Choose one of 5 simple activities. Each includes materials, a way to begin and an easier or safer adaptation. Repeat the one your child enjoys.
Choose by the materials you have
| Try this | Time and materials |
|---|---|
| A basket of soft things | 5 minutes · a basket and three washcloths |
| Deliver the socks | 5–10 minutes · adult socks and a low box |
| A rolling conversation | 5 minutes · a large soft ball |
| Find the familiar picture | 5 minutes · a sturdy picture book |
| Copy my sound | 3 minutes · just your voices |
Choose one small moment
Look for a time when your child is comfortable, rather than hungry or exhausted. The suggested times are flexible invitations, not attention-span targets. Stop when the game no longer feels enjoyable.
Keep an adult nearby. Check materials for loose pieces and follow age labels. Offer seated or simpler versions so the game fits your child.
1. A basket of soft things
Put the cloths in a low basket. Show how to take one out and put it back. Let your child choose whether to copy you, carry the basket or explore the textures.
Make it work for your child
Offer one cloth first if several choices feel overwhelming. Keep fabric away from sleep spaces.
2. Deliver the socks
Place a few clean socks beside you and a box a short distance away. Ask whether your child would like to deliver them. Describe the action: “You carried the blue sock.”
Make it work for your child
Move the box closer or play seated. Avoid making balance or walking a requirement.
3. A rolling conversation
Sit on the floor facing each other. Roll the ball slowly, wait and respond to whatever your child does. Name whose turn it is without insisting on a perfect return.
Make it work for your child
Use a shorter distance or gently guide the ball. Choose a ball too large to fit in the mouth.
4. Find the familiar picture
Look together for a familiar animal or object. Pause after naming it. Accept pointing, a sound or a glance as part of the conversation.
Make it work for your child
Revisit the same two pages. Your child does not need to answer questions to enjoy reading.
5. Copy my sound
Make a gentle sound, pause, and copy your child’s response. Try a vehicle sound or a made-up word rather than a test of speech.
Make it work for your child
If your child looks away, stop. Quiet shared attention is valuable too.
A gentle weekly play plan
- Monday: try a basket of soft things, or repeat yesterday’s favourite.
- Tuesday: try deliver the socks, or repeat yesterday’s favourite.
- Wednesday: try a rolling conversation, or repeat yesterday’s favourite.
- Thursday: try find the familiar picture, or repeat yesterday’s favourite.
- Friday: try copy my sound, or repeat yesterday’s favourite.
Leave the weekend open for familiar play. Repetition is welcome; there is no need to finish all the activities. Keep a note of what your child returns to and offer that again.
Further reading: UNICEF on learning through play ↗
If play does not go to plan
Make the invitation smaller before making it more complicated. Put out one material, show one action and wait. If your child changes the game, follow their idea within safe limits.
Stop if the activity becomes frustrating or the materials are being used unsafely. Return to a familiar song or book, or take a break. No particular activity is required for healthy development.