All of us want a smart and happy child. Children’s cognitive development is not only important for his later school life but also his development in the future. Cognitive development should be trained and promoted since the toddler stage because it is characterized by the way a child learns, obtain knowledge and interacting with surroundings. If a child’s cognitive development was encouraged properly since little, the child is usually a smart and healthy child who has abilities to appositely memorize, concentrate, pay attention and perceive. As a parent, you should start encouraging a child’s cognitive development in these areas I mention above—memory, concentration, attention and perception. Here are 7 ways a parent can do to help with a child’s cognitive development.


1.    Sing a Song

girl singing

Singing is a great way to promote your child’s cognitive development as it improve memory and word identification. You as a parent should sing songs and encourage your child to sing along.  Also, you should repeat his favorite songs in the house and the car. That helps him get familiar with the songs.


2.    Identify Noises


Help your child identify noises by asking him what the noise is coming from throughout the day, such as bird’s chirping, car horn, siren and doorbell sounds. This practice will help him understand how sounds associated with the objects in his environment.


3.    Develop a Hobby

Pay attention to your child and identify what he is interested in. If he loves using his hands to dismantle and assemble a toy, get him toys that he can take apart and put it back together. If he loves drawing, get him a drawing kit. You can usually find all sorts of toys for kids in a hobby shop.


4.    Practice Counting

Use every opportunity your child can count throughout the day. For example, ask your child to count the number of bread on the table for breakfast, and the number of shoes when he puts his shoes on in the morning. This activity helps your child with numbers and concentration.


5.    Practice Describing Shapes and Colors

blocks toy

Try to describe the shapes and colors when interacting with your child. You can say sentences like “That is a round, yellow ball,” when going out “That is a round white cup.” Keep on doing that and when he gets a little older, ask him to describe the objects to you.


6.    Let Him Choose

Offering your child choices will help him feel more independent and confident with making choices. You can ask your child “Would you like to wear the black shorts or blue shorts?” or “Would you like to have orange juice or milk for breakfast?”


7.    Ask Questions

girl dad

Another effective ways to promote your child’s cognitive development is to ask him questions when you can. “Why is it important to have meals every day?” “Why is it important to walk down stairs slowly?” “Why should you greet to your friends and teachers?” This will help him with his problem-solving and understand how things work.