Relationships and communication
Conversations and word games spark connections in children’s brains — even when they’re still learning to talk. Encourage your child to learn the building blocks of language, literacy and getting along well with others with these Meaningful Moments. Back-and-forth activities like these also help strengthen the special bond between you.
Dressing Play
For ages 0 to 1
Even if your child doesn't seem to understand, tell them everything you're doing as you get them ready in the morning. Start with how you picked their clothes and go from there. Make eye contact and respond back to the sounds they make.
Soothing Songs
For ages 0 to 1
As you get your child ready for bed, rock them and sing your favourite song to them. Try making up your own song to an existing tune to make it personal. Like "Sing, sing a song. Sing to your child, all night long!"
It's All New
For ages 0 to 1
Almost everything is new to your child in their first year. So describe what you see. "There goes the yellow school bus. Beep beep!" Let them see, hear, smell, and even touch things, if possible. Notice what they're interested in and have a back-and-forth chat. "You see the big tree? What else do you see?"
Park Sensations
For ages 0 to 2
As you play at the park, describe what you're doing and how it feels. "The sun is warm on our faces," or "The sand is rough on our hands." Watch where your child looks or points and describe how that feels.
Sing-along
For ages 2 to 5
Whenever you're waiting together, take one of your child's favourite songs and take turns singing the lines. You start the first line and then have them continue. They can hum even if they don't remember the words!
Fruit Facts
For ages 3 to 5
When picking out fruit, play a guessing game: "Is this orange sweet or sour? Is this apple crisp or mushy?" Use words they might not understand and ask them to use their own words to describe tastes. When you eat the fruit later, talk about their guesses.
Looking for more moments?
The Bright Tomorrows app provides families more than 1000 tips and meaningful moments that are easy to do every day with babies and young children. Once you load the app, tailored moments backed by science, will be provided for you and your family to help your child’s development. The app will recommend special moments tailored for you and each of your children, based on age and interests.
