A child’s early childhood experiences must incorporate the best activities for their overall development. But why? That’s because choosing the suitable activities to maximize your toddler’s mental capacity enormously lays the foundation for their social & emotional development. It becomes critical to let them explore & surprise you with their amazing talents!

Kids are often aware of what’s happening around them. However, they become more aware & emotionally balanced via activities & experiences. Right Brain Education plays an active role in developing specific skills for their extensive mental development. It helps them build problem-solving, thinking, learning, & experiential learning skills.

Tickle Right believes as parents you must spend quality time with your children & expose them to an interactive environment of love & learning.

 

What Is Cognitive Development In Early Childhood? 

Cognitive Development in Early Childhood is the process of thought building, problem-solving, & acquiring intellectual skills. It is a set of abilities that children acquire in the different stages of their cognitive development. It’s the evolution of how they see the world & understand the environment when they grow up.

The system of cognitive development can be related to different skillsets. Such as social & emotional development, language acquisition, long-term memory, & motor development in them. It is not at all a complex process but is similar to how you learn about new things while exploring.

The method of constantly exposing your little one to incredible experiences, emotions, & conditions helps with the thought process. In due time, they’ll intrinsically understand the difference between right & wrong. There are many things you can do as parents to escalate the process. Read ahead to know more.

 

Importance Of Cognitive Development In Early Childhood 

A child’s healthy cognitive development is essential for their overall growth. It sparks the curiosity that provides a great opportunity for new learnings. Amongst other things, it also maximizes their brain potential. Therefore, here’s why, it’s so important for kids –

 

1. Promotes Effective Learning

During the early years, a child’s learning & observational skills are laid on an ongoing basis. A stimulating surrounding along with age-appropriate cognitive development activities helps them perceive the world better. It supports the building of their thought process by acquiring new information suitable for experimental & effective learning.

 

2. Enhances Critical Thinking

Another essential aspect of the cognitive development process is to encourage your child to ask questions. Engaging in free-play activities stimulates their critical thinking. It helps them to reason and ponder upon why, when, & how for different bits of information. These curiosity-led doubts open the door for logical conclusions & decision-making thereafter.

 

3. Develops Problem-Solving Skills

Developing sound problem-solving skills involves understanding the depth of a situation & coming up with unique solutions accordingly. This takes into consideration the logical, reasoning, & imaginative factors that comes together to approach the problem. You can foster these skills by the means of suitable activities like puzzles, group projects, etc.

 

4. Improves Language Skills 

A child’s ability to communicate their ideas & emotions clearly sets the bedrock for reading & writing too. High-quality interactions are a crucial part of their cognitive development process. Which in turn leads to improved communication skills. It is a way to tap into your child’s undiscovered linguistic behavior through regular interaction & quick conversations.

 

5. Boosts Confidence & Self-Esteem

The pace at which a child’s cognitive development process escalates in their early years is truly incredible. The skills which it brings with it lead to boosting confidence & self-esteem. It does not always come from perfection but failures too. Raising a confident child encourages resilience and determination for them to never hesitate while trying out new things.

 

6. Enhances Imagination & Creativity

The creative & imaginative intelligence in children is a result of their learning journey. Several creative activities play an important role in encouraging curiosity & cognitive abilities. This includes problem-solving skills & enables them to express themselves with flexibility. This is a way for them to connect, explore, & express emotions.

 

Cognitive Development Activities For Toddlers

The following are the best cognitive activities for toddlers –

1. Sing-a-longs

Sing songs with your child and encourage him to sing along with you. Play their favorite songs and music in the house and car regularly, and they may eventually start singing along by themselves. This activity helps promote memory and word identification.

 

2. Identify Noises

Have your child identify noises they hear throughout the day (i.e., a bird singing, a car horn, running water, or the dishwasher). They will begin to understand how sounds relate to objects in their everyday environment.

 

3. Practice the Alphabet

Help your child identify letters by singing along to the “Alphabet Song,” reading books about the alphabet, and playing with alphabet puzzles.

 

4. Simple routines and procedures

Between the ages of 2 and 3, a toddler should develop the ability to respond to simple instructions and start forming routines. When it’s time to get dressed, offer a choice of two outfits. When it’s time to eat, offer a choice between two different snacks. This way you’re feeding the toddler’s desire for independence while still remaining in control.

 

5. Sorting sizes, shapes, and colors

Toddlers should be able to organize and classify objects — shape and color are two of the easiest ways to categorize. Have them sort colored toy blocks, shapes, or pegs from large to small, or have them pick out toys of only a specific shape or color. Outside of dedicated play sessions, ask them to pick out or describe objects to you in these terms while going about your daily routines.

 

6. Matching games and puzzles

You can base many cognitive activities for toddlers around relationships between sights and sounds (e.g., animals and the sounds they make) or how objects fit together spatially (e.g., a 2D or 3D puzzle with large pieces). Trial-and-error problem solving is often cited as a key developmental milestone.

 

7. Practice Sounds

Ask your child to list the sounds that they hear throughout the day. Then, they’ll start to realize how noises are connected to things they encounter regularly.

 

8. Practice Counting

Look for opportunities to practice counting throughout the day. For example, when you go to the park, count the number of shoes in your child’s wardrobe or the number of slides on the playground. You could find yourself counting everything shortly!

 

FAQs

 

1. What are the 4 aspects of cognitive development? 

The following are the 4 aspects of the cognitive development process –

• Physical Development
• Social & Emotional Development
• Language Development
• Motor Development

 

2. What are the benefits of cognitive development? 

The following are the benefits of the cognitive development process for children –

• Improves Critical Thinking
• Develops Problem-Solving Skills
• Boosts Confidence & Self-Esteem
• Enhances Imagination & Creativity
• Develops Langauge Skills
• Promotes Effective Learning

 

3. What are the activities to improve cognitive skills? 

The following are the most amazing activities for instilling cognitive development skills in children –

• Reading Books
• Solving Puzzles
• Listening To Music
• Practicing Art
• Playing Outdoor Games

 

Takeaway

Early childhood is the best and ideal time to plan and build intellectual developments in your kids. Intellectual development is crucial for kids to grow by learning new skills. Thus, these simple activities will teach your tiny one critical cognitive skill. So, as a responsible parent, you have to set your children up to have their best phase in life. There is no doubt that these activities are incredibly beneficial to start.