Need some help engaging with your child and encouraging a conversation? Take a look at our handy tips below!

  • Eat a desired food in front of your child without offering any
  • Activate a wind-up toy, let it deactivate, and hand it to the child
  • Look through a few books or a magazine with the child and ask questions about the pictures
  • Open a jar of bubbles, blow bubbles, then close the jar tightly and give the closed jar to the child. Have them use their words to have it opened again.
  • Initiate a familiar and an unfamiliar social game with the child until he/she expresses pleasure, then stop the game and wait.
  • Hold a food item or toy that the child dislikes or likes out near the child to offer it.
  • Place a desired food item or toy in a clear container that the child cannot open while he/she is watching; then put the container in front of the child and wait.
  • Roll a ball to the child, after he/she returns the bail three times, immediately roll a different toy to the child.
  • Engage the child in putting together a puzzle. After the child has put in three pieces, offer the child a piece that does not fit.
  • Engage the child in an activity with a substance that can be easily spilled (or dropped, broken, torn, etc.), suddenly, spill some of the substance on the table or in front of the child.
  • Give the child materials for an activity of interest that necessitates the use of an instrument for completion (e.g., piece of paper to draw on or cut, bowl of pudding or soup); hold the instrument out of the child’s reach and wait.
  • Engage the child in an activity of interest that necessitates the use of an instrument for completion (e.g., pen, crayon, scissors, stapler, wand for blowing bubbles, spoon); have a third person come over and take the instrument, go sit on the distant side of the room while holding the instrument within the child’s sight, and wait.
  • Wave and say “bye” to an object upon removing it from the play area. Repeat this for a second and third situation, and do nothing when removing an object from a fourth situation.
  • Hide a stuffed animal under the table. Knock, and then bring out the animal. Have the animal greet the child the first time. Repeat this for a second and third time, and do nothing when bringing out the animal the fourth time. These four trials should also be interspersed with the temptations above when presented.
  • Putting something in the “wrong” place unexpectedly as a joke, e.g., socks on hands, gloves on feet.
  • Get into the back seat to start the car and then “realise your mistake” exaggeratedly
  • Put videos on a high shelf to “tempt” your child to request them.
  • Give the child paper to draw on and “forgetting” to provide a crayon.
  • Show the child his or her face in a hand mirror “accidentally” holding the mirror the wrong way round.