Cognitive Development in Toddlers 24 Months and Older

When it comes to cognitive development at this stage, pretend play is extremely important. At 24 to 30 months, toddlers are generally quite adept at playing pretend. They can substitute objects for one another, such as a shoebox for a doll’s bed or a paper towel tube for a spyglass. They derive great pleasure from silliness, such as the idea that a toy car might “moo” instead of “beep”. Use pretend play to help your child understand or manage situations and emotions, such as going to the doctor or meeting a new babysitter. Let them be in charge; ask questions to drive the game and allow them to make choices.

Between 30 to 36 months, your toddler may exhibit enhanced problem-solving abilities. They can remember what happened yesterday, act out their own stories, and apply logic to situations. For example, they can incorporate a sequence of events or objects during pretend play, such as tucking their teddy bear into bed with a blanket and a lullaby. Promote their use of logic by asking them questions about everyday activities, such as “It is raining outside. What do we need to stay dry?”

Activities to Stimulate Cognitive Development in Toddlers 24 Months and Older

Playing with your child is the best way to encourage your child's positive cognitive development. Provide lots of positive reinforcement for every success, and show patience and understanding for any mistakes. Here are fun activities for you to enjoy together:

Promote memory skills.

• Watch videos of family events or look at photographs to recognize familiar faces.
• Introduce the ABCs. Try a new letter every week. Cut out each letter or make them out of food shapes.
• Try guiding their hand to draw each letter with finger paint.

Read aloud every day.

• Even if you only read for 5 or 10 minutes, your child will learn words by hearing you say them.
• Make it an interactive experience: name objects in the books and let your toddler point to them.
• Let them turn the pages for you.

Explain things as they're happening.

• Make it a conversation and listen actively when they talk.
• They will start to ask “W” questions to learn! “W” questions include who, what, when, where and why?
• Practice playing pretend. Role playing allows your toddler to learn about and explore different roles.

Ask them to find things.

• You'll be surprised how much they know.

Expand on their words.

• If they say “car,” make it into a sentence.

Put faces to voices to stimulate memory.

• When friends and family call on the phone, put pictures near the phone so they can see who's talking to them.

Sing.

• Introduce nursery rhymes, finger plays and counting rhymes.
• Listen to recordings.

Use the mirror.

• Let them make faces and name their body parts.

Play with blocks to explore cause and effect.

• Build a tower together, and watch them notice what happens if it gets unsteady.

Introduce new environments.

• New playgrounds, the grocery store or the children's room at the library are all exciting places to explore.

Play with writing.

• Experiment with chunky crayons.
• Help them colour on paper and learn NOT to eat the paper or crayons.
• Draw simple symbols like circles or “x,” and let them copy you.

Provide them with the opportunity to make appropriate choices.

• Let them choose their shirt or what kind of fruit they would like to eat.

Why Is Nutrition Important?

Nutrition is linked to all aspects of your child’s growth and development. Toddlers need specific vitamins and minerals to help their bodies and minds develop and mature as well as to meet their increasing energy needs.