLAND COUNTY MOMS EDUCATION ARTICLES & RESOURCES

There are six areas of early development to encourage when participating in fun activities to support your child’s development

1. Gross motor skills – crawling, walking, running, jumping, etc.
2. Fine motor skills – hand-eye coordination by finger painting or squeezing water out of a sponge
3. Language – learning the alphabet, speaking, writing
4. Cognitive – cause and effect behavior can be taught by identifying noises heard throughout the day or by offering choices of what they would like to eat or wear
5. Social & Emotional – learning to play alone or with others, developing manners and kind words, etc.
6. Self-Help & Adaptive – learning to dress and tie shoes, eat independently, basic hygiene, etc.

Here are some activities that are fun, yet dynamic influencers on early child development…

Fun Activities to Support Your Child’s Development

TAKE A WALK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD – As you pass each home or store, discuss a detail that makes each place unique. Point out a church, grocery store or gas station and explain the purpose of each and who works there. Later while at home, create flashcards with pictures and details of each place you saw. Strengthen your child’s cognitive learning by singing “The People in Your Neighborhood” song made popular by Sesame Street –

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CREATE A SCAVENGER HUNT – Take advantage of the fact that kids are natural investigators. Have your child search for particular fruits, vegetables or an item of a certain color in the grocery store. While at the park, have your child identify a rock, flower or a tree. And while at home, have them locate items of different shapes, colors or with a particular letter or word on them.

GET ORGANIZED – Promote organization in your home while nurturing your child’s cognitive, self-help and adaptive skills. Set up an area in your home for your child to store his or her toys, shoes, etc. Grab some plastic bins and work together to create labels for each. Then play a guessing game with your child by asking where certain items belong.

READ A BOOK – Go back to the fundamentals – sit down and read a book with your child. Find books that encourage learning songs, basic math or the alphabet. Ask questions about the pictures and encourage your child to ask about anything they don’t understand.

This fun activities to support your child’s development article is provided by Build Up MI of Metro Detroit for Oakland County Moms. Visit www.buildupmi.org to learn more about how to get your preschooler kindergarten-ready!