All the little things you do with your child – like everyday conversations, make-believe play and reading together – make a big difference to their development.
The new Start for Life campaign, launched by the Department for Education, provides lots of ideas which can help boost your child’s learning and prepare them for school. You can slot them into your routine and your children will love them.
Here are a few ideas to start off with:
- Play ‘I spy’ on the bus with them and you can see their imaginations light up
- Talk to your child about what has happened so far in the day – for example, “We went to the shops this morning, didn’t we? We bought some apples.”
- And talk about what is going to happen next – “After lunch we’ll do the washing up”
- Look at picture books together. With each new page, give your child time to point out things to you and talk about what they can see.
Visit the Start for Life online hub for other simple tips and activities, or to find further support in your local area.