Developmentally Appropriate Practices & Suggestions
Infants (3-12months)
3month old: Tummy Time
As they get older placing colorful items/toys within reach can help increase gross motor skills
Items/toys that create sounds as well as different types of textures helps with sensory stimulation
Songs + Stories supports their cognitive development
Talk to them regularly, recommend mirror talk (describing what they or you are doing as it’s happening)
Toddlers (12months-3years of age)
Self and Social Development
Child showing curiosity about environment and perhaps peers or sibling.
Self-help skills: For instance feeding themselves and as they get older drinking from an open cup, or perhaps dressing themselves, or helps with cleaning up
Pretend Play: using imagination to create different scenarios that can help with labeling emotions and learning about the self as well as the world around them
Language/Cognitive Development
Story time + music can help support language and social emotional development
Communicating with your toddler what you see indoors and outdoors on walks
Classifying certain objects according to similarities, for instance with shapes, sizes or identifying colors
Fine Motor development
Different ways to support their finger muscles : for instance crayons and markers, finger paints or playing with clay
Using eating utensils
Gross motor
a safe environment to support their desires to walk, run, and climb as they get older: for instance stacking pillows for 12month to climb or perhaps a 2 year old climbing large rocks or play structures with adult supervision
Preschool (Ages 3-5)
Self and Social Development
Allow many opportunities for them to do things independently; provide many choices for them to choose from
Pretend Play to enhance social emotional skills
Language/Cognitive Development
Story time to enhance vocabulary as well social emotional skills
Letter and number recognition
Fine Motor skills
Practice writing their names and other words
Using child safe scissors when creating art
Gross Motor skills
Give many outdoor safe opportunities as well as play sports as they explore the different body movements.
Skills you may see and want to support: skipping, running, kicking the ball, more balance and coordination, hopping on one or two legs, etc