Children learn best through everyday experiences, play and meaningful interactions with the people around them. You don’t need expensive toys or specialist equipment — small moments of connection make the biggest difference.

Below are some ideas and trusted resources to help you support your child’s communication, curiosity and development at home.

🧡 Talk, Listen, Share

Talking with your child is one of the most powerful ways to support language development.

Try:

• Talking about what you can see on a walk
• Naming objects around the house
• Singing nursery rhymes
• Sharing stories or books
• Taking turns in simple conversations

Children don’t need perfect grammar or long explanations — they simply need responsive back-and-forth interaction.

 Great resource:
👉 Tiny Happy People – simple videos and ideas for supporting speech and language development
Tiny Happy People

Get Outside and Explore

Fresh air and outdoor play support physical development, wellbeing and creativity. You might try:

• Collecting sticks, leaves or stones
• Counting buses or birds
• Splashing in puddles
• Watching clouds and talking about shapes
• Running, climbing, balancing or rolling down a hill

 Play, Create and Imagine

Open-ended play helps children explore ideas, solve problems and build independence.

Ideas include:

• Drawing or painting
• Role play (teddies, doctors, shops, superheroes, cooking)
• Playdough (store-bought or homemade)
• Water play with bowls, jugs and spoons
• Building with blocks, boxes or recycled materials

No screens needed — just time, space and imagination.

Everyday Routines Count

Daily activities at home offer rich learning opportunities.

You could:

• Count fruit or vegetables when shopping
• Involve your child in cooking
• Sort washing by colour or size
• Match socks
• Talk about shapes while cutting sandwiches

Small things repeated often help children build important early maths and language skills.

Why Nursery Rhymes Matter

Singing or reciting nursery rhymes isn’t just fun — it’s a powerful tool for your child’s early language, communication and literacy development.

📖 What research shows

• Nursery rhymes help develop children’s phonological awareness — their sense of the sounds within words (syllables, rhyme, rhythm) — which is a key foundation for learning to read and write.
• Children familiar with several nursery rhymes by the time they are about four tend to become stronger readers and spellers in the early primary years (for example by Year 3).
• The repetition, rhythm and rhyme patterns help children hear syllables and sounds, develop vocabulary, memory and confidence with language before formal reading begins.
• Nursery rhymes also support broader development — singing together helps children practise listening, turn-taking and social interaction; rhymes with actions support coordination, movement and memory; and shared singing fosters bonding between children and carers.

Time to rhyme | BookTrust

Share Books Together

Reading to your child — even for a few minutes a day — supports vocabulary, imagination and a love of learning.

You can:

• Look at picture books
• Let your child turn the pages
• Talk about characters and what might happen next
• Borrow books from the local library

The key is enjoying the experience together.

BookTrust | Getting children reading

Support From Pregnancy to Preschool

There is national support available for parents across the early years.

Homepage | Best Start in Life

What About Screen Time?

We understand screens are part of modern family life, but young children learn best through real play, real interaction and real-world experience.

Where possible, prioritise:

✔ talking together
✔ exploring outdoors
✔ playing, reading and interacting

— rather than passive watching.

If screens are used, make it shared, short and meaningful.

 

💬 Need Ideas or Support?

Every family is different. If you’d like personalised ideas or have questions about your child’s development, please speak to a member of staff — we are always happy to help.