Your toddler is constantly learning and taking everything around them in. They love to chat, play and read with you. During this time your toddler will be learning new sounds and words, they do this by learning from you and those around them. On the Hungry Little minds website you’ll find short videos and simple, fun activities that you and your toddler can do together.
Early learning
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Communication development starts with the motivation to communicate and is built through non-verbal and verbal interactions between your toddler and those around them, especially through play. Learn more about communication in these helpful resources.
ican talking points for parents
The Communication trust - through the eyes of a child
NSPCC’s ‘Look, Say, Sing, Play’ campaign’
Vroom: Boost your child's learning with Vroom's fast and fun tips to your phone or via email.
Stamma: British Stammering Association- Information and advice on stammering.
Use the tree of talking to record your toddler’s first words.
If you are concerned about your toddler's communication development you can speak to your health visiting team for advice and information.
The CLCH speech and language team have developed a collection of videos that you can watch to help you to support your child’s speech and language development through everyday family activities.
Everyday Activity: At the Park Intro
CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities. An introduction video around learning new words when out and about
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojRncSiz060
Everyday Activity: Climbing on the Climbing Frame
CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities. When you are at home and out and about with your child it is a great time to help them learn action words. See how you can teach the word ‘climbing’ in the playground
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50Fkb_H4C4Y
Everyday Activity: On the Slide
CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities: When you are at home and out and about with your child it is a great time to help them learn action words. See how you can teach the word ‘sliding’ in the playground, and introduce the words ‘slow’ and ‘fast’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOK5N4d6URk
Everyday Activity: Swinging at the Park
CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities. When you are at home and out and about with your child it is a great time to help them learn action words. See how you can teach the word ‘swing’ and ‘push’ in the playground, and introduce the words ‘up’ and ‘down’ and ‘stop’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekt2AICm1jc
Everyday Activity: Peekaboo in the Park
CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities. When you are at the playground you can have fun by playing peekaboo with your child. This will help them build their attention skills, and is a fun way to have an interaction and learn language.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHEAW5SAO68
Everyday Activity: Looking for the Bus
CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities. When you are waiting for the bus, you can have a conversation with your child using Makaton signs. This will help them understand what you are saying and help them learn new words
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9i6Wu7BsA4
Everyday Activity: At the Bus Stop
CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities. While you are waiting for the bus, it is a great time to have a conversation. Talk about what you can see around you, using Makaton signs to help your child understand and learn new words.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJrE3M56wXk
Everyday Activity: ‘Creative Stupidity’ in the Shop
CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities. When you do the ‘unexpected’ with your child in a fun way, it is a good opportunity to make them laugh and an opportunity for them to communicate with you. Have fun being silly together!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TuIRM62SdU
Everyday Activity: Offering Choices in the Shop
CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities. When you are out shopping it is a great time to offer choices. It gives your child an opportunity to have something to communicate about
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt3JRWByCes
Everyday Activity: Singing in the Park
CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities. When you are in the park you can sing to your child. Singing helps children learn new words and is a great time to help them with their talking and communication
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATYCGC2ShLI
Everyday Activity: Tickling
CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities. Tickling is a good opportunity for your child to start an interaction and respond to you. It can be a great time to learn body parts as well. Have fun playing tickling games!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qk82FpLVTs
Everyday Activity: Toys at Home- the Car Run
CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities. A car run is a great toy that you can use at home to support attention and listening, taking turns and communication skills.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFhgu4O6mWo
Everyday Activity: Sharing Books
CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities. Sharing books is a great time to support language development. You don’t have to read all the words, you can talk about what is happening in the pictures, and use Makaton signs to support your language.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA3rGzfJev8
Everyday Activity: Bath time
CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities. Bath time is a great time to support language development. You can introduce choices, name objects, and introduce action words. Most importantly, have fun at bath time!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3z_NsWZzrw
Everyday Activity: Play Time
CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities. ‘What’s in the bag?’ is a fun game to introduce new words to your child. You can use a pillow case at home, and put some everyday objects into it. You can name objects, and introduce action words and describing words.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73c2NTTW9pE
Everyday Activity: Playing with the Car Track
CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities. A car track is a great toy that can be used for lots of things. Lots of children love playing with a car track. Watch the video to see how you can use it to help your child make requests.
What your toddler experiences when you interact with them helps shape their development. In the Zero to three resources you can learn how to nurture your toddler’s social emotional, intellectual, language and motor development.
Each child will develop as an individual with there being no ‘normal’ development . Your toddler will go through different stages of emotional development and although there is no ‘normal’ you can learn more about key stages here.
Play is how your toddler learns and processes the world. They love to play with you and others around them. You can learn more about play and your toddler here.
Technology is a big part of everyday lives, and children are spending more time looking at a screen. Here is some information about the use of screen time