sikunye

We inspire, mobilise & equip churches to support families with children in the First Thousand Days. Join us to see all children thrive. @commongoodsa initiative

[sikunye @sikunye]

SOUND: 🔊 Talking, telling stories (including by elders) through everyday routines and exploring books together.
Skills: Future language.

[sikunye @sikunye]

SIGHT & TOUCH: Stamp art 🔸🔺🔹▪️
Cut sponges into different shapes & use them as stamps by dipping them into kid-friendly paint.
Skills: Shape, colour, size & number recognition, fine motor skills & cause & effect relationships.

[sikunye @sikunye]

TOUCH, SMELL & TASTE: Finger painting
Putting things in their mouth is natural to explore textures and tastes. Try yoghurt or cooked pasta & a bit of food coloring.
Skills: Fine motor development, color recognition, encourages imagination & can help broaden their taste palate.

[sikunye @sikunye]

MOVEMENT: 🏃
As your toddler moves to walking & running, it is good to allow for free play at this age.
Activities: rolling, swinging, running, pushing, pulling, crawling, chewing, blowing bubbles & jumping.
Skills: Body awareness, balance, core muscle development & coordination

[sikunye @sikunye]

Our vestibular system is located in the inner ear & helps us interpret movement, such as speed & the direction we’re traveling in. The proprioceptive system gives your body the ability to perceive its position in space and perform simultaneous actions without thinking later on.

[sikunye @sikunye]

MOVEMENT: Flying 🚀
Lay your baby belly-down across your lap & place your hands around their midsection so they're fully supported. Lift them and move like a rocket. Add sound effects as babies like the element of surprise and learn through it! Skills: Body movement, stimulation

[sikunye @sikunye]

SOUND: Singing 🗣️
Next time your little one is having a meltdown or resisting a nap, sing them a lullaby in a soothing voice. Don't remember any of the classics? No problem—you can find song lyrics online or just make up your own.
Skills learned: Listening, emotional regulation.

[sikunye @sikunye]

SMELL: 👃Naming the smell of different foods, flowers and even bad smells!
TASTE: 👅 Putting things in their mouth is natural to explore textures and tastes.

[sikunye @sikunye]

SIGHT: Peekaboo 🫣
Place a toy under a blanket, leaving part of it showing. Then ask your baby, "Where is it?" & encourage them to look for it. After your baby has mastered this, move on to hiding the toy completely.
Skills: Fine motor skill development, object permanence.

[sikunye @sikunye]

Here are other sensory activities to try:

TOUCH: Stacking 🧱
Materials needed: Plastic measuring cups
Take turns stacking cups and knocking them down.
Skills learned: Understanding cause and effect, fine motor skills.

[sikunye @sikunye]

He went on to say " At 6-8 months your child will learn to clap so encourage them to clap along with rhymes to build imitation, memory, future vocabulary, auditory discrimination & listening skills."

[sikunye @sikunye]

"A child's receptive understanding of language starts long before their expressive language, so we want to use as many opportunities as possible to drench them in language." - Dr. Leiderman, Center for Human Development, Nova SE University

[sikunye @sikunye]

MOVEMENT: Kicking 🦵
Tuck tissue paper under a sofa cushion so that it hangs down. Place baby barefoot on their back, knees bent & with their feet against it. Rustle the paper or tap their feet against it. Skills: Body awareness, cause & effect, sensory integration, chin tucking

[sikunye @sikunye]

SOUND: Listening 👂
Sing, talk, and read out loud to your baby using exaggerated tones of voice. Watch your baby's facial expressions and see how they react to different pitches.
Skills: Language development

[sikunye @sikunye]

SMELL: 👃 Name the smells baby is aware of like the smell of mom and dad, mom’s breastmilk, food.
TASTE: 👅 Even through breastmilk baby can taste different foods that mom eats, so moms keep eating a variety of healthy foods!

[sikunye @sikunye]

SIGHT: Tracking 👀
While your baby is lying on their back, hold a soft toy in front of their face & wiggle it slowly or gently touch them with it. Then move the toy from side to side, encouraging them to follow along with their eyes.
Skills: Visual tracking, visual development

[sikunye @sikunye]

TOUCH: Baby massage✋
When your baby is quiet & alert, lay them face up on a soft towel or blanket while in their nappy. Working in sections gently but firmly stroke their legs, arms, and belly rubbing in a little cream to ease the movement. Skills: Body awareness & bonding

[sikunye @sikunye]

Early learning & stimulation can start in pregnancy– it is never too early to start stimulating a baby’s brain! Children are learning through all 5 senses and by looking at activities that can stimulate these senses at different stages of growth, will help stimulate their brains.

[sikunye @sikunye]

Watch 'Building babies’ brains through play' to see how important two-way interactions and positive engagements are for our babies’ brain development:
https://t.co/zdArE6aWFK

[sikunye @sikunye]

😊⛪ So, we as the church and parents & caregiver's support network, need to encourage playing with children. Every day activities can be turned into playtime – and it is these interactions that teach children about other people that develops them into socially competent adults.