About the ASQ®-3 Intervention Activities

The intervention activities include games and other fun events for parents and caregivers and their

young children. Each sheet contains activities that correspond to ages in the ASQ-3 intervals: 1–4

months old, 4–8 months old, 8–12 months old, 12–16 months old, 16–20 months old, 20–24 months

old, 24–30 months old, 30–36 months old, 36–48 months old, 48–60 months old, and 60–66 months

old. These sheets can be photocopied and used in monitoring programs in a variety of ways.

The intervention activities suggestions can be mailed or given to parents with ASQ-3, or they can

be attached to a feedback letter along with the ASQ-3 results. They can be printed or enlarged onto

colored paper. Parents can be encouraged to post the sheets on their refrigerator door or bulletin board

and to try activities with their young children as time allows. If a child has difficulties in a particular

developmental area, a service provider can star or underline certain games that might be particularly

useful for parents to present. Similarly, service providers and family members can modify the activities to

make them match the family’s cultural setting and available materials. As with all activities for young

children, these intervention activities should be supervised by an adult at all times.

Intervention activities are available in several languages in ASQ Online and at agesandstages.com.

Intervention activities are provided in English and Spanish in the ASQ

-3 User’s Guide, Appendix F, as

well as on the CD-ROM that accompanies the ASQ-3 questionnaires (provided in English with ASQ-3

English questionnaires and in Spanish with ASQ

-3 Spanish).

About the ASQ

-3

Intervention Activities

ASQ

Talk softly to your baby when

feeding him, changing his dia-

pers, and holding him. He may

not understand every word, but

he will know your voice and be

comforted by it.

When you see your baby re-

sponding to your voice, praise

and cuddle her. Talk back to her

and see if she responds again.

Take turns with your baby when

he makes cooing and gurgling

sounds. Have a “conversation”

back and forth with simple

sounds that he can make.

Sing to your baby (even if you

don’t do it well). Repetition of

songs and lullabies helps your

baby to learn and listen.

With your baby securely in your

arms or in a front pack, gently

swing and sway to music that

you are singing or playing on

the radio.

Place a shatterproof mirror close

to your baby where she can see

it. Start talking, and tap the mir-

ror to get her to look. The mir-

ror will provide visual stimula-

tion. Eventually your baby will

understand her reflection.

Rock your baby gently in your

arms and sing “Rock-a-bye

Baby” or another lullaby. Sing

your lullaby and swing your

baby to the gentle rhythm.

Put a puppet or small sock on

your finger. Say your baby’s

name while moving the puppet

or sock up and down. See

whether he follows the move-

ment. Now move your finger in

a circle. Each time your baby is

able to follow the puppet, try a

new movement.

With your baby on her back,

hold a brightly colored stuffed

animal above her head, in her

line of vision. See if she watches

the stuffed animal as you move

it slowly back and forth.

Make sure your baby is posi-

tioned so that you can touch his

feet. Gently play with his toes

and feet, tickling lightly. Add the

“This Little Piggy Went to Mar-

ket” rhyme, touching a different

toe with each verse.

Rest your baby, tummy down,

on your arm, with your hand on

her chest. Use your other hand

to secure your baby—support

her head and neck. Gently

swing her back and forth. As she

gets older, walk around to give

her different views.

Hold your baby in your lap and

softly shake a rattle on one side

of his head, then the other side.

Shake slowly at first, then faster.

Your baby will search for the

noise with his eyes.

Place your baby on her tummy with head to

one side, on a blanket/towel on carpeted

floor. Lie next to her to provide encourage-

ment. Until she has the strength, have her

spend equal time facing left and right.

Make “tummy time” a little longer each

day. Closely watch your baby in case she

rests her face on the floor, which could re-

strict breathing. As her strength grows, she

will be able to lift her head and push up on

her arms, leading to rolling and crawling.

Lay your baby on his back and

touch his arms and legs in differ-

ent places. Make a “whooping”

sound with each touch. Your

baby may smile and anticipate

the next touch by watching your

hand. When you make each

sound, you can also name the

part of the body you touch.

In nice weather, take your baby

on a nature walk through a park

or neighborhood. Talk about

everything you see. Even

though she might not under-

stand everything, she will like

being outside and hearing your

voice.

Read simple books to your

baby. Even if he does not under-

stand the story, he will enjoy

being close and listening to you

read.

With white paper and a black marker,

create several easy-to-recognize im-

ages on each piece of paper. Start

with simple patterns (diagonal stripes,

bull’s eyes, checkerboards, triangles).

Place the pictures so that your baby

can see them (8"–12” inches from her

face). Tape these pictures next to her

car seat or crib.

Lay your baby on his back on a

soft, flat surface such as a bed

or a blanket. Gently tap or rub

your baby’s hands and fingers

while singing “Pat-a-Cake” or

another nursery rhyme.

Gently shake a rattle or another

baby toy that makes a noise. Put

it in your baby’s hand. See if she

takes it, even for a brief mo-

ment.

Hold your baby closely, or lay him

down on a soft, flat surface. Be close

enough (8"–12") so that he can see

you. Face to face, start with small

movements (stick out your tongue,

open your mouth with a wide grin).

If you are patient, your baby may try

to imitate you. As he gets older, you

can try larger body movements with

your head, hands, and arms. You can

also try to imitate your baby.

ASQ

Activities for Infants 1—4 Months Old

Put a windup toy beside or be-

hind your baby. Watch to see if

your baby searches for the

sound.

Give your baby a spoon to

grasp and chew on. It’s easy to

hold and feels good in the

mouth. It’s also great for bang-

ing, swiping, and dropping.

While sitting on the floor, place

your baby in a sitting position

inside your legs. Use your legs

and chest to provide only as

much support as your baby

needs. This allows you to play

with your baby while encourag-

ing independent sitting.

Gently rub your baby with a soft

cloth, a paper towel, or nylon.

Talk about how things feel (soft,

rough, slippery). Lotion feels

good, too.

Let your baby see herself in a

mirror. Place an unbreakable

mirror on the side of your baby’s

crib or changing table so that

she can watch. Look in the mir-

ror with your baby, too. Smile

and wave at your baby.

Common household items such

as measuring spoons and mea-

suring cups make toys with inter-

esting sounds and shapes. Gently

dangle and shake a set of mea-

suring spoons or measuring cups

where your baby can reach or

kick at them. Let your baby hold

them to explore and shake, too.

Play voice games. Talk with a

high or low voice. Click your

tongue. Whisper. Take turns

with your baby. Repeat any

sounds made by him. Place your

baby so that you are face to

face—your baby will watch as

you make sounds.

Fill a small plastic bottle (empty

medicine bottle with child-proof

cap) with beans or rice. Let your

baby shake it to make noise.

Make another shaker using

bells. Encourage your baby to

hold one in each hand and

shake them both. Watch to see

if your baby likes one sound

better than another.

Place your baby on her tummy

with favorite toys or objects

around but just slightly out of

reach. Encourage her to reach

out for toys and move toward

them.

Fill an empty tissue box with

strips of paper. Your baby will

love pulling them out. (Do not

use colored newsprint or maga-

zines; they are toxic. Never use

plastic bags or wrap.)

Safely attach a favorite toy to a

side of your baby’s crib, swing,

or cradle chair for him to reach

and grasp. Change toys fre-

quently to give him new things

to see and do.

Place your baby in a chair or car

seat, or prop her up with pil-

lows. Bounce and play with a

flowing scarf or a large bounc-

ing ball. Move it slowly up, then

down or to the side, so that

your baby can follow movement

with her eyes.

With your baby lying on his

back, place a toy within sight

but out of reach, or move a toy

across your baby’s visual range.

Encourage him to roll to get

the toy.

Play Peekaboo with hands,

cloth, or a diaper. Put the cloth

over your face first. Then let

your baby hide. Pull the cloth off

if your baby can’t. Encourage

her to play. Take turns.

Place your baby in a chair or car

seat to watch everyday activi-

ties. Tell your baby what you are

doing. Let your baby see, hear,

and touch common objects. You

can give your baby attention

while getting things done.

Place your baby on your knee

facing you. Bounce him to the

rhythm of a nursery rhyme. Sing

and rock with the rhythm. Help

your baby bring his hands to-

gether to clap to the rhythm.

Your baby will like to throw toys

to the floor. Take a little time to

play this “go and fetch” game.

It helps your baby to learn to re-

lease objects. Give baby a box

or pan to practice dropping toys

into.

Once your baby starts rolling or

crawling on her tummy, play

“come and get me.” Let your

baby move, then chase after her

and hug her when you catch her.

Place your baby facing you. Your

baby can watch you change fa-

cial expressions (big smile, pok-

ing out tongue, widening eyes,

raising eyebrows, puffing or

blowing). Give your baby a turn.

Do what your baby does.

Activities for Infants 4—8 Months Old

ASQ

Let your baby feed himself. This

gives your baby practice picking

up small objects (cereal, cooked

peas) and also gives him experi-

ence with textures in his hands

and mouth. Soon your baby will

be able to finger feed an entire

meal.

Your baby will be interested in

banging objects to make noise.

Give your baby blocks to bang,

rattles to shake, or wooden

spoons to bang on containers.

Show your baby how to bang

objects together.

A good pastime is putting ob-

jects in and out of containers.

Give your baby plastic contain-

ers with large beads or blocks.

Your baby may enjoy putting

socks in and out of the sock

drawer or small cartons (Jell-O,

tuna or soup cans) on and off

shelves.

Mirrors are exciting at this age.

Let your baby pat and poke at

herself in the mirror. Smile and

make faces together in the

mirror.

Your baby will begin using his

index fingers to poke. Let your

baby poke at a play telephone

or busy box. Your baby will want

to poke at faces. Name the

body parts as your baby touches

your face.

Put toys on a sofa or sturdy

table so that your baby can

practice standing while playing

with the toys.

Find a big box that your baby

can crawl in and out of. Stay

close by and talk to your baby

about what she is doing. “You

went in! Now you are out!”

Read baby books or colorful

magazines by pointing and

telling your baby what is in the

picture. Let your baby pat pic-

tures in the book.

Play hide-and-seek games with

objects. Let your baby see you

hide an object under a blanket,

diaper, or pillow. If your baby

doesn’t uncover the object, just

cover part of it. Help your baby

find the object.

Play ball games. Roll a ball to

your baby. Help your baby, or

have a partner help him roll the

ball back to you. Your baby may

even throw the ball, so beach

balls or Nerf balls are great for

this game.

Turn on a radio or stereo. Hold

your baby in a standing position

and let your baby bounce and

dance. If your baby can stand

with a little support, hold her

hands and dance like partners.

Play imitation games like Peeka-

boo and So Big. Show pleasure

at your baby’s imitations of

movements and sounds. Babies

enjoy playing the same games

over and over.

Let your baby play with plastic

measuring cups, cups with han-

dles, sieves and strainers,

sponges, and balls that float in

the bathtub. Bath time is a great

learning time.

Play Pat-a-Cake with your baby.

Clap his hands together or take

turns. Wait and see if your baby

signals you to start the game

again. Try the game using

blocks or spoons to clap and

bang with.

Your baby will play more with

different sounds like “la-la” and

“da-da.” Copy the sounds your

baby makes. Add a new one

and see if your baby tries it, too.

Enjoy your baby’s early attempts

at talking.

Make a simple puzzle for your

baby by putting blocks or Ping-

Pong balls inside a muffin pan or

egg carton.

You can make a simple toy by

cutting a round hole in the plas-

tic lid of a coffee can. Give your

baby wooden clothes pins or

Ping-Pong balls to drop inside.

Say “hi” and wave when enter-

ing a room with your baby. En-

courage your baby to imitate.

Help your baby wave to greet

others. Waving “hi” and “bye”

are early gestures.

Let your baby make choices.

Offer two toys or foods and see

which one your baby picks. En-

courage your baby to reach or

point to the chosen object. Ba-

bies have definite likes and

dislikes!

New places and people are

good experiences for your baby,

but these can be frightening.

Let your baby watch and listen

and move at her own speed. Go

slowly. Your baby will tell you

when she is ready for more.

Activities for Infants 8—12 Months Old

ASQ

Babies love games at this age

(Pat-a-Cake, This Little Piggy).

Try different ways of playing the

games and see if your baby will

try it with you. Hide behind fur-

niture or doors for Peekaboo;

clap blocks or pan lids for Pat-a-

cake.

Make puppets out of a sock or

paper bag—one for you and

one for your baby. Have your

puppet talk to your baby or your

baby’s puppet. Encourage your

baby to “talk” back.

To encourage your baby’s first

steps, hold your baby in stand-

ing position, facing another per-

son. Have your baby step to-

ward the other person to get a

favorite toy or treat.

Give your baby containers with

lids or different compartments

filled with blocks or other small

toys. Let your baby open and

dump. Play “putting things

back.” This will help your baby

learn how to release objects

where he wants them.

Loosely wrap a small toy in a

paper towel or facial tissue with-

out tape. Your baby can unwrap

it and find a surprise. Use tissue

paper or wrapping paper, too.

It’s brightly colored and noisy.

Babies enjoy push and pull toys.

Make your own pull toy by

threading yogurt cartons,

spools, or small boxes on a

piece of yarn or soft string

(about 2 feet long). Tie a bead

or plastic stacking ring on one

end for a handle.

Tape a large piece of drawing

paper to a table. Show your

baby how to scribble with large

nontoxic crayons. Take turns

making marks on the paper. It’s

also fun to paint with water.

Arrange furniture so that your

baby can work her way around a

room by stepping across gaps

between furniture. This encour-

ages balance in walking.

Babies continue to love making

noise. Make sound shakers by

stringing canning rims together

or filling medicine bottles (with

child-proof caps) with different-

sounding objects like marbles,

rice, salt, bolts, and so forth. Be

careful to secure lids tightly.

This is the time your baby learns

that adults can be useful! When

your baby “asks” for something

by vocalizing or pointing, re-

spond to his signal. Name the

object your baby wants and en-

courage him to communicate

again—taking turns with each

other in a “conversation.”

Play the naming game. Name

body parts, common objects,

and people. This lets your baby

know that everything has a

name and helps her begin to

learn these names.

Make an obstacle course with

boxes or furniture so that your

baby can climb in, on, over,

under, and through. A big box

can be a great place to sit and

play.

Let your baby help you clean

up. Play “feed the wastebasket”

or “give it to Mommy or

Daddy.”

Make a surprise bag for your

baby to find in the morning. Fill

a paper or cloth bag with a soft

toy, something to make a

sound, a little plastic jar with a

screw-top lid, or a book with

cardboard pages.

Play “pretend” with a stuffed

animal or doll. Show and tell

your baby what the doll is doing

(walking, going to bed, eating,

dancing across a table). See if

your baby will make the doll

move and do things as you re-

quest. Take turns.

Cut up safe finger foods (do not

use foods that pose a danger of

your baby’s choking) in small

pieces and allow your baby to

feed himself. It is good practice

to pick up small things and feel

different textures (bananas, soft

crackers, berries).

Let your baby “help” during

daily routines. Encourage your

baby to “get” the cup and

spoon for mealtime, to “find”

shoes and coat for dressing, and

to “bring” the pants or diaper

for changing. Following direc-

tions is an important skill for

your baby to learn.

Your baby is learning that differ-

ent toys do different things.

Give your baby a lot of things to

roll, push, pull, hug, shake,

poke, turn, stack, spin, and stir.

Most babies enjoy music. Clap

and dance to the music. Encour-

age your baby to practice bal-

ance by moving forward,

around, and back. Hold her

hands for support, if needed.

Prepare your baby for a future

activity or trip by talking about it

beforehand. Your baby will feel

like a part of what is going on

rather than being just an ob-

server. It may also help reduce

some fear of being “left be-

hind.”

Activities for Infants 12—16 Months Old

ASQ

Toddlers love to play in water.

Put squeezable objects in the

bathtub, such as sponges or

squeeze bottles, along with

dump-and-pour toys (cups,

bowls).

Toddlers are excited about bub-

bles. Let your toddler try to

blow bubbles or watch you blow

bubbles through a straw. Bub-

bles are fun to pop and chase,

too.

Pretend play becomes even

more fun at this age. Encourage

your toddler to have a doll or

stuffed toy do what he does—

walk, go to bed, dance, eat, and

jump. Include the doll in daily

activities or games.

Make instant pudding together.

Let your toddler “help” by

dumping pudding, pouring milk,

and stirring. The results are

good to eat or can be used for

finger painting.

Use boxes or buckets for your

toddler to throw bean bags or

balls into. Practice overhand re-

lease of the ball or bean bag.

Play Hide and Seek. Your tod-

dler can hide with another per-

son or by herself for you to find.

Then take your turn to hide and

let your toddler find you.

Toddlers love movement. Take

him to the park to ride on rock-

ing toys, swings, and small

slides. You may want to hold

your toddler in your lap on the

swing and on the slide at first.

Sing action songs together such

as “Ring Around the Rosy,”

“Itsy-Bitsy Spider,” and “This Is

the Way We Wash Our Hands.”

Do actions together. Move with

the rhythm. Wait for your tod-

dler to anticipate the action.

Put favorite toys in a laundry

basket slightly out of reach of

your toddler or in a clear con-

tainer with a tight lid. Wait for

your toddler to request the ob-

jects, giving her a reason to

communicate. Respond to her

requests.

Your toddler may become inter-

ested in “art activities.” Use

large nontoxic crayons and a

large pad of paper. Felt-tip

markers are more exciting with

their bright colors. Let your

toddler scribble his own picture

as you make one.

A favorite pull toy often is a

small wagon or an old purse for

collecting things. Your toddler

can practice putting objects in

and out of it. It can also be used

to store favorite items.

Make a picture book by putting

common, simple pictures cut

from magazines into a photo

album. Your toddler will enjoy

photos of herself and family

members. Pictures of pets are

favorites, too.

Toddlers are interested in play-

ing with balls. Use a beach ball

to roll, throw, and kick.

Play the “What’s that?” game by

pointing to clothing, toys, body

parts, objects, or pictures and

asking your toddler to name

them. If your toddler doesn’t re-

spond, name it for him and en-

courage imitation of the words.

Fill a plastic tub with cornmeal

or oatmeal. Put in kitchen

spoons, strainers, measuring

cups, funnels, or plastic contain-

ers. Toddlers can fill, dump,

pour, and learn about textures

and use of objects as tools. Tast-

ing won’t be harmful.

Toddlers will begin putting ob-

jects together. Simple puzzles

(separate pieces) with knobs are

great. Putting keys into locks

and letters into mailbox slots is

fun, too.

Get two containers (coffee cups

or cereal bowls) that look the

same and a small toy. Hide the

toy under one container while

your toddler watches. Ask her,

“Where did it go?” Eventually

you can play the old shell game

(moving the containers after you

hide the toy).

Help your toddler sort objects

into piles. He can help you sort

laundry (put socks in one pile

and shirts in another). Play

“clean up” games. Have your

toddler put toys on specified

shelves or boxes.

Save milk cartons or gelatin or

pudding boxes. Your toddler

can stack them to make towers.

You can also stuff grocery bags

with newspapers and tape them

shut to make big blocks.

Lay out your toddler’s clothes

on the bed before dressing. Ask

her to give you a shirt, pants,

shoes, and socks. This is an easy

way to learn the names of com-

mon items.

Activities for Toddlers 16—20 Months Old

ASQ

Toddlers enjoy looking at old

pictures of themselves. Tell

simple stories about him as you

look at the pictures. Talk about

what was happening when the

picture was taken.

Cut a rectangular hole in the top

of a shoebox. Let your toddler

insert an old deck of playing

cards or used envelopes. The

box is easy storage for your tod-

dler’s “mail.”

Set up your own bowling game

using plastic tumblers, tennis

ball cans, or empty plastic bot-

tles for bowling pins. Show your

toddler how to roll the ball to

knock down the pins. Then let

your toddler try.

Many everyday items (socks,

spoons, shoes, mittens) can help

your toddler learn about match-

ing. Hold up an object, and ask

if she can find one like yours.

Name the objects while playing

the game.

Hide a loudly ticking clock or a

softly playing transistor radio in

a room and have your child find

it. Take turns by letting him hide

and you find.

A good body parts song is

“Head, Shoulders, Knees, and

Toes.” Get more detailed with

body parts by naming teeth,

eyebrows, fingernails, and so

forth.

Make your toddler an outdoor

“paint” set by using a large

wide paint brush and a bowl or

bucket of water. Your toddler

will have fun “painting” the side

of the house, a fence, or the

front porch.

Turn objects upside down

(books, cups, shoes) and see if

your toddler notices they’re

wrong and turns them back the

right way. Your toddler will

begin to enjoy playing “silly”

games.

Give your toddler some of your

old clothes (hats, shirts, scarves,

purses, necklaces, sunglasses) to

use for dress up. Make sure your

toddler sees herself in the mir-

ror. Ask her to tell you who is all

dressed up.

Use plastic farm animals or

stuffed animals to tell the Old

McDonald story. Use sound ef-

fects!

Make grocery sack blocks by filling

large paper grocery sacks about half

full with shredded or crumpled

newspaper. Fold the top of the sack

over and tape it shut. Your toddler

will enjoy tearing and crumpling the

paper and stuffing the sacks. The

blocks are great for stacking and

building. Avoid newsprint contact

with mouth. Wash hands after this

activity.

“Dress up” clothes offer extra

practice for putting on and tak-

ing off shirts, pants, shoes, and

socks. Toddlers can fasten big

zippers and buttons.

Put small containers, spoons,

measuring cups, funnels, a

bucket, shovels, and a colander

into a sandbox. Don’t forget to

include cars and trucks to drive

on sand roads.

Rhymes and songs with actions

are popular at this age. “Itsy-

Bitsy Spider,” “I’m a Little

Teapot,” and “Where Is Thumb -

kin?” are usual favorites. Make

up your own using your tod-

dler’s name in the song.

Make your own playdough by

mixing 2 cups flour and 3/4 cup

salt. Add 1/2 cup water and 2

tablespoons salad oil. Knead

well until it’s smooth; add food

coloring, and knead until color is

fully blended. Toddlers will love

squishing, squeezing, and

pounding the dough.

Playing beside or around other

children the same age is fun but

usually requires adult super-

vision. Trips to the park are

good ways to begin practicing

interacting with other children.

Play the “show me” game when

looking at books. Ask your tod-

dler to find an object in a pic-

ture. Take turns. Let your tod-

dler ask you to find an object in

a picture. Let him turn the

pages.

Add a few Ping-Pong balls to

your toddler’s bath toys. Play a

“pop up” game by showing

your toddler how balls pop back

up after holding them under the

water and letting go.

Clean plastic containers with

push or screw-on lids are great

places to “hide” a favorite ob-

ject or treat. Toddlers will prac-

tice pulling and twisting them to

solve the “problem” of getting

the object. Watch to see if your

toddler asks you to help.

Make a book by pasting differ-

ent textures on each page. Ma-

terials such as sandpaper, feath-

ers, cotton balls, nylon, silk, and

buttons lend themselves to

words such as rough, smooth,

hard, and soft.

Activities for Toddlers 20—24 Months Old

ASQ

Add actions to your child’s fa-

vorite nursery rhymes. Easy ac-

tion rhymes include “Here We

Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush,”

“Jack Be Nimble,” “This Is the

Way We Wash Our Clothes,”

“Ring Around the Rosy,” and

“London Bridge.”

Play Target Toss with a large

bucket or box and bean bags or

balls. Help your child count how

many she gets in the target. A

ball of yarn or rolled-up socks

also work well for an indoor tar-

get game.

Wrap tape around one end of a

piece of yarn to make it stiff like

a needle and put a large knot at

the other end. Have your child

string large elbow macaroni,

buttons, spoons, or beads.

Make an edible necklace out of

Cheerios.

Children at this age love out-

ings. One special outing can be

going to the library. The librar-

ian can help you find appropri-

ate books. Make a special time

for reading (like bedtime stories).

Play a jumping game when you

take a walk by jumping over the

cracks in the sidewalk. You may

have to hold your child and help

him jump over at first.

Take time to draw with your

child when she wants to get out

paper and crayons. Draw large

shapes and let your child color

them in. Take turns.

During sandbox play, try wetting

some of the sand. Show your

child how to pack the container

with the wet sand and turn it

over to make sand structures or

cakes.

Add an old catalog or two to

your child’s library. It’s a good

“picture” book for naming com-

mon objects.

Give your child soap, a wash-

cloth, and a dishpan of water.

Let your child wash a “dirty”

doll, toy dishes, or doll clothes.

It’s good practice for hand

washing and drying.

Make “sound” containers using

plastic Easter eggs or pantyhose

eggs. Fill eggs with noisy ob-

jects like sand, beans, or rice

and tape the eggs shut. Have

two eggs for each sound. Help

your child match sounds and put

them back in an egg carton

together.

Show your child how to make

snakes or balls or how to roll out

pancakes with a small rolling pin

using playdough. Use large

cookie cutters to make new

playdough shapes.

Children at this age love to pre-

tend and really enjoy it when

you can pretend with them. Pre-

tend you are different animals,

like a dog or cat. Make animal

sounds and actions. Let your

child be the pet owner who pets

and feeds you.

Your child will begin to be able

to make choices. Help him

choose what to wear each day

by giving a choice between two

pairs of socks, two shirts, and so

forth. Give choices at other

times like snack or mealtime

(two kinds of drink, cracker, etc.).

Enhance listening skills by play-

ing compact discs or cassettes

with both slow and fast music.

Songs with speed changes are

great. Show your child how to

move fast or slow with the

music. (You might find children’s

cassettes at your local library.)

Children can find endless uses

for boxes. A box big enough for

your child to fit in can become a

car. An appliance box with holes

cut for windows and a door can

become your child’s playhouse.

Decorating the boxes with

crayons, markers, or paints can

be a fun activity to do together.

Play “Follow the Leader.” Walk

on tiptoes, walk backward, and

walk slow or fast with big steps

and little steps.

Try a new twist to fingerpaint-

ing. Use whipping cream on a

washable surface (cookie sheet,

Formica table). Help your child

spread it around and draw pic-

tures with your fingers. Add

food coloring to give it some

color.

Action is an important part of a

child’s life. Play a game with a

ball where you give directions

and your child does the actions,

such as “Roll the ball.” Kick,

throw, push, bounce, and catch

are other good actions. Take

turns giving the directions.

Make an obstacle course using

chairs, pillows, or large cartons.

Tell your child to crawl over,

under, through, behind, in front

of, or between the objects. Be

careful arranging so that the

pieces won’t tip and hurt your

child.

Collect little and big things (balls,

blocks, plates). Show and describe

(big/little) the objects. Ask your child

to give you a big ball, then all of the

big balls. Do the same for little. An-

other big/little game is making your-

self big by stretching your arms up

high and making yourself little by

squatting down.

Activities for Children 24—30 Months Old

ASQ

Tell or read a familiar story and

pause frequently to leave out a

word, asking your child to “fill it

in.” For example, Little Red Rid-

ing Hood said, “Grandmother,

what big ________ you have.”

Teach somersaults by doing one

yourself first. Then help your

child do one. Let her try it alone.

Make sure furniture is out of the

way. You may want to put some

pillows on the floor for safety.

Give a cup to your child. Use

bits of cereal or fruit and place

one in your child’s cup (“one for

you”) and one in your cup (“one

for me”). Take turns. Dump out

your child’s cup and help count

the pieces. This is good practice

for early math skills.

Put an old blanket over a table

to make a tent or house. Pack a

“picnic” sack for your camper.

Have your child take along a pil-

low on the “camp out” for a

nap. Flashlights are especially

fun.

Get a piece of butcher paper large

enough for your child to lie on.

Draw around your child’s body to

make an outline. Don’t forget fin-

gers and toes. Talk about body parts

and print the words on the paper.

Let your child color the poster. Hang

the poster on a wall in your child’s

room.

Children at this age may be in-

terested in creating art in differ-

ent ways. Try cutting a potato in

half and carving a simple shape

or design for your child to dip in

paint and then stamp onto

paper.

Add water to tempera paint to

make it runny. Drop some paint

on a paper and blow through a

straw to move the paint around

the paper, or fill an old roll-on

deodorant bottle with watered-

down paint. Your child can roll

color onto the paper.

A good activity to learn location

words is to build roads and

bridges with blocks. Use toy

cars to go on the road, under or

over a bridge, between the

houses, and so forth.

Trace around simple objects

with your child. Use cups of dif-

ferent sizes, blocks, or your

child’s and your hands. Using

felt-tip markers or crayons of

different colors makes it even

more fun.

Have your child help you set the

table. First, have your child

place the plates, then cups, and

then napkins. By placing one at

each place, he will learn one-to-

one correspondence. Show your

child where the utensils should

be placed.

Collect empty boxes (cereal, TV

dinners, egg cartons) and help

your child set up her own gro-

cery store.

Help your child learn new words

to describe objects in everyday

conversations. Describe by

color, size, and shape (the blue

cup, the big ball). Also, describe

how things move (a car goes

fast, a turtle moves slowly) and

how they feel (ice cream is cold,

soup is hot).

Make your own puzzles by cut-

ting out magazine pictures of

whole people. Have your child

help glue pictures onto card-

board. Cut pictures into three

pieces by cutting curvy lines.

Head, trunk, and legs make

good pieces for your child to

put together.

Dribble different colors of paint

in the middle or on one side of a

paper. Fold the paper in half.

Let your child open the paper to

see the design it makes.

A good game for trips in the car

is to play a matching game with

a set of Old Maid cards. Place a

few different cards in front of

your child. Give him a card that

matches one displayed and ask

him to find the card like the one

you gave him.

Cut pictures out of magazines to

make two groups such as dogs,

food, toys, or clothes. Have two

boxes ready and put a picture

of a dog in one and of food in

the other. Have your child put

additional pictures in the right

box, helping her learn about

categories.

Cut a stiff paper plate to make a

hand paddle and show your child

how to use it to hit a balloon. See

how long your child can keep the

balloon in the air or how many times

he can hit it back to you. This activ-

ity helps develop large body and

eye–hand coordination. Always care-

fully supervise when playing with

balloons.

To improve coordination and

balance, show your child the

“bear walk” by walking on

hands and feet, keeping the

legs and arms straight. Try the

“rabbit hop” by crouching down

and then jumping forward.

Encourage your child to try the

“elephant walk,” bending for-

ward at the waist and letting

your arms (hands clasped to-

gether) swing freely while taking

slow and heavy steps. This is

great to do with music.

Make a poster of your child’s fa-

vorite things using pictures from

old magazines. Use safety scis-

sors and paste or a glue stick to

allow your child to do it inde-

pendently, yet safely.

Activities for Children 30—36 Months Old

ASQ

Make a book “about me” for

your child. Save family pictures,

leaves, magazine pictures of a

favorite food, and drawings your

child makes. Put them in a

photo album, or glue onto

sheets of paper and staple to-

gether to make a book.

Make a bird feeder using peanut

butter and bird seed. Help your

child find a pine cone or a piece of

wood to spread peanut butter on.

Roll in or sprinkle with seeds and

hang in a tree or outside a window.

While your child watches the birds,

ask her about the number, size, and

color of the different birds that visit.

Grow a plant. Choose seeds that

sprout quickly (beans or peas), and

together with your child place the

seeds in a paper cup, filling almost

to the top with dirt. Place the seeds

1/2 inch under the soil. Put the cup

on a sunny windowsill and encour-

age your child to water and watch

the plant grow.

Before bedtime, look at a maga-

zine or children’s book together.

Ask your child to point to pic-

tures as you name them, such as

“Where is the truck?” Be silly

and ask him to point with an

elbow or foot. Ask him to show

you something that is round or

something that goes fast.

Play a matching game. Make

two sets of 10 or more pictures.

You can use pictures from two

copies of the same magazine or

a deck of playing cards. Lay the

pictures face up and ask your

child to find two that are the

same. Start with two picture sets

and gradually add more.

While cooking or eating dinner,

play the “more or less” game

with your child. Ask who has

more potatoes and who has

less. Try this using same-size

glasses or cups, filled with juice

or milk.

Cut out some large paper circles

and show them to your child.

Talk with your child about things

in her world that are “round” (a

ball, the moon). Cut the circle in

half, and ask her if she can make

it round again. Next, cut the cir-

cle into three pieces, and so

forth.

During bath time, play Simon Says

to teach your child names of body

parts. First, you can be “Simon” and

help your child wash the part of his

body that “Simon says.” Let your

child have a turn to be “Simon,”

too. Be sure to name each body part

as it is washed and give your child a

chance to wash himself.

Talk about the number 3. Read sto-

ries that have 3 in them (The Three

Billy Goats Gruff, Three Little Pigs,

The Three Bears). Encourage your

child to count to 3 using similar ob-

jects (rocks, cards, blocks). Talk

about being 3 years old. After your

child gets the idea, move up to the

numbers 4, 5, and so forth as long

as your child is interested.

Put out several objects that are

familiar to your child (brush, coat,

banana, spoon, book). Ask your

child to show you which one you

can eat or which one you wear

outside. Help your child put the

objects in groups that go to-

gether, such as “things that we

eat” and “things that we wear.”

When your child is getting

dressed, encourage her to prac-

tice with buttons and zippers.

Play a game of Peekaboo to

show her how buttons go

through the holes. Pretend the

zipper is a choo-choo train

going “up and down” the track.

Practice following directions.

Play a silly game where you ask

your child to do two or three fun

or unusual things in a row. For

example, ask him to “Touch

your elbow and then run in a cir-

cle” or “Find a book and put it

on your head.”

Encourage your child’s “sharing skills”

by making a play corner in your home.

Include only two children to start (a

brother, sister, or friend) and have a

few of the same type of toys available

so that the children don’t have to

share all of the time. Puppets or blocks

are good because they encourage

playing together. If needed, use an

egg or oven timer with a bell to allow

the children equal time with the toys.

Listen for sounds. Find a cozy

spot, and sit with your child. Lis-

ten and identify all of the

sounds that you hear. Ask your

child if it is a loud or soft sound.

Try this activity inside and out-

side your home.

Make an adventure path outside.

Use a garden hose, rope, or piece

of chalk and make a “path” that

goes under the bench, around the

tree, and along the wall. Walk

your child through the path first,

using these words. After she can

do it, make a new path or have

your child make a path.

Find large pieces of paper or

cardboard for your child to draw

on. Using crayons, pencils, or

markers, play a drawing game

where you follow his lead by

copying exactly what he draws.

Next, encourage your child to

copy your drawings, such as cir-

cles or straight lines.

When reading or telling a famil-

iar story for bedtime, stop and

leave out a word. Wait for your

child to “fill in the blank.”

Make a necklace you can eat

by stringing Cheerios or Froot

Loops on a piece of yarn or

string. Wrap a short piece of

tape around the end of the

string to make a firm tip for

stringing.

Listen and dance to music with

your child. You can stop the

music for a moment and play

the “freeze” game, where

everyone “freezes,” or stands

perfectly still, until you start the

music again. Try to “freeze” in

unusual positions for fun.

Make long scarves out of fabric

scraps, old dresses, or old shirts

by tearing or cutting long

pieces. Use material that is light-

weight. Hold on to the edge of

the scarf, twirl around, run, and

jump.

Activities for Children 36—48 Months Old

ASQ

Play the “who, what, and

where” game. Ask your child

who works in a school, what is in

a school, and where is the

school. Expand on your child’s

answers by asking more ques-

tions. Ask about other topics,

like the library, bus stop, or post

office.

When you are setting the table for a

meal, play the “what doesn’t be-

long” game. Add a small toy or

other object next to the plate and

eating utensils. Ask your child if she

can tell you what doesn’t belong

here. You can try this game any time

of the day. For example, while

brushing your child’s hair, set out a

brush, barrette, comb, and a ball.

Let your child help prepare a

picnic. Show him what he can

use for the picnic (bread, peanut

butter, and apples). Lay out

sandwich bags and a lunch box,

basket, or large paper bag.

Then go have fun on the picnic.

On a rainy day, pretend to open

a shoe store. Use old shoes,

paper, pencils, and a chair to sit

down and try on shoes. You can

be the customer. Encourage

your child to “write” your order

down. Then she can take a turn

being the customer and practice

trying on and buying shoes.

Play the “guess what will happen”

game to encourage your child’s

problem-solving and thinking skills.

For example, during bath time, ask

your child, “What do you think will

happen if I turn on the hot and cold

water at the same time?” or “What

would happen if I stacked the blocks

to the top of the ceiling?”

Play “bucket hoops.” Have your

child stand about 6 feet away

and throw a medium-size ball at

a large bucket or trash can. For

fun outdoors on a summer day,

fill the bucket with water.

Write your child’s name often. When

your child finishes drawing a picture,

be sure to put his name on it and say

the letters as you write them. If your

child is interested, encourage him to

name and/or to copy the letters.

Point out the letters in your child’s

name throughout the day on cereal

boxes, sign boards, and books.

Invite your child to play a counting

game. Using a large piece of paper,

make a simple game board with a

straight path. Use dice to determine

the count. Count with your child,

and encourage her to hop the game

piece to each square, counting each

time the piece touches down.

Make a person with playdough

or clay using sticks, buttons,

toothpicks, beads, and any

other small items. Start with a

playdough (or clay) head and

body and use the objects for

arms, legs, and eyes. Ask your

child questions about his person.

Encourage your child to learn

her full name, address, and tele-

phone number. Make it into a

singing or rhyming game for

fun. Ask your child to repeat it

back to you when you are riding

in the car or on the bus.

Cut out three small, three medium,

and three large circles. Color each

set of circles a different color (or use

colored paper for each). Your child

can sort the circles by color or by

size. You can also ask your child

about the different sizes. For ex-

ample, ask your child, “Which one is

smallest?” Try this game using but-

tons removed from an old shirt.

Go on a walk and pick up things

you find. Bring the items home

and help your child sort them

into groups. For example, groups

can include rocks, paper, or

leaves. Encourage your child to

start a collection of special things.

Find a box or special place where

he can display the collection.

Play a picture guessing game.

Cover a picture in a familiar

book with a sheet of paper and

uncover a little at a time until

your child has guessed the

picture.

Let your child help you prepare

a meal. She can spread peanut

butter and jelly, peel a banana,

cut with a butter knife, pour ce-

real, and add milk (using a small

container). Never give her a task

involving the stove or oven with-

out careful supervision.

“Write” and mail a letter to a friend or

relative. Provide your child with paper,

crayons or pencil, and an envelope. Let

your child draw, scribble, or write; or he

can tell you what to write down. When

your child is finished, let him fold the

letter to fit in the envelope, lick, and seal.

You can write the address on the front. Be

sure to let him decorate the envelope as

well. After he has put the stamp on, help

mail the letter.

Play “circus.” Find old, colorful

clothes and help your child put on a

circus show. Provide a rope on the

ground for the high wire act, a

sturdy box to stand on to announce

the acts, fun objects for a magic act,

and stuffed animals for the show.

Encourage your child’s imagination

and creativity in planning the show.

Don’t forget to clap.

Take a pack of playing cards and

choose four or five matching

sets. Lay the cards out face up,

and help your child to find the

pairs. Talk about what makes the

pairs of cards the “same” and

“different.”

Make bubbles. Use

⁄

cup dishwashing

liquid (Dawn or Joy works best) and 2

⁄

cups water. Use straws to blow bubbles

on a cookie sheet. Or make a wand by

stringing two pieces of a drinking straw

onto a string or piece of yarn. Tie the

ends of the string together to make a

circle. Holding onto the straw pieces, dip

the string in the bubble mixture. Pull it out

and gently move forward or backward.

You should see lovely, big bubbles.

Make a bean bag to catch and

throw. Fill the toe of an old sock

or pantyhose with 3/4 cup dry

beans. Sew the remaining side

or tie off with a rubber band.

Play “hot potato” or simply play

catch. Encourage your child to

throw the ball overhand and

underhand.

Pretend to be an animal. En-

courage your child to use her

imagination and become a kitty.

You can ask, “What do kitties

like to eat?” or “Where do kit-

ties live?” Play along, and see

how far the game can go.

Activities for Children 48—60 Months Old

ASQ

Make a nature collage. Collect

leaves, pebbles, and small sticks

from outside and glue them on

a piece of cardboard or stiff

paper. (Cereal and cracker

boxes can be cut up and used

as cardboard.)

Practice writing first names of

friends, toys, and relatives. Your

child may need to trace the let-

ters of these names at first. Be

sure to write in large print letters.

Encourage dramatic play. Help

your child act out his favorite

nursery rhyme, cartoon, or

story. Use large, old clothes for

costumes.

Play simple ball games such as

kickball. Use a large (8”–12”)

ball, and slowly roll it toward

your child. See if your child can

kick the ball and run to “first

base.”

When reading stories to your

child, let her make up the end-

ing, or retell favorite stories with

“silly” new endings that she

makes up.

Let your child help you with simple

cooking tasks such as mashing pota-

toes, making cheese sandwiches,

and fixing a bowl of cereal. After-

ward, see if he can tell you the order

that you followed to cook and mash

the potatoes or to get the bread out

of the cupboard and put the cheese

on it. Supervise carefully when your

child is near a hot stove.

Play “20 Questions.” Think of an an-

imal. Let your child ask 20 yes/no

questions about the animal until she

guesses what animal it is. (You may

need to help your child to ask

yes/no questions at first.) Now let

your child choose an animal and you

ask the 20 questions. You can also

use other categories such as food,

toys, and people.

You can play “license plate count-

up” in the car or on the bus. Look

for a license plate that contains the

number 1. Then try to find other

plates with 2, 3, 4, and so forth, up

to 10. When your child can play

“count-up,” play “count-down,”

starting with the number 9, then 8,

7, 6, and so forth, down to 1.

Practice pretend play or pan-

tomime. Here are some things

to act out: 1) eating hot pizza

with stringy cheese; 2) winning a

race; 3) finding a giant spider; 4)

walking in thick, sticky mud; and

5) making footprints in wet

sand.

Make a simple concentration game

with two or three pairs of duplicate

playing cards (two king of hearts), or

make your own cards out of duplicate

pictures or magazine ads. Start with

two or three pairs of cards. Turn them

face down and mix them up. Let your

child turn two cards over to see if they

match. If they don’t, turn the cards face

down again. You can gradually increase

to playing with more pairs of cards.

Make an obstacle course either inside

or outside your home. You can use

cardboard boxes for jumping over or

climbing through, broomsticks for lay-

ing between chairs for “limbo” (going

under), and pillows for walking around.

Let your child help lay out the course.

After a couple of practice tries, have

him complete the obstacle course as

quickly as possible. Then try hopping

or jumping the course.

After washing hands, practice

writing letters and numbers in

pudding or thinned mashed po-

tatoes spread on a cookie sheet

or cutting board. Licking fingers

is allowed!

Play mystery sock. Put a com-

mon household item in a sock.

Tie off the top of the sock. Have

your child feel the sock and

guess what is inside. Take turns

guessing what’s inside.

Make color rhymes. Take turns

rhyming a color and a word:

blue, shoe; red, bed; yellow, fel-

low. You can also rhyme with

names (Dad, sad; Jack, sack).

Take turns with the rhyming.

Make an “I can read” poster. Cut out

names your child can read—fast-

food restaurant names, names from

cereal cartons, and other foods. You

can write your child’s name, names

of relatives, and names of friends on

pieces of paper and put them on the

poster. Add to the poster as your

child learns to read more names.

Play “what doesn’t belong?” Let your child

find the word that doesn’t belong in a list of

six or seven spoken words. The one that

doesn’t belong can be the word that doesn’t

rhyme or the word that is from a different

category. Some examples are 1) fly, try, by,

coat, sigh, my; 2) Sam, is, ram, am, spam,

ham; 3) red, orange, purple, green, yellow,

beetle; 4) spoon, fork, shirt, pan, spatula,

knife. Have your child give three to four

words with one that doesn’t belong.

Play the “memory” game. Put

five or six familiar objects on a

table. Have your child close her

eyes. Remove one object, and

rearrange the rest. Ask your

child which object is missing.

Take turns finding the missing

object.

Make puppets out of ice cream

sticks, paper bags, socks, or egg

carton cups. Decorate the puppets

with yarn, pens, buttons, and col-

ored paper. Make a puppet stage by

turning a coffee table or card table

on its side. Be the audience while

your child crouches behind the table

and puts on a puppet show.

Play the old shell game. Get four cups or

glasses that you cannot see through. Find

a small ball, object, or edible item such as

a raisin or cracker that fits under the cups.

Have your child watch as you place the

object under one of the cups and move

all of the cups around. Have your child try

to remember which cup the object is

under. Have your child take a turn moving

the objects while you guess.

Play “mystery sound.” Select

household items that make dis-

tinct sounds such as a clock, ce-

real box, metal lid (placed on a

pan), and potato chip bag. Put a

blindfold on your child and have

him try to guess which object

made the sound. Take turns with

your child.

Activities for Children 60—66 Months Old

ASQ