Pick nearly any five-minute snapshot from your toddler's day (other than when she's sleeping!), and you're bound to see her cognitive skills at work — from taking the lid off of a container, to following simple directions, to feeding a baby doll and putting it to bed. So what can you do at home to give her brain even more of a boost?
Cognitive ability — or the brain's capacity to think, read, learn, reason and pay attention —is a set of skills that enable toddlers to perform more complex tasks as they grow and develop. By age 2, your toddler's capacity for understanding and problem-solving is more robust than ever, and she'll likely advance even more by the time she turns 3.
If you need proof, just take a look at the cognitive milestones she'll hit sometime over the next year:
24 months
- Hold an object with one hand while using the other hand to complete a task, like taking the lid off a container[1]
- Use switches, buttons and knobs on a toy
- Play with more than one toy at a time, like filling a bowl with toy food
30 months
- Use objects to pretend, like feeding a block to a doll as if it were food[2]
- Employ simple problem-solving skills, like using a stool to reach something
- Follow two-step directions, like "Put the toy down and come here"
- Recognize at least one color, like showing you the blue crayon when you ask which one is blue
36 months
- Draw a circle when you show her how[3]
- Avoid touching hot objects, like the stove, when you warn her
Cognitive activities for toddlers
With so much to learn about the world around them, 2- and 3-year-olds can reap cognitive benefits from practically any interactive activity.[4] When your sweet pea is exposed to a range of enriching experiences, she'll naturally put that thinking cap on and get to work absorbing new information.
Fortunately, that doesn't have to mean hitting a new museum every week or shelling out for expensive STEM toys. Some of the most engaging cognitive activities for toddlers also happen to be the simplest. Here are some expert-recommended ways to encourage early learning at home — and have fun at the same time:
Magic coffee filters
What you'll need: Coffee filters, water-based washable markers, a paintbrush and a small cup of water
How to do it: Set up your supplies at a table. Invite your toddler to take the caps off the markers, use the markers to color a coffee filter and put the caps back on the markers. Then have her dip the paintbrush in the water and "paint" the water onto the areas of the coffee filter that she colored.
Talk about what you see using open-ended questions like, "I wonder why the colors are changing!" and invite your toddler to respond.
Why it's helpful: Watching the water make the colors run is an early introduction to science, and talking about what you see using open-ended questions encourages your toddler to think about what's happening and share her observations and ideas. Taking the caps on and off the markers isn't much of a brain booster, but it's great fine motor skill practice.
Colorful rice sensory bin
What you'll need: A large bag of rice, food dye, white vinegar, a plastic zip-top bag, a baking sheet, a large plastic bin, small objects (like pom-poms, buttons, dry pasta or toys — just watch for potential choking hazards), various scoops, spoons and measuring cups
How to do it: Place the rice in the plastic bag with a few drops of food coloring and a drop or two of white vinegar. Seal the bag and shake the rice until it's coated in the food coloring. Place the rice on a baking sheet overnight to dry.
When the rice is dry, put it in the plastic bin and add the small objects, scoops, spoons and measuring cups. Invite your toddler to hunt for the objects and scoop and pour the rice.
As you explore together, pose questions for your toddler to answer. Fill little cups or containers with rice and guess how many scoops it will take to make the container overflow, or search for pom-poms and count how many there are, for instance.
Why it's helpful: Scooping, pouring and measuring the rice is a lesson in science and spatial awareness. Searching for hidden toys encourages your child to problem-solve. And asking questions as you explore together engages your toddler's thinking and reasoning skills and encourages her to share her thoughts and ideas.
Oobleck play
What you'll need: 1 cup water, 2 cups cornstarch, a few drops of food coloring, a large mixing bowl, various spoons, scoops, measuring cups and funnels
How to do it: Place the cornstarch and food coloring in the mixing bowl. Have your toddler pour in the water, and mix it with her hands or a spoon. She's just made oobleck, a gooey substance named after the Dr. Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck.
Oobleck acts like a liquid and a solid at the same time. Invite your toddler to scoop, measure and squeeze the material, and generally relish in the weird, sensory goop. (You can do this outside or in an empty bathtub to minimize the mess.)
Again, you can ask open-ended questions like, "What does this feel like in your hands?" or "I wonder what would happen if we added more cornstarch?" and invite your toddler to respond.
Why it's helpful: Playing with sensory materials like oobleck is a fun introduction to scientific properties, while encouraging your toddler to share her thoughts supports language and critical thinking.
Paint bags
What you'll need: Washable paint, a large zip-top bag, packing tape and Q-tips
How to do it: Add some paint to the zip-top bag, and seal it shut. (Use the packing tape to ensure that the zip-top seal doesn't open.)
Place the paint-filled bag on the table and invite your child to "draw" on the paint with the Q-tip or her finger. You can join in and draw shapes or even letters while narrating your actions by saying things like, "Now I'm drawing a triangle."
Why it's helpful: Your toddler might not make Earth-shattering art or draw shapes or letters on her own, but that's completely okay (and expected). The point of this play is simply to encourage her to explore, focus on an activity and be creative — cognitive skills she'll expand upon when she gets to preschool and beyond.
Dinner prep
What you'll need: Plates, cups, napkins and utensils. Items made from non-breakable materials are ideal, but if you're using more fragile items, just stick close to your toddler to ensure she doesn't drop anything.
How to do it: Hand your toddler one or two items (like two stacked cups) at a time, and invite her to set a place setting at the table for each member of the family with your help. Her table-setting skills won't be perfect, but try not to sweat it and just embrace her efforts.
Emphasize teamwork and a job well done when you're finished by saying, "We got this done together. Thanks for helping me!"
Why it's helpful: Employing your toddler's help for everyday tasks around the house gives her a chance to practice following directions. Entrusting her with jobs also fosters a sense of independence and feeds her desire to be curious and explore.
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