# Language and literacy Canonical URL: https://www.kigomo.com/decks/language-literacy Last updated: 2026-10-12T19:22:47.197Z Everyday talk, songs and books that grow your child's words and a love of stories\. Category: Learning ## Cards in this deck ### [Answer every coo and gurgle](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/answer-every-coo-and-gurgle) When your baby makes a sound, look right at them and answer it back as if they had said something — because they did\. Leave a gap, then reply again to whatever comes next\. - Age range: Under 6 months - Duration: 5 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Conversation - Materials: No special materials listed. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/answer-every-coo-and-gurgle/content.md) ### [Make faces up close](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/make-faces-up-close) Hold your baby about a hand's length from your face, catch their gaze, and slowly stick out your tongue\. Stay still and wait — it can take a long quiet minute before they answer\. - Age range: Under 6 months - Duration: 5 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Conversation - Materials: No special materials listed. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/make-faces-up-close/content.md) ### [Narrate the diaper change](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/narrate-the-diaper-change) Tell your baby what comes next at every step — legs up, wipe, fresh diaper on — in an unhurried voice\. Pause after each line and give them room to kick, gurgle, or answer\. - Age range: Under 6 months - Duration: 5 min - Location: At home - Category: Home - Type: Activity - Benefit: Listening - Materials: No special materials listed. - Safety note: Keep one hand on your baby whenever they are on a raised changing surface\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/narrate-the-diaper-change/content.md) ### [Read aloud in your calm voice](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/read-aloud-in-your-calm-voice) Settle your baby against you and read a few pages of whatever book is nearest — your novel counts\. Let your voice go slow and low, and pause when they look up at you\. - Age range: Under 6 months - Duration: 5 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Love of books - Materials: Any book [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/read-aloud-in-your-calm-voice/content.md) ### [Say what you are doing while you carry them](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/say-what-you-are-doing-while-you-carry-them) Put your baby in a carrier and do one small job you were going to do anyway — fold a towel, water a plant, sort a drawer\. Say each step out loud as you go\. - Age range: Under 6 months - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Home - Type: Activity - Benefit: Listening - Materials: Baby carrier or sling - Safety note: Keep your baby's face uncovered and visible with their chin off their chest, and leave anything hot or sharp for later\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/say-what-you-are-doing-while-you-carry-them/content.md) ### [Sing your baby the same short song](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sing-your-baby-the-same-short-song) Pick one short song or nursery rhyme and sing it slowly while you hold or rock your baby\. Sing the same one each day, and watch for the moment they start to quiet or look up when it begins\. - Age range: Under 6 months - Duration: 5 min - Location: At home - Category: Home - Type: Activity - Benefit: Songs and rhymes - Materials: No special materials listed. - Safety note: Do this while your baby is awake\. If either of you gets sleepy, put your baby down on their back in their own crib or bassinet, on a firm, flat surface with no pillows, blankets, or toys, and do not doze off together on a couch or armchair\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sing-your-baby-the-same-short-song/content.md) ### [Stroll and name sounds](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/stroll-and-name-sounds) Push the stroller around the block and gently name each sound you hear together, from birdsong to passing cars\. - Age range: Up to 2 years - Duration: 20 min - Location: Nearby - Category: Outdoors - Type: Activity - Benefit: Listening - Materials: Stroller; Sun hat - Safety note: Shade the stroller and pick a cooler part of the day\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/stroll-and-name-sounds/content.md) ### [Pat a touch\-and\-feel book](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/pat-a-touch-and-feel-book) Settle your baby on your lap with a touch\-and\-feel book and guide their palm across the furry, shiny, and bumpy patches\. Name each texture out loud and pause while they pat the page again\. - Age range: Up to 2 years - Duration: 5 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: First words - Materials: Touch\-and\-feel board book [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/pat-a-touch-and-feel-book/content.md) ### [Name everyday objects together](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/name-everyday-objects-together) Carry your baby around the room and touch familiar things — cup, spoon, window — saying each name slowly and warmly\. Pause so they can babble back to you\. - Age range: 6 months–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: First words - Materials: No special materials listed. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/name-everyday-objects-together/content.md) ### [Take turns babbling back](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/take-turns-babbling-back) When your baby babbles, wait a beat and copy the sound straight back to them — \\"ba\-ba\\", \\"da\-da\\" — then leave a pause for their reply\. Keep the back\-and\-forth going for as long as they stay interested\. - Age range: 6 months–3 years - Duration: 5 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Conversation - Materials: No special materials listed. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/take-turns-babbling-back/content.md) ### [Point to book pictures](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/point-to-book-pictures) Sit close with a picture book and gently guide your child's finger to point at a dog, a ball, or a baby as you name each one\. Cheer every time they point along\. - Age range: 6 months–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Conversation - Materials: Picture book [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/point-to-book-pictures/content.md) ### [Add sound effects to a story](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/add-sound-effects-to-a-story) Choose a book with cars, trains, or weather\. Make the sounds as you read, like a vroom, a choo\-choo, or a whoosh of wind, and wait for your toddler to join in on the sound when it comes round again\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Joining the story - Materials: Picture book with vehicles or weather [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/add-sound-effects-to-a-story/content.md) ### [Bring a book along in the bag](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/bring-a-book-along-in-the-bag) Slip a sturdy board book into your bag before you leave\. When you wait in line, at an appointment, or on a bench, pull it out and look at one page together, then put it away when your toddler is done\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 5 min - Location: Nearby - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Love of books - Materials: Board book [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/bring-a-book-along-in-the-bag/content.md) ### [Call from the next room](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/call-from-the-next-room) Sit in another room, out of sight but with a clear line between you, and call your toddler's name in a sing\-song voice\. When they find you, greet them and swap places so they can call you\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Home - Type: Activity - Benefit: Listening - Materials: No special materials listed. - Safety note: Stay in rooms with doors and stairs gated or closed, and answer straight away if they start to worry\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/call-from-the-next-room/content.md) ### [Find the animal and make its sound](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/find-the-animal-and-make-its-sound) Open a board book with animals and point to a picture\. Ask what sound it makes, make it yourself, and wait for your toddler to try\. If they want to say the sound for every page, follow their lead\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Sound words - Materials: Board book with animals - Safety note: Choose a sturdy board book with no loose parts, and stay with your toddler while they hold it\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/find-the-animal-and-make-its-sound/content.md) ### [Lift the flaps in a book](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/lift-the-flaps-in-a-book) Settle your toddler in your lap with a lift\-the\-flap board book and pause before each flap so they can lift it themselves\. Name whatever is hiding underneath in a happy, surprised voice\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: First words - Materials: Lift\-the\-flap board book - Safety note: Sit close — torn paper flaps are small enough to end up in the mouth\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/lift-the-flaps-in-a-book/content.md) ### [Make a book of familiar faces](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/make-a-book-of-familiar-faces) Print a few photos of people and pets your toddler knows, and tape one to each page of a card\-stock or thin cardboard book\. Look through it together and name each person or pet, pausing for your toddler to point\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 15 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Vocabulary - Materials: Printed photos; Card stock or thin cardboard; Wide tape; Scissors - Safety note: Cover every edge of the tape and photos so nothing peels off, keep scissors for yourself, and stop your toddler chewing on the pages\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/make-a-book-of-familiar-faces/content.md) ### [Make vehicle sounds with toy cars](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/make-vehicle-sounds-with-toy-cars) Roll a toy car or truck and make its sound: brrm, beep beep, wee\-oo\. Pause and let your toddler have a go before you make the next sound\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Sound words - Materials: Toy cars or trucks - Safety note: Pick vehicles with no small or loose parts and stay close\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/make-vehicle-sounds-with-toy-cars/content.md) ### [Name the people in family photos](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/name-the-people-in-family-photos) Look at printed photos of family and friends together\. Point to each face and say the name or role, like \\"Grandma\\" or \\"Sam\\", then ask \\"Where is Grandma?\\" and see if they point\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Vocabulary - Materials: Printed family photos - Safety note: Use printed copies rather than glass frames, and stay close\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/name-the-people-in-family-photos/content.md) ### [Open and shut a cardboard box](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/open-and-shut-a-cardboard-box) Give your toddler a sturdy cardboard box with flaps\. Say \\"open\\" as you lift the flaps and \\"shut\\" as you close them, then hide a toy inside and say \\"in\\" as it goes in\. - Age range: 1–2 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Concept words - Materials: Cardboard box with flaps; Soft toy - Safety note: Keep the box away from plastic bags and stay close\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/open-and-shut-a-cardboard-box/content.md) ### [Play pat\-a\-cake](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/play-pat-a-cake) Say the rhyme and clap your hands together, then take your toddler's hands to clap with you\. Stop before the last line and wait to see if they finish the clap\. - Age range: 1–2 years - Duration: 5 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Songs and rhymes - Materials: No special materials listed. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/play-pat-a-cake/content.md) ### [Play this little piggy on their toes](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/play-this-little-piggy-on-their-toes) Take off your toddler's socks and wiggle one toe at a time as you say This Little Piggy\. Slow down before the last line, then run your fingers up to their tummy for \\"wee, wee, wee, all the way home\.\\" Swap feet and go again\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 5 min - Location: At home - Category: Home - Type: Activity - Benefit: Songs and rhymes - Materials: No special materials listed. - Safety note: Keep the tickle light, and stop as soon as your toddler pulls away or says no\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/play-this-little-piggy-on-their-toes/content.md) ### [Point to nose, ears, and toes](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/point-to-nose-ears-and-toes) During a diaper change or bath, touch your own nose and name it, then gently touch your toddler's\. Work through ears, toes, and tummy, pausing each time so they can point along\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 5 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Body words - Materials: No special materials listed. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/point-to-nose-ears-and-toes/content.md) ### [Read a waterproof book in the bath](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/read-a-waterproof-book-in-the-bath) Bring a waterproof or plastic bath book into the bath\. Look at it together and name what you see, then let your toddler splash it, squeeze it, or make it float\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Vocabulary - Materials: Waterproof bath book - Safety note: Never leave a child alone near water\. Stay within arm's reach and empty the bath when you finish\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/read-a-waterproof-book-in-the-bath/content.md) ### [Ride a knee horse](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/ride-a-knee-horse) Sit with your toddler facing you, holding both hands, and bounce your knees gently to a rhyme such as \\"This is the way the lady rides\.\\" Slow down for a trot and speed up for a gallop, with a gentle dip at the end\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Home - Type: Activity - Benefit: Songs and rhymes - Materials: No special materials listed. - Safety note: Hold both hands or their waist firmly, keep bounces small and gentle, and never make the final dip sudden\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/ride-a-knee-horse/content.md) ### [Rock and sing row, row, row your boat](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/rock-and-sing-row-row-row-your-boat) Sit facing your toddler with your feet together and hold their hands\. Rock gently forward and back as you sing, and slow down or speed up so they can feel the change in the tune\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 5 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Songs and rhymes - Materials: No special materials listed. - Safety note: Rock gently, keep hold of both hands, and sit on a soft surface\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/rock-and-sing-row-row-row-your-boat/content.md) ### [Say uh\-oh when something drops](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/say-uh-oh-when-something-drops) Let your toddler drop a soft toy or a scarf and say \\"uh\-oh\!\\" with a gentle surprise\. Pick it up together and say \\"up\\"\. Let them drop it again if they want\. - Age range: 1–2 years - Duration: 5 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: First words - Materials: Soft toy or scarf - Safety note: Use only soft items and stay close\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/say-uh-oh-when-something-drops/content.md) ### [Share a book at changing time](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/share-a-book-at-changing-time) Keep two or three board books near the changing spot\. Hand your toddler one to hold, and talk about a picture on the page while you get through the change\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 5 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Love of books - Materials: Board books - Safety note: Keep one hand on your child at all times on a raised surface, and keep the book soft or board\-bound\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/share-a-book-at-changing-time/content.md) ### [Sign all done at the end of a game](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sign-all-done-at-the-end-of-a-game) When a game or meal finishes, say \\"all done\\" and turn both hands palm up, then palm down, a few times\. Do it at the same moment each day, then wait a beat to see if your toddler copies it\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 5 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Gestures and signs - Materials: No special materials listed. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sign-all-done-at-the-end-of-a-game/content.md) ### [Sing the wheels on the bus with actions](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sing-the-wheels-on-the-bus-with-actions) Sing one verse at a time and add a motion to each: wheels going round, wipers swishing, babies crying\. Repeat the verse your toddler likes best and leave a gap for them to fill in \\"round and round\\"\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Songs and rhymes - Materials: No special materials listed. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sing-the-wheels-on-the-bus-with-actions/content.md) ### [Sing the words of a book](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sing-the-words-of-a-book) Pick a short picture book with a rhythm and sing the words to a tune you know, like Twinkle Twinkle\. Slow down on each page and let your toddler hum, clap, or sing a word along with you\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Rhymes and sounds - Materials: Picture book [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sing-the-words-of-a-book/content.md) ### [Squeeze onto the sofa for a story](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/squeeze-onto-the-sofa-for-a-story) Sit two children on either side of you on the sofa and read a short picture book with big pictures\. Pause to let each child point to something they can see\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Playdates - Type: Activity - Benefit: Love of books - Materials: Picture book - Safety note: Keep both children seated against you, away from the sofa edge, or sit together on the floor\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/squeeze-onto-the-sofa-for-a-story/content.md) ### [Touch the body part in the book](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/touch-the-body-part-in-the-book) Open a board book with a baby, a bear, or an animal and say a body part, like nose or toes\. Touch it on the page, then on your toddler, and invite them to touch their own before you turn the page\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Body words - Materials: Board book with a body or animal picture [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/touch-the-body-part-in-the-book/content.md) ### [Try a sign for more](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/try-a-sign-for-more) When your toddler is enjoying something like a song or a game, show the sign for more by tapping your fingertips together\. Say the word as you do it, then do more of the activity right away\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 5 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Gestures and signs - Materials: No special materials listed. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/try-a-sign-for-more/content.md) ### [Wave to the vehicles going by](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/wave-to-the-vehicles-going-by) Sit on a front step or by a garden fence, well back from the road, and wave at each bus, truck, or bicycle that passes\. Name what goes by and make its sound together\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 15 min - Location: Outside - Category: Outdoors - Type: Activity - Benefit: Vocabulary - Materials: No special materials listed. - Safety note: Stay well back from the curb, hold your toddler's hand or keep them on your lap, and use a gate or fence if there is one\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/wave-to-the-vehicles-going-by/content.md) ### [Chat on a toy phone](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/chat-on-a-toy-phone) Hold a toy phone to your ear and say \\"hello\\", then pass it to your toddler\. Listen to whatever they say back and answer as if it were a real chat\. Pass the phone to a teddy for a turn too\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Conversation - Materials: Toy phone - Safety note: Use a phone with no cord or loose parts and stay close\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/chat-on-a-toy-phone/content.md) ### [Clap and stomp to a rhyming book](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/clap-and-stomp-to-a-rhyming-book) Read a rhyming board book and clap or stomp on each beat, slowly enough for your toddler to copy\. Pause after a few lines, and let them pick a clap, a pat, or a stomp for the next page\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Songs and rhymes - Materials: Rhyming board book - Safety note: Clear the floor of toys and keep your toddler on a flat, non\-slip surface when stomping\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/clap-and-stomp-to-a-rhyming-book/content.md) ### [Fetch a named object](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/fetch-a-named-object) Ask your toddler to bring you one familiar thing, like their shoe or a ball, and say its name clearly\. Make it easy at first with the object in sight, then try one more in another room\. Thank them with a smile and a high five\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Following directions - Materials: No special materials listed. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/fetch-a-named-object/content.md) ### [Hunt for the story character](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/hunt-for-the-story-character) After reading a book, tell your toddler the main character is hiding\. Tuck a matching soft toy under a cushion or behind a chair while they watch, then search together and say the character's name when you find it\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Love of books - Materials: Picture book; Soft toy that matches a character - Safety note: Use a soft toy with no loose small parts, hide it where it is easy to reach, and stay in the room\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/hunt-for-the-story-character/content.md) ### [Let a puppet turn the pages](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/let-a-puppet-turn-the-pages) Put a hand puppet on your hand and let it hold the book and turn the pages\. Have the puppet say hello, point to a picture, and ask your toddler what they see\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Conversation - Materials: Hand puppet; Board book - Safety note: Check the puppet has no loose eyes or buttons, and stay close so it is not mouthed or chewed\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/let-a-puppet-turn-the-pages/content.md) ### [Listen to rain under an umbrella](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/listen-to-rain-under-an-umbrella) On a light rainy day, hold a large umbrella over you both and listen to the drops patter on top\. Peek out to feel a single drop, then pull back under\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: Outside - Category: Outdoors - Type: Activity - Benefit: Listening - Materials: Large umbrella - Safety note: Hold the umbrella yourself, keep the tip pointing up and away from faces, and go back inside if there is thunder or lightning\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/listen-to-rain-under-an-umbrella/content.md) ### [Look for the moon](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/look-for-the-moon) At dusk or on a bright morning, step outside and point out the moon\. Look at it together, say what shape it is today, and wave goodnight to it\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: Outside - Category: Outdoors - Type: Activity - Benefit: Vocabulary - Materials: No special materials listed. - Safety note: Stay in a familiar, flat spot such as the garden, and keep your toddler within arm's reach while their eyes are on the sky\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/look-for-the-moon/content.md) ### [Move like the animal in the book](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/move-like-the-animal-in-the-book) Open an animal book and, on each page, move like what you see, with a hop for the frog or a slow wobble for the penguin\. Say the animal's name and invite your toddler to move with you before you turn the page\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Joining the story - Materials: Animal picture book - Safety note: Clear the floor of toys and sharp corners before moving around\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/move-like-the-animal-in-the-book/content.md) ### [Nod yes and shake your head no](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/nod-yes-and-shake-your-head-no) When you ask a simple question like \\"more?\\", nod as you say yes or shake your head as you say no\. Ask silly questions too, like \\"is the dog a cat?\\", and shake your heads together\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 5 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Gestures and signs - Materials: No special materials listed. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/nod-yes-and-shake-your-head-no/content.md) ### [Pull animals from a bag for Old MacDonald](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/pull-animals-from-a-bag-for-old-macdonald) Put a few toy animals in a bag\. Sing Old MacDonald, and let your toddler pull one out to choose the next verse\. Make the animal's sound together\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Songs and rhymes - Materials: Cloth bag; Toy animals - Safety note: Use animals bigger than a toilet\-paper tube with no loose parts, and stay close\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/pull-animals-from-a-bag-for-old-macdonald/content.md) ### [Put the toy on, in, and under the box](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/put-the-toy-on-in-and-under-the-box) Place a toy on top of a box and say \\"on\\", tuck it inside and say \\"in\\", then slide it underneath and say \\"under\\"\. Hand it to your toddler and ask where they want to put it\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Concept words - Materials: Cardboard box; Toy - Safety note: Keep the box away from plastic bags and stay close\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/put-the-toy-on-in-and-under-the-box/content.md) ### [Read about it, then do it](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/read-about-it-then-do-it) Choose a short book about a daily routine, like bath, sleep, or brushing teeth\. Read it, then do the matching activity together and point out what is the same in the book and in your day\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Vocabulary - Materials: Picture book about a daily routine [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/read-about-it-then-do-it/content.md) ### [Roll the car slow, then fast](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/roll-the-car-slow-then-fast) Push a toy car slowly and say \\"slooow\\" in a long voice, then push it quickly and say \\"fast\\"\. Let your toddler choose which to try next, and echo them\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Concept words - Materials: Toy car - Safety note: Use a car with no small or loose parts and stay close\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/roll-the-car-slow-then-fast/content.md) ### [Say full and empty with cups in the bath](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/say-full-and-empty-with-cups-in-the-bath) Give your toddler two plastic cups at bath time\. Fill one and say \\"full\\", then tip it out and say \\"empty\\"\. Let them fill and pour, and say the word that matches each time\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Concept words - Materials: Two plastic cups - Safety note: Never leave a child alone near water\. Keep the bath shallow and stay within arm's reach\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/say-full-and-empty-with-cups-in-the-bath/content.md) ### [Say stop and go with a push toy](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/say-stop-and-go-with-a-push-toy) Push a toy car or walker along the floor saying \\"go, go, go\\", then halt it and say \\"stop\\"\. Let your toddler push it and take turns calling the words\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Concept words - Materials: Push toy or large toy car - Safety note: Use a flat floor away from stairs and stay close\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/say-stop-and-go-with-a-push-toy/content.md) ### [Set up a reading nook](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/set-up-a-reading-nook) Put a firm floor cushion in a quiet corner with a basket of books beside it\. Go there together for the last few pages before a nap or bed, so the corner becomes your calm, wind\-down spot\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Love of books - Materials: Floor cushion; Basket of books - Safety note: Keep the nook away from stairs, windows, and cords, and use only firm cushions rather than loose bedding\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/set-up-a-reading-nook/content.md) ### [Sing a tidy\-up song](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sing-a-tidy-up-song) Pick a short tune and sing the same words every time toys go back: \\"Tidy up, tidy up, toys go in the box\.\\" Hand your toddler one toy at a time to drop in\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Songs and rhymes - Materials: Toy box or basket [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sing-a-tidy-up-song/content.md) ### [Sing head, shoulders, knees and toes](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sing-head-shoulders-knees-and-toes) Sing the song slowly and point to each body part as it comes up\. Speed up the second time through, and let your toddler point along with you\. - Age range: 1–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Body words - Materials: No special materials listed. - Safety note: Clear a little floor space and stay close\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sing-head-shoulders-knees-and-toes/content.md) ### [Spot it outside after reading](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/spot-it-outside-after-reading) After reading a book about ducks, trees, buses, or birds, go for a short walk to spot the real thing\. Point out what you see, say its name, and compare it to the picture on the page\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 20 min - Location: Nearby - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Vocabulary - Materials: Picture book - Safety note: Stay on paths away from traffic, and hold your toddler's hand or use a carrier or stroller near roads\. Stay within arm's reach near water, and never leave a child alone near water\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/spot-it-outside-after-reading/content.md) ### [Take a shoulder ride on a walk](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/take-a-shoulder-ride-on-a-walk) Lift your toddler onto your shoulders and hold their lower legs or ankles firmly\. Point out what they can see from up high, like the top of a hedge or a bird on a roof, and let them choose where to walk next\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 15 min - Location: Outside - Category: Outdoors - Type: Activity - Benefit: Vocabulary - Materials: No special materials listed. - Safety note: Hold their lower legs or ankles firmly, walk slowly on flat ground \(no stairs, ice or slopes\), lift them down before you bend or crouch, and duck under low branches and doorways\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/take-a-shoulder-ride-on-a-walk/content.md) ### [Tell a story from a book with no words](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/tell-a-story-from-a-book-with-no-words) Open a picture book with no words, or cover the words on a familiar one\. Point to what is happening on each page and tell it in short phrases, like the dog runs, the dog jumps, and pause for your toddler to point or answer\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Storytelling - Materials: Picture book without words [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/tell-a-story-from-a-book-with-no-words/content.md) ### [Whisper, then roar](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/whisper-then-roar) As you read a favorite book, whisper a page, then read the next one in a big, loud voice\. Stop and ask your toddler which voice they want, and read the next page in the one they choose\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Listening - Materials: Picture book [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/whisper-then-roar/content.md) ### [Join in the repeating line](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/join-in-the-repeating-line) Choose a book with a phrase that repeats, like a refrain, and teach your toddler to say it with you\. Over time, pause so they can say it alone, and clap or stomp at the same spot each time\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Joining the story - Materials: Picture book with a repeating phrase [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/join-in-the-repeating-line/content.md) ### [Make a bubble beard at bath time](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/make-a-bubble-beard-at-bath-time) Put a little tear\-free bubble bath on your hand and press it on your own chin as a beard\. Pat a bubble beard on your toddler too, and let them dab bubbles on you\. Name the places the bubbles land\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Home - Type: Activity - Benefit: Body words - Materials: Tear\-free bubble bath - Safety note: Never leave a child alone near water\. Keep bubbles away from the eyes and wipe any that land near them\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/make-a-bubble-beard-at-bath-time/content.md) ### [Find one thing on every page](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/find-one-thing-on-every-page) Pick one object, like a dog or a ball, and search for it on each page of a picture book\. Ask your toddler to point when they spot it, then pick a new object for the next read\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Vocabulary - Materials: Picture book [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/find-one-thing-on-every-page/content.md) ### [Leave off the last rhyming word](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/leave-off-the-last-rhyming-word) Read a rhyming picture book and pause before the last word of a line, letting your toddler fill it in\. If they are unsure, point to the picture that gives the clue and try again on the next page\. - Age range: 1–4 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Rhymes and sounds - Materials: Rhyming picture book [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/leave-off-the-last-rhyming-word/content.md) ### [Hand over the color you name](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/hand-over-the-color-you-name) Put two items of clearly different colors in front of your toddler, like a red cup and a blue block\. Ask for \\"the red one\\" and let them hand it over\. Swap the pair now and then\. - Age range: 2–3 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Concept words - Materials: Two or three objects in different colors - Safety note: Use objects bigger than a toilet\-paper tube and stay close\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/hand-over-the-color-you-name/content.md) ### [Learn opposites with your hands](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/learn-opposites-with-your-hands) Pick a pair of opposites, like up and down, and act them out with your hands or whole body: reach high, crouch low\. Swap roles so your toddler gives the instruction and you follow\. Then try warm and cool with a metal spoon chilled in the fridge and a warm, not hot, washcloth\. - Age range: 2–4 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Concept words - Materials: Metal spoon, chilled in the fridge; Warm washcloth - Safety note: Test that the washcloth is only warm, never hot, and that the spoon is cool rather than icy, before your toddler touches them\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/learn-opposites-with-your-hands/content.md) ### [Tell a bedtime story](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/tell-a-bedtime-story) Snuggle up and read a short picture book at bedtime, using a soft, sleepy voice for the characters\. Invite your child to turn each page when they are ready\. - Age range: 2–4 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Love of books - Materials: Picture book [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/tell-a-bedtime-story/content.md) ### [Act out a favorite story](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/act-out-a-favorite-story) After reading a well\-loved book, act it out together — you be one character, your child another — using silly voices and big movements\. - Age range: 3–6 years - Duration: 15 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Storytelling - Materials: Favorite picture book [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/act-out-a-favorite-story/content.md) ### [Ask what, why and how while you read](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/ask-what-why-and-how-while-you-read) Pause on a page and ask one open question, like what is happening, why do you think she is sad, or how will he get down\. Wait, then follow what your child says\. - Age range: 3–6 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Conversation - Materials: Picture book [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/ask-what-why-and-how-while-you-read/content.md) ### [Guess the sound with eyes closed](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/guess-the-sound-with-eyes-closed) Ask your child to close their eyes, then make a familiar sound — crinkle paper, tap a spoon, jingle keys — and let them guess what it was\. - Age range: 3–6 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Listening - Materials: A few everyday objects - Safety note: Keep small objects like keys away from younger siblings\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/guess-the-sound-with-eyes-closed/content.md) ### [Retell a favorite story](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/retell-a-favorite-story) After reading a well\-loved book, close it and ask your child to tell you what happened in their own words\. Fill in gently and warmly if they get stuck\. - Age range: 3–5 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Storytelling - Materials: Favorite picture book [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/retell-a-favorite-story/content.md) ### [Make your own picture book](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/make-your-own-picture-book) Fold a few sheets of paper into a little book and help your child draw a simple story, adding a word or two as they tell it to you\. - Age range: 4–6 years - Duration: 25 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Storytelling - Materials: Paper; Crayons; Stapler - Safety note: An adult should handle the stapler\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/make-your-own-picture-book/content.md) ### [Match uppercase letters](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/match-uppercase-letters) Write a few uppercase letters twice on paper, cut them into cards, and help your child find the matching pairs\. Say each letter's name together as they match\. - Age range: 4–6 years - Duration: 15 min - Location: At home - Category: Learning - Type: Activity - Benefit: Letters and print - Materials: Paper; Marker; Scissors - Safety note: An adult should handle the scissors\. [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/match-uppercase-letters/content.md) ### [Spot letters in books](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/spot-letters-in-books) Open a favorite book together and go on a hunt for the first letter of your child's name on the page\. Celebrate warmly each one they find\. - Age range: 4–6 years - Duration: 10 min - Location: At home - Category: Books - Type: Activity - Benefit: Letters and print - Materials: Picture book [Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/spot-letters-in-books/content.md)