Fostering child development with play and cognitive activities

As a parent, you are constantly thinking about fostering and nurturing child development. With the right tools and techniques, you not only increase their opportunities to learn but also create a pathway for greater well-being.

Child development is a miraculous process of curiosity and growth. It is a course of action by which children acquire knowledge, adapt, and develop a variety of skills and abilities that will eventually lay the groundwork for their future.

Right from the time they are born, children start to discover the world on their own. It is vital to recognize the importance of child development, mainly in the world of cognitive development for infants.

Children learn through various mediums and social media is not the one. (Image via Unsplash/ Jerry Wang)

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The Importance of child development

We under estimate what children can do at their age. (Image via Unsplash/ Filip Urban)

Child development is a very crucial phase in a child's growing life and is the basis for their physical, intellectual, and emotional well-being.

Children are similar to sponges in their growing years, taking in every bit of information and experience. Holistic child development makes sure that they are constantly exposed to a multitude of stimuli that promote socio-emotional growth.

By interacting with parents and peers, children learn important social skills and form emotional bonds, which are significant for developing sound relationships in the near future.

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What is cognitive development in infants?

Children can learn and grow in their environment. (Image via Unsplash/ Sebastian)

Cognitive development is the process by which mental growth and the acquisition of information and knowledge happen. This growth is especially fascinating in an infant since it establishes a solid basis for all future learning.

Toddlers begin their cognitive journey by making sense of the real world around them. They employ their senses of sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch to know and comprehend their environments better.

An important milestone in cognitive development is the notion of object permanence, which usually takes place around 6–8 months of age. It's the awareness that things continue to be even when they aren't in sight. It's a very crucial step in the development of memory.

Language is a crucial factor in cognitive development. Children start to identify and respond to sounds around them. They also start to babble and form their initial words. This is the building block for future verbal and non-verbal body language.

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Cognitive Activities for Infants: Learning with play

Children are naturally inquisitive in their learning process. (Image via Unsplash/ Nappy)

There are many effective activities that primary caregivers make use of to improve mental health and encourage cognitive development. Reading books in front of infants not only provides them with great exposure to language but also aids in forming their listening and attention skills. Select vibrant and interactive books with textures or sounds to stimulate their senses.

Sensory activities such as permitting infants to explore multiple textures (rough, soft, or smooth) or play with age-suitable toys that make music may greatly assist in overall sensory and child development.

Humming songs and repeating nursery rhymes can greatly increase rhythm perception and language development. Make effective use of hand movements or props to make it engaging.

Large and soft building blocks can be brought in as early as 6 months. Toddlers can practice grasping, pilling, and knocking down the blocks, encouraging spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination.

Infants can naturally become engrossed in their reflections. Keeping an unbreakable mirror right in front of them lets them explore the magic of their own expressions and movements.

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By identifying the significance of child development and incorporating age-suitable cognitive activities, parents may assist in shaping young minds and redirecting them to a path that is bright and successful for their future.

Keep in mind that each and every interaction, game, and story shared with a child is a foundation stone for their overall well-being as well as cognitive development.

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Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.

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