Brought to you by:

Child Development Unit

Khoo Teck Puat – National University Children’s Medical Institute
When your child plays, a new world opens up! Children

learn so much about themselves, others and their

surroundings through play. They also develop important

skills such as:

• Coordination of body movements

• Caring for others and building social skills

• Understanding and using a variety of words to communicate

• Exploring, problem-solving and using flexible thinking

• Expressing themselves creatively and confidently

In this activity resource book, you can find a few

play activity ideas for you and your child.

Have fun together and play hard!

 Cognition
Understanding academic Sensory Stimulation
and thinking skills (e.g. Using senses to explore
sequencing of events, the world, which helps to
solving problems, attention) develop the brain (e.g.
touching, moving, smelling)

Social Interaction
Receptive
Building social skills to
Language
share interests with
Listening and
others, and
understanding
developing/maintaining
language (e.g.
relationships (e.g. making
following instructions)
eye contact, taking turns)

Expressive
Fine Motor Language
Using non-verbal
(Hands)
communication (e.g.
Controlling small hand
gestures, signs,
muscles (e.g. fingers,
writing) and speech
wrist) for smaller
movements (e.g.
writing, eating)

Social-Emotional
Gross Motor Skills and
Controlling large Behaviour
muscles (e.g arms, legs) Controlling emotions
for bigger movements and behaviours to
(e.g. jumping, sitting on establish a positive
a chair) relationship with others
 PIZZA CRAFT

Knowing and Tolerating the Building positive Expressing choices Cutting, gluing,
following the steps texture of glue parent-child pasting and
in making a pizza interactions colouring

Paper plate Child-safe scissors Crayons Pre-cut shapes of Glue

different colours
(e.g. circle, square)

1. Cut the 2. Colour the 3. Squeeze a 4. Paste the 5. All done!

paper plate into pizza base. small amount shapes on the
pizza slices. of glue on the pizza slices.
pre-cut shapes.
 ● Follow the steps to making a pizza (refer to the picture sequence)
● Let your child think about what are the materials needed before starting
the activity
e.g. Glue, paper plate
Cognition

● If your child has difficulty tolerating sticky glue, try:

 Taking turns to glue the shapes
 Preparing a wet cloth so that he/she can wipe their hands
immediately
 Helping to hold the paper as he/she glues
 Experimenting with different types of glue, such as stick glue or
paste glue
Sensory  Using a paintbrush or cotton bud to spread the glue
Stimulation  Using water, tape, a stapler or other adhesives such as Blu
Tack instead

● Offer your child choices for coloured crayons or shapes

● Take turns to paste the shapes on the paper plate
Social
Interaction

● Ask:
 “Where is the green triangle?”
 “Who will eat this pizza?”
● Provide choices for colours and shapes
Expressive e.g. Say “Do you want the yellow heart or pink square?”
Language

● Teach your child to hold the scissors and cut on the lines of the paper
plate
● Allow him/her to colour the cut-out paper places
● Help apply glue on the shapes and paste them on the paper plate
Fine Motor (Hands)
THEMATIC PLAY WITH PLAY-DOH

Demonstrating Building positive Understanding Making choices Rolling, cutting,

pretend play parent-child simple instructions and requests using a fork and
sequences in interactions slotting
thematic play

Play-Doh Rolling pin Shape cutters Plate

Fork Soft toy Coins Coin bank

1. Roll out the Play-Doh 2. Use the shape cutter to 3. Put the cookies on a plate
make cookies

4. Serve cookies to the soft toy 5. Collect and bank coins

 ● Select an interesting play theme
e.g. Making and selling cookies with Play-Doh
● Model pretend play sequences related to the play theme
e.g. Knead the dough and then flatten it with a rolling pin.
Choose a shape cutter and press down on the Play-Doh.
Cognition Place the Play-Doh cut-out onto a plate and serve it to a “customer”.
Collect coins from the “customer” and put them into a coin bank.

● Hold the Play-Doh or shape cutters at your eye level as this makes it
easier for your child to pay attention to you and look at your face when
interacting with you
● Use fun words with an animated expression
Social e.g. Say “Wow, this is so pretty!”, “Yummy, it tastes good!”, “Yay, Mr
Interaction Bear likes our cookie!”

● Give a 1-step instruction involving one action and two objects

e.g. Say “Give me the yellow Play-Doh and the rolling pin.”
● Give a 2-step instruction with related actions
e.g. Say “Cut the green Play-Doh and put them on the table.”
Receptive Language

● Provide choices when asking them what colour or shape they want
● Give them opportunities to tell you what to do
e.g. Say “Now that we have made the cookie, what should we do next?”
and if they point or gesture, model the appropriate words for them
● Model words that are related to the play theme so that they can copy
and learn new words. For example,
Expressive
Language  Single words: Blue, open, fork, coin
 2-word phrases: Mummy cut, open cover, yummy cookie
 Short phrases: “I want the green Play-Doh”, “Put Play-Doh on the
Plate” or “Bear wants to eat five carrots”

● Let them:
 Roll out Play-Doh using a rolling pin
 Press down onto Play-Doh with a cookie cutter
 Poke holes in Play-Doh with one finger
 Roll Play-Doh into a ball using two hands
Fine Motor (Hands)
 OBSTACLE COURSE

Sequencing and Regulation Grasping and Balance, strength

motor planning manipulating and coordination

Furniture Laundry basket Cushions, blankets,

bedsheets

1. Plan the obstacles 2. Collect materials to build 3. Explain the obstacles

the obstacle course

4. Let them try out the obstacles 5. Enjoy the obstacle course! 6. Involve siblings to make it
more exciting
 ● Get your child to remember the order of activities without your help
● Let him/her help to plan the activities
● Include matching or ordering activities in the obstacle course
e.g. Collect a puzzle piece after each activity and put them together at
Cognition the end

● Dive into stacked pillows or cushions

● Wrap them up loosely in a blanket and let them try to free themselves
● Take turns naming animals and pretend to walk like the animal
e.g. Jumping like frogs across the room
Social-Emotional ● Make a sensory bin with hidden objects that they can find
Skills and Behaviour e.g. Putting small toys into a rice bin

● Do a basket toss activity

 Set up laundry baskets or containers of various sizes
 Fill small resealable zipper storage bags with uncooked rice or
beans to create beanbags for tossing into the baskets
● Get them to load food items, such as fruits, vegetables or canned food,
into a laundry basket and push it across the room
● Compete in an egg race by balancing a plastic ball on a spoon and
Fine Motor (Hands)
walking across the room without dropping it

● For balancing, try:

 Placing cushions on the floor and get them to walk or climb on
the uneven surfaces
 Throw or pick up objects while standing on pillows
● For crawling, try:
 Crawling under the bed
 Crawling in between the legs of chairs
 Setting up a tunnel by placing bedsheets over two rows of
chairs
● For jumping, try:
Gross Motor  Jumping over objects of different sizes
 Jumping onto pillows or mats
● For walking or running, try:
 Using plastic bottles to create a zig-zag path for them to go
through
 Marking out a path using coloured tape and get them to walk
along it
NUH Child Development Unit
Operating Hours: 8.30am - 5.30pm (Mon to Fri)
Jurong Medical Centre Appointment Line: +65 6665 2530/2531
Kent Hong Community Club Appointment Line: +65 6769 4537/4637
Fax: +65 6665 0158
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.nuh.com.sg/nuhkids

The information provided in this publication is meant purely for educational purposes and may not be used as
a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. You should seek the advice of your doctor or a qualified
healthcare provider before starting any treatment or if you have any questions related to your health, physical
fitness or medical condition.

No part of this booklet may be reproduced without permission in writing from the National University Hospital.