Positive development in children very much starts soon after they are born and it can be even more important when they enter the preschool ages of between 3 and 5 years old. If you want to give your child the best start in life, then you’ll want to do whatever you can that will promote their development in the most positive ways.
This article is going to be focusing on some handy tips and topical ideas to do just that, so that kids have a good launchpad for the school years to come and form positive habits that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
#1 – Encourage Your Child To Be Creative
Creativity expands the mind in major ways like nothing else can. The cool thing about creativity is it’s also usually a lot of fun. Being creative takes on many forms. Encourage children to listen to music, sing and dance and maybe even to take up a simple musical instrument. Writing, painting, drawing, making things out of plaster or Play Dough are all creative pursuits that kids can get involved in.
What’s really interesting about the music aspect of creativity is it’s one of the rare things that requires both sides of the brain to be engaged virtually equally, and this spells great news for positive brain development.
#2 – Organise Regular Play Dates With Other Children
Young kids need to develop socially and one of the best ways to achieve that goal is to organise regular get togethers with other kids around the same age. Not only will their social skills improve, they’ll learn the benefits of teamwork and also how to better communicate, both verbally and through body language cues.
Kids also get important physical exercise which helps to develop strong bodies, promote muscle growth, increase flexibility, improve coordination, balance and so much more.
#3 – Water and Sand Play Can Be Highly Beneficial
Both water play and sand play can offer similar benefits. Children get to experiment in an environment that’s safe and also fun. With both water and sand, kids learn about things like volume, fine motor control, digging, pouring and scooping. In simplistic ways, water and sand play teaches them a little about how things work in the world and in nature.
#4 – Games, Puzzles, Blocks and Jigsaws
Any form of game, whether it be a physical version or even an electronic version that you download onto a device can be very beneficial in the development of a young child’s mind. Things like simple and educational board games and puzzle games help to give them a grounding in academic basics. Playing with things like blocks and jigsaw puzzles not only gets their young brains working hard, but they are also good for developing fine motor control and problem solving skills.
The good thing about games, puzzles and activities like these is that other kids, siblings or parents can also get involved, which makes it more fun and ultimately far more interactive.
#5 – Early Education Centres
If you enrol your child in an early education centre, they’ll learn so much on a daily basis. A child development program forms the basis for these centres, so you will have the confidence that your child is engaging in activities that are all designed to benefit them in some way. Most importantly, they’ll be mixing with other kids as well as adults and they will have loads of fun.
Early learning centres also give kids a grounding in academics, teach children about the importance of good nutrition and healthy eating, as well as preparing them in every way possible for the school years to come.
#6 – Encourage Your Child To Read
Reading is a skill that will serve them well for the remainder of their lives. Developing a love of reading will lead to the accumulation of great knowledge and understanding, as well as being entertaining. Most people who are successful in life read a lot, so always encourage your child to read and to develop a passion for reading.
The Wrap
There are many things parents can do to promote positive development in their children on every level and it’s something that should always be focused on.
