SOCIAL EMOTIONAL PLAY
PEEK - A - BOO (6 - 24months)
While engaging your child, hide your face with your hands, as if to disappear. After a few seconds, remove your hands and say "PEEK - A - BOO". in infant directed speech. Inevitably your child will smile and laugh at the sight of you reappearing. Repeat this process and watch as your child laughs over and over again. As your child grows, you can expect them to cover their own face, or try to remove your hands as you cover your face.
GUIDED CHORES (12-24months and beyond)
Have your child help you complete daily household chores. These chores do not have to be major chores, and should include what is within their physical ability. Examples could include picking up their toys and placing them into a box, putting their baby's to "sleep" in the correct place; or sorting cups to be put away later. Infants and young toddlers can help empty the dryer, or sort socks to be washed. Parents should state directions clearly, and will have to model the task. The difficulty of the chores should increase as the child matures.
WHAT WILL MY CHILD LEARN FROM THESE ACTIVITIES?
PEEK-A-BOO
GUIDED CHORES
Children in this age range love to mimic their parents. They want to be the big helper and see chores as a "big kid's job", so they are more than willing to help. Guided chores helps children gain independence and confidence through task completion. Positive feedback from parents, helps the child realize emotions, and how it feels when they have done something that is asked of them. They can learn to follow directions, and this also reinforces daily routines. Guided chores can obviously help with physical development as well.