What to expect

Your toddler enjoys having you read books about things they like to do. For example, if your family goes on an airplane trip your toddler may enjoy reading books about airplanes.

Your toddler may begin to do pretend play. They may act out everyday actions they see you do such as talking to someone on the phone, making food, or feeding a pet.

They may enjoy singing nursery rhymes with you, such as “Mary Had a Little Lamb” or “Three Blind Mice.”

Parenting Tips

Engage in pretend play with your toddler. For example, you might act out a story you’ve read together, or pretend to act like different animals.

Ask open-ended questions that give them a choice. For example, “Do you want to play with the ball or the teddy bear?”

Add onto what your toddler is saying to you. For example, if they say, “Read book” you might say, “Yes, you can pick out two books to read before bedtime.

Repeat what your child says

Repeat what your child said to you and then add to it. For example, when your toddler says “puppy” you can say, “yes, he’s a black and white puppy with a big, long tail” and then add what the puppy is doing such as, “He is chewing on a bone.”

Did you know that…

📙 When you read to your toddler about things they like, it helps them to learn language.

📙 Building on what they like to do makes reading more fun and exciting, so they learn more!

📙 Toddlers who engage in pretend play with others understand more words and learn to speak in longer sentences.

What can you do?

Provide props for pretend play

Let your toddler create things. Give them paper, crayons, markers, empty food boxes, cans of food, a toy phone, stickers, etc.

In addition, items like blocks, dress- up clothes, pots and pans, boxes of all sizes, tea sets, toy cars, and stuffed animals help to support pretend play.

Reading and writing in pretend play

While doing pretend play with your child, pretend to call someone for information and write notes while you are talking. Share with them what you wrote down.

Pretend you and your toddler are getting ready to go to the grocery store. Talk about what foods to buy. Take a piece of paper and write down these items to create a grocery list. Show them the list and point to each item as you say the word.

For older toddlers join in their pretend play, but don’t direct the play. Let them control their make-believe world!

For younger toddlers,encourage pretend play

Suggest pretend play ideas
You might suggest your toddler pretend to be a person such as a doctor or bus driver; or an animal such as a dog or cat. Then you pretend to be someone or something else.

Starting pretend play
For example, pick up a stuffed toy dog and pretend to feed it and/or take it for a walk.

Support their pretend play when you see it
For example, when you see your child feeding their dolly you might say, “Oh, you’re feeding your baby. You are so loving.” Or if they are riding their toy horse you might say, “You’re riding your horse. Are you going to Grandma’s house or the store?