Learning Starts From Day One: Building Strong Foundations from Birth
The first two years of a child’s life may seem like a world away from starting school, but these early years are some of the most important for laying the foundations of learning.
From babbling and crawling to stacking blocks and copying grown-ups, your baby or toddler is already building the skills they’ll need for school and beyond. The best part? They do it all through play, everyday routines, and lots of interaction with you.
Why Start So Early?
The brain grows faster in the first three years of life than at any other time. By the age of two, it has already developed many of the pathways needed for communication, movement, emotion, and learning.
Starting early doesn’t mean flashcards or pressure – it’s about giving babies and toddlers rich, playful experiences that help them explore the world safely and confidently. Every cuddle, smile, song, or shared game teaches them something valuable.
Even at this early stage, children are developing key school readiness skills like:
- Communication and language
- Fine and gross motor skills
- Listening and attention
- Emotional regulation
- Confidence and curiosity
- Social interaction
- Early literacy and numeracy awareness
These skills grow gradually and naturally, but your input makes a big difference.
Skill by Skill: Building the Foundations Through Play
Communication & Language
From cooing to saying their first words, babies are wired to communicate. Talking to your child throughout the day (even before they can respond) is one of the best ways to boost their language development.
Toy Tip: Soft books like the Lamaze Classic Discovery Book, musical toys, and puppets like The Puppet Company – My First Puppets help bring language to life and turn play into fun, language-rich interactions.
Fine Motor Skills
Picking up small objects, banging blocks together, or turning pages are all early actions that help build hand strength and coordination, preparing children for writing and self-care later on.
Toy Tip: Try stacking toys like BIBS Wobbly Tower or textured sensory toys like Montessori Tactile Animals to develop pincer grips and hand control.
Emotional Regulation & Independence
Babies rely entirely on adults to help them manage emotions, but by age two, many toddlers begin recognising and naming feelings. Learning how to cope with frustration, wait a turn, or ask for help is a big part of school readiness.
Toy Tip: Toys like Big Feelings Pineapple™ with expressive faces can help toddlers understand and talk about emotions. While comforting toys like Hugimals can provide a sense of security and support self-soothing.
Curiosity and Confidence
A curious toddler is a confident learner. Whether they’re tipping out the toy basket or figuring out how a ball rolls, they’re exploring how the world works.
Toy Tip: Toys like Fill and Spill Fruit Basket or pop-up surprises like Musical Hop Out Mizzie – Music Box encourage problem-solving and spark curiosity.
Social Skills
Before children can make friends, they practice social skills like taking turns, sharing attention, and copying others. These start with simple interactions like peekaboo or waving goodbye.
Toy Tip: Dolls and soft toys like Talking Paddington Soft Toy support early pretend play, helping toddlers copy and act out real-life social interactions.
Gross Motor Skills
Big body movements like crawling, climbing, walking, and dancing develop strength, balance, and coordination. These are crucial for everyday school activities like sitting still, walking in line, or playing at break time.
Toy Tip: Push-along toys like Our Little World – Activity Walker or Soft Blocks encourage physical movement and help build balance and strength.
Early Numeracy Awareness
Sorting shapes, stacking blocks, or pointing out “how many” things you see during play helps babies and toddlers understand size, order, and quantity.
Toy Tip: Toys like Carlos The Pop & Count Cactus™ and Poppy The Count & Stack Flower Pot™ are great for introducing maths ideas in simple, hands-on ways.
Listening & Attention
Listening is a skill that begins with shared attention; when you and your baby focus on the same thing together. Singing, storytime, and simple games like “Where’s your nose?” help children practice focusing and responding.
Toy Tip: Musical toys like Hey Duggee Musical Duggee Soft Toy and interactive books with flaps or buttons like Who’s Hiding in the Jungle? hold children’s attention through fun and repetition.
Early Literacy Awareness
Even babies love looking at books, turning pages, and hearing stories. This builds vocabulary, helps them understand the rhythm of language, and lays the groundwork for reading.
Toy Tip: Board books with simple and bright pictures like Baby Phonics Book and toys like Unfold and Discover Activity Toys with textures or mirrors engage young children in storytelling.
Final Thoughts for Parents
It’s never too early to start supporting your child’s development, and you’re probably doing more than you realise already. Every chat at the changing table, game of peekaboo, walk in the park, or bedtime story helps build the skills your child will need when it’s time to start school. You don’t need specialist knowledge or fancy resources – just time, connection, and a playful spirit.
