Activities to Enhance Cognitive Development: 18-24 Months

By Jamie Loehr, M.D. and Jen Meyers
December 14, 2009
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Credit: Kathryn Gamble
These simple activities suggested by Jamie Loehr and Jen Meyers, authors of Raising Your Child, are easy to play in the car, or while doing everyday chores, and will help your child develop her cognitive abilities.
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Identify Noises

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Ask your child to identify noises she hears: a knock at the door, the dishwasher, a barking dog, a fire truck, etc.

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Give Her Choices

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Give your child the chance to select between two choices as often as you can: "Would you like apple or orange juice?" "Do you want to wear your red shirt or your yellow one?" "Shall we read 'Goodnight Moon' or 'But Not the Hippopotamus?'"

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Practice the Alphabet

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Sing the alphabet song, and read books that highlight the ABCs.

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Count

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Count everything! Count how many apples you buy at the grocery store. Count the number of books on a shelf. Count the number of butterflies on a page in a book.

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Point Out Shapes and Colors

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Talk about shapes, colors, and numbers all day long. "That's a square, blue napkin." "We have only one banana left." "Let's find your pink PJs."

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Sing Together

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Sing songs together. Listen to music in the house and when driving in the car. Select music that you like well enough to play over and over again. She'll start to sing along as she recognizes the songs, and you may even recognize what she's singing from time to time!

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Raising Your Child

Raising Your Child: The Complete Illustrated Guide is an information-packed guide that leads parents through the ever changing maze of new behaviors, developments, and challenges present in a child's first six years. It is filled with essential information, expert advice, practical solutions, and key choices to ensure a child's healthy development for their first six years -- and set them up for success in later developmental stages. In addition to understanding their child's stage of development, readers are given parenting techniques and activities they can use with their child to maximize physical, emotional, intellectual, and behavioral development at every age and stage.

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More Activities for 18-24 Month Toddlers

Credit: Kathryn Gamble

Get more ideas from Raising Your Child: The Complete Illustrated Guide to help with your toddler's development.

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